Oils for chilled fruits

Abstract

To provide oil and fat that can give a frozen dessert a milk taste with a rich feel during eating as well as a sharp and refreshing aftertaste.SOLUTION: Oil and fat comprises lauric oil and fat as raw material for random transesterified oil. In the constituent fatty acids, the content of lauric acid is 35-80 mass%. Such oil and fat have been proved to give a frozen dessert a milk taste as well as a sharp and refreshing feel.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to fats and oils for frozen desserts and frozen desserts using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART In the production of ice cream, ice milk, lacto ice cream and the like, which are commonly known as ice creams, fats and oils have been conventionally blended for the purposes of imparting flavor, improving texture, improving physical properties and the like.

[0003] When producing frozen desserts such as ice cream, the ingredients are first mixed and dissolved, then homogenized, sterilized, and cooled to prepare a mixture of ingredients known as a mix. This mix is ​​usually used after a storage process known as aging. This mix is ​​then frozen, filled, packaged, and then frozen in a hardening process to obtain the final frozen dessert product.

[0004] When fats and oils are used in frozen desserts, it becomes possible to utilize various functions and characteristics different from those of milk fats, and several attempts have been made to date. For example, an oil and fat composition containing lauric acid and exhibiting a certain solid fat content (SFC) has been disclosed as an oil and fat composition for frozen desserts with an excellent richness (Patent Document 1). Also, an emulsion that can impart a milk-like flavor has been disclosed, which contains triacylglycerol bound only to fatty acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms and contains a certain amount of lauric acid (Patent Document 2).

[0005] Furthermore, in order to provide frozen desserts that are excellent in richness and have a crisp and light taste, a mixed oil and fat containing as main components an oil and fat rich in SUS-type triglycerides and a lauric oil and fat (Patent Document 3), and an oil and fat that is a mixture of at least one of palm-based oil and lauric oil and fat with olive oil, for use in a mix for frozen desserts that combines a rich taste with a refreshing flavor, have been disclosed (Patent Document 4). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-028238 [Patent Document 2] JP 2018-126155 A [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-166965 [Patent Document 4] JP 2019-017335 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, although Patent Documents 1 and 2 are effective in imparting a rich flavor to frozen desserts to a certain extent, the strong rich flavor continues until the latter half of consumption and remains in the mouth, leaving a problem that a refreshing flavor cannot be obtained. Patent Documents 3 and 4 aim to achieve both a rich flavor and a refreshing flavor, but they tend to be biased toward either the rich flavor or the refreshing flavor, and are technically insufficient.

[0008] The amount of fat or oil that can be blended in frozen desserts is limited, and simply adjusting the type of fat or oil and its blending amount cannot easily solve the conflicting effects of imparting flavor to frozen desserts, particularly the milky taste that indicates a rich feeling when eaten and the refreshing feeling after eating, and this has been a difficult problem. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel oil or fat that can impart a milky taste, a sharp taste, and a refreshing feeling to frozen desserts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present inventors have conducted extensive research to solve the above-mentioned problems, and as a result have found that a randomly interesterified oil containing a lauric fat as an oil-and-fat raw material and containing 35 to 80 mass% of lauric acid in the constituent fatty acid composition imparts a milky taste, a crispness, and a refreshing feeling to frozen desserts, thereby completing the present invention.

[0010] That is, the present invention is (1) A randomly interesterified oil for frozen desserts, which contains a lauric oil as a raw material for the randomly interesterified oil and contains 35 to 80% by mass of lauric acid in the constituent fatty acid composition; (2) The random interesterified oil for frozen desserts according to (1), wherein the oil and fat raw material contains one or more selected from palm kernel oil and coconut oil. (3) A fat or oil for frozen desserts containing the randomly interesterified oil for frozen desserts according to (1) or (2). (4) A frozen dessert containing 1 to 20 parts by mass of the fat for frozen dessert described in (3) per 100 parts by mass of the frozen dessert. (5) A method for improving the flavor of frozen desserts by using the randomly interesterified oil for frozen desserts according to (1) or (2) in the frozen desserts. (6) A method for producing a frozen dessert mix, comprising preparing an emulsion using the oil and fat for frozen desserts according to (3), and then performing a sterilization step, a homogenization step, and a cooling step. (7) A method for producing a frozen dessert, comprising freezing the frozen dessert mix according to (6). It is related to. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, a frozen dessert can be obtained that has a moderate milky taste and a clean, refreshing aftertaste. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention will be specifically described below.

[0013] The randomly interesterified oil for frozen desserts of the present invention contains a lauric oil as a fat raw material for the randomly interesterified oil, and contains 35 to 80% by mass of lauric acid in the constituent fatty acid composition. The lauric oil referred to in the present invention is an oil containing lauric acid as a major constituent fatty acid. Specific examples include palm kernel oil, coconut oil, and oils obtained by subjecting one or more of palm kernel oil and coconut oil to one or more of fractionation, hardening, and interesterification. When other oils and fats are mixed, the lauric oil can be blended in an amount of, for example, 80% by mass or more, more preferably 85% by mass or more, and even more preferably 90% by mass or more. The term "lauric fat-containing oil raw material" as used herein refers to an oil-and-fat material that contains the above-mentioned lauric fat as an essential constituent, and in addition to the case where the above-mentioned lauric fat is used alone, various oils and fats other than lauric fats can be used as the oil-and-fat raw material as long as they satisfy the above-mentioned constituents. Usable oils and fats include, for example, one or more selected from soybean oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil, cottonseed oil, sesame oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, fish oil, and oils obtained by subjecting these to one or more processes selected from fractionation, hardening, and interesterification.

[0014] A feature of the random interesterified oil for frozen desserts of the present invention is that a fat raw material containing a lauric fat does not need to contain a non-lauric fat as an essential component. Another feature of the random interesterified oil for frozen desserts of the present invention is that a fat raw material containing a lauric fat does not need to contain a medium-chain fatty acid-bound fat having a medium-chain fatty acid as a constituent fatty acid as an essential component. Non-lauric fats may be used within the scope of the present invention, but a more preferred embodiment is that the fat raw material contains only lauric fats without using non-lauric fats. An even more preferred embodiment is one or more selected from palm kernel oil and coconut oil. Palm kernel oil and coconut oil that have not been processed, such as by fractionation, are preferred because they are easy to prepare. By using preferred fats, ice creams can be obtained that have a moderate milky taste and a sharp finish. Note that non-lauric fats refer to fats other than the above-mentioned lauric fats.

[0015] In the present invention, random interesterification refers to a processing method in which fatty acids bound to fats and oils are randomly interesterified using a catalyst. The catalyst used in the present invention can be a chemical catalyst such as sodium methylate, or a lipase having random interesterification activity. When using lipase, a commercially available lipase can be used, and any type of lipase can be used as long as it has random interesterification activity.

[0016] The randomly interesterified oil for frozen desserts of the present invention contains 35 to 80% by mass of lauric acid. This amount is more preferably 40 to 70% by mass, and even more preferably 43 to 60% by mass. An appropriate lauric acid content makes it possible to obtain ice cream that has a moderate milky taste and a sharp finish. Note that, since the randomly interesterified oil for frozen desserts of the present invention is produced by random interesterification, it is also necessary for the raw oil and fat material to be subjected to random interesterification to contain 35 to 80% by mass of lauric acid.

[0017] The randomly interesterified oil for frozen desserts of the present invention preferably has a mass ratio of lauric acid / octanoic acid (carbon number: 8)+decanoic acid (carbon number: 10) (hereinafter referred to as the C12:0 / (C8:0+C10:0) ratio) of 2.5 or more, more preferably 2.8 or more, and even more preferably 3.0 or more. The lower limit of the C12:0 / (C8:0+C10:0) ratio is preferably 10 or less, more preferably 9 or less, and even more preferably 8.5 or less. An appropriate C12:0 / (C8:0+C10:0) ratio can impart a moderate crispness to ice creams while retaining the milky taste.

[0018] The randomly interesterified oil for frozen desserts of the present invention preferably has a solid fat content (SFC) at 20° C. of 60% or less, more preferably 55% or less, and even more preferably 50% or less. An appropriate SFC at 20° C. can impart a moderate crispness to ice creams while retaining the milky taste of the product.

[0019] The randomly interesterified oil for frozen desserts of the present invention preferably has a solid fat content (SFC) of 10% or less at 30° C., more preferably 5% or less, and even more preferably 2% or less. An appropriate SFC at 30° C. can impart a moderate crispness to ice creams while retaining the milky taste of the product.

[0020] In the random interesterified oil for frozen desserts of the present invention, the total amount of constituent fatty acids of triglycerides having a total carbon number of 40 to 44 (CN40 to CN44) in all triglycerides is preferably 30% by mass or more, more preferably 33% by mass or more, and even more preferably 35% by mass or more. An appropriate total amount of CN40 to CN44 can impart a moderate crispness to ice creams while retaining the milky taste.

[0021] The oils and fats for frozen desserts of the present invention contain the above-mentioned randomly interesterified oil for frozen desserts as an essential component, and various other oils and fats can also be used. Examples of usable oils and fats include vegetable oils such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, rice oil, safflower oil, olive oil, sesame oil, palm oil, coconut oil, palm kernel oil, shea butter, and monkey fat, animal fats such as beef tallow, lard, and milk fat, algae oil, and processed oils and fats obtained by fractionating, hardening, interesterifying, etc., of these, as well as mixed oils and fats thereof.

[0022] The oil-and-fat for frozen desserts of the present invention preferably contains the randomly interesterified oil for frozen desserts in an amount of 1% by mass or more relative to the total oil-and-fat for frozen desserts. This is more preferably 3% by mass or more, and even more preferably 5% by mass or more. The upper limit is preferably 100% by mass or less, more preferably 80% by mass or less, even more preferably 70% by mass or less, and even more preferably 60% by mass or less. By using an appropriate amount, it is possible to impart a moderate crispness to ice creams while still retaining the milky taste of the product.

[0023] The fat for frozen desserts of the present invention is a fat for use in producing frozen desserts. A preferred embodiment of a frozen dessert using the fat for frozen desserts of the present invention is a blend containing 1 to 20 parts by mass of the fat for frozen desserts of the present invention per 100 parts by mass of the frozen dessert.

[0024] The frozen dessert referred to in the present invention is not particularly limited to any type as long as it is a confectionery that is eaten at freezing temperatures, and typical examples include ice cream, ice milk, and lacto ice cream, which are specified in the "Ministerial Ordinance on the Compositional Standards of Milk and Dairy Products," also known as the "Milk, etc. Ministerial Ordinance," and frozen desserts specified in the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's Notification "Standards and Criteria for Foods, Additives, etc." Ice creams, such as ice cream, ice milk, and lacto ice cream, typically contain a fat source, non-fat milk solids, sugar, an emulsifier, and water as their main ingredients. A typical example of the frozen dessert of the present invention is ice cream, whose ingredients include milk fat, non-fat milk solids, sweeteners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, flavors, water, and the like.

[0025] The following is an example of a manufacturing process for frozen desserts. First, the ingredients are mixed, melted, and dispersed to prepare an emulsion. The prepared emulsion is then homogenized, sterilized, and cooled to prepare a raw material mixture. In this specification, the raw material mixture is referred to as a frozen dessert mix. This frozen dessert mix is ​​usually used after undergoing a storage process called aging. Frozen desserts can be prepared in two ways: by freezing the frozen dessert mix at a factory and distributing and selling it as a final frozen dessert product; or by distributing it in the form of a frozen dessert mix and then freezing it at a store or the like and selling it as a final frozen dessert product.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fat for frozen desserts of the present invention is used in producing the above-mentioned frozen dessert mix. When the fat for frozen desserts of the present invention is used in a frozen dessert mix, the effects of the present invention are likely to be achieved.

[0027] The present invention can also be understood as a method for improving the flavor of frozen desserts when eaten. Specifically, the method is characterized by using a randomly interesterified oil for frozen desserts, which contains a lauric oil as an oil-and-fat raw material for the randomly interesterified oil and contains 35 to 80 mass% of lauric acid in the constituent fatty acid composition. By using such a randomly interesterified oil in frozen desserts, specifically, it is possible to obtain a moderate milky taste when eaten, and a crisp, clean aftertaste in the latter half.

[0028] (Example) Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples. In the following, "parts" and "%" are by mass unless otherwise specified.

[0029] (Analysis method) Fatty acid composition was measured in accordance with AOCS Official Method Ce 1h-05, SFC in accordance with IUPAC.2 150(a) Solid Content Determination In Fats By NMR, and triglyceride composition (total carbon number) of fats and oils was measured in accordance with 2.4.6 Triacylglycerol Composition (Gas Chromatography) of the Standard Methods for Analysis of Fats, Oils, and Related Materials established by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society.

[0030] (Oils and fats under consideration) Oil 1 was palm kernel oil ("Refined Palm Kernel Oil" manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.). Oil and fat 2 was prepared by random interesterification of 100% palm kernel oil with the addition of 0.2% by mass of sodium methylate as a catalyst, followed by bleaching and deodorization in the usual manner. Oil 3 was palm oil ("Refined Palm Oil" manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.). Oil 4 was prepared by random interesterification using 100% by mass of coconut oil with the addition of 0.2% by mass of sodium methylate as a catalyst, followed by bleaching and deodorization in the usual manner. Oil 5 was palm kernel low melting point oil ("PK Ace 200" manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.). Oil 6 was prepared by random interesterification of 100% by mass of palm kernel low melting point oil with the addition of 0.2% by mass of sodium methylate as a catalyst, followed by bleaching and deodorization in the usual manner. In addition to the above oils and fats, palm medium melting point oil ("Palm 26" manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.) was also used. The composition of each oil and fat examined is shown in Table 1. The unsaturated fatty acids shown are the total amount of C18:1, C18:2, and C18:3. The total amount of C40 to C44 refers to the proportion (mass%) of triglycerides with a total carbon number of 40 to 44 in the total oil and fat.

[0031] [Table 1]

[0032] Using the above oils and fats, lacto ice cream was produced and evaluated.

[0033] (How to make lacto ice cream) According to the blending amounts in Table 2, the product was prepared by the following procedure. 1. Skim milk powder, granulated sugar, powdered starch syrup, emulsifier, and stabilizer were mixed. 2. Mixture 1 was added to heated ion-exchanged water (product temperature 80°C or higher). 3. While stirring with a homomixer (8000 rpm), the frozen sweetened egg yolk and the tested oil were added in that order. The composition of the tested oil is shown in Table 3. 4. Stirred for 19 minutes. 5. Vanilla flavor was added and stirred for 1 minute. 6. The mixture was emulsified and homogenized using a high-pressure homogenizer (150 kgf / cm², one pass, LAB1000 manufactured by SMT Corporation). 7. Aging was carried out overnight in a refrigerator (5°C) to obtain a frozen dessert mix. 8. The resulting frozen dessert mix was frozen for 15 minutes in an ice cream maker (manufactured by AIKOH). 9. The mixture was dispensed into containers and shock-frozen at -40°C for 60 minutes. 10. The resulting lacto ice cream was used as the frozen dessert of the present invention.

[0034] [Table 2]

[0035] [Table 3]

[0036] (Evaluation method) The lacto ice cream was evaluated one day after production for the presence or absence of a milky taste and the crispness (clean aftertaste) according to the following criteria. A sensory evaluation was conducted by seven panelists, and a score of 3 or higher in both categories was deemed acceptable by consensus of the panelists. The results are shown in Table 4.

[0037] ○Whether or not it has a milky taste 1 point: No milky taste. 2 points: Weak milk flavor. 3 points: Milky taste can be felt. 4 points: A milky taste can be felt, and the overall flavor is well-balanced. ○ Sharpness (clean aftertaste) 1 point: It's thick and doesn't feel refreshing. 2 points: Not sharp enough. 3 points: Clean, but weaker than 4. 4 points: Refreshing and crisp.

[0038] [Table 4]

[0039] In Examples 1 to 4, all of the drinks had a milky taste, a refreshing feeling, and a good crispness. Compared to the comparative examples, all of the Examples tended to have a stronger milky taste and a good crispness. In particular, Examples 1 and 3 had the best flavor, and the blend of Example 2 also had a good milky taste and a good crispness. On the other hand, Comparative Examples 1 and 3 had a weak milky taste and were not crisp, and did not provide a clean aftertaste. Comparative Example 2 had a good crispness but a weak milky taste. Furthermore, Comparative Example 4, which did not contain lauric acid, had a milky taste but was thick and lacked crispness, and did not provide a clean aftertaste.

Claims

1. A randomly interesterified oil for frozen desserts contains only lauric oils and fats as the oil and fat raw material of the randomly interesterified oil, contains 35 to 80 mass% of lauric acid in the constituent fatty acid composition, has a solid fat content (SFC) of 55% or less at 20°C and an SFC of 5% or less at 30°C, and has a mass ratio of lauric acid to octanoic acid + decanoic acid (C12:0 / (C8:0 + C10:0) ratio) of 2.5 or more.

2. The random interesterified oil for frozen desserts according to claim 1, wherein the oil and fat raw material contains one or more selected from palm kernel oil and coconut oil.

3. An oil and fat for frozen desserts, comprising the random interesterified oil for frozen desserts according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A frozen dessert containing 1 to 20 parts by mass of the fat for frozen dessert according to claim 3 per 100 parts by mass of the frozen dessert.

5. A method for improving the flavor of frozen desserts, comprising using the randomly interesterified oil for frozen desserts according to claim 1 or 2 in the frozen desserts.

6. A method for producing a frozen dessert mix, comprising preparing an emulsion using the oil and fat for frozen desserts according to claim 3, and then carrying out a sterilization step, a homogenization step, and a cooling step.

7. A method for producing a frozen dessert, comprising freezing the frozen dessert mix according to claim 6.

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