chocolate

Abstract

To provide a tempering chocolate that can suppress blooming for a long time.SOLUTION: A tempering chocolate comprises oils and fats, the following emulsifier A and the following emulsifier B. The emulsifier A: a polyglyceryl fatty acid ester. The emulsifier B: a sucrose fatty acid ester comprising, as a constituent fatty acid, an unsaturated fatty acid of 5% or more.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to chocolate. [Background technology]

[0002] Chocolate is a confectionery made by mixing cocoa mass, cocoa butter, and, if necessary, sugars, dairy products, other edible fats and oils, cocoa powder, emulsifiers, flavorings, etc., pulverizing and refining the mixture to prevent roughness in the mouth, and then shaping the mixture after tempering if necessary depending on the type of fat or oil (described below). The necessity of tempering depends on the type of fat or oil used in the chocolate. Tempered chocolate made with so-called tempered fats, such as cocoa butter or its substitute, tempered hard butter, exhibits a sharp, smooth melt-in-the-mouth texture, but may cause blooming due to the occurrence of crystalline polymorphism.

[0003] Chocolate can develop a blooming phenomenon (also simply referred to as "bloom"), in which the surface turns white during production or storage. Fat bloom, a type of chocolate bloom, is a phenomenon in which fats and oils, such as cocoa butter, present on the surface of the chocolate coarsely crystallize and turn white. This white appearance not only disgusts consumers, but also causes the surface to feel rough in the mouth. Bloom can occur for a variety of reasons, including when chocolate reaches or exceeds the melting point of cocoa butter, completely melts, and then cools and solidifies (melting bloom); when unstable cocoa butter crystals are present from the beginning due to improper tempering, and these crystals gradually grow and become coarse (tempering bloom); or when stable cocoa butter crystals (type V) transform into more stable crystals (type VI) during long-term storage, resulting in coarseness (fat crystal transition bloom). In addition, fats (liquid oils) from chocolate-coated nuts, baked goods, or the filling of chocolate shells migrate into the chocolate, causing the cocoa butter in the chocolate to dissolve in the liquid oil, be pushed to the surface, and recrystallize (bloom due to fat migration). As can be seen from the causes of these blooms, they are all influenced by the crystalline polymorphism of fats and oils, and the optimal stable crystal form (V-type) in chocolate cannot be maintained. Therefore, when the content of tempering fats exhibiting polymorphism, particularly cocoa butter, is high, the degree of bloom worsens.

[0004] To alleviate the bloom problem, there has been a technique of adding high-melting-point fat components to tempered chocolate, but the amount added is large, which causes problems with the melt-in-the-mouth and flavor of the chocolate. Patent Document 1 therefore discloses an agent for preventing fat bloom in seeded chocolate, which contains a sucrose fatty acid ester as an active ingredient. While the amount added is small enough to not affect the melt-in-the-mouth texture, the bloom-inhibiting effect is still insufficient. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-153798 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Although the prior art disclosed in the above Patent Document 1 has certainly demonstrated the possibility of suppressing the bloom phenomenon, the period of suppression is still short and insufficient, and no solution has yet been presented for achieving long-term storage stability that is suitable for practical industrial use.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a tempering chocolate that can suppress blooming for a long period of time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] As a result of extensive research, the inventors discovered that the above problems could be solved by combining specific ingredients to produce tempered chocolate, and arrived at the present invention.

[0009] That is, the gist of the present invention is as follows. [1] A tempering chocolate containing fats and oils, and the following emulsifier A and emulsifier B. Emulsifier A: Polyglycerin fatty acid ester Emulsifier B: Sucrose fatty acid ester containing 5% or more unsaturated fatty acids as constituent fatty acids [2] The chocolate according to [1], wherein the emulsifier B is a sucrose fatty acid ester containing, as a constituent fatty acid, at least one fatty acid selected from the group consisting of saturated fatty acids having 16 to 18 carbon atoms and unsaturated fatty acids having 16 to 18 carbon atoms. [3] Chocolate according to [1] or [2], wherein the content of emulsifier A in the chocolate is 0.01 to 3.0% by mass, the content of emulsifier B is 0.01 to 3.0% by mass, and the total content of emulsifier A and emulsifier B is 5.0% by mass or less. [4] Chocolate according to any one of [1] to [3], in which the content of StUSt-type triglycerides (St: C16-18 saturated fatty acids, U: C16-18 unsaturated fatty acids) relative to the total amount of triglycerides constituting the fat or oil is 26% by mass or more. [5] The chocolate according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the molar fraction of lauric acid relative to the total amount of all constituent fatty acids in the triglycerides constituting the fat or oil is 38% or less. [6] The chocolate according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the cocoa content in the chocolate is 60% by mass or more. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a tempering chocolate that can suppress blooming for a long period of time. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The following describes in detail the embodiments of the present invention, but these descriptions are examples (typical examples) of the embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these contents as long as it does not deviate from the gist of the invention. In this specification, a numerical range expressed using "to" means a range that includes the numerical values ​​written before and after "to" as the lower and upper limits, and "A to B" means A or more and B or less. In addition, in this specification, "plurality" means two or more.

[0012] <Chocolate composition and properties> A chocolate (also simply referred to as "chocolate") according to one embodiment of the present invention is a tempering chocolate containing fats and oils, emulsifier A and emulsifier B described below. Emulsifier A: Polyglycerin fatty acid ester Emulsifier B: Sucrose fatty acid ester containing 5% or more unsaturated fatty acids as constituent fatty acids The tempering type refers to a chocolate in which the main triglyceride composition of fats and oils, including cocoa butter, is 2-unsaturated-1,3-disaturated triglycerides, and a tempering operation is required in the manufacturing process. The tempering operation is a process in which the chocolate dough after conching is continuously cooled while being stirred or scraped, where the dough is cooled to a temperature of 27 to 29°C, then heated to 30 to 33°C, and then cooled again to a predetermined temperature, thereby forming crystal nuclei for stable crystals in the molten chocolate dough. In addition, this operation can be performed using a seed agent, which simplifies temperature control.

[0013] The chocolate according to this embodiment contains, as emulsifiers, a polyglycerol fatty acid ester and a sucrose fatty acid ester containing 5% or more unsaturated fatty acids as constituent fatty acids. The sucrose fatty acid ester has a rigid structure because a fatty acid is ester-bonded to one sucrose molecule, and can serve as a template for cocoa butter crystals. The sucrose fatty acid ester penetrates between cocoa butter crystals and constrains the molecules, thereby suppressing changes in the crystal structure. The polyglycerol fatty acid ester has a flexible structure in which multiple glycerol groups are polymerized. It penetrates between cocoa butter crystals in a mesh-like manner, forming a three-dimensional network that can act as a steric barrier to transition. The inventors believe that the bloom phenomenon can be further suppressed by using a combination of emulsifiers with these functions.

[0014] The ingredients of the chocolate are not particularly limited as long as they contain fats and oils and the above-mentioned emulsifiers A and B. Materials (ingredients) that can be contained in the chocolate, including emulsifiers A and B, are described below, but the method for obtaining these ingredients is not particularly limited, and they may be produced by known production methods or may be commercially available.

[0015] [Emulsifier A] The polyglycerol fatty acid ester, which is emulsifier A, can impart a wide range of properties and functions, from high hydrophilicity to oil solubility, and also has excellent acid resistance and salt resistance. The average degree of polymerization of the polyglyceride in the polyglycerol fatty acid ester is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of forming a flexible and three-dimensional network, it is usually 2 or more, preferably 3 or more, more preferably 4 or more, and even more preferably 5 or more, and is usually 20 or less, preferably 16 or less, more preferably 14 or less, even more preferably 12 or less, and particularly preferably 10 or less. The average degree of polymerization of the polyglycerol fatty acid ester is the average number of repeating units of the glycerol skeleton per mole of polyglycerol.

[0016] In polyglycerol fatty acid esters, the types of constituent fatty acids (fatty acids condensed into polyglycerol) (also simply referred to as "fatty acids") are not particularly limited, and the multiple fatty acids present may all be the same type or different types, and may be saturated fatty acids or unsaturated fatty acids.

[0017] The number of carbon atoms in the fatty acid condensed into the polyglycerol is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoints of facilitating network formation and improving crystallinity, it is usually 6 or more, preferably 8 or more, more preferably 12 or more, even more preferably 16 or more, and particularly preferably 20 or more, and is usually 30 or less, preferably 26 or less, and even more preferably 24 or less. Of these, fatty acids with high crystallinity that can serve as a template for cocoa butter crystals are preferred, and saturated fatty acids such as palmitic acid (C16), stearic acid (C18), and behenic acid (C22) are particularly preferred, with those mainly composed of stearic acid or behenic acid being more preferred.

[0018] For emulsifier A mainly composed of stearic acid, the molar fraction of stearic acid relative to the total amount of all constituent fatty acids in the polyglycerol fatty acid esters constituting emulsifier A is not particularly limited, but is usually 50% or more, preferably 55% or more, more preferably 60% or more, and even more preferably 63% or more, and is usually 90% or less, preferably 85% or less, more preferably 80% or less, and even more preferably 75% or less. Furthermore, the molar fraction of palmitic acid relative to the total amount of all constituent fatty acids in the polyglycerol fatty acid esters constituting emulsifier A is not particularly limited, but is usually 10% or more, preferably 15% or more, more preferably 18% or more, and even more preferably 20% or more. It is more preferable that the ratio is 50% or less, and is usually 50% or less, preferably 45% or less, more preferably 40% or less, and even more preferably 35% or less. For emulsifier A mainly composed of behenic acid, the molar fraction of behenic acid relative to the total amount of all constituent fatty acids of the polyglycerol fatty acid ester constituting emulsifier A is not particularly limited, but is usually 70% or more, preferably 75% or more, more preferably 80% or more, and even more preferably 85% or more, and is usually 100% or less, preferably 99% or less, more preferably 95% or less, and even more preferably 90% or less. The emulsifier A may be used alone or in any combination of two or more kinds in any type and ratio.

[0019] The content of emulsifier A in chocolate is not particularly limited, but is usually 0.01% by mass or more, preferably 0.02% by mass or more, more preferably 0.07% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.12% by mass or more, in order to obtain a sufficient bloom suppression effect. Furthermore, in order to prevent the emulsifier from producing a flavor unique to the emulsifier and to prevent the chocolate from melting in the mouth, it is usually 3.0% by mass or less, preferably 1.0% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.5% by mass or less.

[0020] The HLB (Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance) of emulsifier A is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of solubility and affinity in fats and oils, it is usually 1 or more, preferably 2 or more, more preferably 3 or more, and even more preferably 4 or more, and is usually 16 or less, preferably 15 or less, more preferably 11 or less, and even more preferably 9 or less. HLB is a parameter that represents the balance between hydrophilicity and lipophilicity (hydrophobicity); a smaller value indicates higher lipophilicity, and a larger value indicates higher hydrophilicity. The HLB can be increased or decreased by adjusting the balance between the degree of polymerization of polyglycerol and the degree of esterification of fatty acids condensed onto polyglycerol. The HLB value can be calculated by dividing the molecular weight of the hydrophilic group portion by the total molecular weight of the emulsifier and multiplying the result by 20.

[0021] As described above, the polyglycerol fatty acid ester may be one produced by a known production method. For example, the polyglycerol fatty acid ester can be obtained by hydrolyzing palm oil with sodium hydroxide or the like to obtain glycerol and a fatty acid, then subjecting the glycerol to dehydration condensation to produce a polyglycerol, and then dehydrating and condensing the polyglycerol and the fatty acid.

[0022] [Emulsifier B] Emulsifier B, a sucrose fatty acid ester containing 5% or more unsaturated fatty acids as its constituent fatty acids, can be imparted with a wide range of properties and functions, from highly hydrophilic to oil-soluble, by condensing the eight hydroxyl groups of sucrose with any number of fatty acids. In sucrose fatty acid esters, the type of constituent fatty acid (fatty acid condensed with sucrose) (also simply referred to as "fatty acid") is not particularly limited, and the multiple fatty acids present may all be the same type or different, and may contain saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids or only unsaturated fatty acids. The number of carbon atoms in the fatty acid condensed onto sucrose is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of suppressing blooming by improving compatibility with cocoa butter, it is usually 6 or more, preferably 8 or more, more preferably 12 or more, even more preferably 14 or more, and usually 30 or less, preferably 24 or less, more preferably 22 or less, even more preferably 20 or less. It is also preferred that the fatty acids to be condensed onto sucrose contain at least one fatty acid selected from the group consisting of saturated fatty acids having 16 to 18 carbon atoms and unsaturated fatty acids having 16 to 18 carbon atoms. As a result, the fatty acids are relatively similar to those in cocoa butter, which can cause blooming, and therefore have a high affinity for cocoa butter crystals. This prevents the conformational changes in cocoa butter crystals and the blooming phenomenon associated with polymorphic transition. Therefore, it is particularly preferable for the fatty acids to contain at least one of the saturated fatty acids palmitic acid and stearic acid, and the unsaturated fatty acid oleic acid, and it is even more preferable for the fatty acids to contain all of palmitic acid, stearic acid, and oleic acid.

[0023] The molar fraction of palmitic acid relative to the total amount of all constituent fatty acids of the sucrose fatty acid ester constituting emulsifier B is not particularly limited, and is usually 5% or more, preferably 10% or more, more preferably 20% or more, and even more preferably 25% or more, and is usually 60% or less, preferably 50% or less, more preferably 40% or less, and even more preferably 35% or less. The molar fraction of stearic acid relative to the total amount of all constituent fatty acids of the sucrose fatty acid ester constituting emulsifier B is not particularly limited, and is usually 5% or more, preferably 10% or more, more preferably 15% or more, and even more preferably 20% or more, and is usually 60% or less, preferably 50% or less, more preferably 40% or less, and even more preferably 35% or less. The molar fraction of oleic acid relative to the total amount of all constituent fatty acids of the sucrose fatty acid esters constituting emulsifier B is not particularly limited, and is usually 5% or more, preferably 10% or more, more preferably 20% or more, and even more preferably 30% or more, and is usually 80% or less, preferably 70% or less, more preferably 60% or less, and even more preferably 55% or less.

[0024] The molar fraction of unsaturated fatty acids in the constituent fatty acids of emulsifier B relative to the total amount of fatty acids is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of compatibility with cocoa butter, it is 5% or more, preferably 10% or more, more preferably 20% or more, and even more preferably 30% or more, and is usually 80% or less, preferably 70% or less, more preferably 60% or less, and even more preferably 55% or less. The emulsifier B may be used alone or in any combination of two or more kinds in any type and ratio.

[0025] The content of emulsifier B in chocolate is not particularly limited, but is usually 0.01% by mass or more, preferably 0.02% by mass or more, more preferably 0.07% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.12% by mass or more, in order to obtain a sufficient bloom suppression effect. Furthermore, in order to prevent the emulsifier from producing a flavor unique to the emulsifier and to prevent the chocolate from melting in the mouth, it is usually 3.0% by mass or less, preferably 1.0% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.5% by mass or less.

[0026] The HLB of emulsifier B is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of solubility and affinity in fats and oils, it is usually 0 or more, preferably 1 or more, and 11 or less, preferably 7 or less, more preferably 5 or less, and even more preferably 3 or less. The HLB can be increased or decreased by the degree of esterification of fatty acids bonded to one sucrose molecule. The HLB value can be calculated using the same method as that used for measuring emulsifier A.

[0027] As described above, sucrose fatty acid esters containing 5% or more unsaturated fatty acids as constituent fatty acids may be produced by known production methods, but can also be obtained, for example, by dehydration condensation of sucrose extracted from sugarcane and fatty acid methyl esters obtained by hydrolyzing palm oil or rapeseed oil with sodium hydroxide or the like.

[0028] The total content of emulsifier A and emulsifier B in chocolate is not particularly limited, but since a higher content results in a more sufficient bloom suppression effect, it is usually 0.02% by mass or more, preferably 0.10% by mass or more, more preferably 0.20% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.28% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 0.37% by mass or more. Furthermore, since it is unlikely to produce a flavor unique to emulsifiers and is unlikely to affect the melt-in-the-mouth feel of the chocolate, it is usually 5.0% by mass or less, preferably 2.0% by mass or less, more preferably 1.0% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.7% by mass or less. In chocolate, the ratio of the content of emulsifier A to the content of emulsifier B (emulsifier A / emulsifier B), in mass ratio, is usually 0.05 or more, preferably 0.1 or more, more preferably 0.25 or more, even more preferably 0.3 or more, and particularly preferably 0.5 or more, and is usually 10.0 or less, preferably 6.0 or less, more preferably 3.0 or less, even more preferably 2.0 or less, and particularly preferably 1.0 or less.

[0029] The structure and content of the above-mentioned emulsifier A and emulsifier B can be identified by high-speed gas chromatography of the oil phase obtained by column separation of chocolate. Similar methods can also be applied to the structures and contents of components other than emulsifier A and emulsifier B shown below, if they can be identified. The content of each component in chocolate can also be calculated from the amounts of raw materials charged during production.

[0030] [Other emulsifiers] Chocolate may contain any known emulsifier (other emulsifier) ​​other than the above-mentioned emulsifier A and emulsifier B. Examples of other emulsifiers include lecithin, lysolecithin, enzymatically hydrolyzed lecithin, glycerin fatty acid esters, organic acid glycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, polysorbates, etc. The above-mentioned "glycerin fatty acid esters" is a general term for glycerin mono-fatty acid esters and glycerin di-fatty acid esters, and the above-mentioned "organic acid glycerin fatty acid esters" is a general term for organic acid glycerin mono-fatty acid esters and organic acid glycerin di-fatty acid esters. The total content of emulsifiers in the chocolate (total content of emulsifier A, emulsifier B, and other emulsifiers) is not particularly limited, but is usually 0.05% by mass or more, preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.2% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.4% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 0.5% by mass or more, and is usually 6.0% by mass or less, preferably 4.0% by mass or less, more preferably 2.0% by mass or less, and even more preferably 1.0% by mass or less, so as to be less likely to produce a flavor unique to emulsifiers and not affect the melt-in-the-mouth feel of the chocolate.

[0031] [Oils and fats] The fats and oils contained in tempered chocolate are not particularly limited, but typically include cocoa butter and / or tempered hard butter (vegetable fats and oils other than cocoa butter), milk fat, etc. Tempered hard butter has better compatibility with cocoa butter than non-tempered hard butter, which is primarily composed of trans fatty acids or lauric acid, and can be blended with cocoa butter in any desired manner. From the perspective of compatibility with cocoa butter, non-tempered hard butter typically contains about 15 to 25% by mass of cocoa butter for trans fatty acid types and about 3 to 5% by mass of cocoa butter for lauric acid types, relative to 100% by mass of fats and oils contained in chocolate, and it is difficult to blend in amounts exceeding the upper limits of these ranges. The fat content in chocolate is not particularly limited, but it is usually 18% by mass or more, and 20% by mass or more, to give chocolate its characteristic melt-in-the-mouth and snap. Preferably, the content is 28% by mass or more, more preferably 28% by mass or more, and even more preferably 33% by mass or more. In order to maintain the hardness of the chocolate and not produce a flavor specific to fats and oils, the content is usually 60% by mass or less, preferably 55% by mass or less, more preferably 50% by mass or less, and even more preferably 45% by mass or less. Furthermore, in the present invention, the content of 2-unsaturated-1,3-disaturated triglycerides (particularly the content of StUSt-type triglycerides (St: C16-18 saturated fatty acids, U: C16-18 unsaturated fatty acids) triglycerides) relative to the total amount of triglycerides constituting the fat or oil is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of providing a good tempering operation, it is usually 26% by mass or more, preferably 40% by mass or more, more preferably 50% by mass or more, even more preferably 60% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 70% by mass or more, and is usually 100% by mass or less, preferably 95% by mass or less, more preferably 90% by mass or less, and even more preferably 88% by mass or less. Furthermore, the tempering chocolate according to this embodiment mainly uses tempering fats consisting of cocoa butter and tempering hard butter, and the content of tempering fats in the chocolate is usually 18% by mass or more, preferably 20% by mass or more, more preferably 25% by mass or more, and even more preferably 28% by mass or more, from the viewpoints of imparting the melt-in-the-mouth properties and snap properties unique to chocolate and a good flavor. Furthermore, in order to maintain the hardness of the chocolate and not produce a flavor unique to fats and oils, the content is usually 60% by mass or less, preferably 55% by mass or less, more preferably 50% by mass or less, and even more preferably 45% by mass or less.

[0032] Furthermore, the molar fraction of lauric acid relative to the total amount of all constituent fatty acids in the triglycerides constituting all fats and oils contained in the chocolate is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of imparting good tempering properties, it is usually 38% or less, preferably 25% or less, more preferably 12% or less, even more preferably 6% or less, and particularly preferably 3% or less.

[0033] The solid fat content in the oil or fat is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of good meltability in the mouth and snap property, that is, melting instantly in the mouth, it is preferable that the solid fat content satisfies the following conditions. The solid fat content in the oil or fat at an ambient temperature of 10°C is usually 55% by mass or more and 99% by mass or less, preferably 60% by mass or more and 98% by mass or less, and more preferably 65% ​​by mass or more and 97% by mass or less. The solid fat content in the oil or fat at an ambient temperature of 20°C is usually 40% by mass or more and 98% by mass or less, preferably 50% by mass or more and 97% by mass or less, and more preferably 55% by mass or more and 95% by mass or less. The solid fat content in the oil or fat at an ambient temperature of 30°C is usually 1% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less, preferably 30% by mass or more and 68% by mass or less, and more preferably 40% by mass or more and 65% by mass or less. The solid fat content of fats and oils can be measured in accordance with "2.2.9-2013 Solid Fat Content (NMR Method)" in "Standard Test Methods for the Analysis of Fats, Oils and Oils" compiled by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society.

[0034] (cocoa butter) As mentioned above, chocolate usually contains cocoa butter, but the form of cocoa butter is not particularly limited, and any known cocoa butter can be used. Some cocoa butter is contained in chocolate as an oil-containing ingredient, such as cocoa mass or cocoa powder, and some is added later.

[0035] The cocoa butter content in the chocolate is not particularly limited, but is usually 5% by mass or more, preferably 15% by mass or more, more preferably 25% by mass or more, and even more preferably 30% by mass or more, and is usually 60% by mass or less, preferably 55% by mass or less, and even more preferably 50% by mass or less, and even more preferably 45% by mass or less. Cocoa butter has a crystalline polymorphism, and immediately after tempering, it maintains the optimal stable crystalline form (V-type) in chocolate. Bloom occurs when the V-shape is not maintained due to poor packing or long-term storage. However, when the content of tempering fats and oils that exhibit polymorphism, particularly cocoa butter, is high, there is a problem that blooming is more likely to occur. Furthermore, one type of cocoa butter may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in any combination and in any proportion.

[0036] (Hard butter other than cocoa butter) The chocolate may contain hard butter other than cocoa butter, and the form is not particularly limited. However, since the chocolate according to this embodiment is a tempering type, tempering type hard butter is preferred from the viewpoint of compatibility with cocoa butter. The triglycerides contained in this tempering type hard butter include at least any one of StStSt type, StUSt type, StStU type, StUU type, or UUU type, and it is particularly preferable that the triglycerides contained therein are large amounts of StUSt type triglycerides. Specific examples of fats and oils rich in triglycerides include shea butter, palm oil, monkey fat, Borneo tallow, mango butter, mollusk fat, kokum fat, palm olein, soybean oil, rice bran oil, rice oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, rapeseed oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, illipe fat, rapeseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, olive oil, milk fat, and processed fats and oils (hardened oil, hydrogenated oil, fractionated oil, interesterified oil). Of these, fats and oils rich in StUSt-type triglyceride components include palm oil, illipe fat, shea butter, and processed fats and oils thereof. This tempering type hard butter has a crystalline polymorphism similar to that of cocoa butter, and retains the V-type crystalline polymorphism that is favorable in chocolate immediately after tempering. Bloom occurs when the V-shape is no longer maintained during storage or for a long period of time. If the content of tempering type hard butter, which is a tempering type fat exhibiting polymorphism, is high, blooming is more likely to occur. Furthermore, the tempering type hard butter other than cocoa butter may be used alone or in any combination of two or more types in any type and ratio.

[0037] The content of hard butter other than cocoa butter in chocolate is not particularly limited, but can be blended in any ratio from the viewpoint of compatibility, and can replace 0 to 100% of the fats and oils.

[0038] A part of the tempering fat may be replaced with non-tempering hard butter as long as the function of the tempering fat is not impaired.

[0039] (Other fats and oils) The chocolate may contain or replace fats and oils other than the cocoa butter and hard butter described above (other fats and oils) as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained. Examples of such fats and oils include processed fats such as anhydrous milk fat, whole milk powder, butter oil, and fractionated milk fat, non-cocoa vegetable fats such as low-calorie fats containing medium-chain fatty acids, and flavor oils such as nut oils and vanilla oil. It may also contain a seed agent made of fat or oil to simplify the tempering operation described below.

[0040] The content of other fats and oils in chocolate is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of not significantly affecting the crystal structure of the chocolate, it is usually 0.001% by mass or more, preferably 0.01% by mass or more, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.1% by mass or more, and is usually 20% by mass or less, preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 7% by mass or less, and even more preferably 5% by mass or less. It is even more preferable that

[0041] [Other ingredients] Chocolate may optionally contain ingredients (other ingredients) other than the above-mentioned ingredients, such as cocoa components other than cocoa butter (cocoa mass, cocoa nibs, cocoa cake, cocoa powder), sugars, various powdered foods such as milk solids, flavorings, colorings, dietary fiber, polyphenols, nutrients, functional ingredients, etc. Any known ingredients can be used as these ingredients.

[0042] The content of other ingredients in the chocolate is not particularly limited, but is usually 40% by mass or more, preferably 45% by mass or more, more preferably 50% by mass or more, and even more preferably 55% by mass or more, and is usually 82% by mass or less, preferably 75% by mass or less, more preferably 70% by mass or less, and even more preferably 65% ​​by mass or less.

[0043] The "cocoa content" is defined by the National Chocolate Industry Fair Trade Council's "Fair Competition Rules for Chocolate Labeling" as the total amount of cocoa nibs, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, cocoa cake, and cocoa powder (not including flavorings or other additives) excluding water. There are no particular restrictions on the form of the cocoa mass, cocoa nibs, cocoa powder, and cocoa cake. The cocoa content in chocolate is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of the flavor unique to chocolate, it is usually 20% by mass or more, preferably 30% by mass or more, more preferably 35% by mass or more, and even more preferably 40% by mass or more. Furthermore, if the content is too high, the bitterness of the cocoa components becomes pronounced, so it is usually 99% by mass or less, preferably 95% by mass or less, more preferably 90% by mass or less, and even more preferably 85% by mass or less. In recent years, high-cocoa chocolate, which contains a large amount of cocoa to meet the needs of health-conscious and authentic consumers, has become popular, and typically contains 60% by mass or more of cocoa, preferably 65% ​​by mass or more, more preferably 68% by mass or more, and even more preferably 70% by mass or more. However, when high amounts of cocoa mass or cocoa powder are included, the cocoa butter content in the chocolate increases, and the total amount of fats and oils becomes higher than in sweet or milk types, which inevitably poses the problem of blooming becoming more likely to occur.

[0044] The sugars are typically sugars, but sugars and sugar alcohols such as glucose, lactose, fructose, trehalose, maltose, oligosaccharides, lactitol, sorbitol, erythritol, xylitol, mannitol, and maltitol, isomerized sugars such as high-fructose glucose liquid, and low-GI sweeteners such as stevia, raw honey, and agave sugar can also be used. Examples of dairy products that can be used include whole milk powder, skim milk powder, cream powder, whey powder, buttermilk powder, and lactose powder. Examples of flavorings that can be used include vanillin, fruit flavorings, freeze-dried fruit powders, dried fruit juice powders, extracts, powdered flavorings, fruit juices, and essences. Colorants that are approved for use in food can be used as appropriate. Examples of polyphenols that can be used include flavanone glycosides (flavonoids) and foods and powdered processed products containing them. Nutrients that can be used include compounds containing vitamins, minerals such as iron, and foods containing these, processed powder products, proteins made from milk, soybeans, etc., and their hydrolysates.Functional ingredients that can be used include indigestible dextrin, indigestible oligosaccharides, γ-aminobutyric acid, lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, etc.

[0045] The water content in chocolate is mainly removed during the refining process to improve shelf life and prevent deterioration of flavor, and is usually 3% by mass or less, preferably 2% by mass or less, and more preferably 1% by mass or less.

[0046] [Characteristics of chocolate] (Bloom evaluation) Chocolate was placed alternately in environments of 32°C and 20°C (each temperature was held for 11 hours, followed by one hour to reach the next temperature, with the temperature being placed in a cycle of 24 hours), and the number of days until bloom appeared on the surface of the chocolate molded body was counted. The presence or absence of bloom was determined by visually observing the degree of whitening of the chocolate surface. Note that the chocolate to be measured is preferably aged for the required period after production, and the evaluation starts when the chocolate has been subjected to the above-mentioned temperature cycle conditions. The number of days until blooming occurs in the chocolate according to the above evaluation is preferably 7 days or more, more preferably 15 days or more, and even more preferably 17 days or more.

[0047] <Chocolate manufacturing method> The method for producing the chocolate is not particularly limited, and the chocolate can be produced by a known method, an example of which is shown below, but the chocolate is not limited to this example method.

[0048] The ingredients for chocolate, including the above-mentioned emulsifier A and emulsifier B, are prepared as raw materials, and these ingredients are mixed to obtain a raw material mixture (mixing process). Of the ingredients, the emulsifier and flavoring may be added in the conching process described below. The mixing method is not particularly limited, and can be carried out using a device such as a mixer, homogenizer, or colloid mill. The raw material mixture obtained in the mixing step is finely pulverized to obtain a finely pulverized mixture (refining step). The method for finely pulverizing is not particularly limited, and can be carried out using a device such as a refining roll, for example. In the finely ground mixture obtained in the refining step, cocoa butter is uniformly dispersed and conching is performed to obtain a dispersed mixture (conching step). Conching can make the chocolate smooth and bring out the flavor of the chocolate by generating frictional heat and releasing it. There are no particular restrictions on the method of conching, and it can be performed using a device such as a conch. As mentioned above, emulsifiers and flavors may also be added in this step. It can also be produced using an apparatus such as a melanger or a refiner concher, which has both the pulverizing function of the refining step and the conching function of the conching step.

[0049] The tempered mixture obtained in the conching step can be subjected to tempering to obtain a tempered mixture (tempering step). Tempering is performed to solidify a portion of the cocoa butter in the chocolate as stable crystals, and this treatment can produce crystal nuclei for stable crystals. For example, chocolate melted at 35-50°C is cooled to a product temperature of approximately 27-29°C, and then reheated to approximately 30-33°C. Typically, lowering the product temperature to approximately 27-29°C yields unstable cocoa butter crystals (Type IV), and reheating to approximately 30-33°C yields stable cocoa butter crystals (Type V). These tempering steps are usually performed within 10 minutes in a continuous tempering device. Alternatively, adding a powdered solid known as a seed agent, which has a crystalline structure similar to that of Type V cocoa butter crystals, can produce stable cocoa butter crystals. This method also simplifies the complicated temperature control process. By adding and dispersing seeds in chocolate that has been melted at a temperature below the melting point of the seeds, and then cooling the chocolate, the seeds act as crystal nuclei, directly precipitating V-shaped cocoa butter crystals. This treatment is effective for chocolate containing tempering hard butter, and chocolate containing non-tempering hard butter to the extent that the function of the tempering fat is not impaired.

[0050] The tempered mixture obtained in the conching step can be molded to obtain a molded product (molding step). The molding method is not particularly limited, and for example, a plate shell product can be obtained by molding, a coated product can be obtained by enrobing, or a hanging product can be obtained by revolving. Furthermore, during the molding step, or before or after this step, steps such as a chocolate molding step, an inspection step, a packaging step, and a aging step may be carried out.

[0051] The manner in which the chocolate is used is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, dark chocolate, sweet chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, colored chocolate, etc., and may be used in the form of spread, syrup, coating, flower paste, drink, etc. Furthermore, the chocolate may be used alone as a final product, or may be combined with other foods to form a final product. Furthermore, the final product may be packaged and shipped in an appropriate packaging material depending on the form of the final product. [Example]

[0052] The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to examples. However, the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the following examples. The materials used in the examples and the methods for measuring the evaluation items are as follows. "%" in the examples is based on mass unless otherwise specified. In the examples, "parts by mass" refers to a ratio when the total content of the basic raw material blend described below is taken as 100 parts by mass, unless otherwise specified.

[0053] <Experiment 1> <Preparation of Chocolate Composition> Example 1 A basic blend of ingredients was prepared using the ingredients and proportions shown in Table 1 below, and the emulsifiers listed below were added to the basic blend of ingredients and melted and mixed to obtain Chocolate Composition 1. Emulsifier A: Polyglycerin behenate (Ryoto Polyglycerin B-70D, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Corporation, HLB=4, bound fatty acid purity: approximately 88% behenic acid) Emulsifier B: Sucrose mixed fatty acid ester (Ryoto Sugar Ester POS-135, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Corporation, HLB=1, bound fatty acid purity: palmitic acid approximately 29%, stearic acid approximately 23%, oleic acid approximately 40%) Lecithin: Soybean lecithin (SLP-Paste manufactured by Tsuji Oil Mills) The emulsifier contents were 0.25 parts by mass of emulsifier A, 0.25 parts by mass of emulsifier B, and 0.1 parts by mass of lecithin per 100 parts by mass of the total content of the basic blend ingredients. In Table 1 below, NK Quick Cocoa Mass manufactured by Nissin Kako Co., Ltd. was used for the cocoa mass, pure powdered sugar manufactured by Tomizawa Shoten Co., Ltd. was used for the sugar, and NK Ghana Cocoa Butter manufactured by Nissin Kako Co., Ltd. was used for the cocoa butter. This chocolate composition had a cocoa content of 70% and a fat / oil content of 41.2% relative to the total content of the basic ingredients (100% by mass). The solid fat content of the fat / oil in the chocolate was 92% at 10°C, 82% at 20°C, and 53% at 30°C. The content of StUSt-type triglycerides relative to the total amount of triglycerides constituting the fat / oil was 76.8% in accordance with literature values, and the amount of lauric acid relative to the total amount of all constituent fatty acids in the triglycerides constituting the fat / oil was less than 1% in accordance with literature values.

[0054] [Table 1]

[0055] Example 2 Chocolate Composition 2 was obtained using the same manufacturing method as that for Chocolate Composition 1 in Example 1 above, except that emulsifier A was changed from polyglycerol behenate to polyglycerol stearic acid ester (Ryoto Polyglycerol S-28D, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Corporation, HLB=9, bound fatty acid purity: stearic acid approximately 70%, palmitic acid approximately 30%).

[0056] (Comparative Example 1) Chocolate composition 3 was obtained by applying the same manufacturing method as the manufacturing method of chocolate composition 1 in Example 1 above, except that emulsifier A and emulsifier B were not added.

[0057] (Comparative Example 2) Chocolate composition 4 was obtained by applying the same manufacturing method as that for producing chocolate composition 1 in Example 1 above, except that emulsifier A was not added and the content of emulsifier B was changed from 0.25 parts by mass to 0.5 parts by mass.

[0058] (Comparative Example 3) Chocolate composition 5 was obtained by applying the same manufacturing method as that for chocolate composition 1 in Example 1 above, except that the content of emulsifier A was changed from 0.25 parts by mass to 0.5 parts by mass and emulsifier B was not added.

[0059] Comparative Example 4 Chocolate Composition 6 was obtained using the same manufacturing method as that for Chocolate Composition 1 in Example 1 above, except that emulsifier A was changed from polyglycerol behenate to sorbitan tristearate (Emersol S-30V, HLB=2.1, manufactured by Kao Corporation).

[0060] (Comparative Example 5) Chocolate Composition 7 was obtained using the same manufacturing method as that for Chocolate Composition 1 in Example 1 above, except that emulsifier B was changed from sucrose mixed fatty acid ester to polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester (SY Glystar CRS-75, HLB=3.3, manufactured by Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd.).

[0061] The contents of emulsifiers in chocolate compositions 1 to 7 in Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 1 to 5 are shown in Table 2 below.

[0062] [Table 2]

[0063] [Preparation of molded body] After heating the chocolate composition 1 to 50°C or higher, the chocolate composition was cooled to 31°C, and 0.1% of the seed agent "NK Quick Temper" (manufactured by Nisshin Kako Co., Ltd.) was added. The mixture was stirred well for several minutes, cooled to a product temperature of 27-28°C, and then tempered by reheating to a product temperature of 30-32°C. The mixture was immediately poured into a mold and deaired. The mixture was then refrigerated for 30 minutes to solidify, and removed from the mold to obtain chocolate molded body 1 (a perfect circle with a diameter of 35 mm and a height of 7 mm, approximately 7 g per piece). The same method was applied to the chocolate compositions 2-7 to obtain chocolate molded bodies 2-7.

[0064] [Bloom evaluation] For each of the chocolate molded bodies described above, chocolates that had been left to stand at 20°C for four days or more were alternately left to stand in environments of 32°C and 20°C (each temperature was held for 11 hours, and the time it took to reach the next temperature was one hour, with the chocolates being left to stand for one cycle over 24 hours), and the appearance of the surface of the chocolate molded body was visually evaluated for a specified period of time using the following bloom evaluation criteria. The number of days on which bloom that met the evaluation criteria+ or higher appeared on the surface of the chocolate molded body was counted as the number of days on which bloom occurred. <Bloom evaluation criteria> -: Not occurring in all individuals ±: Slight occurrence on some surfaces of some specimens +: Occurs on the entire surface of all individuals ++: Severe damage to the entire surface of all individuals

[0065] The bloom evaluation results for the chocolate molded bodies 1 to 7 are shown in Table 3 below. The number of days until bloom occurred and the state of the chocolate molded body after a specified number of days had passed were shown based on the bloom evaluation standard for the surface of the chocolate molded body.

[0066] [Table 3]

[0067] Table 3 above shows that chocolate moldings 1 and 2 of Examples 1 and 2, which contain emulsifiers A and B, have a longer bloom suppression period than chocolate moldings 3 to 5 of Comparative Examples 1 to 3, which do not contain either emulsifier A or emulsifier B, or both. Furthermore, chocolate moldings 6 and 7 of Comparative Examples 4 and 5, in which emulsifier A or emulsifier B was replaced with a different emulsifier, showed a longer period until bloom occurred than in Comparative Example 1, but were comparable to Comparative Examples 2 and 3, indicating a lower bloom suppression effect. This is because Comparative Example 4 does not contain a polyglycerol fatty acid ester, and Comparative Example 5 does not contain a sucrose fatty acid ester containing 5% or more of unsaturated fatty acids as a constituent fatty acid. The inventors speculate that a significant bloom suppression effect can be achieved when both components are present in the formulation.

[0068] <Experiment 2> [Preparation of chocolate composition] Example 3 Chocolate composition 8 was obtained by applying the same manufacturing method as the manufacturing method of chocolate composition 1 in Example 1 above, except that the content of emulsifier A was changed from 0.25 parts by mass to 0.15 parts by mass.

[0069] Example 4 Chocolate composition 9 was obtained by applying the same manufacturing method as that for producing chocolate composition 1 in Example 1 above, except that the content of emulsifier A was changed from 0.25 parts by mass to 0.10 parts by mass.

[0070] Example 5 Chocolate composition 10 was obtained by applying the same manufacturing method as that for producing chocolate composition 1 in Example 1 above, except that the content of emulsifier A was changed from 0.25 parts by mass to 0.05 parts by mass.

[0071] The contents of emulsifiers in chocolate compositions 8 to 10 in Examples 3 to 5 above are shown in Table 4 below.

[0072] [Table 4]

[0073] Molded chocolate bodies were produced in the same manner as in Experiment 1 above using the above chocolate compositions 8 to 10, to obtain molded chocolate bodies 8 to 10. Furthermore, using the chocolate molded bodies 8 to 10, bloom evaluation and state evaluation were carried out in the same manner as in Experiment 1 above. The bloom evaluation results for chocolate molded bodies 8 to 10 are shown in Table 5 below. The number of days until bloom occurred and the state of the chocolate molded body after the specified number of days had passed were shown based on the bloom evaluation standard for the surface of the chocolate molded body.

[0074] [Table 5]

[0075] As can be seen from Table 5 above, the bloom suppression effect can be seen even when the content of emulsifier A is gradually reduced. This makes it possible to keep the amount of emulsifier A, which has a high melting point, to a small amount and provide chocolate that melts in the mouth and has a good flavor.

[0076] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a tempering chocolate that can suppress blooming for a long period of time.

Claims

1. Tempered chocolate, Fats and oils, The content of the following emulsifier A in the chocolate is 0.01 to 3.0% by mass, A chocolate containing the following emulsifier B, the content of which in the chocolate is 0.01 to 3.0% by mass: Emulsifier A: Polyglycerol fatty acid ester having an HLB of 11 or less Emulsifier B: sucrose fatty acid ester having a molar fraction of unsaturated fatty acids of 30% or more as constituent fatty acids

2. 2. The chocolate according to claim 1, wherein the emulsifier B is a sucrose fatty acid ester containing, as a constituent fatty acid, at least one fatty acid selected from the group consisting of saturated fatty acids having 16 to 18 carbon atoms and unsaturated fatty acids having 16 to 18 carbon atoms.

3. Chocolate as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the total content of emulsifier A and emulsifier B is 5.0 mass% or less.

4. The chocolate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the content of StUSt triglycerides (St: C16-18 saturated fatty acids, U: C16-18 unsaturated fatty acids) relative to the total amount of triglycerides constituting the fat or oil is 26% by mass or more.

5. The chocolate according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the molar fraction of lauric acid relative to the total amount of all constituent fatty acids in the triglycerides constituting the fat or oil is 38% or less.

6. The chocolate according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cocoa content in the chocolate is 60% by mass or more.

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