solid milk

Abstract

To provide a solid food and solid milk capable of preventing damage to the product when dropped and improving suitability for transportation. [Solution] The solid food product is a solid food product obtained by compressing powder and includes a body 10 having a first surface 10A and a second surface 10B opposite to the first surface 10A. The body 10 is provided with at least one hole 11 that penetrates the body 10 from the first surface 10A to the second surface 10B, and the first surface 10A, the second surface 10B, and the inner wall surface 11A of the hole 11 are configured as outer surfaces that are harder than the interior of the body 10.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to solid foods and solid milk. [Background technology]

[0002] Solid milk, which is obtained by compressing and molding powdered milk, is known as a solid food product (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). This solid milk is required to have solubility so that it dissolves quickly when placed in warm water, and also to be transportable, i.e., to have fracture resistance so that it does not break or crumble during transportation or carrying.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a food product (solid milk) having an upper surface with a flat area, a lower surface with a flat area parallel to the flat area of ​​the upper surface, and a recessed portion provided on either or both of the upper and lower surfaces.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a method for producing solid milk, which comprises dispersing gas in liquid milk, spray-drying the liquid milk to form powdered milk, and compressing and molding the powdered milk to form solid milk. Patent Document 2 describes that a commercially available load cell tablet hardness tester is used to press a rectangular solid solid milk at a constant speed with a breaking terminal to determine the load [N] when the solid milk breaks, and that this load is defined as the hardness [N] of the solid milk. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5350799 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5688020 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Meanwhile, solid foods and solid milks are required to have improved transportability in order to prevent damage to the products if they are dropped during transportation, in stores, at home, etc.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide solid foods and solid milk that can prevent damage to the products when they are dropped, thereby improving their suitability for transportation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The solid food of the present invention is a solid food product obtained by compressing and molding a powder, and comprises a body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and the body is provided with at least one hole that penetrates the body from the first surface to the second surface, and the first surface, the second surface, and the inner wall surface of the hole are outer surfaces that are harder than the interior of the body.

[0009] The solid milk of the present invention is a solid form of solid milk obtained by compressing and molding powdered milk, and comprises a body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and the body is provided with at least one hole that extends from the first surface to the second surface and penetrates the body, and the first surface, the second surface, and the inner wall surface of the hole are outer surfaces that are harder than the interior of the body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, at least one hole is provided through the main body constituting the solid food, and the inner wall surface of the hole is an outer surface that is harder than the inside of the main body, similar to the first and second surfaces of the main body, thereby preventing damage to the product when dropped and improving transport suitability.

[0011] According to the present invention, at least one hole is provided that penetrates the main body constituting the solid milk, and the inner wall surface of the hole is an outer surface that is harder than the inside of the main body, like the first and second surfaces of the main body, thereby preventing damage to the product when dropped and improving transport suitability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of solid milk according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the solid milk taken along line X1-X2 of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the solid milk taken along line Y1-Y2 of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 10 is a photograph showing the results of a scraping test to confirm that the outer surface of solid milk is harder than the inside of the body. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of solid milk according to Modification 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the solid milk taken along line X1-X2 of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the solid milk taken along line Y1-Y2 of FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of solid milk according to Modification 2. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the solid milk taken along line X1-X2 of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 9 is a cross-sectional view of the solid milk taken along line Y1-Y2 in FIG. 8. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of solid milk according to Modification 3. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the solid milk taken along line X1-X2 of FIG. 11. [Figure 13] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the solid milk taken along line Y1-Y2 in FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of solid milk according to Comparative Example 1. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the solid milk taken along line X1-X2 of FIG. 14. [Figure 16] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the solid milk taken along line Y1-Y2 in FIG. [Figure 17] 10 is a graph showing the number of drops required to break the sample versus the drop energy density per unit hardness according to the second example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples and can be appropriately modified within the scope obvious to those skilled in the art.

[0014] <Embodiment> (Composition of solid milk 10S) Fig. 1 is a perspective view of solid milk 10S according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the YZ plane taken along line X1-X2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the XZ plane taken along line Y1-Y2 in Fig. 1.

[0015] The solid milk 10S has a solid body 10 obtained by compression-molding powdered milk. The body 10 has a first surface 10A that is flat and parallel to the XY plane, and a second surface 10B that is flat and parallel to the XY plane. The first surface 10A and the second surface 10B are back-to-back surfaces. The shape of the body 10 is determined by the shape of the mold (the mortar of the tablet press) used for compression molding, but is not particularly limited as long as it has a certain degree of dimensions (size, thickness, angle). The general shape of the body 10 is a cylinder, an elliptical cylinder, a cube, a rectangular parallelepiped, a plate, a polygonal pillar, a polygonal truncated pyramid, a polyhedron, or the like. From the viewpoints of ease of molding and convenient transportation, a cylinder, an elliptical cylinder, and a rectangular parallelepiped are preferred. The main body 10 of the solid milk 10S shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 has a schematic shape of a rectangular parallelepiped with dimensions a×b×c (see FIG. 1), and the main body 10 has a side surface 10C parallel to the XZ plane or the YZ plane.

[0016] The back-to-back surfaces may be surfaces that are not directly connected to one another, but are connected to one another via another surface. In another example, the back-to-back surfaces may be surfaces that are directly connected to one another, including a curved surface. The back-to-back surfaces are not necessarily parallel to one another.

[0017] The main body 10 is provided with a hole 11 that penetrates the main body 10, reaching from the first surface 10A to the second surface 10B. The number of holes 11 is at least one, and FIG. 1 shows a case where there is one hole 11. The shape of the hole 11 may be, for example, an oval, a rounded rectangle, an ellipse, a circle, a rectangle, a square, or any other polygon in a cross section parallel to the XY plane. In the solid milk 10S shown in FIG. 1, the shape of the hole 11 is an oval. When the shape of the hole 11 is a shape with corners such as a rectangle or a square, the corners may be rounded. The size of the hole 11 is selected so that the volume obtained by subtracting the volume of the hole 11 from the volume of the rectangular parallelepiped shape of the main body 10 is a predetermined value.

[0018] The positions of the holes 11 are preferably not significantly biased when viewed from the center of the first surface 10A. For example, an arrangement that is point-symmetric with respect to the center of the first surface 10A, or an arrangement that is line-symmetric with respect to a line parallel to the X-axis or a line parallel to the Y-axis that passes through the center of the first surface 10A, is preferable. When there is only one hole 11, the hole 11 is provided at the center of the first surface 10A. The hole 11 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction of the oval shape at the center of the first surface 10A is parallel to the X-axis. The same applies when viewed from the second surface 10B. The direction in which the hole 11 penetrates the main body 10 is a direction that passes through the first surface 10A and the second surface 10B, for example, a direction that is approximately parallel to the Z-axis.

[0019] In the solid milk 10S of this embodiment, the first surface 10A, the second surface 10B, and the inner wall surface 11A of the hole 11 are outer surfaces that are harder than the interior of the main body 10. The inner wall surface 11A of the hole 11 forms a cylindrical column provided between the first surface 10A and the second surface 10B. The side surface 10C of the main body 10 is also an outer surface that is harder than the interior of the main body 10. The interior of the main body 10 that serves as an indicator of the hardness of the outer surface is, for example, a position in a portion where the hole 11 is not provided that is equal in distance from the first surface 10A to the second surface 10B, and that is equal in distance from the inner wall surface 11A of the hole 11 to the side surface 10C. Here, the inner wall surface 11A and the side surface 10C of the hole 11 are surfaces that face each other. The outer surface of the solid milk 10S of this embodiment is not provided with a coating or the like, but is a layer that is harder than the interior of the main body 10 due to a hardening treatment of the compressed milk powder molded product as described below. For example, the method for confirming that the outer surface of the body 10 is a layer harder than the interior can be performed as follows. FIG. 4 is a photograph showing the results of a scraping test conducted to confirm that the outer surface of the body of solid milk is harder than the interior of the body. In the scraping test, the body 10 of solid milk is cut at an arbitrary position, preferably a position where the distance from the first surface 10A and the distance from the second surface 10B in the portion where the holes 11 are not provided are equal, and where the distance from the inner wall surface 11A of the hole 11 is equal to the distance from the side surface 10C. The soft portion of the interior of the body 10 is scraped out from the exposed cross section using an arbitrary scraping tool. Here, by maintaining a constant scraping force, only the soft portion is scraped out, leaving the relatively hard portion. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the soft portion of the interior of the body 10 is removed, leaving the hard outer surface of the body 10. In this way, the outer surface of the body 10 is a layer harder than the interior of the body 10. In other words, the outer surface of the main body 10 being a harder layer than the inside of the main body 10 means that the force required to peel off the thin layer is relatively greater near the surface of the main body 10 than inside of the main body 10.

[0020] The surface is the surface that forms the outside of a substance. The surface layer is a layer near the surface, including the surface. In this embodiment, the outer surface of the solid milk 10S refers to a layer near the surface, including the surface, i.e., the surface layer.

[0021] The corners of the main body 10, which are formed by the first surface 10A and the side surface 10C, and the corners of the main body 10, which are formed by the second surface 10B and the side surface 10C, are chamfered to form tapered slopes. Similarly, the corners of the edge of the hole 11, which are formed by the first surface 10A and the inner wall surface 11A of the hole 11, and the corners of the edge of the hole 11, which are formed by the second surface 10B and the inner wall surface 11A, are chamfered to form tapered slopes. The above-mentioned corners of the main body 10 and the tapered slopes of the edge of the hole 11 are both outer surfaces that are harder than the interior of the main body. In addition, the corners of the side surface 10C, which are formed by surfaces parallel to the YZ plane and the XZ plane, may be rounded. Chamfering or rounding the corners can prevent the solid milk 10S from breaking during transportation, etc.

[0022] For example, when the holes 11 are circular or approximately circular in a cross section parallel to the XY plane, the diameter of the holes 11, or when the holes 11 are elongated shapes such as ellipses, the opening width of the holes 11 in the direction of the minor axis or short side is 1.5 mm or more, preferably 2.0 mm or more, and more preferably 3.0 mm or more. The upper limit of the diameter or opening width of the holes 11 in the direction of the major sides of the first surface 10A and the second surface 10B of the solid milk 10S is half the length of the major side (a / 2), and in the direction of the minor side (b / 2). The angle formed by the hole 11 with respect to the normal to the first surface 10A and the second surface 10B in the direction of the minor side is in the range of 0° to 30°, preferably 0° to 10°. The direction forming an angle of 0° with the normal to first surface 10A and second surface 10B is the normal direction to first surface 10A and second surface 10B, i.e., a direction perpendicular to first surface 10A and second surface 10B. The angle of the tapered slope provided at the corner of the edge of hole 11 formed by first surface 10A and inner wall surface 11A of hole 11 and the corner of the edge of hole 11 formed by second surface 10B and inner wall surface 11A is in the range of 15° to 75° with respect to first surface 10A and second surface 10B, and preferably in the range of 30° to 60° with respect to first surface 10A and second surface 10B. For example, the shape of hole 11 in a cross section parallel to the XY plane may be circular or approximately circular, or may be polygonal, such as octagonal, heptagonal, hexagonal, pentagonal, rectangular, or triangular, or may be any shape, such as heart, star, spade, or clover.

[0023] The number of holes 11 formed in the solid milk 10S is at least one, and the number of holes 11 in the solid milk shown in Fig. 1 is one. The number of holes 11 is preferably 1 to 6. More preferably, it is 2 to 6, and a configuration with six holes 11 can be preferably applied.

[0024] The components of solid milk 10S are basically the same as those of the raw material, powdered milk, such as fat, protein, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and water.

[0025] Powdered milk is produced from liquid milk (liquid milk) containing milk components (e.g., components of cow's milk). Milk components include, for example, raw milk (full-fat milk), skim milk, and cream. The water content of liquid milk is, for example, 40% to 95% by weight. The water content of powdered milk is, for example, 1% to 4% by weight. The powdered milk may contain added nutritional components, as described below. The powdered milk may be whole milk powder, skim milk powder, or creamy powder, as long as it is suitable for producing solid milk 10S. The fat content of powdered milk is preferably, for example, 5% to 70% by weight.

[0026] The milk components used as raw materials for the above-mentioned milk powder are derived from, for example, raw milk. Specifically, they are derived from raw milk of cows (Holstein, Jersey, and other breeds), goats, sheep, buffalo, etc. The above-mentioned raw milk contains fat, but it may also be milk with an adjusted fat content in which part or all of the fat has been removed by centrifugation or the like.

[0027] Furthermore, the milk components used as raw materials for the above-mentioned milk powder are, for example, plant-derived milks. Specifically, these include soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk, almond milk, hemp milk, peanut milk, etc. Although the above-mentioned plant-derived milks contain fat, they may also be milks with an adjusted fat content in which some or all of the fat has been removed by centrifugation or the like.

[0028] The nutritional components that are the raw materials for the powdered milk are, for example, fat, protein, sugar, minerals, vitamins, etc. One or more of these may be added.

[0029] Proteins that can be used as raw materials for the above-mentioned milk powder include, for example, milk proteins and milk protein fractions, animal proteins, vegetable proteins, peptides obtained by decomposing these proteins into various chain lengths using enzymes or the like, and amino acids. One or more of these may be added. Examples of milk proteins include casein, whey proteins (α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, etc.), such as whey protein concentrate (WPC) and whey protein isolate (WPI). Examples of animal proteins include egg protein. Examples of vegetable proteins include soy protein and wheat protein. Examples of amino acids include taurine, cystine, cysteine, arginine, and glutamine.

[0030] The fats (oils) that can be used as raw materials for the above-mentioned milk powder include animal fats, vegetable fats, their fractionated oils, hydrogenated oils, and interesterified oils. One or more of these may be added. Animal fats include, for example, milk fat, lard, beef tallow, and fish oil. Vegetable fats include, for example, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, linseed oil, and MCT (Medium Chain Triglyceride) oil.

[0031] Examples of carbohydrates that can be used as raw materials for the above-mentioned milk powder include oligosaccharides, monosaccharides, polysaccharides, and artificial sweeteners. One or more of these may be added. Examples of oligosaccharides include lactose, sucrose, maltose, galactooligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides, and lactulose. Examples of monosaccharides include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Examples of polysaccharides include starch, soluble polysaccharides, and dextrin. Note that non-carbohydrate artificial sweeteners may be used instead of or in addition to carbohydrate artificial sweeteners.

[0032] Minerals that can be used as raw materials for the above-mentioned powdered milk include, for example, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc. One or more of these may be added. Note that one or both of phosphorus and chlorine may be used instead of or in addition to the minerals sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc.

[0033] The solid milk 10S has numerous voids (e.g., pores) that are generated when the powdered milk, which is the raw material for the solid milk 10S, is compression-molded. It is preferable that these voids are uniformly dispersed (distributed) in the solid milk 10S, which allows the solid milk 10S to be dissolved evenly and improves the solubility of the solid milk 10S. The larger (wider) the voids are, the easier it is for solvents such as water to penetrate, allowing the solid milk 10S to be dissolved more quickly. On the other hand, if the voids are too large, the hardness of the solid milk 10S may decrease or the surface of the solid milk 10S may become rough. The size (dimension) of each void is, for example, 10 μm to 500 μm. The size (dimension) of each void and the distribution of the numerous voids can be measured by known means, such as by observing the surface and cross-section of the solid milk 10S using a scanning electron microscope. The porosity of the solid milk 10S can be determined by such measurements.

[0034] The porosity of the solid milk 10S is, for example, 30% to 60%. The greater the porosity, the higher the solubility but the lower the hardness (strength). On the other hand, the smaller the porosity, the poorer the solubility. The porosity of the solid milk 10S is not limited to the range of 30% to 60% and can be adjusted appropriately depending on the intended use, etc.

[0035] The solid milk 10S must have a certain degree of solubility in a solvent such as water. The solubility can be evaluated, for example, by preparing the solid milk 10S as a solute and water as a solvent to a predetermined concentration, and measuring the time it takes for the solid milk 10S to completely dissolve or the amount of solid milk remaining undissolved after a predetermined time.

[0036] The solid milk 10S preferably has a hardness within a predetermined range. Hardness can be measured by known methods. In this specification, hardness is measured using a load cell tablet hardness tester. The rectangular solid milk 10S is placed on the load cell tablet hardness tester with the second surface thereof as the bottom surface, and is fixed using one surface of the side surface 10C parallel to the XZ plane and one surface parallel to the YZ plane. The other surface of the side surface 10C, which is parallel to the XZ plane and is not fixed, is pressed at a constant speed with the breaker terminal of the hardness tester in the minor axis direction of the first surface 10A (the Y axis direction in FIG. 1 ) in a direction in which the YZ plane forms the fracture surface. The load [N] at which the solid milk 10S breaks is taken as the hardness (tablet hardness) [N] of the solid milk 10S. For example, a load cell tablet hardness tester (Portable Checker PC-30) manufactured by Okada Seiko Co., Ltd. is used. The breaker terminal incorporated in the hardness tester has a contact surface that comes into contact with the solid milk 10S. The contact surface of the breakable terminal is a rectangle measuring 1 mm x 24 mm, and is arranged with the long sides of the rectangle parallel to the Z-axis. At least a portion of the contact surface of the breakable terminal is configured to press against the measurement point of the solid milk 10S. The speed at which the breakable terminal presses the solid milk 10S is 0.5 mm / s. The above-described hardness measurement is not limited to the solid milk 10S, but can also be applied to measuring the hardness of a compressed, molded milk powder product (unhardened solid milk 10S) described below. Regarding the hardness measured as described above, in order to minimize breakage of the solid milk 10S during transportation, etc., the hardness of the solid milk 10S is preferably 20 N or more, more preferably 40 N or more. On the other hand, if the hardness of the solid milk 10S is too high, the solubility of the solid milk 10S will be reduced. Therefore, the hardness of the solid milk 10S is preferably 100 N or less, more preferably 70 N or less.

[0037] The hardness used here is a physical quantity of force with units of [N (Newton)]. The larger the fracture cross-sectional area of ​​the solid milk sample, the greater the hardness. Here, "fracture" refers to breakage when a static vertical load is applied to a sample such as solid milk 10S, and the cross-sectional area created when this breakage occurs is called the "fracture cross-sectional area." In other words, hardness [N] is a physical quantity that depends on the dimensions of the solid milk sample. The breaking stress [N / m 2]. The breaking stress is the force applied per unit breaking cross-sectional area at the time of breaking, and is an index that does not depend on the dimensions of the solid milk sample, and can be used to compare the mechanical action on solid milk samples even between solid milk samples of different dimensions. For example, in the case of solid milk 10S, the ideal breaking cross-sectional area is expressed as the dimension b x c, which is the minimum breaking cross-sectional area of ​​the solid milk, and breaking stress = hardness / breaking cross-sectional area. In this specification, hardness [N] is sometimes used for simplicity, but these are breaking stress [N / m 2 For example, if the approximate dimensions of the solid milk 10S are a rectangular parallelepiped of 31 mm (a) × 24 mm (b) × 12.5 mm (c), the ideal fracture cross-sectional area is 300 mm 2 (24mm(b) x 12.5mm(c)). The preferred hardness range of the solid milk 10S, 20N or more and 100N or less, is determined by adjusting the hardness to the breaking cross section (300mm 2 ) to get 0.067N / mm 2 More than 0.33N / mm 2 This corresponds to a preferred breaking stress range of:

[0038] The preferred range of breaking stress for the above solid milk 10S is 0.067 N / mm 2 , taking into account the range of breaking cross section. 2 More than 0.739N / mm 2 The following is the result.

[0039] (Solid Milk 10S Manufacturing Method) Next, a method for producing solid milk 10S will be described. First, milk powder, which is the raw material for solid milk 10S, is produced. In the milk powder production process, milk powder is produced through, for example, a liquid milk preparation process, a liquid milk clarification process, a sterilization process, a homogenization process, a concentration process, a gas dispersion process, and a spray drying process.

[0040] The liquid milk preparation step is a step of preparing liquid milk from the above ingredients.

[0041] The liquid milk clarification step is a step for removing minute foreign matter contained in the liquid milk, which can be removed using, for example, a centrifuge or a filter.

[0042] The sterilization process is a process for killing microorganisms such as bacteria contained in the water, milk components, etc. of liquid milk. Since the microorganisms that are actually thought to be contained vary depending on the type of liquid milk, the sterilization conditions (sterilization temperature and holding time) are set appropriately depending on the microorganisms.

[0043] The homogenization process is a process for homogenizing liquid milk. Specifically, the particle size of solid components such as fat globules contained in the liquid milk is reduced and they are uniformly dispersed in the liquid milk. In order to reduce the particle size of the solid components in the liquid milk, for example, the liquid milk may be passed through a narrow gap while being pressurized.

[0044] The concentration step is a step for concentrating liquid milk prior to the spray-drying step described below. Liquid milk can be concentrated using, for example, a vacuum evaporator or an evaporator. The concentration conditions are appropriately set within a range that does not excessively alter the components of the liquid milk. This allows concentrated milk to be obtained from the liquid milk. Next, in this embodiment, it is preferable to disperse a gas in the concentrated liquid milk (concentrated milk) and spray-dry it. The moisture content of the concentrated milk is, for example, 35% to 60% by weight, preferably 40% to 60% by weight, and more preferably 40% to 55% by weight. When such concentrated milk is used and a gas is dispersed therein, the density of the liquid milk (concentrated milk) is reduced and the bulk is increased. By spray-drying the concentrated milk in this bulky state, powdered milk with desirable properties can be obtained when producing solid milk. This step may be omitted when the liquid milk has a low moisture content or when the amount of liquid milk to be processed in the spray-drying step is small.

[0045] The gas dispersion step is a step for dispersing a predetermined gas in liquid milk (concentrated milk). At this time, the predetermined gas may be, for example, 1×10 of the volume of the liquid milk. -2 The volume of the liquid milk is preferably 1×10 to 7 times the volume of the liquid milk. -2 The volume is preferably 1×10 to 5 times the volume of the liquid milk. -2 1×10 to 4×10, and most preferably 1×10 -2It is more than double but less than three times.

[0046] In order to disperse the predetermined gas into the liquid milk, it is preferable to pressurize the predetermined gas. The pressure at which the predetermined gas is pressurized is not particularly limited as long as it is within a range that allows the gas to be effectively dispersed into the liquid milk, but examples of the pressure of the predetermined gas include 1.5 to 10 atmospheres, and preferably 2 to 5 atmospheres. Since the liquid milk is sprayed in the spray drying step described below, it flows along a predetermined flow path, and in this gas dispersion step, the pressurized predetermined gas is flowed into this flow path to disperse (mix) the gas into the liquid milk. In this way, the predetermined gas can be easily and reliably dispersed into the liquid milk as concentrated milk.

[0047] In this way, the density of the liquid milk (concentrated milk) decreases and its apparent volume (bulk) increases as a result of the gas dispersion process. The density of the liquid milk may be calculated by dividing the weight of the liquid milk by the total volume of the liquid milk in both the liquid and foamed states. Alternatively, the density may be measured using a density measuring device according to the bulk density measurement method (pigment: JISK5101) in accordance with the JIS method.

[0048] Therefore, the liquid milk in which the predetermined gas is dispersed flows through the flow path. Here, it is preferable that the volumetric flow rate of the liquid milk in the flow path is controlled to be constant.

[0049] In this embodiment, carbon dioxide (carbon dioxide gas) can be used as the predetermined gas. In the flow path, the ratio of the volumetric flow rate of carbon dioxide to the volumetric flow rate of liquid milk (hereinafter, this percentage will be referred to as the "CO2 mixing ratio [%]") can be, for example, 1% to 700%, preferably 2% to 300%, more preferably 3% to 100%, and most preferably 5% to 45%. By controlling the volumetric flow rate of carbon dioxide to be constant relative to the volumetric flow rate of liquid milk in this way, the uniformity of the milk powder produced therefrom can be improved. However, if the CO2 mixing ratio is too high, the proportion of liquid milk flowing through the flow path will decrease, reducing the production efficiency of milk powder. Therefore, the upper limit of the CO2 mixing ratio is preferably 700%. Furthermore, the pressure at which carbon dioxide is pressurized is not particularly limited as long as it is within a range that allows carbon dioxide to be effectively dispersed into liquid milk. However, the carbon dioxide pressure can be, for example, 1.5 atm to 10 atm, preferably 2 atm to 5 atm. Furthermore, by continuously mixing carbon dioxide and liquid milk in a closed system (in-line), it is possible to reliably prevent the introduction of bacteria and other contaminants, thereby improving the hygiene of the powdered milk (or maintaining a high level of cleanliness).

[0050] In this embodiment, the predetermined gas used in the gas dispersion step is carbon dioxide gas. Instead of or in addition to carbon dioxide gas, one or more gases selected from the group consisting of air, nitrogen (N2), and oxygen (O2), or a rare gas (e.g., argon (Ar) or helium (He)) may be used. Since various gases are available, the gas dispersion step can be easily performed by using a readily available gas. Using an inert gas such as nitrogen or a rare gas in the gas dispersion step is preferable because it does not react with the nutritional components of the liquid milk, and therefore is less likely to deteriorate the liquid milk than air or oxygen. In this case, the ratio of the volumetric flow rate of the gas to the volumetric flow rate of the liquid milk can be, for example, 1% to 700%; preferably 1% to 500%; more preferably 1% to 400%; and most preferably 1% to 300%. For example, Bell et al. (RW BELL, FP HANRAHAN, BH WEBB: "FOAM SPRAY METHODS OF READILY DISPERSIBLE NONFAT DRY MILK", J. Dairy Sci, 46 (12) 1963. pp1352-1356) state that in order to obtain skim milk powder, they sprayed in air in a volume approximately 18.7 times the volume of nonfat milk. In this embodiment, by dispersing the gas within the above range, it is possible to obtain powdered milk having properties suitable for producing solid milk. However, in order to reliably lower the density of liquid milk as a result of dispersing a predetermined gas in liquid milk in the gas dispersion step, it is preferable to use a gas that is easily dispersible in liquid milk or that is easily dissolved in liquid milk as the predetermined gas. For this reason, it is preferable to use a gas that is highly soluble in water (water solubility), and the gas should be dispersed in a volume of 1 cm of water at 20°C. 3 The solubility in 3A gas that satisfies the above conditions is preferred. Note that carbon dioxide is not limited to a gas, and may be dry ice or a mixture of dry ice and a gas. That is, in the gas dispersion step, a solid may be used as long as it can disperse a predetermined gas into liquid milk. By using dry ice in the gas dispersion step, carbon dioxide can be rapidly dispersed into cooled liquid milk, and as a result, milk powder having properties suitable for producing solid milk can be obtained.

[0051] The spray drying process is a process for evaporating water from liquid milk to obtain powdered milk (powder). The powdered milk obtained in this spray drying process is obtained through a gas dispersion process and a spray drying process. This powdered milk is bulkier than powdered milk obtained without the gas dispersion process. The volume of the former is preferably 1.01 to 10 times that of the latter, but may also be 1.02 to 10 times, or 1.03 to 9 times.

[0052] In the spray-drying step, a predetermined gas is dispersed in the liquid milk in the gas dispersion step, and the liquid milk is spray-dried while its density is reduced. Specifically, it is preferable to perform spray-drying in a state in which the volume of the liquid milk after gas dispersion is 1.05 to 3 times, preferably 1.1 to 2 times, the volume of the liquid milk before gas dispersion. In other words, the spray-drying step is performed after the gas dispersion step is completed. However, the liquid milk is not in a uniform state immediately after the gas dispersion step is completed. For this reason, the spray-drying step is performed 0.1 to 5 seconds, preferably 0.5 to 3 seconds, after the gas dispersion step is completed. In other words, it is sufficient that the gas dispersion step and the spray-drying step are continuous. In this way, liquid milk is continuously fed into a gas dispersion device, the gas is dispersed, and the liquid milk with the gas dispersed therein is continuously supplied to the spray-drying device, where it can be continuously spray-dried.

[0053] A spray dryer can be used to evaporate the water content. The spray dryer includes a flow path for flowing the liquid milk, a pressure pump that pressurizes the liquid milk to flow along the flow path, a drying chamber that is wider than the flow path and is connected to the opening of the flow path, and a spraying device (nozzle, atomizer, etc.) installed at the opening of the flow path. The spray dryer uses the pressure pump to send the liquid milk along the flow path toward the drying chamber at the volumetric flow rate described above. Near the opening of the flow path, the spraying device disperses the concentrated milk into the drying chamber, and the liquid milk in a droplet (atomized) state is dried at high temperatures (e.g., hot air) in the drying chamber. In other words, by drying the liquid milk in the drying chamber, the water content is removed, and the concentrated milk becomes a powdered solid, i.e., milk powder. By appropriately setting the drying conditions in the drying chamber, the moisture content of the milk powder can be adjusted to make the milk powder less likely to aggregate. In addition, by using a spray device, the surface area per unit volume of droplets is increased, improving the drying efficiency and at the same time adjusting the particle size of the powdered milk.

[0054] By going through the steps described above, powdered milk suitable for producing solid milk can be produced.

[0055] The powdered milk obtained as described above is compression molded to form a compressed powdered milk product. Next, the obtained compressed powdered milk product is subjected to a hardening treatment including a humidifying treatment and a drying treatment. In this manner, solid milk 10S can be produced.

[0056] In the process of compression molding the milk powder, a compression means is used. The compression means is, for example, a pressure molding machine such as a tablet press or a compression tester. The tablet press is equipped with a mortar that serves as a mold for placing the milk powder (powder) and a pestle that can be struck against the mortar. When the milk powder is placed in the mortar (mold) and struck with the pestle, compression pressure is applied to the milk powder, and a compressed and molded milk powder product can be obtained. In this embodiment, for example, the lower pestle of the tablet press has a convex portion corresponding to the hole 11, and the upper pestle has a concave portion corresponding to the convex portion, and the convex portion is shaped so that it can be inserted into the concave portion. By compression molding using such a pestle, the hole 11 can be formed in the compressed and molded milk powder product. It is preferable that the compression of the milk powder is performed continuously in the compression molding process.

[0057] In the step of compression-molding the milk powder, the environmental temperature is not particularly limited and may be, for example, room temperature. Specifically, the environmental temperature is, for example, 5°C to 35°C. The environmental humidity is, for example, 0%RH to 60%RH. The compression pressure is, for example, 1MPa to 30MPa, preferably 1MPa to 20MPa. In particular, when solidifying the milk powder, it is preferable to adjust the compression pressure within the range of 1MPa to 30MPa to control the porosity to be within the range of 30% to 60% and to control the hardness of the compressed milk powder molded product (before hardening) to be within the range of 4N to 19N. This makes it possible to produce a highly practical solid milk 10S that combines solubility and convenience (ease of handling). The compressed milk powder molded product has a hardness (for example, 4N or more) that prevents it from losing its shape at least during the subsequent humidifying and drying steps. For example, when the approximate dimensions of the compressed and molded product of milk powder (before hardening) are the same as those of solid milk 10S, that is, a rectangular parallelepiped of 31 mm (a) x 24 mm (b) x 12.5 mm (c), the preferable hardness range of the compressed and molded product of milk powder (before hardening) of 4 N or more and 19 N or less is determined by dividing the hardness by the cross-sectional area (300 mm 2 ) to get 0.013N / mm 2 More than 0.063N / mm 2 This corresponds to a preferred breaking stress range of:

[0058] The humidification process is a process of humidifying the compressed milk powder product obtained in the compression molding process. When the compressed milk powder product is humidified, tack (stickiness) occurs on the surface of the compressed milk powder product. As a result, some of the powder particles near the surface of the compressed milk powder product become liquid or gel-like, and cross-link with each other. When the compressed milk powder product is dried in this state, the strength near the surface of the compressed milk powder product can be increased compared to the strength of the interior. By adjusting the time spent in a high-humidity environment (humidification time), the degree of cross-linking (expansion) can be adjusted, and the hardness (e.g., 4N to 19N) of the compressed milk powder product (unhardened solid milk 10S) before the humidification process can be increased to the desired hardness (e.g., 40N) required for solid milk 10S. However, the range (width) of hardness that can be increased by adjusting the humidification time is limited. That is, if the compressed milk powder is not hard enough to be transported on a belt conveyer or the like to moisten the compressed milk powder after compression molding, the shape of the solid milk 10S will not be maintained. Also, if the compressed milk powder is too hard during compression molding, only solid milk 10S with a small porosity and poor solubility will be obtained. For this reason, it is preferable to perform compression molding so that the hardness of the compressed milk powder (unhardened solid milk 10S) before the moistening step is sufficiently high and the solubility of the solid milk 10S is sufficiently maintained.

[0059] In the humidification treatment, the method of humidifying the compressed milk powder molded product is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include placing the compressed milk powder molded product in a high-humidity environment, directly spraying water or the like onto the compressed milk powder molded product, and spraying steam onto the compressed milk powder molded product. To humidify the compressed milk powder molded product, a humidifying means is used, and examples of such a humidifying means include a high-humidity chamber, a spray, and steam.

[0060] When the compressed milk powder product is placed in a high humidity environment, the humidity of the environment is, for example, within the range of 60%RH to 100%RH, the humidification time is, for example, 5 seconds to 1 hour, and the temperature in the high humidity environment is, for example, 30°C to 100°C.

[0061] The amount of water added to the compressed milk powder product during the humidification treatment (hereinafter also referred to as the "humidification amount") can be adjusted as appropriate. The humidification amount is preferably 0.5% to 3% by weight of the mass of the compressed milk powder product after the compression molding process. If the humidification amount is less than 0.5% by weight, sufficient hardness (tablet hardness) cannot be imparted to the solid milk 10S, which is not preferable. On the other hand, if the humidification amount exceeds 3% by weight, the compressed milk powder product will become excessively liquid or gel-like and dissolve, causing it to deform from its compressed shape or to adhere to equipment such as a conveyer belt during transportation, which is also not preferable.

[0062] The drying process is a process for drying the compressed milk powder that has been moistened in the moistening process. This removes the surface tackiness of the compressed milk powder, making the solid milk 10S easier to handle. In other words, the moistening and drying processes increase the hardness of the compressed milk powder after compression molding, and impart the desired characteristics and quality to the solid milk 10S.

[0063] In the drying treatment, the method for drying the compressed milk powder molded product is not particularly limited, and any known method capable of drying the compressed milk powder molded product that has been subjected to the humidification treatment can be used, such as a method of placing the compressed milk powder molded product under low humidity and high temperature conditions, or a method of contacting the compressed milk powder molded product with dry air or high-temperature dry air.

[0064] When placed under low humidity and high temperature conditions, the humidity is, for example, 0%RH to 30%RH. In this way, it is preferable to set the humidity as low as possible. In this case, the temperature is, for example, 20°C to 150°C. The drying time is, for example, 0.2 minutes to 2 hours.

[0065] However, if the solid milk 10S contains a large amount of water, it will have poor shelf life and will be prone to deterioration in flavor and discoloration. Therefore, it is preferable to control (adjust) the water content of the solid milk 10S to within 1% of the water content of the powdered milk used as a raw material by controlling conditions such as the drying temperature and drying time in the drying process.

[0066] The solid milk 10S produced in this way is generally dissolved in warm water for drinking. Specifically, after pouring warm water into a container with a lid, the required number of solid milk 10S is added, or the solid milk 10S is added and then warm water is poured. Then, preferably, the container is gently shaken to quickly dissolve the solid milk 10S, and the solid milk is drunk at an appropriate temperature. Preferably, one to several solid milk 10S (more preferably, one solid milk 10S) are dissolved in warm water to obtain the amount of liquid milk required for one drinking, and the volume of the solid milk 10S is, for example, 1 cm. 3 ~50cm 3 The volume of the solid milk 10S can be adjusted by changing the amount of powdered milk used in the compression molding process.

[0067] (Actions and Effects of Solid Milk 10S) The solid milk 10S of this embodiment is configured such that at least one hole 11 penetrates the main body 10 constituting the solid milk 10S, and the inner wall surface of the hole 11 is an outer surface that is harder than the inside of the main body, similar to the first surface 10A, the second surface 10B, and the side surface 10C of the main body 10. This prevents the product from being damaged if dropped, improving suitability for transportation.

[0068] <Variation 1> Fig. 5 is a perspective view of solid milk 20S according to this modified example. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the YZ plane taken along line X1-X2 in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the XZ plane taken along line Y1-Y2 in Fig. 5. The solid milk 10S shown in Figs. 1 to 3 is configured with one hole 11 penetrating the main body 10, but the number of holes may be two or more. In this modified example, two holes 21 are provided.

[0069] The solid milk 20S has a solid body 20 formed by compressing and molding powdered milk. The body 20 has a first surface 20A that is flat and parallel to the XY plane, and a second surface 20B that is flat and parallel to the XY plane. The first surface 20A and the second surface 20B are back-to-back surfaces. The body 20 has a rough rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a side surface 20C that is parallel to the XZ plane or the YZ plane.

[0070] The main body 20 is provided with two holes 21 that penetrate the main body 20, reaching from the first surface 20A to the second surface 20B. The two holes 21 have the same oval shape in a cross section parallel to the XY plane. The sizes of the two holes 21 are selected so that the volume obtained by subtracting the total volume of the two holes 21 from the volume of the rectangular parallelepiped shape of the main body 20 is a predetermined value.

[0071] The positions of the two holes 21 are such that there is no significant deviation when viewed from the center of the first surface 20A. The two holes 21 are aligned in a direction parallel to the X-axis across the center of the first surface 20A, and are arranged so that the longitudinal directions of the holes 21 are parallel to the Y-axis. This arrangement is point-symmetric with respect to the center of the first surface 20A, or line-symmetric with respect to a line parallel to the X-axis or a line parallel to the Y-axis that passes through the center of the first surface 20A. The distance between the two holes 21 is set to a predetermined value or more because if it is too narrow, the strength of that portion may not be maintained. The same applies when viewed from the second surface 20B. The direction in which the holes 21 penetrate the main body 20 is a direction passing through the first surface 20A and the second surface 20B, e.g., a direction approximately parallel to the Z-axis.

[0072] The first surface 20A, the second surface 20B, the side surface 20C, and the inner wall surface 21A of the hole 21 are outer surfaces that are harder than the inside of the main body 20. The inner wall surface 21A of the hole 21 forms a cylindrical pillar provided between the first surface 20A and the second surface 20B. The corners of the main body 20 and the edges of the hole 21 are chamfered, making the outer surface harder than the inside of the main body 20.

[0073] Except for the above, the configuration is the same as that of the solid milk 10S of the embodiment.

[0074] The solid milk 20S of this modified example is provided with two holes 21 penetrating the main body 20 that constitutes the solid milk 20S, and the inner wall surface 21A of the holes 21 is an outer surface that is harder than the inside of the main body 20, just like the first surface 20A, the second surface 20B, and the side surface 20C of the main body 20. This prevents the product from being damaged if dropped, improving suitability for transportation.

[0075] <Variation 2> Fig. 8 is a perspective view of solid milk 30S according to this modified example. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the YZ plane taken along line X1-X2 in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the XZ plane taken along line Y1-Y2 in Fig. 8. In this modified example, four holes 31 are provided.

[0076] The solid milk 30S has a rectangular parallelepiped main body 30 having a first surface 30A and a second surface 30B facing each other, and a side surface 30C. The main body 30 is provided with four circular holes 31 that penetrate the main body 30, reaching from the first surface 30A to the second surface 30B. The sizes of the four holes 31 are selected so that the volume obtained by subtracting the total volume of the four holes 31 from the volume of the rectangular parallelepiped shape of the main body 30 is a predetermined value. The positions of the four holes 31 are arranged so as to be point-symmetric when viewed from the center of the first surface 30A, or line-symmetric with respect to a line parallel to the X-axis or Y-axis that passes through the center of the first surface 30A.

[0077] The first surface 30A, the second surface 30B, the side surface 30C, and the inner wall surface 31A of the hole 31 are outer surfaces that are harder than the inside of the main body 30. The inner wall surface 31A of the hole 31 forms a cylindrical pillar provided between the first surface 30A and the second surface 30B. The corners of the main body 30 and the edges of the hole 31 are chamfered, making the outer surface harder than the inside of the main body 30.

[0078] The solid milk 30S of this modified example is provided with four holes 31 penetrating the main body 30 that constitutes the solid milk 30S, and the inner wall surfaces 31A of the holes 31 are outer surfaces that are harder than the inside of the main body 30, just like the first surface 30A, second surface 30B, and side surface 30C of the main body 30. This prevents the product from being damaged if dropped, improving suitability for transportation.

[0079] <Variation 3> Fig. 11 is a perspective view of solid milk 40S according to this modified example. Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the YZ plane taken along line X1-X2 in Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the XZ plane taken along line Y1-Y2 in Fig. 11. In this modified example, six holes 41 are provided.

[0080] The solid milk 40S has a rectangular parallelepiped main body 40 having a first surface 40A and a second surface 40B that are back-to-back, and a side surface 40C. The main body 40 is provided with six circular holes 41 that penetrate the main body 40, reaching from the first surface 40A to the second surface 40B. The sizes of the six holes 41 are selected so that the volume obtained by subtracting the total volume of the six holes 41 from the volume of the rectangular parallelepiped shape of the main body 40 is a predetermined value. The positions of the six holes 41 are arranged so as to be point-symmetric when viewed from the center of the first surface 40A, or so as to be line-symmetric with respect to a line parallel to the X-axis or a line parallel to the Y-axis that passes through the center of the first surface 40A.

[0081] The first surface 40A, the second surface 40B, the side surface 40C, and the inner wall surface 41A of the hole 41 are outer surfaces that are harder than the inside of the main body 40. The inner wall surface 41A of the hole 41 forms a cylindrical pillar provided between the first surface 40A and the second surface 40B. The corners of the main body 40 and the edges of the hole 41 are chamfered, making the outer surface harder than the inside of the main body 40.

[0082] The solid milk 40S of this modified example is provided with six holes 41 penetrating the main body 40 that constitutes the solid milk 40S, and the inner wall surfaces 41A of the holes 41 are outer surfaces that are harder than the inside of the main body 40, just like the first surface 40A, the second surface 40B, and the side surface 40C of the main body 40. This prevents the product from being damaged if dropped, improving suitability for transportation.

[0083] <Application example> Solid milk is an example of a solid food. While the above-described embodiment and variations 1 to 3 illustrate solid milk obtained by compressing and molding powdered milk, the present invention can also be applied to solid foods formed by compressing and molding powders. For example, the present invention can be applied to solid foods compressed and molded using raw materials such as protein powders (e.g., whey protein, soy protein, and collagen peptide), amino acid powders, and fat-containing powders (e.g., MCT oil). Lactose or other carbohydrates are appropriately added to the raw material powder, which is then compression-molded into a shape with a through-hole as shown in the above-described embodiment and variations 1 to 3. The resulting solid food is then hardened and processed into a solid food. Such solid foods have an outer surface that is harder than the interior. This prevents damage to the product when dropped and improves transportability. In addition to lactose or other carbohydrates, the raw material powder may also contain nutritional components (e.g., fat, protein, minerals, and vitamins) and food additives.

[0084] Furthermore, the protein powder of the above food powder may be milk casein, meat powder, fish powder, egg powder, wheat protein, wheat protein hydrolysate, etc. These protein powders may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0085] Furthermore, the whey protein (whey protein) in the above-mentioned food powder is a general term for proteins in milk excluding casein. It may be classified as whey protein. Whey protein is composed of multiple components such as lactoglobulin, lactalbumin, and lactoferrin. When a dairy raw material such as milk is acidified, the protein that precipitates is casein, and the protein that does not precipitate is whey protein. Examples of powder raw materials containing whey protein include WPC (whey protein concentrate, protein content of 75 to 85% by mass) and WPI (whey protein isolate, protein content of 85% by mass or more). These may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

[0086] Furthermore, the soy protein (soy protein) in the food powder described above may be any protein contained in soybeans, and may be extracted from soybeans. It may also be purified from raw soybeans. The purification method is not particularly limited, and conventionally known methods can be used. As such soy protein, powders commercially available as ingredients for food and beverages, medical materials, and food supplements can be used. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

[0087] Furthermore, the amino acids contained in the amino acid powder of the above-mentioned food powder are not particularly limited, but examples thereof include arginine, lysine, ornithine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, valine, methionine, leucine, isoleucine, tryptophan, histidine, proline, cysteine, glutamic acid, asparagine, aspartic acid, serine, glutamine, citrulline, creatine, methyllysine, acetyllysine, hydroxylysine, hydroxyproline, glycine, alanine, threonine, cystine, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0088] The amino acids contained in the amino acid powder of the food powder may be either natural or synthetic, and may be single amino acids or mixtures of multiple amino acids. In addition to free amino acids, salts such as sodium salts, hydrochlorides, and acetate salts, as well as derivatives such as carnitine and ornithine, may also be used. As used herein, "amino acids" include α-amino acids, β-amino acids, and γ-amino acids. Furthermore, amino acids may be in either the L- or D-form.

[0089] Furthermore, the fats and oils contained in the fat-containing powder of the food powder include, in addition to the above-mentioned MCT oil, animal fats and oils, vegetable fats and oils, their fractionated oils, hydrogenated oils, and interesterified oils. One or more of these may be added. Animal fats and oils include, for example, milk fat, lard, beef tallow, and fish oil. Vegetable fats and oils include, for example, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, linseed oil, and MCT (Medium Chain Triglyceride) oil.

[0090] Furthermore, the carbohydrates of the food powders include, in addition to the lactose mentioned above, oligosaccharides, monosaccharides, polysaccharides, and artificial sweeteners. One or more of these may be added. Oligosaccharides include, for example, lactose, sucrose, maltose, galactooligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides, and lactulose. Monosaccharides include, for example, glucose, fructose, and galactose. Polysaccharides include, for example, starch, soluble polysaccharides, and dextrin.

[0091] Furthermore, an example of a food additive for the food powder is a sweetener. Any sweetener commonly used in foods and pharmaceuticals can be used as the sweetener, and it may be either a natural sweetener or a synthetic sweetener. The sweetener is not particularly limited, but examples include glucose, fructose, maltose, sucrose, oligosaccharides, sugar, granulated sugar, maple syrup, honey, molasses, trehalose, palatinose, maltitol, xylitol, sorbitol, glycerin, aspartame, advantame, neotame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, and saccharin.

[0092] Furthermore, an example of a food additive for the food powder is an acidulant. The acidulant is not particularly limited, but includes, for example, acetic acid, citric acid, anhydrous citric acid, adipic acid, succinic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, phosphoric acid, gluconic acid, tartaric acid, and salts thereof. The acidulant can suppress (mask) the bitterness caused by the type of amino acid.

[0093] Furthermore, the nutritional components of the food powder may include any components such as fat, protein, minerals, and vitamins.

[0094] Examples of fats include animal fats, vegetable fats, their fractionated oils, hydrogenated oils, and interesterified oils. One or more of these may be added. Animal fats include milk fat, lard, beef tallow, and fish oil. Vegetable fats include soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, linseed oil, and MCT (Medium Chain Triglyceride) oil.

[0095] Examples of proteins include milk proteins and milk protein fractions, animal proteins, vegetable proteins, peptides obtained by decomposing these proteins into various chain lengths using enzymes or the like, and amino acids. One or more of these may be added. Examples of milk proteins include casein, whey proteins (α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, etc.), whey protein concentrates (WPC), and whey protein isolates (WPI). Examples of animal proteins include egg proteins (egg powder), meat powder, and fish powder. Examples of vegetable proteins include soybean proteins and wheat proteins. Examples of peptides include collagen peptides. Examples of amino acids include taurine, cystine, cysteine, arginine, and glutamine. One or more of these may be added.

[0096] The minerals include iron, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, chlorine, zinc, iron, copper, selenium, etc. One or more of these may be added.

[0097] Examples of vitamins include vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, and biotin. One or more of these may be added.

[0098] Other food ingredients include, for example, cocoa powder, cacao powder, chocolate powder, microbial powder containing beneficial microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria, fermented milk ingredient powder made by adding microorganisms to milk and fermenting it, cheese powder made by powdering cheese, functional food powder made by powdering functional foods, complete nutritional food powder made by powdering complete nutritional foods, etc. One or more of these may be added.

[0099] The solid food according to the present invention may be in the form of a food for daily consumption, a health food, a health supplement, a food with health claims, a food for specified health uses, a food with nutrient functions, a supplement, a food with functional claims, or the like.

[0100] <First Example> (Preparation of Example 1) A solid milk sample having the same shape as the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 3 was prepared as Example 1. The size of the main body of the solid milk was such that the side a in the X-axis direction was 31 mm, the side b in the Y-axis direction was 24 mm, and the side c in the Z-axis direction was 12.5 mm. The volume excluding the hole 11 was approximately 8250 mm. 3 The size of the tablet press's pestle and punch and compression pressure were adjusted to obtain this size, and 5.4 g of milk powder was compressed and molded to form a compressed milk powder product. The obtained compressed milk powder product was subjected to a humidification treatment at a humidification temperature of 80°C, and then to a drying treatment at a drying temperature of 80°C to obtain a hardened solid milk. The humidification treatment time was appropriately adjusted so that the hardness of the solid milk sample after the hardening treatment would be 55 N. The drying time was adjusted so that the weight increase during humidification could be completely dried.

[0101] (Preparation of Example 2) Similar to Example 1, except that the number of holes 21 was two, a solid milk sample having the same shape as that of Modification 1 shown in Figures 5 to 7 was prepared as Example 2. The hardness of the solid milk sample after hardening treatment was set to 55N.

[0102] (Preparation of Example 3) Similar to Example 1, except that the number of holes 31 was four, a solid milk sample having the same shape as that of Modification 2 shown in Figures 8 to 10 was prepared as Example 3. The hardness of the solid milk sample after hardening treatment was set to 55N.

[0103] (Preparation of Example 4) Similar to Example 1, except that the number of holes 41 was six, a solid milk sample having the same shape as that of Modified Example 3 shown in Figures 11 to 13 was prepared as Example 4. The hardness of the solid milk sample after hardening treatment was set to 55N.

[0104] (Preparation of Comparative Example 1) A solid milk sample was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that no holes were provided, and used as Comparative Example 1. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of solid milk 100S according to Comparative Example 1. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the YZ plane taken along X1-X2 in FIG. 14. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the XZ plane taken along Y1-Y2 in FIG. 14. The solid milk 100S has a rectangular parallelepiped main body 100 having a first surface 100A and a second surface 100B facing each other, and a side surface 100C. In Comparative Example 1, in order to achieve the same volume as in Example 1, the side c in the Z-axis direction was set to 11.75 mm. The lengths of the other sides were the same as in Example 1. The hardness of the solid milk sample after hardening treatment was set to 55 N.

[0105] (Evaluation of transport suitability using a drop tester) To evaluate the transport suitability of the solid milk samples prepared as described above for Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example 1, a test was conducted in which the samples were dropped multiple times from a height of 150 mm. The drop surface used in the drop tests was the drop surface of a Shin-ei Test Machinery Co., Ltd. packaged cargo drop tester, DTS-50. The material of this drop surface conformed to JIS Standard Z0202, Packaged Cargo Drop Test Method. Since this equipment cannot perform drop tests from a height of 150 mm, only the drop surface was used. The drop surface of the equipment was horizontal. The solid milk sample was positioned perpendicular to the drop surface, 150 mm above the drop surface, with the second surface serving as the bottom, and was clamped and fixed at two or three points on the side of the solid milk sample. The fixed points were simultaneously released from the solid milk sample, and the sample was allowed to fall freely. The free-fall posture of each solid milk sample in Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example 1 was such that the second surface was parallel to the drop surface.

[0106] The definition of the drop surface in JIS is as follows: (a) The mass of the material that makes up the drop surface should be at least 50 times the mass of the specimen. (b) The horizontal difference between any two points on the surface should be 2 mm or less. (c) At any point on the surface, the drop force should be 98 N{10 kgf} / 100 mm. 2 (d) The test piece must be large enough to allow the test piece to fall completely. (e) The drop surface must be made of a solid material such as concrete, stone, or steel plate.

[0107] Breakage was defined as when the weight of the solid milk sample decreased by 9% or more relative to its initial weight due to breakage upon dropping, and the broken surface spread to all four sides. The drop test was evaluated by dropping the sample from a height of 150 mm onto the drop surface, with a score of 0 for samples that broke after less than 10 tries and a score of 1 for samples that broke after 10 or more tries, and these scores are shown in the strength evaluation column in Table 1. The results are summarized in Table 1, with the strength evaluation shown for the number of holes in Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example 1.

[0108] [Table 1]

[0109] As shown in the table above, it was confirmed that Examples 1 to 4, which had holes, had improved resistance to breakage during a drop test and improved suitability for transportation, despite having the same hardness as Comparative Example 1, which had no holes. This is thought to be because the hole areas were also affected by surface hardening by the humidification and drying method, and the inner wall surfaces of the holes formed cylindrical pillars, improving the strength of the solid milk.

[0110] (Solubility test) To evaluate the solubility depending on the shape, a solubility test was performed on the solid milk samples of Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example 1 prepared as described above. First, one solid milk sample was placed in a stirring basket. The stirring basket was a cylindrical, lidded container with a bottom, an inner diameter of 30 mm, and a height of 36 mm, and had sides, a bottom, and a lid. The sides, bottom, and lid were formed from a stainless steel mesh with an 18-mesh mesh (1.01 mm opening). Four blades were evenly spaced on the inner surface of the side of the stirring basket. Each of the four blades was a plate with a thickness of 1.5 mm, a width of 4 mm, and a length of 34 mm, and was arranged so that its longitudinal direction was parallel to the central axis of the stirring basket and protruded from the inner surface of the side toward the center. The stirring basket was immersed in 200 ml of warm water (50±1°C) contained in a 300 ml beaker, and with the solid milk sample completely submerged, the stirring basket was rotated at a rotational speed of 0.5 m / s (circumferential velocity). The stirring basket was held at a height of 5 mm from the inner bottom surface of the beaker. The dissolution process from when the solid milk sample started to dissolve until it was completely dissolved was measured at regular intervals using conductivity. The test results confirmed that the solubility of Examples 1 to 4 was higher than that of Comparative Example 1. Of Examples 1 to 4, Example 4 (number of holes: 6) showed the highest solubility. The reason that Examples 1 to 4 have higher solubility than Comparative Example 1, and furthermore, Example 4 showed the highest solubility, is thought to be that the solubility is enhanced as the surface area of ​​the solid milk increases.

[0111] <Second Example> (Preparation of Examples 5 to 8 and Comparative Example 2) A solid milk sample was prepared which differed from Example 1 only in that the hardness of the solid milk sample after hardening treatment was set to 20 to 90 N, and this was designated Example 5. Example 6 was prepared which differed from Example 2 only in that the hardness was set to 20 to 90 N. Example 7 was prepared which differed from Example 3 only in that the hardness was set to 20 to 90 N. Example 8 was prepared which differed from Example 4 only in that the hardness was set to 20 to 90 N. Furthermore, Comparative Example 2 was prepared which differed from Comparative Example 1 only in that the hardness was set to 20 to 90 N. The hardness of each solid milk sample was adjusted by adjusting the humidification treatment time so that the desired hardness would be achieved after hardening treatment.

[0112] In order to evaluate the transport suitability depending on the shape, a test was conducted in which the solid milk samples prepared as described above in Examples 5 to 8 and Comparative Example 2 were dropped multiple times from heights of 50 mm to 300 mm. The drop surface had the same structure as in Example 1.

[0113] The above drop test was repeated for each solid milk sample, and the number of drops required to break each solid milk sample (the number of drop tests required to break the sample) was investigated. The solid milk sample was dropped from various heights from 50 mm to 300 mm, and the density of the falling energy required when it hit the drop surface (weight of the sample × gravitational acceleration × height / fracture cross section) [J / m 2 ] divided by hardness [N] to obtain the fall energy density per unit hardness [J / m 2 / N] was calculated and shown on the vertical axis of Fig. 17. The number of drops until fracture obtained above is shown on the horizontal axis of Fig. 17 (here, the fracture cross-sectional area is the cross-sectional area (b × c) of each sample in the YZ plane). Fig. 17 is a graph showing the number of drops until fracture versus the drop energy density per unit hardness. In Fig. 17, a shows the results of Example 5, b shows Example 6, c shows Example 7, d shows Example 8, and e shows Comparative Example 2.

[0114] In Figure 17, all of the graphs a, b, c, d, and e show a downward sloping curve, with the number of drops required to break increasing as the drop energy density per unit hardness decreases. This indicates that the smaller the drop energy density per unit hardness, the more difficult it is to break, and the greater the number of drops required to break. It was also confirmed that even when the drop energy density per unit hardness is low, such as when the drop height is low, breakage occurs as the number of drops increases. Among a, b, c, d, and e, the result for Comparative Example 2 shown by e is located at the bottom or left, indicating that it breaks after fewer drops when dropped at the same drop energy density per unit hardness. Furthermore, the solid milk samples of Examples 5 to 8 require more drops to break than the solid milk sample of Comparative Example 2 when dropped at the same drop energy density per unit hardness. The solid milk samples of Examples 5 to 8 with holes required more drops to break than the solid milk sample of Comparative Example 2 without holes, confirming their enhanced breakage resistance and improved transport suitability. Furthermore, among a, b, c, and d, d is located at the top or the right side, and it was confirmed that the number of drops required to break was greater for a box with six holes than for one, two, or four holes, resulting in higher resistance to breakage and improved suitability for transportation.

[0115] The present disclosure may have the following configuration: If the following configuration is provided, damage to the product can be prevented when the product is dropped, thereby improving the suitability for transportation.

[0116] (1) A solid food product in a solid form obtained by compressing and molding powder, comprising a body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein the body has at least one hole extending from the first surface to the second surface and penetrating the body, and the first surface, the second surface, and the inner wall surface of the hole are outer surfaces that are harder than the interior of the body.

[0117] (2) The solid food product according to (1), wherein the inner wall surface of the hole forms a cylindrical pillar provided between the first surface and the second surface.

[0118] (3) A solid food product according to (1) or (2), wherein the side of the body is the outer surface that is harder than the inside of the body.

[0119] (4) The solid food according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the number of the holes is any one of 1 to 6.

[0120] (5) A solid milk product obtained by compressing and molding powdered milk, the solid milk product comprising a body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the body having at least one hole extending from the first surface to the second surface and penetrating the body, the first surface, the second surface, and the inner wall surface of the hole being outer surfaces harder than the interior of the body.

[0121] (6) The solid milk according to (5), wherein the inner wall surface of the hole forms a cylindrical pillar provided between the first surface and the second surface.

[0122] (7) The solid milk according to (5) or (6), wherein the side surface of the body is the outer surface that is harder than the inside of the body.

[0123] (8) The solid milk according to any one of (5) to (7), wherein the number of the holes is any one of 1 to 6.

[0124] (9) The solid milk according to any one of (5) to (7), wherein the number of the holes is six.

[0125] (10) A solid food product comprising a body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the body being formed by compressing powder to form at least one hole that penetrates the body from the first surface to the second surface and then hardening the resulting powder compression molded product, the first surface, the second surface, and the inner wall surface of the hole being outer surfaces that are harder than the interior of the body.

[0126] (11) A solid milk product comprising a body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein the body is formed by compressing and molding powdered milk so that the body has at least one hole that extends from the first surface to the second surface and penetrates the body, and then performing a hardening process on the resulting compressed and molded powdered milk product, wherein the first surface, the second surface, and the inner wall surface of the hole are outer surfaces that are harder than the inside of the body. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 10, 20, 30, 40 Main unit 10A, 20A, 30A, 40A Page 1 10B, 20B, 30B, 40B 2nd side 10C, 20C, 30C, 40C side 10S, 20S, 30S, 40S solid milk 11, 21, 31, 41 holes 11A, 21A, 31A, 41A inner wall

Claims

1. A solid milk product obtained by compressing and molding powdered milk, a rectangular parallelepiped body having a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a side surface; The body is provided with six holes that penetrate the body from the first surface to the second surface, the positions of the six holes are arranged to be point-symmetric with respect to a center of the first surface, or to be line-symmetric with respect to a line passing through the center of the first surface and parallel to a long side direction of the first surface or a line passing through the center of the first surface and parallel to a short side direction of the first surface, the first surface, the second surface, and the inner wall surface of the hole are outer surfaces harder than the inside of the body; the inside of the main body is a position where the distance from the first surface and the distance from the second surface are equal in a portion where the hole is not provided, and the distance from the inner wall surface of the hole and the distance from the side surface of the main body are equal; The size of the hole is selected so that a volume obtained by subtracting the volume of the hole portion from the volume of the shape of the main body is a predetermined value; In a test in which the solid milk is dropped multiple times from a height of 150 mm perpendicular to a horizontal surface, the solid milk is broken after 10 or more drops, when the breakage is defined as a state in which the weight of the solid milk decreases by 9% or more compared to the initial weight of the solid milk and the broken surface spreads to four sides. solid milk.

2. The inner wall surface of the hole forms a cylindrical pillar provided between the first surface and the second surface. The solid milk according to claim 1.

3. The side of the body is the outer surface that is harder than the interior of the body.

3. Solid milk according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The shape of the hole is an oval, a rounded rectangle, an ellipse, a circle, a rectangle, a square, or any other polygon in a cross section parallel to the first surface, or if the shape of the hole is a shape having corners such as a rectangle or a square, the corners are rounded, or the shape of the hole is any shape such as a heart, star, spade, or clover in a cross section parallel to the first surface. The solid milk according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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