Oily foods

Abstract

To provide an oleaginous food, which has favorable melt-in-the-mouth and heat resistance, and a production method of the oleaginous food.SOLUTION: An oleaginous food has a continuous phase consisting of oil and fat that contains powdered oil and fat with a melting point equal to or more than 55°C, and food material in the form of powder (powdered food material) is contained as dispersed in the oil and fat of the oleaginous food. The average particle size of the powdered oil and fat with a melting point equal to or more than 55°C is equal to or less than 50 μm. Solid fat content (SFC) of the oil and fat that remains after removing the powdered oil and fat with a melting point equal to or more than 55°C from the oil and fat containing the powdered oil and fat with a melting point equal to or more than 55°C is 15-45% at 10°C, 5-30% at 20°C and 0-25% at 30°C.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to an oily food product in which powdered food ingredients are dispersed in oil or fat. [Background technology]

[0002] Examples of oily foods in which fats and oils form a continuous phase include chocolate, sugar cream, and buttercream. For example, sugar cream has a structure in which powdered sugar is uniformly mixed with fats and oils. In order to uniformly mix the powdered sugar with the fats and oils, plastic fats such as margarine or shortening, which are produced by a rapid cooling and kneading process, are used. And strong stirring power, such as with a whisk, is required to mix the plastic fats and oils with the powdered sugar.

[0003] Furthermore, if oils and fats contain liquid oils that are liquid at ambient temperature, their heat resistance decreases. As a result, problems sometimes occur where liquid oil seeps out of oily foods. Therefore, to improve the heat resistance of oily foods, oils and fats with high melting points, such as super-hardened oils, are often blended into the raw materials (for example, Patent Document 1). However, the use of super-hardened oils worsens the melt-in-the-mouth texture. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 62-22547 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] Therefore, there was a need for the development of an oil-based food product that could be manufactured using a simple method, had good melt-in-the-mouth properties, and was heat-resistant.

[0006] The object of this invention is to provide an oily food product that has good melt-in-the-mouth properties and heat resistance. Furthermore, it is also to provide a method for producing said oily food product. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The inventors of this invention conducted diligent research to achieve the above objectives. They discovered that by pre-dispersing oil powder having a specific melting point in molten oil or simultaneously dispersing it with powdered food material, it is possible to produce heat-resistant oily foods while suppressing deterioration of mouthfeel caused by the oil powder. Thus, the present invention was completed. That is, the present invention may include the following embodiments.

[0008] [1] An oily food having an oil and fat continuous phase containing oil and fat powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher, The oily food contains powdered food material (powdered food material) dispersed in the oil. [2] The oily food according to [1], wherein the average particle size of the oil powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher is 50 μm or less. [3] An oily food according to [1] or [2], wherein the oil and fat in the portion of the oil and fat powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher, excluding the oil and fat powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher, has a solid fat content (SFC) of 15-45% at 10°C, 5-30% at 20°C, and 0-25% at 30°C. [4] Any one of the oily foods from [1] to [3], wherein the powdered food material is a powdered food material containing oil or fat (oil-containing powdered food material). [5] Any one of the oily foods from [1] to [4], wherein the powdered food material comprises cheese powder and / or whole milk powder. [6] An oily food product from any one of [1] to [5], wherein the powdered food material is a powdered food material that has been processed by mechanical shearing. A method for producing an oily food product, which is one of the following: [7][1]~[6]. A method for producing an oily food, comprising mixing and dispersing a powdered oil having a melting point of 55°C or higher in a liquid oil at a temperature below the melting point of the powdered oil having a melting point of 55°C or higher, and simultaneously, or after mixing and dispersing, mixing and dispersing a powdered food material. [8] A method for producing the oily food according to [7], wherein a water-containing material is dispersed at the same time as or after the mixing and dispersion of the powdered food material. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an oily food product having good melt-in-the-mouth properties and heat resistance. Furthermore, a method for producing the oily food product can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a DSC chart showing the change in heat absorption when oil powder A is heated at a heating rate of 2°C / min. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The oily food of the present invention is an oily food having an oily phase containing oily powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher, wherein powdered food material (powdered food material) is dispersed in the oily phase. The oily food of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0012] <Oil powder> The oily food of the present invention has an oily food as a continuous phase containing an oily powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher. The oily oil used as the raw material for the oily powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher is not particularly limited as long as it is an edible oil. Examples include palm stearin, highly hydrogenated palm oil, highly hydrogenated rapeseed oil, highly hydrogenated high-erucic acid rapeseed oil, highly hydrogenated soybean oil, highly hydrogenated sunflower oil, and highly hydrogenated safflower oil, in which 80% or more by mass of the fatty acids constituting the oily oil consist of saturated fatty acids with 16 or more carbon atoms. These oily oils may be used individually or in combination of two or more. The melting point of the oily powder is preferably 58°C or higher, and more preferably 61°C or higher. There is no particular upper limit to the melting point of the oily powder. However, the melting point of the oily powder is preferably 90°C or lower, more preferably 80°C or lower, and even more preferably 75°C or lower. If the melting point of the oil powder is within the above range, the temperature of the fluid oil can be maintained at a high level, which helps to disperse the oil powder and powdered food material, as the oil powder has a melting point of 55°C or higher. This makes it easier to disperse the powdered food material.

[0013] The melting point of the above-mentioned oil and fat powder is the temperature at which no more heat is absorbed when the oil and fat powder is heated at a heating rate of 1 to 5°C (preferably 2°C) per minute, as measured by DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimeter). More specifically, as shown in Figure 1, it can be determined as the temperature at the intersection of the baseline where heat absorption has completely ceased due to heating and the rising line returning from the last absorbed heat to the baseline.

[0014] The above-mentioned oil and fat powder preferably has an average particle size of 50 μm or less. The average particle size of the oil and fat powder is more preferably 1 to 50 μm, even more preferably 3 to 30 μm, and most preferably 5 to 25 μm. The average particle size (also called average particle diameter or effective diameter) is the value (d50) measured by wet measurement based on the laser diffraction scattering method (ISO133201, ISO9276-1) using a particle size distribution analyzer (for example, Microtrac MT3300ExII manufactured by Nikkiso Co., Ltd.). The effective diameter refers to the spherical particle size when the measured diffraction pattern of the oil and fat powder (oil and fat crystal) to be measured matches the theoretical diffraction pattern obtained assuming a spherical shape. Thus, in the case of the laser diffraction scattering method, the effective diameter is calculated by matching the theoretical diffraction pattern obtained assuming a spherical shape with the measured diffraction pattern, so the same principle can be used to measure whether the object to be measured is plate-shaped or spherical. If the average particle size of oil and fat powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher is within the above range, the oily food will have good melt-in-the-mouth properties.

[0015] The above oil powder may be formulated together with other components such as antioxidants, emulsifiers, flavors, skim milk powder, whole milk powder, cocoa powder, sugar, dextrin, sodium caseinate, etc. The amounts of these other components can be any amount as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. For example, when the total mass of the oil powder is 100 parts by mass, the other components are preferably 0 to 60 parts by mass, more preferably 0 to 35 parts by mass, still more preferably 0 to 10 parts by mass, even more preferably 0 to 5 parts by mass, and most preferably 0 to 2 parts by mass. Also, the net content of the oil powder in the oily food is preferably 0.5 to 11% by mass, more preferably 1 to 10% by mass, and still more preferably 2 to 9% by mass.

[0016] One preferred embodiment of the above-mentioned oil and fat powder is that the particles of the oil and fat powder are plate-shaped. Here, whether the particles of the oil and fat powder are plate-shaped can be determined by the aspect ratio B. The aspect ratio B here is the value obtained by dividing the major axis of the particle by its thickness, and is defined as major axis / thickness. That is, if the particle is spherical, the aspect ratio B is 1, and the aspect ratio B increases as the degree of flattening increases. The major axis and thickness of the particle can be measured, for example, as follows. The size of the major axis can be determined mainly based on the laser diffraction scattering method described above. In this case, the average particle size is usually used for the size of the major axis. The thickness of the particle can be measured, for example, from a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image. First, multiple particles are photographed using a scanning electron microscope. From the observed image, 50 particles are arbitrarily selected, and the dimensions in the thickness direction of each are measured. The average thickness is obtained by summing all the thicknesses and dividing by the number of particles. Then, the average particle size relative to the average thickness is defined as the average aspect ratio of the powder aggregate (oil powder), and this is referred to as aspect ratio B. In this invention, the particle shape of the oil powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher has an aspect ratio B that is preferably 2.5 or higher, more preferably 2.5 to 100, even more preferably 3 to 50, especially preferably 3 to 20, and most preferably 3 to 15. When the aspect ratio B of the oil powder is within the above range, an oily food with a good texture can be obtained even if the cooling performed after dispersion of the powder food material is slow cooling.

[0017] As one of the preferred embodiments of the above oil and fat powder, the crystal form of the oil and fat powder (oil and fat crystal) is the β-form. The β-form is one of the crystal polymorphs of oil and fat. Among the crystals of oil and fat, there are those with different sublattice structures (crystal structures) while having the same composition, which are called crystal polymorphs. Typically, there are hexagonal, orthorhombic perpendicular, and triclinic parallel types, which are called α-form, β'-form, and β-form, respectively. Here, when the crystal form of the oil and fat crystal is the β-form, preferably, the above oil and fat crystal has a diffraction peak around 4.5 to 4.7 Å, preferably around 4.6 Å, and particularly does not have a diffraction peak around 4.2 Å in X-ray diffraction measurement. More specifically, in X-ray diffraction measurement, the ratio of the peak intensity (G) of 2θ = 19° (4.6 Å), which is a characteristic peak of the β-form, to the peak intensity (G') of 2θ = 21° (4.2 Å), which is a characteristic peak of the α-form: G / (G + G') can be used as an index representing the abundance of β-form crystals. In the present invention, it is preferable that the above peak intensity ratio is 1. However, the lower limit value of the peak intensity ratio may be, for example, 0.4 or more, preferably 0.5 or more, more preferably 0.6 or more, still more preferably 0.7 or more, even more preferably 0.75 or more, and most preferably 0.8 or more. If the peak intensity ratio is 0.4 or more, more than 50% by mass of the oil and fat crystals can be regarded as the β-form. The upper limit value of the peak intensity ratio is preferably 1, but it may also be 0.99 or less, 0.98 or less, 0.95 or less, 0.93 or less, 0.90 or less, 0.85 or less, 0.80 or less, etc. The peak intensity ratio can be any one of the above lower limit value and upper limit value, or any combination thereof. When the crystal form of the oil and fat powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher is the β-form (the peak intensity ratio is within the above range), an oily food having a good texture can be obtained even if the cooling arbitrarily performed after dispersing the powder food material is slow cooling.

[0018] As one of the preferred embodiments of the above oil and fat powder, the bulk density after loosening is preferably from 0.05 to 0.6 g / cm 3 and more preferably from 0.1 to 0.4 g / cm 3 and even more preferably from 0.1 to 0.3 g / cm 3The above loose bulk density in this invention is the packing density when the powder is allowed to fall naturally. Loose bulk density (g / cm³ 3 This can be measured, for example, with a powder tester (model PT-X) from Hosokawa Micron Corporation. Specifically, the sample is placed in the powder tester, the upper chute containing the sample is vibrated, and the sample falls naturally into the measuring cup at the bottom. The sample that rises from the measuring cup is scraped off, and the internal volume of the receiver (100 cm³) is measured. 3 Weigh the mass (Ag) of the sample for ) and calculate the loosened bulk density using the following formula. Loose bulk density (g / cm³) 3 ) = A(g) / 100(cm 3 ) Furthermore, loose bulk density can also be measured using a graduated cylinder. For example, a suitable amount of oil powder can be dropped into a graduated cylinder with an inner diameter of 15 mm and a capacity of 25 mL from about 2 cm above the top opening of the cylinder to loosely fill it. Then, the mass (g) of the filled mass and the volume (mL) can be read, and the mass (g) of oil powder per mL can be calculated to determine the loose bulk density.

[0019] <Method for producing oil and fat powder> The method for preparing the above-mentioned oil and fat powder is not particularly limited. Conventional known methods such as freeze-drying, extrusion granulation, and spray-cooled granulation may be applied to obtain an oil and fat powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher. However, one preferred embodiment for obtaining an oil and fat powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher is to use an oil or fat as the raw material for the oil and fat powder, which contains one or more XXX-type triacylglycerols having a fatty acid residue X with x carbon atoms at the 1st to 3rd positions of glycerol, where the number of carbon atoms x is an integer selected from 16 to 22.

[0020] The XXX-type triacylglycerol contained in the raw oils of the above-mentioned oil powder is a triacylglycerol having a fatty acid residue X with x carbon atoms at positions 1 to 3 of glycerol, and each fatty acid residue X is identical to one another. Here, the number of carbon atoms x is preferably an integer selected from 16 to 22, more preferably an integer selected from 16 to 20, and even more preferably an integer selected from 16 to 18. The fatty acid residue X may be saturated or unsaturated fatty acid residues. Specific examples of fatty acid residue X include palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, and behenic acid, but are not limited to these. The fatty acid residue X is more preferably palmitic acid, stearic acid, and arachidic acid, and even more preferably palmitic acid and stearic acid. The content of the XXX-type triacylglycerol in the raw oils and fats of the oil and fat powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher is, when the total mass of the oil and fat is taken as 100% by mass, for example, with a lower limit of 50% by mass or more, preferably 60% by mass or more, more preferably 70% by mass or more, and even more preferably 75% by mass or more, and an upper limit of, for example, 100% by mass or less, preferably 99% by mass or less, and more preferably 95% by mass or less. One or more types of XXX-type triacylglycerol can be used, preferably one or two types, and more preferably one type. If there are two or more types of XXX-type triacylglycerol, their sum equals the content of XXX-type triacylglycerol.

[0021] The raw oils and fats of the above oil and fat powder may contain other triacylglycerols besides the XXX-type triacylglycerols. These other triacylglycerols may be multiple types of triacylglycerols and may be synthetic or natural oils and fats. Examples of natural oils and fats include palm oil, cocoa butter, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, and cottonseed oil. When the raw oils and fats of the above oil and fat powder are considered to be 100% by mass, it is acceptable for the other triacylglycerols other than the XXX-type triacylglycerols to be present in an amount of 1% by mass or more, for example, around 5 to 50% by mass. The content of these other triacylglycerols is preferably 0 to 30% by mass, more preferably 0 to 18% by mass, even more preferably 0 to 15% by mass, and most preferably 0 to 8% by mass.

[0022] The raw material oil for the oil powder containing XXX-type triacylglycerol described above can be kept in a molten state, maintained at a specific cooling temperature, and cooled and solidified to obtain powdered oil crystals (oil powder) without employing special processing means such as spraying or mechanical grinding with a pulverizer such as a mill. More specifically, (a) prepare a raw material oil containing XXX-type triacylglycerol, optionally as step (b), heat the raw material oil from step (a) to melt the triacylglycerol contained in the raw material oil to obtain the raw material oil in a molten state, and further (d) cool and solidify the molten raw material oil to obtain powdered oil crystals (oil powder) containing β-type oil crystals and having a plate-like particle shape.

[0023] The cooling in step (d) above is, for example, cooling the molten raw material oil to a temperature lower than the melting point of the β-type crystals of the raw material oil, and using the following formula: Cooling temperature (℃) = number of carbon x × 6.6 ― 68 The cooling process is carried out at a temperature above the required cooling temperature. Cooling within this temperature range allows for the formation of fine β-type lipid crystals, making it easy to obtain lipid crystal powder (lipid powder).

[0024] Furthermore, between steps (b) and (d) above, an optional step (c) may be included to promote the formation of oil crystal powder, for example, (c1) a seeding step, (c2) a tempering step, and / or (c3) a pre-cooling step. Moreover, the oil crystal powder obtained in step (d) above may be obtained by step (e), in which the solid obtained after cooling in step (d) is pulverized to obtain powdered oil crystals. In step (e), the solid obtained after cooling can also be subjected to known pulverization methods such as a hammer mill or cutter mill to produce powdered oil crystals (oil powder) having an average particle size of 50 μm or less. In addition, in the above steps, the raw material oil for the oil powder having XXX-type triacylglycerol may be subjected to steps (a) to (e) in the form of an oil composition containing 0 to 15% by mass (preferably 0 to 2% by mass) of other components other than the oils already mentioned, or it may be made into β-type oil crystal powder and then mixed with other components other than the oils already mentioned.

[0025] The oil and fat powder obtained as described above, having a melting point of 55 or higher and an average particle size of 50 μm or less, and containing XXX-type triacylglycerol, preferably has a plate-like shape with an aspect ratio B of 2.5 or higher, a β-type crystal structure of the oil and fat crystals, and a loose bulk density of 0.05 to 0.4 g / cm³. 3 That is the case.

[0026] <Oils and fats containing oil powders with a melting point of 55°C or higher> In the oily food of the present invention, the oil powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher is dispersed in an oil having a lower melting point than the oil powder. The oil containing (for dispersion) the oil powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher is not particularly limited as long as it is an edible oil (edible fat) having a melting point lower than the melting point of the oil powder. The edible fat may be refined as appropriate to make it suitable for consumption. Specific examples of edible oils and fats include soybean oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, rice oil, corn oil, sesame oil, olive oil, palm oil, fractionated palm oil (palm olein, palm superolein, palm medium melting point portion, palm stearin, etc.), shea butter, fractionated shea oil, sal fat, fractionated sal fat, illipe fat, cocoa butter, coconut oil, palm kernel oil, lard, beef tallow, and milk fat, as well as processed oils and fats of these (oils and fats that have undergone one or more processing treatments such as mixing, hydrogenation, transesterification, and fractionation). These edible oils and fats may be used in combination of one or more types. However, oils and fats containing oil powders having a melting point of 55°C or higher preferably contain one or more selected from palm-based oils and fats, lauric-based oils and fats, and transesterified oils and fats containing lauric acid as a constituent fatty acid. The content of one or more oils selected from palm oils, lauric acid oils, and transesterified oils containing lauric acid as a constituent fatty acid in an oil powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher is preferably 20 to 100% by mass, more preferably 30 to 85% by mass, and even more preferably 35 to 75% by mass.

[0027] The palm-based oils mentioned above may be any of the following: palm oil, fractionated palm oil, or processed oils thereof (those that have undergone one or more of the following treatments: hardening, transesterification, and fractionation). Specific examples of palm-based oils include palm olein and palm stearin, which are one-stage fractionated palm oils; palm olein (palm super olein) and palm mid-fraction, which are two-stage fractionated palm olein oils; and palm olein (soft palm) and palm stearin (hard stearin), which are two-stage fractionated palm stearin oils.

[0028] The above-mentioned lauric acid-based oils and fats are oils and fats in which lauric acid accounts for 30% by mass or more of the total amount of fatty acids that make up the oil or fat. In other words, examples of lauric acid-based oils and fats include coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and babassu oil, as well as processed oils and fats therefrom (those that have undergone one or more of the following treatments: hardening, transesterification, and fractionation).

[0029] The transesterified fat containing lauric acid as a constituent fatty acid is a transesterified fat containing less than 30% by mass of lauric acid as a constituent fatty acid. A transesterified fat containing 30% by mass or more of lauric acid as a constituent fatty acid corresponds to the lauric acid-based fat described above. The lauric acid content of a transesterified fat containing lauric acid as a constituent fatty acid is preferably 1 to less than 30% by mass, more preferably 10 to less than 30% by mass, and even more preferably 15 to less than 30% by mass. The transesterified fat containing lauric acid as a constituent fatty acid may also be a transesterified fat obtained by transesterifying a mixed fat containing a lauric acid-based fat and a non-lauric fat in which 90% by mass or more of the total amount of fatty acids constituting the fat have 16 or more carbon atoms. The mixed fat contains lauric fat and non-lauric fat in a mass ratio of preferably 30:70 to 65:35, more preferably 35:65 to 57:43, and even more preferably 38:62 to 52:48. The mixed fat may contain two or more types of lauric fat, and may also contain two or more types of non-lauric fat. Examples of non-lauric fats include the palm oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, rice oil, corn oil, sesame oil, olive oil, shea butter, shea fractionated oil, sal fat, sal fractionated oil, illipe fat, cocoa butter, lard, and beef tallow, as well as processed fats and oils of these (fat that has undergone one or more processing treatments such as mixing, hydrogenation, transesterification, and fractionation).

[0030] The oils and fats (for dispersion) containing the oil and fat powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher may also contain liquid oil. The liquid oil is an oil or fat from the non-lauric oils and fats mentioned above in which the content of unsaturated fatty acids in the total amount of constituent fatty acids is 70% by mass or more. Examples of liquid oils include soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, etc. The content of liquid oil in the oils and fats (for dispersion) containing the oil and fat powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher is preferably 0 to 80% by mass, more preferably 15 to 70% by mass, and even more preferably 25 to 65% by mass.

[0031] The oils and fats (for dispersion) containing the oil and fat powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher preferably have a melting point of 50°C or lower, more preferably 25-45°C, and even more preferably 30-40°C. Furthermore, the oils and fats (for dispersion) containing the oil and fat powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher preferably have a solid fat content (SFC) of 15-45% at 10°C, 5-30% at 20°C, 0-25% at 30°C, more preferably 20-40% at 10°C, 5-25% at 20°C, 0-22% at 30°C, and even more preferably 20-37% at 10°C, 5-23% at 20°C, and 0-20% at 30°C. If melt-in-the-mouth texture is important, the SFC may be 20-45% at 10°C, 5-15% at 20°C, and 0-7% at 30°C. The oily food of the present invention exhibits good dispersibility of powdered food materials and good heat resistance, even when using soft oils and fats having melting points and solid fat content (SFC) within the above range as a continuous phase. The melting point of oils and fats (used for dispersion), including oil and fat powder with a melting point of 55°C or higher, can be measured by DSC, for example, by solidifying the oil and fat on ice from a molten state, similar to the oil and fat powder. The solid fat content (SFC) can be measured in accordance with section 2.2.9-2003, Solid Fat Content (NMR Method), of the "Standard Methods for Analyzing Oils and Fats" edited by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society.

[0032] <Powdered food ingredients> The oily food of the present invention contains a powdered food material (powdered food material) dispersed in an oil containing an oil powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher. The powdered food material is not particularly limited as long as it is an edible powder that does not dissolve in oil. Here, a powder that does not dissolve in oil refers to, for example, a powder in which 2 parts by mass of powder is dispersed in 100 parts by mass of a transparent oil (e.g., salad oil) at room temperature (e.g., 25°C), and even when heated as necessary (e.g., up to a maximum of 100°C), the oil does not become transparent. The powdered food material may contain oil as part of its components (it may be an oil-containing powdered food material). For convenience, the oil contained in the powdered food material is treated as part of the powdered food material (included in the powdered food material). Examples of powdered food ingredients include various sugar powders such as powdered sugar, dextrin, and caramel powder; various seasoning powders such as salt powder and powdered soy sauce; various dairy product powders such as whole milk powder, skim milk powder, whey powder, and cheese powder; various fruit processing powders such as lemon powder and strawberry powder; various vegetable processing powders; various spice powders such as chili powder and ginger powder; various herb powders; egg yolk powder, cocoa powder, soybean powder, soy protein powder, matcha powder, and coffee powder. The moisture content (water content) of the powdered food ingredients is preferably 10% by mass or less, and more preferably 0-7% by mass. Two or more types of powdered food ingredients may be used in combination.

[0033] The particle size of the above-mentioned powdered food material is not particularly limited as long as it is in powder form. However, the particle size of the powdered food material is preferably such that it passes through a sieve with a mesh size of 4.76 mm (ASTM 4 mesh, Tyler 4 mesh), more preferably such that it passes through a sieve with a mesh size of 2 mm (ASTM 10 mesh, Tyler 9 mesh), even more preferably such that it passes through a sieve with a mesh size of 1 mm (ASTM 18 mesh, Tyler 16 mesh), and especially preferably such that it passes through a sieve with a mesh size of 0.59 mm (ASTM 45 mesh, Tyler 42). The mesh size of the sieve can be determined by applying JIS Z8801-1, but a corresponding ASTM or Tyler sieve may also be used. The difference in sieves due to the standards is extremely small and does not affect the present invention. Here, a mesh size of X mm means that when the powdered food material is sieved using a sieve with a mesh size of X mm, 80% or more of the material passes through the sieve.

[0034] If the powdered food material contained in the oily food of the present invention includes an oil-containing powdered food material, it is preferable that the oil-containing powdered food material is in a state treated by mechanical shearing. Mechanical shearing may be performed by known atomizing devices such as a roll refiner, ball mill, or bead mill. Compared to an oil-containing powdered food material treated by mechanical shearing, for example, an oil-containing powdered food material produced by spray cooling alone is more easily dispersed and results in a smoother texture for the oily food. The oil content in the oil-containing powdered food material is preferably 10 to 80% by mass, more preferably 15 to 70% by mass, and even more preferably 20 to 60% by mass. The moisture content (water content) of the oil-containing powdered food material is preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 0 to 7% by mass, and even more preferably 0.5 to 5% by mass. Examples of oil-containing powdered food materials include various cheese powders, whole milk powder, cocoa powder, cocoa mass, soy milk powder, and the like. The oil-containing powdered food material preferably includes cheese powder and / or whole milk powder.

[0035] <Method for manufacturing oily foods> According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for producing oily food comprises the step of dispersing oil powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher in a fluid oil for dispersing the oil powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher. The temperature of the fluid oil is not particularly limited as long as it is lower than the melting point of the oil powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher. However, based on the melting point (°C) of the oil powder, it is preferably -35 to -5°C, more preferably -30 to -10°C, and even more preferably -25 to -15°C. For example, if the melting point of the oil powder is 65°C, the temperature of the fluid oil is preferably maintained at 30°C to 60°C. "Fluid" refers to a state in which the oil flows at an inclination angle of approximately 30°. The fluid oil is preferably in a molten state. "Molten" refers to a state in which the oil is clear. Ultimately, the content of oils and fats (for dispersion) containing oil and fat powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher in the oily food is preferably 20 to 70% by mass, more preferably 25 to 65% by mass, and even more preferably 30 to 60% by mass. The oil and fat powder is added and dispersed in a net amount of preferably 1 to 30 parts by mass, more preferably 3 to 25 parts by mass, and even more preferably 5 to 20 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the fluid oil and fat. When the amount of oil and fat powder dispersed in the fluid oil and fat is within the above range, the powdered food material to be dispersed simultaneously with the oil and fat powder, or in a later process, is more easily dispersed uniformly.

[0036] According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for producing an oily food comprises the step of dispersing oil powder in a fluid oil, simultaneously with or after the dispersion, a step of dispersing powdered food material. The content of powdered food material in the oily food is preferably 1 to 75% by mass, more preferably 2 to 65% by mass, and even more preferably 3 to 60% by mass. In oily foods with a high non-oil solid content, the content of powdered food material is preferably 30 to 75% by mass, more preferably 34 to 65% by mass, and even more preferably 36 to 60% by mass. When the content of powdered food material in the oily food is within the above range, the powdered food material is more easily dispersed uniformly in the fluid oil. In this way, the oily food of the present invention is prepared so that the oil forms a continuous phase. This aspect can be suitably applied in particular when the content of oil for dispersing oil powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher in the oily food is 38% by mass or more.

[0037] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a method for producing an oily food may include a step of mixing a powdered food material with some or all of an oil for dispersing an oil powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher, and then shearing the mixture using an atomizing device such as a refiner. The mixture after shearing may be mixed with the remaining oil for dispersing the oil powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher, and preferably maintained at a temperature above the melting point of the oil (but below the melting point of the oil powder) to make the mixture fluid. Subsequently, by adding and dispersing the oil powder into the fluid mixture, the dispersion of the powdered food material contained in the mixture can be stabilized. In this way, the oily food of the present invention is prepared so that the oil forms a continuous phase. This aspect can be particularly suitably applied when the content of oil for dispersing an oil powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher in the oily food is less than 38% by mass.

[0038] The dispersed mixture obtained through the process of dispersing powdered food materials may be cooled to a temperature below the melting point of liquid oils and fats, if necessary. The cooling conditions are not particularly limited. However, if the oily food is a solid, it may be cooled by standing in a refrigerator set to the desired temperature (e.g., 5 to 25°C, more preferably 15 to 25°C). Also, if the oily food is plastic, it may be cooled slowly. Specifically, the dispersed mixture obtained through the process of dispersing powdered food materials may be cooled with slow stirring or without stirring using a refrigerant (e.g., cooling water) preferably around 5 to 30°C, more preferably around 10 to 25°C, or allowed to cool (air cool) at a temperature preferably around 5 to 30°C, more preferably around 10 to 25°C, and even more preferably around 15 to 20°C to plasticize (crystallize). The cooling time may be preferably 0.5 hours or more, more preferably 3 hours or more, even more preferably 12 hours or more, and especially preferably 24 hours or more. There is no particular upper limit to the cooling time. However, the cooling time may be 300 hours or less, 100 hours or less, or 50 hours or less. The lower and upper limits of the cooling time can be arbitrarily selected. Furthermore, the cooling rate may be a slow rate, preferably around -0.01°C / min to -5°C / min, more preferably around -0.01°C / min to -3°C / min, and even more preferably around -0.01°C / min to -1°C / min. The fact that oily foods with good texture and plasticity can be obtained even with slow cooling is a secondary effect of the manufacturing method of the present invention.

[0039] The oily food of the present invention may contain, in addition to the oil and fat powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher, oil and fat (liquid oil and fat) containing the oil and fat powder (for dispersion), and powdered food material, other auxiliary materials commonly used in oily foods. Examples of such auxiliary materials include water or hydrating agents, various emulsifiers such as lecithin, glycerin fatty acid esters, and sucrose fatty acid esters, various colorants such as β-carotene, caramel, and red yeast rice pigment, and various antioxidants such as tocopherol, tea extract (catechin, etc.), and rutin. Two or more of these auxiliary materials may be used in combination. The content of auxiliary materials in the oily food is preferably 0 to 10% by mass, more preferably 0 to 5% by mass, and even more preferably 0 to 2% by mass.

[0040] According to one aspect of the present invention, in a method for producing oily foods, the above-mentioned auxiliary materials may be mixed at any time as necessary. However, preferably, the auxiliary materials are dissolved in the liquid oil beforehand, or mixed in the liquid oil before or after dispersing the powdered food material.

[0041] According to one aspect of the present invention, in a method for producing oily foods, a small amount of water, or a water-containing composition, may be mixed and dispersed simultaneously with or after the mixing and dispersion of the powdered food material. The water-containing material is preferably an aqueous solution of sugar or protein, and more specifically, liquid sugar or egg white solution. The water-containing material may be present in the oily food in an amount equivalent to net water, approximately 0.1 to 2% by mass, and more preferably approximately 0.2 to 1% by mass. By mixing and dispersing the water-containing material, oily foods with better gloss or oily foods with reduced stickiness to the hands can be obtained.

[0042] The oily food of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it contains powdered food material (powdered food material) dispersed in a continuous phase of oil and fat powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher. However, preferred embodiments of the oily food include, for example, various chocolate-like solid oily foods such as chocolate flavor, cheese flavor, and matcha flavor, and various spreads such as lemon flavor, garlic flavor, and basil flavor. Cheese-like solid foods and spreads are particularly preferred. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the moisture content (water content) of the oily food is preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 0 to 7% by mass, and even more preferably 0.5 to 5% by mass. Also according to one embodiment of the present invention, the water activity of the oily food is preferably 0.5 or less, more preferably 0.2 to 0.4, and even more preferably 0.25 to 0.35. When the moisture content and / or water activity are within the above ranges, it is possible to distribute the food at room temperature (around 25°C).

[0043] According to one aspect of the present invention, the oily food is preferably a cheese-like food. A cheese-like food refers to a general range of foods similar to cheese, such as natural cheese, processed cheese, or cheese food, which are processed by blending oils and fats, sugars, powdered milk, etc. The cheese-like food may contain one or more selected from natural cheese, processed cheese, or cheese food, preferably in an amount of 5 to 55% by mass, more preferably 10 to 45% by mass, and even more preferably 15 to 40% by mass. Here, cheese is defined in accordance with the Fair Competition Rules concerning the labeling of cheese. The cheese is preferably in powder form (cheese powder) and preferably sheared using a roll refiner or the like. The use of sheared cheese powder improves its dispersibility in liquid oils and fats and enhances the flavor of the cheese-like food. Furthermore, the cheese-like food may preferably contain 0 to 20% by mass, more preferably 2 to 16% by mass, and even more preferably 5 to 13% by mass of sugars (sucrose, lactose, fructose, glucose, etc.), and may also preferably contain 0 to 20% by mass, more preferably 2 to 16% by mass, and even more preferably 5 to 13% by mass of powdered milk (whole milk powder, skim milk powder, whey powder, buttermilk powder, etc.). The sugars and powdered milk may be sheared using a roll refiner or the like. The cheese-like food may be, for example, a cheese-like solid food or a spread. [Examples]

[0044] Next, the present invention will be described in more detail with examples. However, the present invention is not limited in any way. Also, in the following, "%" indicates mass % unless otherwise specified.

[0045] <Analysis method> Triacylglycerol composition Gas chromatography analysis conditions DB1-ht (0.32mm x 0.1μm x 5m) Agilent Technologies (123-1131) Injection volume: 1.0μL Inlet: 370℃ Detector: 370℃ Split ratio: 50 / 1 35.1 kPa constant pressure Column CT: 200 °C (0 min hold) ~ (15 °C / min) ~ 370 °C (4 min hold) · X-ray diffraction measurement Using an X-ray diffractometer (UltimaIV manufactured by Rigaku Corporation), with CuKα (λ = 1.542 Å) as the radiation source, using a Cu filter, output 1.6 kW, operating angle 0.96 - 30.0°, and measurement speed 2° / min. When only having a peak near 4.6 Å and no peak near 4.1 - 4.2 Å in this measurement, it was determined that all of the oil and fat components are β-type oils and fats. Note that from the results of the above X-ray diffraction measurement, the ratio of the peak intensity (G) of 2θ = 19° (4.6 Å), which is the characteristic peak of the β-type, to the peak intensity (G’) of 2θ = 21° (4.2 Å), which is the characteristic peak of the α-type: G / (G + G’) is used as an index representing the abundance of β-type crystals.

[0046] · Melting point Using a DSC (DSC1 manufactured by Mettler Toledo), the sample (e.g., oil and fat powder) was heated at a heating rate of 2 °C / min, and the endothermic curve was measured. The melting point was determined as the temperature of the intersection point between the baseline where the endotherm completely disappeared upon heating and the rising line that regresses from the last endotherm to the baseline. · Loose bulk density The loose bulk density (g / cm 3 ) of the powdered oil and fat composition obtained in the examples, etc., was determined by dropping the powdered oil and fat composition from about 2 cm above the upper opening end of a graduated cylinder with an inner diameter of 15 mm and a volume of 25 mL for loose filling, measuring the filled mass (g) and reading the volume (mL), and calculating the mass (g) of the powdered oil and fat composition per mL. · Average particle size The particle size distribution was measured using a particle size analyzer (Microtrac MT3300ExII, manufactured by Nikkiso Co., Ltd.) based on the laser diffraction scattering method (ISO133201, ISO9276-1). Specifically, a very small volume circulator (manufactured by Nikkiso Co., Ltd., device name: USVR) was attached to the above device, and water was circulated as the dispersion solvent. Then, 0.06 g of the sample and 0.6 g of neutral detergent were placed in a 100 ml beaker, mixed with a spatula, and after mixing, 30 ml of water was added. The mixture was then subjected to an ultrasonic cleaner (manufactured by Aiwa Medical Industry Co., Ltd., device name: AU-16C) for 1 minute, dropped into the beaker, and circulated for measurement. The measured particle size at 50% of the cumulative value in the obtained particle size distribution (d50) was taken as the average particle size. Aspect ratio B The average particle size was measured using a particle size distribution analyzer (Microtrac MT3300ExII, manufactured by Nikkiso Co., Ltd.) based on the laser diffraction scattering method (ISO133201, ISO9276-1), and this was used as the average major axis. In addition, the dimensions in the thickness direction were measured for arbitrarily selected particles by direct observation using a 3D real surface view microscope (VE-8800, manufactured by Keyence Corporation). The average thickness was calculated by summing all the thicknesses and dividing by the number of particles. The average aspect ratio of the powder aggregate was then calculated by dividing the average particle size by the average thickness, and the aspect ratio B was measured. ·Solid fat content (SFC) The measurement was performed in accordance with Section 2.2.9-2003, Solid Fat Content (NMR Method), of the "Standard Test Methods for Analysis of Oils and Fats," compiled by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society.

[0047] <Preparation of oil and fat powder> The following oil and fat powders A and B were prepared. (1)Oil powder A 25 g of triacylglycerol (XXX type: 79.1% by mass, highly hydrogenated rapeseed oil, manufactured by Yokozeki Oil & Fat Industry Co., Ltd.) having stearic acid residues (18 carbon atoms) at positions 1-3 was maintained at 80°C for 0.5 hours to completely melt it, then cooled in a 60°C constant temperature bath for 12 hours to form a solid with increased volume and voids, completing crystallization, and then cooled to room temperature (25°C). The resulting solid was mechanically ground to obtain powdered oil crystals (melting point: 69.9°C, loose bulk density: 0.2 g / cm³).3 An aspect ratio B of 4.7, an average particle size of 9.0 μm, X-ray diffraction measurement showed a diffraction peak of 2 chain lengths, a characteristic peak of 4.6 Å, and a peak intensity ratio (G / (G+G')): 0.89. This was designated as oil powder A. (2)Oil powder B Using highly hydrogenated palm oil as a raw material, powdered oil crystals (melting point 58.2°C, loose bulk density: 0.5 g / cm³) are produced by spray cooling with a spray cooler. 3 An aspect ratio B of 1.1, an average particle size of 121 μm, X-ray diffraction measurement yielded two diffractometer peaks of 4.2 Å and a peak intensity ratio (G / (G+G'): 0.03). This was designated as oil powder B.

[0048] <Manufacturing of Cheese-like Solid Food 1> Cheese-like solid foods were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 1. Specifically, fats and oils were heated and melted, lecithin, β-carotene, and flavorings were dissolved, and the temperature was maintained at 50°C. For Examples 2 and 3, either fat powder A or B was added, and the mixture was stirred and dispersed at 550 rpm using a propeller stirrer. While stirring, whole milk powder and cheese powder were added sequentially and mixed. After stirring and mixing all the raw materials, the mixture was dispensed into molds and cooled to room temperature at 20°C to obtain the cheese-like solid foods of Examples 1 to 3. The results of the observation of the manufacturing state (manufacturability) and the evaluation of the appearance and taste of the manufactured cheese-like solid foods are shown in Table 1.

[0049] [Table 1]

[0050] <Manufacturing of Lemon & Herb Flavored Olive Oil Spread> Lemon and herb flavored olive oil spreads were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 2. Specifically, the fats were heated and melted, olive oil was added, and the temperature was maintained at 50°C. For Examples 5 and 6, fat powder A or B was added simultaneously with the other powders (salt, powdered sugar, seasoning powder, lemon powder, herb powder), and the mixture was stirred and dispersed using a hand blender. After stirring and dispersion, the mixture was left to stand at 20°C for 24 hours to obtain the lemon and herb flavored olive oil spreads of Examples 4-6. The appearance of each spread, the texture when spread, and the taste evaluation were performed. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0051] [Table 2]

[0052] <Manufacturing of spicy garlic-flavored sesame oil spread> Spicy garlic-flavored sesame oil spreads were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 3. Specifically, the oils were heated and melted, sesame oil was added, and the temperature was maintained at 50°C. For Examples 8 and 9, oil powder A or B was added simultaneously with the other powders (salt, powdered sugar, chili powder, ginger powder, garlic powder, and fried onion powder), and the mixture was stirred and dispersed using a hand blender. After stirring and dispersion, the mixture was left to stand at 20°C for 24 hours to obtain the spicy garlic-flavored sesame oil spreads of Examples 7-9. The appearance of each spread, the texture when spread, and the taste evaluation were performed. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0053] [Table 3]

[0054] <Manufacturing of Cheese-like Solid Food 2> Cheese-like solid foods were manufactured according to the formulations shown in Table 4. Specifically, half of the heated and melted fat was mixed with powdered raw materials (whole milk powder, cheese powder, sucrose / lactose), and then subjected to micronization (shearing) treatment using a roll refiner. The remaining fat, emulsifier, and flavor were mixed into the treated material and maintained at 50°C. For Examples 11 and 12, fat powder A was added and stirred and dispersed using a propeller agitator at 550 rpm. Subsequently, for Example 12, liquid sugar was added and stirred and mixed. After stirring and mixing all the raw materials, the mixture was dispensed into molds and cooled at 10°C for 30 minutes to obtain the cheese-like solid foods of Examples 10-12. The appearance, texture, and adhesiveness when touched with a finger of the manufactured cheese-like solid foods are shown in Table 4. Note that the cheese-like solid foods of Examples 10-12 could be spread with little stress and therefore could also be used as spreads. Furthermore, compared to the cheese-like solid food produced using the procedure described in <Manufacturing of Cheese-like Solid Food 1>, the cheese flavor was more intense.

[0055] [Table 4]

[0056] <Manufacturing of Cheese-like Solid Food 3> Cheese-like solid foods were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 5. Specifically, fats and oils were heated and melted, emulsifiers and flavorings were dissolved, and the temperature was maintained at 50°C. For Examples 14 and 15, fat powder A was added and stirred and dispersed at 550 rpm using a propeller stirrer. While stirring, whole milk powder, cheese powder, and sucrose / lactose were added sequentially and mixed. Then, for Example 15, liquid sugar was added and mixed. After stirring and mixing all the raw materials, the mixture was dispensed into molds and cooled at 10°C for 30 minutes to obtain the cheese-like solid foods of Examples 13-15. The appearance, texture, and adhesiveness when touched with a finger of the prepared cheese-like solid foods are shown in Table 5. Note that the cheese-like solid foods of Examples 13-15 could be spread with little stress and could therefore be used as spreads.

[0057] [Table 5]

[0058] <Manufacturing of Cheese-like Solid Foods 4> Cheese-like solid foods were prepared according to the formulations shown in Table 6. Specifically, fats and oils were heated and melted, emulsifiers and flavorings were dissolved, and the temperature was maintained at 50°C. For Examples 17 and 18, fat powder A was added and stirred and dispersed at 550 rpm using a propeller stirrer. While stirring, whole milk powder, cheese powder, and sucrose / lactose were added sequentially and mixed. Subsequently, for Example 18, liquid sugar was added and mixed. After stirring and mixing all the raw materials, the mixture was dispensed into molds and cooled at 10°C for 30 minutes to obtain the cheese-like solid foods of Examples 16-18. The appearance, texture, and adhesiveness when touched with a finger of the prepared cheese-like solid foods are shown in Table 6. Note that the cheese-like solid foods of Examples 16-18 could be spread with little stress and could therefore be used as spreads.

[0059] [Table 6]

Claims

1. An oily food having a continuous phase of oil and fat containing oil and fat powder having a melting point of 55 to 75°C and an average particle size of 1 to 25 μm, The oily food is characterized in that the liquid oil used to disperse the oil powder is liquid at a temperature below the melting point of the oil powder, and after mixing and dispersing the oil powder in the liquid oil, powdered food material (powdered food material) is mixed and dispersed in the liquid oil, and the oil in the portion of the oil containing the oil powder having a melting point of 55 to 75°C, excluding the oil powder having a melting point of 55 to 75°C, has a solid fat content (SFC) of 20 to 37% at 10°C, 5 to 23% at 20°C, and 0 to 20% at 30°C.

2. The oily food according to claim 1, wherein the powdered food material is a powdered food material containing oil and fat (oil-containing powdered food material).

3. The oily food according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the powdered food material comprises cheese powder and / or whole milk powder.

4. The oily food according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the powdered food material is a powdered food material that has been processed by mechanical shearing.

5. A method for producing an oily food according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A method for producing an oily food according to claim 5, wherein a water-containing material is dispersed simultaneously with or after the mixing and dispersion of the powdered food material.

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