Wheat bran composition and mix

Abstract

To provide a wheat bran composition that can be processed into a secondary processed food having high secondary processing suitability, and excellent external appearance, flavor and texture.SOLUTION: A wheat bran composition of the present invention has white wheat as a raw material, and the content of dietary fiber is 43 mass% or more and sugar content is 18 mass% or less. Further, the present invention also provides a method for producing a wheat bran composition in which grains of white wheat are pulverized to obtain a wheat bran composition in which the content of dietary fiber is 43 mass% or more and the sugar content is 18 mass% or less. Furthermore, the present invention also provides a mix containing a wheat bran composition, and a method for producing a processed food which uses a wheat bran composition as a raw material.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wheat bran composition and a method for producing the same.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, due to the increasing awareness of health, secondary processed products such as bread and noodles have been produced using wheat bran rich in nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and functional components and having a good flavor. The present applicant has previously proposed a method for efficiently producing wheat bran with excellent secondary processability and good appearance, flavor, and texture in secondary processed products (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Patent Document 3 discloses a bread wheat flour composition in which 4 to 25 parts by mass of wheat bran derived from white wheat is mixed with 100 parts by mass of wheat flour derived from red wheat for the purpose of producing delicious bread excellent in flavor, texture, appearance, etc. Further, Patent Document 4 discloses a method for producing finely pulverized bran, which aims to reduce the bran odor, uses Western White as wheat, and collects the bran of the intermediate particle size fraction excluding the fraction having a particle size smaller than a predetermined value and the fraction having a particle size larger than a predetermined value among the bran fractions separated in the flour milling process for obtaining wheat flour from the wheat, and after roasting this bran, pulverizes it so that the median diameter in the particle size distribution becomes 100 μm or less.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

[0005] However, while the manufacturing methods described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 offer excellent secondary processability and efficiently produce wheat bran with good appearance, flavor, and texture in the processed products, there was room for improvement, particularly in terms of further enhancing secondary processability. Furthermore, the technologies described in Patent Documents 3 and 4 resulted in wheat bran with poor secondary processability, and the texture of the processed products was also unsatisfactory.

[0006] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a wheat bran composition that has high suitability for secondary processing and can be processed into a secondary processed product with excellent appearance, flavor, and texture, as well as a method for producing the same.

[0007] The present invention provides a wheat bran composition made from white wheat, having a dietary fiber content of 43% by mass or more and a carbohydrate content of 18% by mass or less.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for producing a wheat bran composition, which involves grinding white wheat grains to obtain a wheat bran composition having a dietary fiber content of 43% by mass or more and a carbohydrate content of 18% by mass or less. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The wheat bran composition and method for producing the same of the present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments. In the following description, when "X~Y[Z]" (where X and Y are arbitrary numbers and [Z] is an arbitrary unit) is written, it means "X[Z] or more and Y[Z] or less" unless otherwise specified.

[0010] The wheat bran composition of the present invention contains wheat bran obtained from white wheat, a species of the genus *Trumpeta* in the grass family, and contains predetermined amounts of dietary fiber and carbohydrates. Generally, wheat kernels are broadly classified into the endosperm, the outer layer (outer layer and seed coat), and the germ (embryonic part). Wheat bran is obtained by grinding wheat kernels and removing the endosperm and germ, resulting in a fraction derived from the outer layer. Typically, the moisture content of the ground wheat bran produced in this way is 15% by mass or less. The wheat bran composition includes both the raw material of this fraction and processed wheat bran products obtained by further grinding, classifying, heat-treating, etc. The wheat bran composition typically has a moisture content of 3 to 15% by mass and is preferably in powder form. In the following description, for convenience of explanation, unless otherwise specified, the description will use a wheat bran composition that is in powder form and has a moisture content within the above range as an example. Furthermore, when the moisture content of the wheat bran composition is 8-9% by mass, it is preferable that the content of the components described below be such that the composition has a high quality.

[0011] Wheat is broadly classified into two types, red wheat and white wheat, depending on the color observed when the wheat grain is visually inspected. Red wheat is wheat that contains red pigment in its outer layer, and when the wheat grain is visually inspected, it is observed as red, reddish-brown, or brown. On the other hand, white wheat is wheat that does not contain red pigment in its outer layer, and when the wheat grain is visually inspected, it is observed as white or pale yellow. In this invention, by using white wheat as a raw material for the wheat bran composition, the suitability for secondary processing can be improved, and the resulting secondary processed product has reduced unpleasant tastes such as bitterness and astringency derived from wheat bran, resulting in a better flavor, a smoother texture, and a superior appearance.

[0012] Specific examples of white wheat used in this invention include common wheat varieties such as Australian Standard White (ASW, from Australia), Prime Hard (PH, from Australia), Soft White (SW, from the United States), and Western White (WW, from the United States), as well as durum wheat (produced in various countries around the world). These white wheat varieties can be appropriately selected, for example, based on their genetic characteristics.

[0013] Furthermore, ordinary wheat is broadly classified into three types according to the hardness of the wheat grain: hard wheat, soft wheat, and intermediate wheat, which has a hardness intermediate between hard and soft. From the viewpoint of further improving the flavor and texture of the resulting wheat bran composition, it is preferable to use white wheat classified as intermediate wheat. Taking the above-mentioned white wheat and ordinary wheat as examples, examples of hard wheat include prime hard, examples of intermediate wheat include Australian Standard White, and specific examples of soft wheat include Western White. In other words, ASW is preferably used as white wheat classified as intermediate wheat.

[0014] The wheat bran composition of the present invention preferably has a dietary fiber content of 43% by mass or more, more preferably 44% by mass or more, and even more preferably 45% by mass or more, relative to the mass of the composition, and from the viewpoint of the manufacturing efficiency of the secondary processed product, 60% by mass or less is practical. By setting the dietary fiber content within this range, the secondary processed product manufactured using the wheat bran composition will have excellent flavor and texture derived from wheat bran, and a good appearance. Furthermore, the health-promoting effects of dietary fiber intake can be obtained. The dietary fiber content can be appropriately adjusted, for example, by increasing the content of the wheat outer layer by further applying at least one of grinding and classification to the wheat bran fraction obtained by grinding wheat grains.

[0015] In this invention, the dietary fiber content is the total value of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, quantified by the Prosky modified method (an analytical method based on the AOAC985.29 method) based on the analysis manual for the 2015 edition (seventh revision) of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. The dietary fiber content can be measured, for example, using a commercially available measurement kit based on the Prosky modified method.

[0016] The wheat bran composition of the present invention preferably has a carbohydrate content of 18% by mass or less, more preferably 17.7% by mass or less, even more preferably 17% by mass or less, and even more preferably 16% by mass or less, relative to the mass of the composition, and from the viewpoint of the manufacturing efficiency of the secondary processed product, 10% by mass or more is practical. By setting the carbohydrate content within this range, the suitability of the wheat bran composition for secondary processing can be improved, and the resulting secondary processed product will have excellent appearance and texture. The carbohydrate content can be appropriately adjusted by, for example, further applying at least one of grinding and classification to the wheat bran fraction obtained by grinding wheat grains.

[0017] The carbohydrate content in this invention can be determined, for example, by subtracting the dietary fiber value from the carbohydrate value obtained by the subtraction method based on the analysis manual for the 2015 edition (seventh revision) of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. In other words, the carbohydrate content in this invention is the value obtained by subtracting the mass of water, protein, lipids, ash, and dietary fiber from 100g of the measured material. The masses of water, protein, lipids, ash, and dietary fiber can each be quantified based on the aforementioned analysis manual.

[0018] The wheat bran composition having the above composition exhibits good physical properties such as elasticity, shape retention, and moldability in the dough produced when it is used for secondary processing into foods such as bread and noodles, resulting in high suitability for secondary processing. Furthermore, secondary processed products made using the wheat bran composition have reduced unpleasant tastes such as bitterness and astringency derived from wheat bran, resulting in superior flavor and texture, and a good appearance. In detail, the outer layer of wheat and its surrounding areas, which are the raw materials for wheat bran, contain starches, but few of these starches have a structure suitable for secondary processing, and many are of poor quality. When a wheat bran composition containing such starches is used for secondary processing, the physical properties of the dough tend to deteriorate, resulting in poor texture and appearance of the secondary processed product. In this regard, the wheat bran composition of the present invention has a low sugar content, making it difficult for poor quality starches to be mixed in, and as a result, its suitability for secondary processing is increased, resulting in good appearance and texture of the secondary processed product. In addition, since the wheat bran composition uses white wheat as its raw material, it can produce a better flavor in processed products with reduced bitterness and astringency compared to when red wheat is used. Furthermore, because it contains a predetermined amount of dietary fiber, it can improve the suitability for secondary processing, appearance, flavor, and texture, as well as efficiently provide the health-promoting effects of dietary fiber intake.

[0019] In order to ensure that the resulting processed product has a smooth and good texture when a processed product is manufactured using a wheat bran composition, the wheat bran composition preferably has an average particle size of 10 to 200 μm, more preferably 20 to 150 μm, even more preferably 30 to 120 μm, and even more preferably 50 to 100 μm. In this invention, the average particle size refers to the volume cumulative particle size D50 at 50% of the cumulative volume when measured dry using a laser diffraction scattering particle size distribution analyzer (for example, Nikkiso Co., Ltd.'s "Microtrac Particle Size Distribution Analyzer 9200FRA").

[0020] From the perspective of further improving the appearance of the wheat bran composition and the processed products using it, the L value of the wheat bran composition is preferably 60 to 100. The L value is the L* value defined in the CIE 1976 (L*, a*, b*) color space (CIELAB), and can be measured, for example, in accordance with JIS Z8781.

[0021] The arabinoxylan content in the wheat bran composition is preferably 20% by mass or more, more preferably 20 to 25% by mass, based on the mass of the composition. Arabinoxylan is a kind of water-soluble dietary fiber polymerized from arabinose and xylose, and has been reported to have effects such as improving immune function. Therefore, when ingesting the wheat bran composition containing arabinoxylan in the above-mentioned amount and the processed products using it, the health promotion effect can be further enhanced.

[0022] The arabinoxylan content can be quantified, for example, using high performance liquid chromatography under the following measurement conditions, but is not limited to this method. The pretreatment method in this method is to mix 0.6 g of the wheat bran composition to be measured with a 72 v / v% sulfuric acid aqueous solution and stir at room temperature for 1 hour. The solid content obtained by stirring is mixed with a 4 v / v% sulfuric acid aqueous solution and subjected to autoclave treatment (121 °C, 20 minutes). After cooling, neutralizing this aqueous solution, making the volume constant to 200 mL, and then filtering, the filtrate obtained is introduced into high performance liquid chromatography to quantify the amounts of arabinose, xylose and galactose respectively. Substitute the respective quantified values of arabinose, xylose and galactose obtained into the following calculation formula to calculate the arabinoxylan mass (g). The arabinoxylan content (mass%) is the percentage of the arabinoxylan mass (g) to the mass (g) of the wheat bran composition to be measured. Arabinoxylan mass (g) = 0.88 × (Arabinose mass (g) + Xylose mass (g) - 0.7 × Galactose mass (g))

[0023] <Example of measurement conditions for high performance liquid chromatography> Model: LC-20AD (Shimadzu Corporation) Detector: Fluorescence Spectrophotometer RF-20Axs (Shimadzu Corporation) Column: TSKgel SUGAR AXI, φ4.6 mm × 150 mm (Tosoh Corporation) Column temperature: 60 °C Mobile phase: 0.5 mol / L boric acid buffer (pH 8.7) Flow rate: 0.4 mL / min Injection volume: 20 μL Fluorescence excitation wavelength: 320 nm Fluorescence measurement wavelength: 430 m n Post-column: Reaction solution 1 w / v% L-arginine solution Reaction solution flow rate: 0.7 mL / min Reaction temperature: 150 °C

[0024] In addition, the wheat bran composition preferably has an alkylresorcinol content of 0.25% by mass or more, more preferably 0.25 to 1.0% by mass, and still more preferably 0.25 to 0.52% by mass, based on the total amount of the composition. Alkylresorcinols are a general term for compounds having a 1,3-dihydroxy-5-n-alkylbenzene skeleton, as described in, for example, JP-A-2016-153387 and JP-A-2019-104755, and these have been reported to have a sleep-improving effect and an anti-obesity effect. Therefore, when a wheat bran composition containing the above-mentioned amount of alkylresorcinol and a secondary processed product using the same are ingested, the health-promoting effect can be further enhanced. In addition, alkylresorcinols are localized in the wheat bran, particularly in the part close to the aleurone layer. In particular, the wheat bran composition of the present invention contains a large amount of the above-mentioned part, so that a large amount of the above-mentioned amount of alkylresorcinol can be contained, and the health-promoting effect can be further enhanced. In addition, an improvement effect on taste and texture can be obtained as compared with ordinary wheat bran. The alkylresorcinol content can be measured using partition chromatography, for example, based on the method described in JP-A-2016-132641.

[0025] ​​ The wheat bran composition is preferably subjected to heat treatment, such as dry heat treatment and moist heat treatment, and more preferably to moist heat treatment. Such heat treatment further improves the processability for secondary processing, and the flavor and texture of the resulting secondary processed product are further enhanced.

[0026] The following describes a preferred method for producing the wheat bran composition of the present invention. First, white wheat grains, which are the raw material, are crushed, and the endosperm and germ are separated to obtain wheat bran (crushing step). The white wheat grains used for crushing may be treated by adding water to the grains, or they may be crushed without water treatment. The method for collecting wheat bran from the crushed grains is not particularly limited, and a method can be used in which the crushed grains are separated into wheat bran and other components by known classification methods such as sieving, and the wheat bran is collected.

[0027] The milling of white wheat grains can be carried out using milling methods commonly used in this art, such as roll milling, impact milling, and airflow milling. Milling may be performed only once, or multiple times using the same or different milling methods. For example, roll milling and impact milling may be combined and carried out in that order, or roll milling may be performed in multiple stages multiple times. Furthermore, the milling machine used for impact milling is not particularly limited as long as it performs milling by mechanical impact between an impact plate and a rotating rotor. From the viewpoint of achieving both milling efficiency and bran separation efficiency, it is preferable to adopt roll milling.

[0028] The wheat bran of white wheat obtained in this manner may be used as is as the wheat bran composition of the present invention, or it may be further processed by performing at least one of the steps described later to obtain the wheat bran composition of the present invention. In either case, the resulting wheat bran composition preferably has a dietary fiber content of 43% by mass or more and a carbohydrate content of 18% by mass or less. Such a wheat bran composition can be obtained by appropriately adjusting the grinding conditions, such as roll grinding and impact grinding, as well as the classification conditions and heat treatment conditions, which may be performed as needed.

[0029] From the viewpoint of efficiently obtaining a wheat bran composition having the above-mentioned dietary fiber content and carbohydrate content, it is preferable to heat-treat the wheat bran obtained by the above-described method. Furthermore, since the wheat bran can be finely ground by going through the heat treatment process, it is advantageous in that a wheat bran composition with small particle size can be obtained with high productivity. In addition, since the activity of various enzymes such as amylase and protease can be reduced or inactivated by going through the heat treatment process, it is particularly advantageous in that it can further improve the ability to be processed for secondary processing and further improve the texture of secondary processed products.

[0030] When dry heat treatment is performed as a heat treatment, the temperature of the wheat bran is preferably 80 to 200°C, more preferably 90 to 150°C, and the treatment is preferably performed for 1 to 120 minutes, more preferably 3 to 50 minutes. In the dry heat treatment, for example, the wheat bran can be introduced into a device having a configuration similar to the heat treatment stirring device described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-9022, and the above temperature and time can be achieved. This heat treatment stirring device comprises a cylindrical container for containing the material to be treated, a hollow rotating shaft provided inside the container, a hollow pipe screw formed in communication with the shaft, and a steam supply source for supplying steam into the rotating shaft and pipe screw. The heat generated by supplying steam into the rotating shaft and pipe screw is transmitted to the material to be treated via the rotating shaft and pipe screw, thereby enabling dry heat treatment.

[0031] Furthermore, when performing moist heat treatment as a heat treatment, the process is carried out by keeping the wheat bran in a sealed container into which steam is introduced, preferably at a temperature of 80 to 110°C, more preferably at 85 to 95°C, for 1 to 60 seconds, more preferably at 3 to 30 seconds. In moist heat treatment, for example, the wheat bran to be treated and saturated steam can be introduced into a powder heating device described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2784505 to achieve the aforementioned temperature and time. This powder heating device has a saturated steam inlet and comprises a cylindrical pressure vessel containing the material to be treated, and a stirring means having a plurality of rod-shaped blades on a rotating shaft with dimensions close to the inner diameter of the cylinder, which are introduced into the container from an inlet at one end of the container and move the powder towards an outlet at the other end of the container while stirring it. In particular, moist heat treatment further improves the secondary processability and makes the flavor and texture of the resulting secondary processed product even better.

[0032] From the viewpoint of efficiently obtaining a fine wheat bran composition, it is preferable to further pulverize the wheat bran to obtain a finely ground product, and it is even more preferable to pulverize the heat-treated wheat bran to obtain a finely ground product. This pulverization process can also be carried out by impact pulverization. The pulverization process is preferably carried out so that the proportion of the fraction with an average particle size of less than 200 μm relative to the total mass of the wheat bran is about 50 to 100% by mass, and it is even more preferable to carry it out so that it is 70 to 100% by mass.

[0033] Furthermore, from the viewpoint of efficiently obtaining a wheat bran composition that can be processed into a secondary product having a sharp particle size distribution and a smooth texture with less grittiness, it is preferable to classify the finely ground wheat bran to separate a fraction preferably with an average particle size of 200 μm or less, and more preferably with an average particle size of 150 μm or less. This classification step may be carried out using a sieve, an air classifier, or both.

[0034] When this process is carried out using a sieve, the sieve opening is preferably 150-200 μm, more preferably 150-180 μm, and even more preferably 150 μm, and the fraction that passes through the sieve is collected. When this process is carried out using an air classifier, a classifier capable of accurately separating fractions with a particle size boundary of 150-200 μm is used, and a fraction with an average particle size of 200 μm or less, and more preferably 150 μm or less, is collected. From the viewpoint of saving space, it is preferable to perform pulverization and classification using an impact pulverizer built into the air classifier. An example of an impact pulverizer built into an air classifier is the ACM pulverizer (product name) manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation.

[0035] The wheat bran composition of the present invention can be obtained through the above steps. In particular, according to a preferred embodiment of this manufacturing method, a wheat bran composition can be obtained by crushing white wheat grains to obtain wheat bran, heat-treating the wheat bran, and further finely grinding the heat-treated wheat bran. In addition, it is also preferable to further classify the finely ground wheat bran.

[0036] A wheat bran composition can be prepared by mixing it with one or more other raw materials such as wheat flour, wheat germ, other grain flours, proteins such as gluten, starches such as unprocessed starch and processed starch (acetylated starch, etherified starch, cross-linked starch, oxidized starch, etc.), sugars such as sucrose and oligosaccharides, fats and oils such as shortening, butter and margarine, fermentation bacteria such as yeast and lactic acid bacteria, salt, skim milk powder, thickeners, emulsifiers, and leavening agents to create a mix containing the wheat bran composition. This mix is ​​preferably in powder form. The content of each raw material in the mix can be appropriately adjusted depending on the target processed food product, but the content of the wheat bran composition relative to the total mass of the mix is ​​preferably 1 to 70% by mass, and more preferably 1 to 60% by mass.

[0037] Furthermore, the wheat bran composition can also be used as a raw material to manufacture processed foods, which are secondary processed products. Specifically, water, milk, whole eggs, egg whites, egg yolks, fresh cream, lye water, and other liquids for dough preparation are added to the wheat bran composition, preferably the mix containing wheat bran, and mixed to form a clay-like dough (so-called dough) or a paste-like dough (so-called batter). The dough is then shaped to take the form of the desired processed food, and if necessary, the dough is dried, cooled, or fermented, or subjected to heat treatments such as baking, steaming, frying, or boiling to produce the processed food.

[0038] When using a mix containing a wheat bran composition in the manufacture of processed foods, the amount of the dough preparation liquid added to the mix is ​​preferably about 50 to 100 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the mix if the dough to be prepared is dough, and preferably about 90 to 300 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the mix if the dough to be prepared is batter.

[0039] Mixes containing wheat bran composition have good moldability and suitability for secondary processing, making them suitable for producing various processed foods such as bread (e.g., white bread and rolls), bakery foods (e.g., waffles, crepes, pancakes, hotcakes, sponge cakes, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, obanyaki, taiyaki), noodles (e.g., udon, somen, hiyamugi, soba, Chinese noodles, and pasta), noodle wrappers (e.g., gyoza wrappers and spring roll wrappers), and fried foods (e.g., tempura, karaage, tatsutaage, fritters). Furthermore, the resulting processed foods will have excellent appearance, flavor, and texture. Specifically, if the processed food is bread, it will have an excellent appearance, a good flavor with little bitterness or astringency, and a soft, pleasant texture. If the processed food is noodles, it will be white, have an excellent appearance, a good flavor with little bitterness or astringency, and a strong, pleasant texture. [Examples]

[0040] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. The content (mass%) of dietary fiber, carbohydrates, arabinoxylan, and alkylresorcinol in the wheat bran compositions of each example and comparative example was measured based on the method described above. The results are shown in Table 1 below. The wheat bran compositions of Examples 1 to 11 and Comparative Examples 1 to 10 are all powders consisting only of wheat bran, and the moisture content of each composition was adjusted to the range of 8 to 9% by mass. The average particle size of each composition measured by the measurement method described above was in the range of 85 to 94 μm.

[0041] [Examples 1-4 and Comparative Example 1] As the raw material, ASW, which is a white wheat and medium-quality wheat, was used. This was carefully selected and ground in a roller mill, and the ground material was classified using a sieve with a mesh size of 200 μm, and wheat bran was collected as the residue remaining on the sieve.

[0042] Next, the collected wheat bran was subjected to impact pulverization using a turbo mill (manufactured by Tokyo Flour Milling Machinery Co., Ltd.). This pulverized material was then subjected to moist heat treatment at a temperature of 90°C for 5 seconds while introducing saturated steam using a powder heating device described in Patent No. 2784505. Subsequently, the pulverized material after moist heat treatment was finely pulverized using an impact pulverizer (ACM pulverizer, manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation). After that, it was classified using a sieve with a mesh size of 150 μm, and the fraction with a particle size of less than 150 μm that passed through the sieve was separated to obtain the target wheat bran composition. Fractions with different contents of dietary fiber and carbohydrates were obtained by appropriately adjusting the pulverization conditions of the roll pulverization and impact pulverization.

[0043] [Example 5] A wheat bran composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that instead of moist heat treatment, dry heat treatment was performed by heating the product to a temperature of 120°C for 25 minutes using an apparatus with a configuration similar to that of the heat treatment stirring apparatus described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-9022.

[0044] [Examples 6-7 and Comparative Example 2] A wheat bran composition was obtained by performing a moist heat treatment in the same manner as in Example 1, except that WW, which is both white wheat and soft wheat, was used as the raw material wheat.

[0045] [Example 8] A wheat bran composition was obtained by performing dry heat treatment in the same manner as in Example 5, except that WW, which is both white wheat and soft wheat, was used as the raw material wheat.

[0046] [Examples 9-10 and Comparative Example 3] A wheat bran composition was obtained by performing moist heat treatment in the same manner as in Example 1, except that PH, which is a white wheat and hard wheat, was used as the raw material wheat.

[0047] [Example 11] A wheat bran composition was obtained by performing dry heat treatment in the same manner as in Example 5, except that PH, which is a white wheat and hard wheat, was used as the raw material wheat.

[0048] [Comparative Examples 4-10] A wheat bran composition was obtained by performing moist heat treatment in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the raw material wheat used was either domestically produced red wheat and medium-quality wheat (type: Kitahonami, Comparative Examples 4-5), No.1 Canadian Western Red Spring (1CW, Canadian; Comparative Examples 6-8), or Dark Northern Spring (DNS, United States; Comparative Examples 9-10), which is red wheat and hard wheat.

[0049] [Rating 1: Bread production] The wheat bran compositions of each example and comparative example were mixed with the raw materials listed below in the following proportions to prepare dough, and bread, a secondary processed product (processed food), was produced through the following bread manufacturing process. The processability of the dough during bread production (secondary processability), as well as the flavor and texture of the resulting bread, were evaluated by 10 expert panelists through production and consumption. The panelists' evaluation of each example and comparative example was based on the following evaluation criteria, with Comparative Example 4's wheat bran composition serving as the "control example," and the evaluation score for production and consumption using this example set at "2 points." The results are shown in Table 1 as the arithmetic mean.

[0050] <Bread Ingredients> (The units for the ingredients listed below are "parts by mass.") • Wheat flour (strong flour): 60 Wheat bran composition: 30 Gluten: 10 Wheat germ: 0.5 • Sourdough starter: 5 • Fabric improver: 0.8 Fresh yeast: 3.5 • Salt: 2 ·Cast sugar: 4 • Skim milk powder: 2 • Shortening: 6 ·Wed:74 (Gluten: H-10 manufactured by Ogawa Flour Milling Co., Ltd., Wheat germ: Hygie SP manufactured by Fresh Food Service Co., Ltd., Sourdough starter: Crème de Levain manufactured by Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd., Dough improver: Eurobake Sirius manufactured by Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd.)

[0051] <Bread making process> Each raw material was placed in a mixing device (Kanto Mixing Machine Co., Ltd., vertical mixer HPi-20M) and mixed in the following order at a temperature of 27°C: low speed for 7 minutes, medium-low speed for 5 minutes, and medium-high speed for 2 minutes to prepare the dough. This dough was allowed to ferment for 60 minutes at 27°C and 75% RH. The fermented dough was divided into 450g portions and allowed to rest for 20 minutes. These portions were rolled and placed in a loaf bread pan, and proofed for 50 minutes at 38°C and 85% RH. Finally, the proofed dough was baked at 220°C for 30 minutes to obtain bread containing the wheat bran compositions of the example and comparative example.

[0052] <Evaluation of bread's potential for secondary processing> 5 points: The fabric is much easier to handle than the control example (Comparative Example 4) and has excellent secondary processing properties. 4 points: The fabric is easier to handle than the control example and has good secondary processing properties. Points 3: The fabric is somewhat easier to handle than the control example, and its secondary processing properties are slightly better. Point 2: It has the same secondary processing properties as the control example. 1 point: The fabric is less manageable and has poorer processing properties compared to the control example.

[0053] <Bread texture> 5 points: Much softer and has a superior texture compared to the control example (Comparative Example 4). 4 points: Softer and has a better texture than the control example. 3 points: Slightly softer and has a slightly better texture than the control example. Points 2: The texture is equivalent to that of the control example. 1 point: It is harder and has a worse texture than the control example. <Bread Flavor> 5 points: Compared to the control example (Comparative Example 4), it has no bitterness or only a very weak bitterness, and its flavor is excellent. 4 points: Compared to the control example, it has a less astringent taste and superior flavor. 3 points: Compared to the control example, the bitterness is slightly weaker, and the flavor is somewhat good. Points 2: The flavor is equivalent to the control example. 1 point: Compared to the control example, it has a stronger bitter taste and poor flavor.

[0054] [Evaluation 2: Noodle production] The wheat bran compositions of each example and comparative example were mixed with the raw materials listed below in the following proportions to prepare dough, and noodles, which are a secondary processed product (processed food), were produced through the following noodle manufacturing process. The processability of the dough during noodle production (secondary processing capability), as well as the flavor and texture of the resulting noodles, were evaluated by 10 expert panelists through production and consumption. The panelists' evaluation of each example and comparative example was based on the following evaluation criteria, with Comparative Example 4's wheat bran composition serving as the "control example," and the evaluation score for production and consumption using this example set at "2 points." The results are shown in Table 1 as arithmetic mean values.

[0055] <Noodle Ingredients> (The units for the ingredients listed below are "parts by mass.") (Mixed powder) ·Wheat flour (all-purpose flour): 52 Wheat bran composition: 30 Gluten: 14 Dried egg white: 3 • Thickening agent: 1 (liquid for dough preparation) • Salt: 1 • Watering: 1.5 ·Wed: 58 (Gluten: H-10 manufactured by Ogawa Flour Milling Co., Ltd., Dried egg white: Sankirara RS manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd., Thickener: Neosoft T manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.)

[0056] <Noodle Manufacturing Process> The mixed powder and the liquid for dough preparation were placed in a noodle mixer and mixed under vacuum conditions (700 mmHg) at high speed for 5 minutes, then at low speed for 7 minutes, in that order, to prepare the dough. The obtained noodle dough was rolled and compounded into a 1.6 mm thick noodle sheet, and then cut into noodle strands using a #20 square cutting blade. These noodle strands were boiled in hot water to obtain noodles containing the wheat bran composition of the example and comparative example.

[0057] <Evaluation of the ability of noodles to be processed again> 5 points: The fabric is much easier to handle than the control example (Comparative Example 4) and has excellent secondary processing properties. 4 points: The fabric is easier to handle than the control example and has good secondary processing properties. Points 3: The fabric is somewhat easier to handle than the control example, and its secondary processing properties are slightly better. Point 2: It has the same secondary processing properties as the control example. 1 point: The fabric is less manageable and has poorer processing properties compared to the control example.

[0058] <Noodle texture> 5 points: It has stronger elasticity and a much better texture than the control example (Comparative Example 4). 4 points: Stronger elasticity and superior texture compared to the control example. 3 points: It is slightly more elastic and has a slightly better texture than the control example. Points 2: The texture is equivalent to that of the control example. 1 point: It is less elastic and has a worse texture than the control example. <Noodle Flavor> 5 points: Compared to the control example (Comparative Example 4), it has no bitterness or only a very weak bitterness, and its flavor is excellent. 4 points: Compared to the control example, it has a less astringent taste and superior flavor. 3 points: Compared to the control example, the bitterness is slightly weaker, and the flavor is somewhat good. Points 2: The flavor is equivalent to the control example. 1 point: Compared to the control example, it has a stronger bitter taste and poor flavor.

[0059] [Table 1]

[0060] As shown in Table 1, it is possible to produce processed foods with excellent secondary processing properties and superior appearance, flavor, and texture by using a wheat bran composition made from white wheat with dietary fiber and carbohydrate content within predetermined ranges. In particular, as shown in Examples 1 to 4, it is possible to produce processed foods with excellent secondary processing properties and even superior appearance, flavor, and texture by using a wheat bran composition made from white, medium-grain wheat with dietary fiber and carbohydrate content within suitable ranges and subjected to moist heat treatment. [Industrial applicability]

[0061] The present invention provides a wheat bran composition that has high suitability for secondary processing and can be processed into a secondary processed product with excellent appearance, flavor, and texture, as well as a method for producing the same.

Claims

1. Made from white wheat, with a dietary fiber content of 43% to 60% by mass and a carbohydrate content of 10% to 18% by mass. The average particle size is 30 μm or more and 120 μm or less. A wheat bran composition that has been treated with dry heat.

2. The wheat bran composition according to claim 1, for use in bread products.

3. The wheat bran composition according to claim 1, for use in noodles.

4. The wheat bran composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the white wheat is intermediate quality wheat.

5. A wheat bran composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the arabinoxylan content is 20% by mass or more.

6. A wheat bran composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the alkylresorcinol content is 0.25% by mass or more.

7. A mix containing a wheat bran composition and wheat flour, The wheat bran composition is made from white wheat, has a dietary fiber content of 43% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less, and a carbohydrate content of 10% by mass or more and 18% by mass or less. The average particle size of the wheat bran composition is 30 μm or more and 120 μm or less. The wheat bran composition mentioned above has been subjected to dry heat treatment. A mix in which the content of the wheat bran composition relative to the total mass of the mix is ​​1% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less.

8. The mix according to claim 7, for use in bread products.

9. The mix according to claim 7, for use with noodles.

10. A method for producing processed food using the wheat bran composition described in any one of claims 1 to 6 as a raw material.

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