Patterned jelly liquid, patterned jelly food, and method for producing same

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a patterned jelly liquid and a patterned jelly food which both contain a pattern that can generate sensations such as color, taste, and texture, and in which the stability of the pattern is satisfactory; and manufacturing methods thereof. The present invention relates to a patterned jelly liquid containing a pattern formed by microparticles in a jelly liquid, the jelly liquid containing a gelling agent.

Description

Patterned jelly liquid, patterned jelly food, and their manufacturing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a patterned jelly liquid and a method for producing the same, more particularly to a patterned jelly liquid containing patterns such as letters and pictures in the jelly liquid and a method for producing the same, and also to a patterned jelly food product and a method for producing the same.

[0002] Three-dimensional printing technology is a technology that uses three-dimensional CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data to sequentially stack materials in two-dimensional layers to form three-dimensional structures. Using this technology, three-dimensional structures have been created from a variety of materials, including metals, polymers, food ingredients, and cells.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a method for producing a patterned liquid that allows a high degree of freedom in designing patterns in the liquid, in which a pattern-forming material in which first micro-sized microparticles containing a first edible organic substance are dispersed in a first liquid is ejected using a position-controllable nozzle into a second liquid in which second micro-sized microparticles containing a second edible organic substance are dispersed at 0% by volume or more and 74% by volume or less, thereby forming a pattern consisting of the first microparticles.

[0004] International Publication No. 2023 / 026862

[0005] However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 leaves room for improvement in order to further suppress the diffusion of the microparticles that form the pattern and further improve the stability of the pattern.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a patterned jelly liquid or patterned jelly food product which contains a pattern that can produce sensations such as color, taste, or texture and in which the pattern is highly stable, and a method for producing the same.

[0007] As a result of intensive research aimed at solving the above problems, the present inventors have found that forming a pattern using microparticles in a jelly liquid containing a gelling agent results in good pattern stability. The present inventors have also found that gelling the patterned jelly liquid can provide good pattern stability in a jelly food.

[0008] The present invention includes, but is not limited to, the following patterned jelly liquid, a method for manufacturing a patterned jelly liquid, a patterned jelly food, and a method for manufacturing a patterned jelly food. [1] A patterned jelly liquid comprising a pattern formed by microparticles in the jelly liquid, the jelly liquid containing a gelling agent. [2] The patterned jelly liquid according to [1] above, wherein the jelly liquid further contains a thickener. [3] The patterned jelly liquid according to [2] above, wherein the thickener is a thickener that imparts pseudoplasticity. [4] The patterned jelly liquid according to [2] or [3] above, wherein the thickener is at least one selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum, cellulose, gellan gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, and carrageenan. [5] The patterned jelly liquid according to any one of [2] to [4] above, wherein the content of the thickener in the jelly liquid is 0.01 to 2 wt %. [6] The patterned jelly liquid according to any one of [1] to [5] above, wherein the gelling agent is at least one selected from the group consisting of agar, gelatin, glucomannan, pectin, gum arabic, pullulan, alginate, starch, modified starch, carboxymethylcellulose, guar gum, tamarind seed gum, welan gum, psyllium seed gum, curdlan, and white wood ear extract. [7] The patterned jelly liquid according to any one of [1] to [6] above, wherein the content of the gelling agent in the jelly liquid is 0.01 to 50% by weight. [8] A method for producing a patterned jelly liquid, comprising the steps of: discharging a pattern-forming material, in which microparticles are dispersed in a dispersion solvent, into a jelly liquid contained in a container to form a pattern consisting of the microparticles in the jelly liquid, wherein the jelly liquid contains a gelling agent. [9] The production method according to [8] above, wherein the jelly liquid further contains a thickener.

[10] The method according to [9], wherein the thickener is a thickener that imparts pseudoplasticity.

[11] The method according to [9] or

[10] , wherein the thickener is at least one selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum, cellulose, gellan gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, and carrageenan.

[12] The method for producing a patterned jelly food product according to any one of [9] to

[11] , wherein the content of the thickener in the jelly liquid is 0.01 to 2% by weight.

[13] The method for producing a patterned jelly food product according to any one of [8] to

[12] , wherein the gelling agent is at least one selected from the group consisting of agar, gelatin, glucomannan, pectin, gum arabic, pullulan, alginate, starch, modified starch, carboxymethylcellulose, guar gum, tamarind seed gum, welan gum, psyllium seed gum, curdlan, and white wood ear extract.

[14] The method for producing a patterned jelly food product according to any one of [8] to

[13] , wherein the content of the gelling agent in the jelly liquid is 0.01 to 50% by weight.

[15] A method for producing a patterned jelly food product, comprising a step of gelling a patterned jelly produced by the method for producing a patterned jelly according to any one of [8] to

[14] .

[16] A patterned jelly food comprising a pattern formed by microparticles in the jelly food, the jelly food comprising a gelling agent.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a patterned jelly liquid and a patterned jelly food which contain a pattern that can produce sensations such as color, taste, and texture, and in which the pattern is highly stable, as well as methods for producing the same.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic diagram of the apparatus for producing the patterned liquid prototyped in Reference Example 1. FIG. 2 is a graph showing the relationship between the viscosity of a solution containing a thickener and shear rate. FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the viscosity (60°C) and shear rate of samples containing gelatin and a thickener (circles (●): Sample GT1 (0.5 wt% gelatin), triangles (△): Sample GT2 (1 wt% gelatin), squares: Sample GT3 (2 wt% gelatin)). FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the viscosity (60°C) and shear rate of samples containing gelatin and a thickener (squares: Sample GT4 (3 wt% gelatin), triangles (△): Sample GT5 (4 wt% gelatin), crosses (×): Sample GT6 (5 wt% gelatin), circles (●): Sample GT7 (8 wt% gelatin)). FIG. 5 shows the particle size distribution of lycopene microparticles in the ink. 6A, 6B, and 6C are schematic diagrams showing patterns drawn in jelly liquid in the examples. FIG. 7 is a photograph taken from above of patterned jelly that was gelled at room temperature after a pattern was drawn in the jelly liquid in Example 1. FIG. 8 is a photograph taken from above of patterned jelly that was gelled by quenching at 2°C after a pattern was drawn in the jelly liquid in Example 1. FIG. 9 is a photograph taken from above of patterned jelly that was gelled after a pattern was drawn in the jelly liquid in Example 2. FIG. 10 is a photograph taken from above of patterned jelly that was gelled after a pattern was drawn in the jelly liquid in Example 3. FIG. 11 is a photograph of the patterned jelly removed from the container. FIG. 12 is a photograph taken from above of patterned jelly that was gelled after a pattern was drawn in the jelly liquid in Example 4. Fig. 13 is a photograph taken from above of the patterned jelly that was gelled after a pattern was drawn in the jelly liquid in Example 5. Fig. 14 is a photograph of the patterned jelly taken from a container. Fig. 15 is a photograph of the patterned jelly that was gelled after a pattern was drawn in the jelly liquid in Example 6. Fig. 16 is a photograph of the patterned jelly that was gelled in Example 6 after being taken from a container. Fig. 17 is a photograph of the patterned jelly that was gelled after a pattern was drawn in the jelly liquid in Example 7.Fig. 18 is a photograph taken from above of the patterned jelly that was gelled after a pattern was drawn in the jelly liquid in Example 7. Fig. 19 is a photograph taken from above of the patterned jelly that was gelled after a pattern was drawn in the jelly liquid in Example 7. Fig. 20 is a photograph taken from above of the patterned jelly that was gelled after a pattern was drawn in the jelly liquid in Example 7.

[0011] The patterned jelly liquid of the present invention contains a pattern formed by microparticles in the jelly liquid. In the patterned jelly liquid of the present invention, the jelly liquid contains a gelling agent. The pattern formed by the microparticles may be simply referred to as a pattern hereinafter.

[0012] By gelling (solidifying) the patterned jelly liquid of the present invention, a patterned jelly food containing a pattern formed by microparticles can be obtained. In this specification, the jelly liquid is normally in a liquid state. The jelly food is a jelly (jelly liquid after gelation) obtained by gelling the jelly liquid. The jelly food may be a general food, but is not limited to legally defined foods. The patterned jelly liquid of the present invention can be used to produce a jelly food containing a pattern formed by microparticles by gelling.

[0013] In the patterned jelly liquid of the present invention, the jelly liquid contains a gelling agent, which inhibits the movement of microparticles in the jelly liquid. As a result, the stability of the pattern in the jelly liquid is improved. In the present invention, the components contained in the jelly liquid, such as the gelling agent, are usually edible. Here, "edible" means that it can be eaten by humans, but there are no particular restrictions on whether it can be digested or absorbed by humans. Edible components are not limited to so-called foods and food additives, but may also be pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs, etc., and refer to components that can be orally ingested.

[0014] Preferred gelling agents in the present invention include agar, gelatin, glucomannan, pectin, gum arabic, pullulan, alginates (such as sodium alginate and calcium alginate), starch, modified starch, carboxymethylcellulose, guar gum, tamarind seed gum, welan gum, psyllium seed gum, curdlan, and white wood ear extract. The gelling agent may be one type or two or more types. Among these, at least one gelling agent selected from the group consisting of agar, gelatin, glucomannan, pectin, alginates, modified starch, and curdlan is preferred, with at least one selected from the group consisting of gelatin, agar, and glucomannan being more preferred, and gelatin and / or agar being even more preferred. Note that compounds exemplified as thickeners described below are not included in the gelling agents of the present invention. Organic substances, such as edible organic substances, contained in the microparticles described below are distinguished from gelling agents contained in the jelly liquid.

[0015] The content of the gelling agent is not particularly limited as long as the jelly liquid can be gelled, but is preferably 0.01 to 50 wt %, more preferably 0.01 to 40 wt %, even more preferably 0.01 to 30 wt %, even more preferably 0.1 to 15 wt %, particularly preferably 0.1 to 5 wt %, and most preferably 1 to 5 wt %. In one embodiment, when the gelling agent is at least one selected from the group consisting of agar, gelatin, glucomannan, pectin, alginate, modified starch, and curdlan, the content of the gelling agent in the jelly liquid is preferably within the above range. When two or more gelling agents are contained, the content is defined as the total amount of the gelling agents. In one embodiment, when the jelly liquid contains agar, the content of the agar in the jelly liquid is preferably 0.01 to 5 wt %, more preferably 0.1 to 2.5 wt %. When the jelly solution contains gelatin, the gelatin content in the jelly solution is preferably 0.01 to 50% by weight, more preferably 0.1 to 10% by weight, even more preferably 0.5 to 8% by weight, and particularly preferably 1 to 5% by weight. When the jelly solution contains glucomannan, the gelatin content in the jelly solution is preferably 0.01 to 10% by weight, more preferably 1 to 5% by weight. When the jelly solution contains pectin, the gelatin content in the jelly solution is preferably 0.01 to 10% by weight, more preferably 0.1 to 5% by weight. When the jelly solution contains alginate, the alginate content in the jelly solution is preferably 0.01 to 10% by weight, more preferably 0.1 to 5% by weight. When the jelly solution contains modified starch, the gelatin content in the jelly solution is preferably 0.01 to 20% by weight, more preferably 0.1 to 10% by weight. When the jelly liquid contains curdlan, its content in the jelly liquid is preferably 0.01 to 10% by weight, more preferably 0.1 to 5% by weight. The gelling agent is preferably dissolved or dispersed in the jelly liquid.

[0016] In the present invention, the jelly liquid preferably contains a thickener. The compounds exemplified as gelling agents above are not included in the thickeners of the present invention. The thickener of the present invention is different from the gelling agents described above. When the jelly liquid contains a thickener, the pattern in the jelly liquid becomes more stable. The thickener may be one type or a combination of two or more types. A thickener that imparts pseudoplasticity is preferred. A thickener that can impart pseudoplasticity to a liquid by dispersing or mixing it in the liquid is preferred, and examples include xanthan gum, cellulose, gellan gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, and carrageenan. Examples of cellulose include fermented cellulose and microcrystalline cellulose, with fermented cellulose being preferred. The fermented cellulose is not particularly limited as long as it is cellulose produced by cellulose-producing bacteria. Organic substances, such as edible organic substances, contained in the microparticles described below are distinguished from the thickeners contained in the jelly liquid.

[0017] In one embodiment, the jelly liquid is preferably a liquid that exhibits pseudoplasticity (has pseudoplasticity). Pseudoplasticity refers to the property that viscosity decreases as the shear rate increases. A fluid that exhibits pseudoplasticity is called a pseudoplastic fluid. Whether a jelly liquid is a pseudoplastic fluid can be confirmed by measuring at least two shear rates and the viscosity at those shear rates using a commercially available B-type viscometer well known to those skilled in the art. More preferably, the jelly liquid is a liquid that exhibits pseudoplasticity at a temperature of, for example, 60°C. In one embodiment, the jelly liquid preferably exhibits pseudoplasticity at the temperature at which a pattern is formed in the jelly liquid, as described below.

[0018] When the jelly liquid is a liquid exhibiting pseudoplasticity (pseudoplastic liquid), the pattern formed in the jelly liquid is less likely to move (e.g., float, settle, or diffuse) compared to a liquid that does not exhibit pseudoplasticity. Therefore, the position and shape of the pattern in the patterned jelly liquid are less likely to change, resulting in better pattern stability. Pseudoplasticity can be imparted by adding a thickener that imparts pseudoplasticity to the jelly liquid.

[0019] In the present invention, the thickener is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum, cellulose, gellan gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, and carrageenan, more preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum, cellulose, gellan gum, and carrageenan, even more preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum, cellulose, and gellan gum, and particularly preferably xanthan gum and / or cellulose.

[0020] The thickener used may be one produced according to a conventional method, or a commercially available product may be used. For example, commercially available xanthan gum products include SAN-ACE (Sanei Gen F.F.I., Inc.) and xanthan gum granules (e.g., SATIAXANE CX930QD) manufactured by Unitec Foods Co., Ltd. For example, commercially available thickeners containing fermented cellulose as the main ingredient include SAN ARTIST (registered trademark) (Sanei Gen F.F.I., Inc.). Commercially available gellan gum products include Kelcogel LT-1000 (Sanei Gen F.F.I., Inc.), Kelcogel HM (Sanei Gen F.F.I., Inc.), and Gel Up (registered trademark) MOT (D) (Sanei Gen F.F.I., Inc.). Commercially available locust bean gum products include, for example, Soarlocust (Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), Locust Bean Gum A-200 and B-175 (Maruo Sangyo Co., Ltd.), etc. Commercially available tara gum products include, for example, Tara Gum (Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) and Tara Gum (Ina Food Industry Co., Ltd.), etc. Commercially available carrageenan products include, for example, Soagina (Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) and Refined Carrageenan (Marugo Corporation), etc.

[0021] In one embodiment, the content of the thickener in the jelly liquid is preferably an amount that causes the jelly liquid to exhibit pseudoplasticity, and the content of the thickener is preferably adjusted so that the jelly liquid exhibits pseudoplasticity at least at a temperature of 60° C. In one embodiment, the content of the thickener in the jelly liquid is preferably 0.01 to 2 wt %, more preferably 0.01 to 1 wt %, and even more preferably 0.1 to 1 wt %. When two or more types of thickeners are contained, the content of the thickeners is defined as the total amount thereof.

[0022] In one embodiment, when the jelly solution contains at least one thickener selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum, cellulose, gellan gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, and carrageenan, the content of the thickener is preferably 0.01 to 2 wt%, more preferably 0.02 to 1 wt%. In one embodiment, when the jelly solution contains xanthan gum, the content of xanthan gum is preferably 0.01 to 2 wt%, more preferably 0.05 to 1 wt%, and even more preferably 0.1 to 1 wt%. When the jelly solution contains cellulose, the content of cellulose is preferably 0.01 to 2 wt%, more preferably 0.05 to 1 wt%, and even more preferably 0.1 to 1 wt%. When the jelly solution contains gellan gum, the content of gellan gum is preferably 0.01 to 1 wt%, more preferably 0.02 to 0.5 wt%, and even more preferably 0.02 to 0.4 wt%. When the jelly liquid contains locust bean gum, the content of locust bean gum is preferably 0.01 to 2 wt%, more preferably 0.01 to 1 wt%, and even more preferably 0.1 to 1 wt%. When the jelly liquid contains tara gum, the content of tara gum is preferably 0.01 to 2 wt%, more preferably 0.01 to 1 wt%, and even more preferably 0.1 to 1 wt%. When the jelly liquid contains carrageenan, the content of carrageenan is preferably 0.01 to 2 wt%, more preferably 0.01 to 1 wt%, and even more preferably 0.1 to 1 wt%. A content of the thickener within the above range is preferable because it improves the stability of the pattern in the jelly liquid. The thickener is preferably dissolved or dispersed in the jelly liquid.

[0023] In addition to the gelling agent and thickener, the jelly liquid can optionally contain ingredients commonly used in jelly foods. Examples of such optional ingredients include antioxidants, stabilizers, sweeteners, acidulants, flavorings, coloring agents, fruit juice, etc. The water content in the jelly liquid is preferably 40 to 99.99 wt%, more preferably 50 to 99.9 wt%, even more preferably 55 to 99.8 wt%, even more preferably 57 to 99.5 wt%, and particularly preferably 60 to 99 wt%.

[0024] From the viewpoint of making the pattern of the microparticles visible from outside the jelly liquid, it is preferable that the jelly liquid has a transparency sufficient to allow the pattern to be visible. The jelly liquid preferably has a pH of 2.00 to 10.00. When the pH is in this range, the jelly liquid is easily gelled by the gelling agent. Furthermore, the taste and hardness of the gelled jelly food can be compatible. The pH of the jelly liquid is more preferably 3.00 to 8.00, even more preferably 4.00 to 7.50, and particularly preferably 4.00 to 7.10. In this specification, pH is measured at 25°C.

[0025] In one embodiment, the jelly solution is heated to a shear rate of 10 s －１ The viscosity at 60°C when the shear rate is 10 s is preferably 1 to 1000 mPa·s, more preferably 4 to 1000 mPa·s, even more preferably 10 to 500 mPa·s, and particularly preferably 15 to 400 mPa·s. －１ The viscosity at 60°C was measured using a Brookfield viscometer (for example, a rotational viscometer ViscoQC 300-L, manufactured by Anton Paar) at 60°C and a shear rate of 10 s －１ The shear rate can be measured by rotating the spindle so that －１ When the viscosity at 60°C is within the above range, the stability of the pattern in the jelly liquid is improved. In addition, from the viewpoint of improving the workability when forming a pattern, the jelly liquid is －１ The viscosity at 60°C is preferably 200 mPa s or less, more preferably 1 to 150 mPa s, and even more preferably 10 to 100 mPa s. The viscosity can be adjusted by adjusting the content of the gelling agent and / or thickener.

[0026] The density of the jelly liquid is preferably 0.9 to 1.2 g / mL, and more preferably 1 to 1.1 g / mL. "Density" refers to the weight per unit volume. In this specification, density refers to the density at 25°C unless otherwise specified. The density of a liquid such as a jelly liquid can be determined by measuring the volume of the liquid at 25°C using a measuring cylinder and the weight using a weighing scale, and then dividing the results. If the viscosity of the jelly liquid cannot be measured at 25°C, the density of the jelly liquid at 60°C can be measured using the above method, and this can be used as the density of the jelly liquid.

[0027] The jelly liquid containing the pattern is contained in a container. The container is not particularly limited and can be selected appropriately. In one embodiment, a transparent container is preferred as the container from the viewpoint of making the pattern visible from the outside. Examples of transparent containers that can contain the jelly liquid include transparent glasses and cups made of glass; and transparent cups made of plastic.

[0028] In the patterned jelly liquid of the present invention, a pattern is formed in the jelly liquid by microparticles. The microparticles that form a pattern in the jelly liquid are sometimes referred to as first microparticles. The pattern may be a one-dimensional pattern (line), a two-dimensional pattern (flat), or a three-dimensional pattern (solid). The type of pattern is not particularly limited, and examples include patterns that produce colors such as symbols such as letters, lines, and pictures; patterns that produce tastes, scents, textures, tactile sensations, etc.; and patterns that produce a combination of these sensations. The pattern in the jelly liquid may be in contact with the inside of a container containing the jelly liquid, but it does not have to be in contact with the inside of the container. The pattern may also float in the jelly liquid. In the present invention, it is preferable that the pattern is partially or entirely floating in the jelly liquid.

[0029] In the present invention, microparticles refer to micro-sized particles, specifically particles with a diameter of 0.1 to 1000 μm. The particle structure of the microparticles is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a uniform type, a core-shell type, and a Janus type. The microparticles may contain multiple types of particles that differ in the components they contain, particle structures, etc. It is preferable that the microparticles are edible. It is preferable that the microparticles are insoluble or poorly soluble in the jelly liquid. This allows the pattern formed by the microparticles to be maintained in the jelly liquid for a longer period of time.

[0030] In the present invention, the diameter of the microparticles is, for example, preferably 0.13 μm or more, more preferably 0.2 μm or more, and preferably 500 μm or less, more preferably 300 μm or less. When the diameter of the microparticles is, for example, 0.13 μm or more, preferably 0.2 μm or more, the pattern formed by the microparticles becomes more stable in the jelly solution. When the diameter is 300 μm or less, it is possible to prevent the microparticles from feeling rough when placed in the mouth (see, for example, Bulletin of the Hachinohe Institute of Technology, 2007, Vol. 26, pp. 9-13). From this perspective, the diameter of the microparticles is more preferably 100 μm or less. The diameter of the microparticles is more preferably 0.3 μm or more, and even more preferably 50 μm or less. In one embodiment, the diameter of the microparticles is preferably 0.13 to 1000 μm, more preferably 0.13 to 500 μm, even more preferably 0.2 to 300 μm, even more preferably 0.2 to 100 μm, and particularly preferably 0.3 to 50 μm. In this specification, the "diameter of the microparticles" refers to the mode diameter of the particle size distribution of the microparticles measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS) for diameters of 10 μm or less. Furthermore, in the case of particles with a diameter larger than 10 μm, it refers to the mode diameter of the particle size distribution of the microparticles measured by laser diffraction / scattering (LD).

[0031] It is preferable that the microparticles constituting the pattern are not chemically bonded to each other with a crosslinker, because this prevents the pattern made of microparticles from forming agglomerates.

[0032] The ratio of the density of the microparticles to the density of the jelly liquid (density of microparticles / density of jelly liquid) is preferably 0.9 or more and 1.1 or less. When the density ratio is 0.9 or more and 1.1 or less, the pattern formed by the microparticles can be more effectively prevented from floating or sinking in the jelly liquid. From this viewpoint, the density ratio (density of microparticles / density of jelly liquid) is more preferably 0.92 or more and 1.08 or less, and even more preferably 0.95 or more and 1.05 or less.

[0033] Here, the "density of microparticles" corresponds to the smallest density of the solutions in which no sedimentation of the microparticles is observed when microparticles (which may be a material in which microparticles are dispersed, as described below) are dropped into solutions of various concentrations (e.g., glycerol aqueous solutions) and centrifuged under specified conditions (e.g., 18,500 x g for 1 minute).

[0034] The microparticles are preferably microparticles containing an organic substance. In the present invention, the microparticles are preferably organic microparticles. Organic microparticles refer to particles containing an organic substance as the main component that forms the particle's shape. The organic substance is preferably an edible organic substance. In the present invention, the microparticles are more preferably edible organic microparticles. The organic substance, such as an edible organic substance, contained in the microparticles may be the same type of organic substance as the gelling agent contained in the jelly liquid, or may be a different type of organic substance. When the jelly liquid contains the above-mentioned thickener, the organic substance, such as an edible organic substance, contained in the microparticles may be the same type of organic substance as the thickener, or may be a different type of organic substance.

[0035] The microparticles preferably contain at least one component selected from the group consisting of pigments, taste components, nutrients, and aroma components. When the microparticles contain these components, various spatial sensory designs become possible using patterns made up of the microparticles. For example, when the microparticles contain pigments, spatial color designs become possible using patterns made up of the microparticles. When the microparticles contain taste components, spatial taste designs become possible using patterns made up of the microparticles. When the microparticles contain nutrients, spatial nutrition designs become possible using patterns made up of the microparticles. When the microparticles contain aroma components, spatial scent designs become possible using patterns made up of the microparticles.

[0036] The pigments are not particularly limited and include, for example, red pigments, yellow pigments, blue pigments, green pigments, black pigments, white pigments, etc., and may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Examples of pigments include natural pigments such as chili pepper pigments, gardenia pigments, monascus pigments, chlorophyll, β-carotene, astaxanthin, squid ink pigments, caramel pigments, tomato pigments (lycopene), paprika pigments, safflower pigments, and chlorella pigments; azo pigments; and pigments. Examples of pigments include titanium dioxide, silica, and carbon microparticles. Examples of azo pigments include Red No. 2, Red No. 3, Red No. 40, Red No. 102, Red No. 104, Red No. 105, Red No. 106, Yellow No. 4, Yellow No. 5, Green No. 3, Blue No. 1, and Blue No. 2.

[0037] In one embodiment, the microparticles preferably contain at least one of silica (silicon dioxide) and titania (titanium dioxide). By including these additives in the microparticles, it is possible to improve the appearance of white and other colors.

[0038] Examples of flavor components that can be used include sucrose, fructose, salt, glucose, amino acids, nucleic acids, acetic acid, malic acid, citric acid, caffeine, tannins, capsaicin, glycerol, and food extracts. Examples of nutrients that can be used include vitamins, minerals, lipids, fatty acids, polypeptides, carbohydrates, health ingredient molecules, and food extracts. Examples of aroma components that can be used include food flavoring compounds and food extracts, including vanillin, eugenol, geraniol, and citral, as specified in Appendix 1 of the Enforcement Regulations of the Food Sanitation Act.

[0039] The microparticles may contain a hydrophobic or hydrophilic substance to maintain additives such as the dye or silica within the microparticles. The microparticles may also have a structure in which layers containing a hydrophobic substance and layers containing a hydrophilic substance are alternately arranged from the center to the outside, such as a three-layer structure of hydrophilic substance / hydrophobic substance / hydrophilic substance or hydrophobic substance / hydrophilic substance / hydrophobic substance.

[0040] When the microparticles contain an edible organic substance, the edible organic substance is preferably a substance that can function as a main component that forms the particle shape of the microparticles. The molecular weight of the edible organic substance is not particularly limited, but the edible organic substance is preferably a high molecular weight substance.

[0041] The edible organic matter is preferably at least one edible organic matter selected from the group consisting of polysaccharides, polypeptides, higher alcohols, natural resins, lipids, higher fatty acid esters, polyphenols, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, and nucleic acids (DNA). Here, "polysaccharides" refers to sugars in which multiple (two or more) monosaccharide molecules are bonded. Furthermore, "polypeptide" refers to a compound in which multiple amino acids are linked by peptide bonds, but is intended to include proteins.

[0042] Specific preferred examples of the polysaccharides include dextrin, pectin, agar, agarose, glucomannan, polydextrose, maltodextrin, alginic acid or a salt thereof (sodium alginate, calcium alginate, etc.), cellulose, hemicellulose, chitin, chitosan, starch (starch, etc.), dextran, agarose, sucrose, methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, etc. The polysaccharides may be one type or a combination of two or more types.

[0043] Specific preferred examples of the polypeptide include gelatin, protein hydrolysates, collagen, albumin, etc. The polypeptide may be one type or a combination of two or more types.

[0044] Specific preferred examples of the higher alcohol include dodecyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, etc. The higher alcohol may be one type or a combination of two or more types.

[0045] Specific examples of suitable natural resins include gum arabic, shellac, wax, lignin, polylactic acid, etc. The natural resins may be one type or a combination of two or more types.

[0046] A specific example of a suitable lipid is lecithin, etc. The lipid may be one type or a combination of two or more types.

[0047] In addition, the above-mentioned preferred specific examples belonging to different classes, such as polysaccharides and polypeptides, can also be used in combination of two or more.

[0048] Furthermore, specific examples of edible organic matter include those common to the specific examples of additives such as the taste components and nutrients described above, but these common examples are edible organic matter that can also function as components of taste components, nutrients, etc. In this specification, "edible organic matter" is not limited to so-called foods and food additives, etc., but may also be pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs, etc., and refers to organic matter that can be orally ingested.

[0049] The microparticles may be aggregated by non-covalent coagulation to produce a texture or a tactile sensation. This allows for the design of spatial texture or tactile sensation by the pattern formed by the microparticles. The method for aggregating the microparticles by non-covalent coagulation is not particularly limited, and for example, the microparticles may be aggregated by charging their surfaces. In the present invention, the pattern can be formed in the jelly liquid, for example, by the method described below.

[0050] In the patterned jelly liquid of the present invention, microparticles may be dispersed in the jelly liquid in addition to the first microparticles forming the pattern, as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. The microparticles dispersed in the jelly liquid are referred to as second microparticles. The jelly liquid may not contain second microparticles. Examples of the second microparticles include the same microparticles as the first microparticles. The pattern in the jelly liquid may be formed by a dispersion liquid in which the first microparticles are dispersed in a dispersion solvent.

[0051] The present invention also provides a patterned jelly food containing a pattern formed by microparticles, the jelly food containing a gelling agent. The jelly food of the present invention is a jelly-like food containing a pattern formed by microparticles. The jelly food of the present invention can be produced by gelling the patterned jelly liquid of the present invention described above. The patterned jelly food obtained by gelling the patterned jelly liquid of the present invention described above is one preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] In the patterned jelly food, the gelling agent and its preferred embodiments are the same as those used in the patterned jelly liquid described above. The gelling agent is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of agar, gelatin, glucomannan, pectin, gum arabic, pullulan, alginate, starch, modified starch, carboxymethylcellulose, guar gum, tamarind seed gum, welan gum, psyllium seed gum, curdlan, and white wood ear extract. The preferred content of the gelling agent in the jelly food is also the same as the preferred content of the gelling agent in the jelly liquid described above. The content of the gelling agent in the jelly food is preferably 0.01 to 50 wt %, more preferably 0.01 to 40 wt %, even more preferably 0.01 to 30 wt %, even more preferably 0.1 to 15 wt %, even more preferably 0.1 to 5 wt %, and most preferably 1 to 5 wt %. The components other than the gelling agent contained in the jelly food and their preferred embodiments are the same as those of the jelly liquid described above. For example, a patterned jelly food preferably contains the above-mentioned thickener. In one embodiment, the content of the thickener in the jelly food is preferably 0.01 to 2 wt %, more preferably 0.01 to 1 wt %, and even more preferably 0.1 to 1 wt %.

[0053] The patterned jelly liquid of the present invention can be produced, for example, by discharging a pattern-forming material in which microparticles are dispersed in a dispersion solvent into a jelly liquid contained in a container and forming a pattern of the microparticles in the jelly liquid. Furthermore, a patterned jelly food can be produced by gelling the patterned jelly liquid produced by the above method. The produced jelly food can be removed from the container.

[0054] The present invention also encompasses the following methods for producing a patterned jelly liquid and a patterned jelly food. A method for producing a patterned jelly liquid, comprising the step of ejecting a pattern-forming material, in which microparticles are dispersed in a dispersion solvent, into a jelly liquid contained in a container to form a pattern consisting of the microparticles in the jelly liquid, the jelly liquid containing a gelling agent. A method for producing a patterned jelly food, comprising the step of gelling the patterned jelly liquid produced by the method for producing the patterned jelly liquid. The present invention also encompasses the patterned jelly liquid and patterned jelly food produced by the above production methods.

[0055] In the method for producing a patterned jelly liquid of the present invention, the jelly liquid and its preferred embodiments are the same as those described above for the patterned jelly liquid. For example, the gelling agent is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of agar, gelatin, glucomannan, pectin, gum arabic, pullulan, alginate, starch, modified starch, carboxymethylcellulose, guar gum, tamarind seed gum, welan gum, psyllium seed gum, curdlan, and white wood ear extract. The content of the gelling agent in the jelly liquid is preferably 0.01 to 50% by weight. In the method for producing a patterned jelly liquid, the jelly liquid preferably further contains a thickener, preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum, cellulose, gellan gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, and carrageenan. The content of the thickener in the jelly liquid is preferably 0.01 to 2% by weight.

[0056] The method for preparing the jelly liquid is not particularly limited, and the jelly liquid can be prepared by dispersing or mixing optional ingredients such as a gelling agent and an optional thickener in water. The weight ratio of water to the total weight of the ingredients of the jelly liquid is preferably 40 to 99.99 wt%, more preferably 50 to 99.9 wt%, even more preferably 55 to 99.8 wt%, even more preferably 57 to 99.5 wt%, and particularly preferably 60 to 99 wt%. The water may be water contained in fruit juice, etc. The temperature of the water is preferably 50 to 100°C. In one embodiment, for example, when the gelling agent is agar, the water temperature is preferably 80 to 100°C. When the gelling agent is gelatin, the water temperature is preferably 50 to 80°C. When the gelling agent is glucomannan, the water temperature is preferably 80 to 100°C.

[0057] According to the method for producing a patterned jelly liquid of the present invention, a pattern-forming material in which microparticles are dispersed in a dispersion solvent is ejected into a jelly liquid contained in a container, thereby forming a pattern composed of the microparticles. The microparticles contained in the pattern-forming material form a pattern in the jelly liquid. The microparticles contained in the pattern-forming material and their preferred embodiments are the same as the first microparticles and their preferred embodiments described above for the patterned jelly liquid. In the pattern-forming process, a pattern is drawn using a pattern-forming material in which microparticles are dispersed in a jelly liquid, allowing for highly flexible pattern formation in the jelly liquid. Furthermore, the present invention allows for stable formation of patterns, such as letters and drawings, composed of microparticles in the jelly liquid where the pattern is formed. This allows for highly flexible patterns in terms of color, taste, aroma, texture, and tactile sensation. For example, by incorporating dyes, taste-providing substances, aroma components, etc. into the microparticles, spatial color, taste, and aroma can be designed in the jelly liquid. Furthermore, by controlling the coagulation properties of the microparticles, spatial texture or tactile sensation in the jelly liquid can also be designed. Furthermore, when the jelly liquid contains the above-mentioned thickener, a pattern can be formed more stably in the jelly liquid. When the jelly liquid contains the above-mentioned thickener, changes in the position and shape of the formed pattern can be more suppressed, and the stability of the pattern is improved. Furthermore, when the jelly liquid contains the above-mentioned thickener, workability is improved when forming a pattern.

[0058] The pattern-forming material is a liquid material for pattern formation in which microparticles are dispersed in a dispersion solvent. The pattern-forming material can also be considered a microparticle dispersion. The pattern-forming material can be prepared by dispersing microparticles in a dispersion solvent. An edible liquid is typically used as the dispersion solvent. The dispersion solvent may be a pseudoplastic fluid or a liquid that does not exhibit pseudoplasticity. Edible liquids such as water and beverages can be used as the dispersion solvent used in the pattern-forming material. The dispersion solvent used in the pattern-forming material may be the same liquid as the jelly liquid or a different liquid. The dispersion solvent may contain a surfactant or the like. In one embodiment, the dispersion solvent may contain a gelling agent within a range that does not impair the effects of the present invention. The gelling agent can be any of the gelling agents described above. When the dispersion solvent contains a gelling agent, the concentration thereof is preferably 0.01 to 5 wt %, more preferably 0.1 to 4 wt %.

[0059] In one aspect, the ratio of the density of the microparticles to the density of the dispersion solvent used in the pattern-forming material (density of microparticles / density of dispersion solvent) is preferably 0.9 or more and 1.1 or less. Furthermore, the ratio of the density of the dispersion solvent to the density of the jelly liquid (density of dispersion solvent / density of jelly liquid) is preferably 0.9 or more and 1.1 or less. When the ratio of the density of the microparticles to the density of the dispersion solvent and the ratio of the density of the dispersion solvent to the density of the jelly liquid are both 0.9 or more and 1.1 or less, the pattern formed by the microparticles can be more effectively prevented from floating or sinking in the jelly liquid together with the dispersion solvent. From this viewpoint, the above density ratios are more preferably 0.92 or more and 1.08 or less, and even more preferably 0.95 or more and 1.05 or less. In the present invention, it is preferable to adjust the ratio of the density of the microparticles to the density of the dispersion solvent to the density of the jelly liquid within the above range. Furthermore, it is preferable to adjust the ratio of the density of the dispersion solvent to the density of the jelly liquid within the above range.

[0060] In one embodiment, the ratio of the density of the pattern-forming material to the density of the jelly liquid (density of the pattern-forming material / density of the jelly liquid) is preferably 0.9 or more and 1.1 or less, more preferably 0.92 or more and 1.08 or less, and even more preferably 0.95 or more and 1.05 or less. When the ratio of the density of the pattern-forming material to the density of the jelly liquid is within the above range, a pattern can be formed more stably. In the present invention, it is preferable to adjust the ratio of the density of the pattern-forming material to the density of the jelly liquid to be within the above range.

[0061] The microparticles are dispersed in a dispersion solvent before being ejected into the jelly liquid. This pattern-forming material in which the microparticles are dispersed in the dispersion solvent is ejected into the jelly liquid. The method for ejecting the pattern-forming material into the jelly liquid is not particularly limited, but a method of ejecting the material into the jelly liquid using a nozzle is preferred. In this way, the dispersion solvent is a liquid containing microparticles so that the microparticles can be ejected into the jelly liquid using a nozzle or the like. In one embodiment, when the microparticles contain a pigment component (exhibit a color), the pattern-forming material can function as a pattern-forming ink. The method for dispersing the microparticles in the dispersion solvent is not particularly limited, and can be performed using a known method such as stirring.

[0062] The volume percent concentration of the microparticles in the pattern forming material is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.005% by volume or more and 50% by volume or less, more preferably 0.01% by volume or more and 40% by volume or less, and even more preferably 0.02% by volume or more and 30% by volume or less.

[0063] Here, the "volume percent concentration of microparticles in the pattern forming material" can be measured, for example, by the Coulter counter method.

[0064] The pattern forming material is not particularly limited, and only one type of pattern forming material may be ejected into the jelly liquid, or two or more types of pattern forming materials, each having different microparticles and / or dispersion solvents, may be ejected simultaneously or sequentially into the jelly liquid.

[0065] In the present invention, the microparticles (second microparticles) may also be dispersed in the jelly liquid into which the pattern formation material is discharged. The jelly liquid may not contain second microparticles. When the jelly liquid contains second microparticles, the volume percent concentration of the microparticles in the jelly liquid can be greater than 0 vol% and less than 74 vol%, preferably 0.01 vol% to 70 vol%, more preferably 0.05 vol% to 60 vol%, and even more preferably 0.1 vol% to 50 vol%. Since pattern formation in the jelly liquid is not affected by the concentration of the second microparticles in the liquid, the concentration can be freely set. When identical particles are most densely arranged in the liquid, the structure becomes a hexagonal close-packed structure, and the packing ratio can be calculated to be approximately 74 vol%. Therefore, the maximum volume percent concentration of the second microparticles in the jelly liquid is 74 vol%.

[0066] The pattern-forming material is discharged into a jelly liquid contained in a container, and a pattern consisting of the microparticles (first microparticles) is formed (drawn) in the jelly liquid. The method for discharging the pattern-forming material into the jelly liquid is not particularly limited, and can be performed, for example, using a nozzle or the like. The temperature of the jelly liquid when forming the pattern is preferably 20 to 100°C, more preferably 30 to 80°C. The nozzle is preferably a position-controllable nozzle. The position-controllable nozzle is preferably a nozzle whose three-dimensional position and / or the discharge flow rate of the discharged pattern-forming material can be controlled, for example, by a control device or the like. Pattern formation in the jelly liquid can be performed, for example, using the patterned liquid manufacturing method and patterned liquid manufacturing system described in Patent Document 1.

[0067] The nozzle is a hollow cylindrical body with both ends open, and the pattern formation material is introduced from the base end of the nozzle, flows through the cavity within the nozzle, and is ejected from the tip of the nozzle. The nozzle also includes the tip of a pipette, etc. The number of nozzles used is not particularly limited, and may be one or more.

[0068] The nozzle is preferably movable along multiple axes (e.g., three or more axes, eight or less axes). This allows a three-dimensional pattern to be easily formed as the pattern formed by the pattern-forming material. In addition to moving the nozzle, it is also possible to move the container containing the liquid.

[0069] The shape of the opening at the tip of the nozzle is not particularly limited, but is preferably circular, elliptical, triangular, rectangular, square, diamond, V-shaped, U-shaped, or C-shaped.

[0070] The diameter of the nozzle is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.1 mm or more and 50.0 mm or less, more preferably 0.2 mm or more and 30.0 mm or less, even more preferably 0.2 mm or more and 20.0 mm or less, and particularly preferably 0.3 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less.

[0071] Here, "nozzle diameter" refers to the length measured at the longest point of the nozzle tip opening. For example, if the nozzle tip opening shape is circular, it refers to the diameter; if it is elliptical, it refers to the length of the major axis; and if it is rectangular, it refers to the length of the longer diagonal. Furthermore, if the nozzle tip opening shape has a recess such as a V-shape, U-shape, or C-shape, it refers to the diameter of the smallest circle that can enclose that shape.

[0072] The discharge flow rate (discharge speed) of the pattern formation material discharged from a nozzle or the like is preferably 0.1 μL / s or more and 200 mL / s or less, more preferably 0.2 μL / s or more and 50 mL / s or less, even more preferably 0.3 μL / s or more and 20 mL / s or less, still more preferably 0.3 μL / s or more and 10 mL / s or less, particularly preferably 0.4 μL / s or more and 5 μL / s or less, and most preferably 0.5 μL / s or more and 3 μL / s or less.

[0073] The nozzle movement speed during drawing is preferably 0.1 mm / s or more and 600 mm / s or less, more preferably 0.1 mm / s or more and 500 mm / s or less, even more preferably 0.5 mm / s or more and 300 mm / s or less, particularly preferably 1 mm / s or more and 200 mm / s or less, and most preferably 5 mm / s or more and 150 mm / s or less.

[0074] The nozzle movement speed from one image (line) to the next image (line) is preferably 0.1 mm / s or more and 600 mm / s or less, more preferably 0.1 mm / s or more and 500 mm / s or less, even more preferably 0.5 mm / s or more and 300 mm / s or less, even more preferably 1 mm / s or more and 200 mm / s or less, particularly preferably 5 mm / s or more and 150 mm / s or less, and most preferably 5 mm / s or more and 50 mm / s or less.

[0075] The nozzle acceleration during drawing is 0.000001 mm / s ２ Above, 20,000mm / s ２ Preferably, it is 0.000001 mm / s or less. ２ Above, 15,000mm / s ２ More preferably, it is 0.1 mm / s or less. ２ Above, 10,000mm / s ２ More preferably, it is 1 mm / s or less. ２ Above, 5,000mm / s ２ It is particularly preferable that the speed is 1 mm / s or less. ２ Above, 2,000mm / s ２ Most preferably, the following:

[0076] The nozzle acceleration from one image (line) to the next is 0.000001 mm / s ２ Above, 20,000mm / s ２ Preferably, it is 0.000001 mm / s or less. ２ Above, 15,000mm / s ２ More preferably, it is 0.1 mm / s or less. ２ Above, 10,000mm / s ２More preferably, it is 1 mm / s or less. ２ Above, 5,000mm / s ２ It is particularly preferable that the speed is 1 mm / s or less. ２ Above, 2,000mm / s ２ Most preferably, the following:

[0077] The pattern formed by the pattern-forming material may be any one-dimensional pattern (line), two-dimensional pattern (flat), or three-dimensional pattern (solid). The type of pattern is not particularly limited, and examples include visible patterns such as letters or other symbols, lines, and pictures; patterns that produce taste, aroma, texture, tactile sensation, etc.; and patterns that produce a combination of these sensations. The pattern in the jelly liquid may be in contact with the inside of the container in which the jelly liquid is stored, but it does not have to be in contact with the inside of the container. The pattern may also float in the jelly liquid.

[0078] The jelly liquid on which the pattern is formed is contained in a container. The container is not particularly limited and may be selected appropriately. In one embodiment, a transparent container is preferred from the viewpoint of making the pattern visible from the outside. Examples of transparent containers include transparent glass containers (e.g., transparent glass glasses and cups); transparent plastic containers (e.g., transparent plastic cups); and the like.

[0079] In one embodiment, the pattern-forming material is used to draw an image or a line in the jelly liquid, thereby forming a pattern. In one embodiment, the pattern formed by the pattern-forming material is more preferably present in a floating state in the jelly liquid.

[0080] A patterned jelly food product can be produced by gelling the patterned jelly produced by the above-described method for producing a patterned jelly. The method for gelling the patterned jelly is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the type of gelling agent. For example, when the jelly contains gelatin, it is preferable to form a pattern in the jelly at 10 to 60°C and then cool the resulting patterned jelly to 40°C or lower (e.g., −60 to 40°C, preferably −20 to 30°C) to gel the jelly. When the jelly contains agar, it is preferable to form a pattern in the jelly at 30 to 60°C and then cool the resulting patterned jelly to 40°C or lower (e.g., −60 to 40°C) to gel the jelly. When the jelly contains alginate, it is preferable to form a pattern in the jelly at 5 to 60°C and then add a cation (e.g., calcium ion) to the resulting patterned jelly to gel the jelly. When the jelly liquid contains glucomannan, it is preferable to form a pattern in the jelly liquid at 5 to 30°C and then heat the resulting patterned jelly liquid to 80°C or higher (e.g., 80 to 100°C) to gel the jelly liquid. The produced patterned jelly food can be provided as a containerized jelly food. Alternatively, the patterned jelly food can be provided without being containerized. By gelling the patterned jelly liquid, the pattern can be well stabilized in the jelly food.

[0081] In this specification, a numerical range expressed by a lower limit and an upper limit, i.e., "lower limit to upper limit," includes the lower limit and the upper limit. For example, a range expressed by "1 to 2" means 1 or more and 2 or less, including 1 and 2. In this specification, the upper limit and the lower limit may be any combination of ranges.

[0082] All scientific and patent literature cited herein is hereby incorporated by reference.

[0083] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, although the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0084] Reference Example 1 The following device was prototyped to produce a patterned food product. FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the device for producing a patterned liquid prototyped in Reference Example 1. As shown in FIG. 1, a syringe extrusion device 470 consisting of a stepping motor and a slide screw was attached to the end of the arm of a human-human collaborative robot 460 (Human-Human Collaborative Robot COBOTTA, manufactured by Denso Wave Inc.). This syringe extrusion device 470 was designed to be pushed at various speeds in accordance with an external input. Syringes of various sizes can be attached to this syringe extrusion device 470, but in the following examples, a syringe 480 was used in which a plunger 1010TLL (capacity: 10 mL, Hamilton, USA) was attached to a Teflon (registered trademark) needle (inner diameter: 1.05 mm, length: 50 mm, manufactured by Iwashita Engineering Co., Ltd., Japan) as the nozzle 420. The maximum discharge flow rate (maximum discharge speed) was 200 mL / s. The maximum nozzle movement speed was 150 mm / s and the minimum speed was 0.15 mm / s. The nozzle movement acceleration had an upper limit of α mm / s when the nozzle movement speed was α mm / s. ２ , Lower limit: 0.000001mm / s ２ The device produced in Reference Example 1 can eject a liquid pattern-forming material such as ink from nozzle 420. The pattern-forming material is introduced into nozzle 420 from syringe 480. Using the device described above, a pattern was drawn with edible liquid ink on the liquid to be drawn, thereby producing a food product with a pattern that is meaningful when viewed from above.

[0085] <Example 1> As the liquid to be drawn, a mixed solution containing gelatin of various concentrations (contents) as a gelling agent and a thickener mainly composed of fermented cellulose (SunArtist (registered trademark), manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I. Co., Ltd.) at a final concentration of 0.3 wt % was used.

[0086] First, to understand the physical properties of the liquid to be drawn, the viscosity of a gelatin-containing jelly solution was measured. Gelatin (Gelatin GCN-250, manufactured by Nitta Gelatin Co., Ltd.) was dissolved in water at 80°C to concentrations of 0.5 wt%, 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%, 5 wt%, 8 wt%, 10 wt%, 20 wt%, and 30 wt%, to prepare Samples G1 to G9. The viscosities of these samples at 60°C were measured using a rotational viscometer, Visco QC 300-L (B-type viscometer, Anton Paar). Solutions containing 10 wt% or less gelatin were measured using the DG26 measurement system of the Visco QC 300-L rotational viscometer. Solutions containing 20 wt% or 30 wt% gelatin were measured using the SC4-27 measurement system. When the rotation speed of the spindle was 1 rpm, 2 rpm, 4 rpm, 6 rpm, 8 rpm, 10 rpm, 20 rpm or 30 rpm, the measurement was carried out for one minute.

[0087] Shear rate 10 s measured at 60 °C for gelatin aqueous solutions of each concentration －1 The viscosities at 0.5% by weight of gelatin were 10 mPa·s, 1% by weight: 14 mPa·s, 2% by weight: 8 mPa·s, 3% by weight: 4 mPa·s, 5% by weight: 7 mPa·s, 8% by weight: 9 mPa·s, 10% by weight: 17 mPa·s, 20% by weight: 118 mPa·s, and 30% by weight: 353 mPa·s.

[0088] Next, the shear rate dependency of the viscosity of a solution containing the thickener (SunArtist®, manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I., Inc.) was examined. A gelatin-free SunArtist aqueous solution with a final concentration of 0.3 wt % was prepared. The relationship between the viscosity η of the resulting SunArtist aqueous solution at 25°C and the shear rate γ was measured using the DG26 measurement system of a ViscoQC 300-L rotational viscometer (B-type viscometer, Anton Paar). Measurements were performed over one minute at spindle speeds of 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 20, or 30 rpm. Measurements were performed over 30 seconds at spindle speeds of 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, or 100 rpm. Figure 2 is a graph showing the results of investigating the relationship between shear rate and viscosity of a solution to which a thickener was added. As shown in Figure 2, this thickener solution exhibited pseudoplasticity. ―１ The viscosity (25°C) at this time was 55 mPa·s. The vertical axis of the graphs in Fig. 2 and Figs. 3 and 4 shown below represents the logarithmic value of the viscosity (mPa·s), and the horizontal axis represents the shear rate (s －１ ) is shown as a logarithm of

[0089] Jelly solutions containing gelatin and a thickener were prepared and their viscosities were measured. Gelatin was suspended in water to concentrations of 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 4 wt%, 6 wt%, 8 wt%, 10 wt%, or 16 wt%, and then dissolved in a hot water bath at 80°C to obtain gelatin solutions. A thickener based on fermented cellulose (SunArtist®, manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I., Inc.) was dispersed in water containing a sucrose suspension to a density of 1.035 g / mL, preparing a thickener solution with a thickener concentration of 0.6 wt%. A gelatin solution and a 60°C thickener solution were mixed at a 1:1 (weight ratio) ratio to prepare mixed solutions (samples GT1 to GT7) containing a final thickener concentration of 0.3 wt% and a final gelatin concentration of 0.5 wt%, 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%, 4 wt%, 5 wt%, or 8 wt%. In the examples, the density is the density at 25°C. The liquid density was determined by measuring the volume of the liquid at 25°C using a graduated cylinder and the weight using a weighing scale, and then dividing the measured values. The relationship between the viscosity η and shear rate γ of these samples at 60°C was measured using a rotational viscometer, ViscoQC 300-L (B-type viscometer, Anton Paar). Solutions containing 3 wt% or less gelatin were measured using a DG26 measurement system. Solutions containing 4 wt%, 5 wt%, or 8 wt% gelatin were measured using an SC4-27 measurement system. When the spindle rotation speed was 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 20, or 30 rpm, the measurement was performed for 1 minute, and when the spindle rotation speed was 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, or 100 rpm, the measurement was performed for 30 seconds.

[0090] Figure 3 shows the relationship between viscosity (60°C) and shear rate for samples containing gelatin (0.5 to 2 wt%) and a thickener (circle (●): sample GT1 (0.5 wt% gelatin), triangle (△): sample GT2 (1 wt% gelatin), square: sample GT3 (2 wt% gelatin)). Figure 4 shows the relationship between viscosity (60°C) and shear rate for samples containing gelatin (3 to 8 wt%) and a thickener (square: sample GT4 (3 wt% gelatin), triangle (△): sample GT5 (4 wt% gelatin), cross (×): sample GT6 (5 wt% gelatin), circle (●): sample GT7 (8 wt% gelatin)). The shear rate of 10 s measured at 60°C for mixed solutions containing gelatin at various concentrations and 0.3 wt% thickener was 10 s. －1 The viscosity at 0.5% by weight of gelatin was 57 mPa·s, 1% by weight: 52 mPa·s, 2% by weight: 16 mPa·s, 3% by weight: 24 mPa·s, 4% by weight: 20 mPa·s, 5% by weight: 22 mPa·s, and 8% by weight: 33 mPa·s.

[0091] The edible liquid ink used was a solution of lycopene base (trade name, manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I., Inc.) dispersed in water at a final concentration of 2% by volume. Because lycopene molecules are hydrophobic and lack polar groups, it was assumed that they aggregate or associate in aqueous solution and are dispersed as fine particles. Therefore, this edible liquid ink was diluted 100-fold with water, and the particle size was evaluated by dynamic light scattering using a nanoparticle analyzer (nanoPartica SZ-100, manufactured by Horiba, Ltd.). Figure 5 shows the particle size distribution of lycopene fine particles in the ink. As shown in Figure 5, fine particles with a diameter of 356 nm (0.356 μm) were found to be present in the ink. Microparticles with diameters of 0.13 to 1000 μm are suitable for patterning in liquid.

[0092] Using the apparatus described in Reference Example 1, a meaningful pattern was formed in a jelly liquid when viewed from the top of the container. The resulting patterned jelly liquid was solidified (gelled) to produce a patterned jelly food product. A jelly liquid containing gelatin and a thickener was prepared as the liquid to be patterned. Gelatin was suspended in water to concentrations of 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 4 wt%, 6 wt%, 8 wt%, 10 wt%, or 16 wt%, and then dissolved in a hot water bath at 80°C to obtain a gelatin solution. A thickener aqueous solution containing 0.6 wt% thickener (SunArtist®, manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I. Co., Ltd.) and sucrose suspended to a density of 1.035 g / mL was prepared. A gelatin solution and a thickener aqueous solution (60°C) were mixed in a 1:1 (weight ratio) to prepare mixed solutions containing a thickener at a final concentration of 0.3 wt% and gelatin at final concentrations of 0.5 wt%, 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%, 4 wt%, 5 wt%, or 8 wt%. These mixed solutions were used as the liquids to be drawn.

[0093] To draw patterns on these target liquids, an aqueous solution of Lycopene Base (trade name, manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I., Inc.) dispersed at a final concentration of 2% by volume was used as the edible liquid ink. The density of the edible liquid ink was adjusted to 1.035 g / mL by adding sucrose before use.

[0094] 6A, 6B, and 6C are schematic diagrams showing patterns drawn in the jelly liquid in Examples 1 to 7. Fig. 6A shows a schematic diagram of pattern 1 as viewed from above the jelly liquid, and Fig. 6B shows a schematic diagram of pattern 1 as viewed obliquely from above the container 3. Fig. 6C is a schematic diagram as viewed from the side of the container 1. In Fig. 6C, h indicates the distance between the liquid surface of the jelly liquid 2 and pattern 1.

[0095] The gelatin-containing jelly liquid prepared above was placed in a transparent container, and the heart-shaped pattern shown in Figures 6A and 6B was drawn in the jelly liquid using the edible liquid ink. The temperature of the jelly liquid was between 25°C and 30°C, the nozzle movement speed during drawing was 20 mm / s, and the ink discharge flow rate was 2 μL / s. In Example 1, the pattern was formed with h (distance from the liquid surface of the jelly liquid) shown in Figure 6C at 0.7 cm (the same was true for Examples 2 to 6). The depth of the jelly liquid in the container was 4 cm. Immediately after drawing, the jelly liquid containing the pattern was left at room temperature (25°C) for approximately one hour to gel and form an edible solid (jelly). The resulting edible solid was a jelly food product in which the jelly liquid had gelled.

[0096] Figure 7 shows photographs of the patterned jelly, taken from above, in Example 1, in which a pattern was drawn in the jelly solution and then gelled at room temperature (gelatin concentration in the jelly solution: 0.5 wt%, 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%, 4 wt%, 5 wt%, or 8 wt%). The concentrations (%) shown in Figures 7 and 8 indicate the gelatin concentration (wt%) in the jelly solution. Regardless of the gelatin concentration, a heart-shaped pattern formed by lycopene microparticles was confirmed. The pattern was visually confirmed. In jelly foods prepared by gelling jelly solutions containing gelatin solutions with gelatin concentrations of 0.5 to 8 wt% at room temperature, the shape and position of the drawn pattern were well maintained. This indicates that the pattern was stable in the jelly solution before gelling. Furthermore, by gelling this jelly solution, the lycopene microparticle pattern could be stabilized in the jelly food. However, a solution containing gelatin at a final concentration of 0.5 wt% did not gel sufficiently at room temperature and remained a highly viscous liquid.

[0097] In addition, a pattern was drawn in a jelly solution under the same conditions as above. Immediately after drawing, the container containing the patterned jelly solution was placed in a refrigerator at 2°C to rapidly cool the jelly solution and produce an edible solid (jelly food). Figure 8 shows a photograph of the patterned jelly in Example 1, taken from above, after a pattern was drawn in the jelly solution and rapidly cooled to 2°C to gel (gelatin concentration in the jelly solution: 0.5 wt%, 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%, 4 wt%, 5 wt%, or 8 wt%). Regardless of the gelatin concentration, a heart-shaped pattern formed by lycopene microparticles was observed. A solution containing gelatin at a final concentration of 0.5 wt% was also solid immediately after removal from the refrigerator. This pattern remained stable for more than one week in the refrigerator. Furthermore, the pattern in the patterned jelly gelled at room temperature also remained stable for more than one week in the refrigerator. From the above, it was found that it is possible to produce stable patterned edible solids (patterned jelly foods) by drawing patterns using edible liquid ink containing microparticles in a jelly liquid containing a gelling agent.

[0098] Comparative Example 1 A gelatin-free aqueous solution containing a thickener (SunArtist (registered trademark), manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I., Inc.) suspended to a final concentration of 0.3% by weight was used as the liquid to be drawn. This aqueous solution was placed in a transparent container, and the heart-shaped patterns shown in Figures 6A to 6C were drawn in the liquid using the same edible liquid ink as in Example 1. The drawing was carried out using the device shown in Reference Example 1. The temperature of the aqueous solution was 25°C, the nozzle movement speed during drawing was 20 mm / s, and the ink discharge flow rate was 2 μL / s. A pattern could be formed using the edible liquid ink in the thickener aqueous solution, but this patterned liquid did not gel even when rapidly cooled to 2°C.

[0099] Example 2 Using the apparatus shown in Reference Example 1, a jelly liquid with a meaningful pattern when viewed from the top of the container was produced, and the liquid was solidified (gelled) to produce a patterned jelly food product. The jelly liquid to be patterned was a solution prepared by mixing gelatin (Gelatin GCN-250, manufactured by Nitta Gelatin Co., Ltd.) to a final concentration of 4 wt% with a solution of SunArtist (registered trademark, manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I., Inc.) suspended to a final concentration of 0.3 wt%. This jelly liquid was prepared by preparing a gelatin solution (8 wt% gelatin) and a thickener solution (0.6 wt% SunArtist, density 1.035 g / mL) in the same manner as in Example 1, and then mixing the gelatin solution and the thickener solution in a 1:1 (weight ratio).

[0100] To draw patterns on the target jelly liquid, the edible liquid ink used was a solution containing gelatin at a final concentration of 0.5 wt% to 4 wt% and lycopene base (trade name, manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I., Inc.) dispersed at a final concentration of 1 vol% (gelatin concentration: 0.5 wt%, 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%, or 4 wt%). Powdered gelatin was suspended in water and dissolved in a hot water bath at 80°C to prepare gelatin solutions (gelatin concentrations of 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 4 wt%, 6 wt%, or 8 wt%). The gelatin solution was then mixed 1:1 (by weight) with a lycopene base dispersion (final concentration of lycopene base: 2 vol%) to achieve the desired final gelatin concentration. The density of the edible liquid ink was adjusted to 1.035 g / mL by adding sucrose.

[0101] The jelly liquid to be drawn prepared above was placed in a transparent container. Using the device shown in Reference Example 1, a heart-shaped pattern was drawn in the liquid (jelly liquid) to be drawn using edible liquid ink containing gelatin. The temperature of the jelly liquid to be drawn was between 25°C and 30°C, the nozzle movement speed during drawing was 20 mm / s, and the ink discharge flow rate was 2 μL / s. A pattern was drawn in the jelly liquid using edible liquid ink, and immediately after drawing, the jelly liquid containing the pattern was placed in the container in a refrigerator at 2°C to rapidly cool it and produce an edible solid (jelly food). A photograph of the resulting jelly food is shown in Figure 9.

[0102] Figure 9 is a photograph taken from above of the patterned jelly that was gelled after a pattern was drawn in the jelly liquid in Example 2. The concentration (%) shown in Figure 9 indicates the concentration (wt%) of gelatin in the edible ink. Regardless of the concentration of gelatin added to the ink, a heart-shaped pattern formed by lycopene microparticles was confirmed. This pattern was maintained and stable for more than one week in the refrigerator. These results demonstrate that stable edible patterned jelly food can be produced without impeding drawing even when using ink containing gelatin.

[0103] Example 3 A jelly liquid with a meaningful pattern that can be seen from the top of the container was produced, and the liquid was gelled (solidified) to produce a patterned jelly food. Xanthan gum (xanthan gum granules, SATIAXANE) was used as the jelly liquid to be drawn, with a final concentration of 0.5% by weight. ＴＭA solution was used in which gelatin (gelatin #300, manufactured by Nitta Gelatin Co., Ltd.) was mixed into a solution in which gelatin (CX930QD, manufactured by Unitec Foods Co., Ltd.) was suspended in water to give final concentrations of 0.01 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 2.5 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 25 wt%, and 30 wt%. The jelly liquid to be drawn was prepared by preparing a gelatin solution and a thickener solution and mixing them at a 1:1 (weight ratio). The gelatin solution was prepared by suspending powdered gelatin in water and dissolving it in a thermostatic bath at 60°C. Xanthan gum was suspended in water to prepare a xanthan gum solution with a xanthan gum concentration of 1 wt%. Then, the gelatin solution and xanthan gum solution were mixed to give the respective final gelatin concentrations in the same manner as in Example 1, to prepare the jelly liquid to be drawn. To draw a pattern on the jelly liquid to be drawn, a solution of Lycopene Base (trade name, manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I., Inc.) dispersed in water at a final concentration of 2% by volume was used as the edible liquid ink. The edible liquid ink and the jelly liquid to be drawn were adjusted by adding sucrose so that their densities were equivalent (the ratio of the density of the edible liquid ink to the density of the jelly liquid (density of edible liquid ink / density of jelly liquid) was 1), and then used for drawing. The pH (25°C) of the jelly liquid was 5.64 to 6.38. In the examples, the pH was measured using a Testo 206-2 pH meter (for food use) (manufactured by Testo Co., Ltd.).

[0104] The jelly liquid to be drawn prepared above was placed in a transparent container. A Pasteur pipette was used to draw the heart-shaped patterns shown in Figures 6A to 6C. Specifically, edible ink was aspirated into the Pasteur pipette, and the tip of the pipette was moved through the jelly liquid to be drawn while ejecting the edible liquid ink, drawing a heart-shaped pattern. At this time, the temperature of the jelly liquid to be drawn was between 20°C and 40°C. Immediately after drawing, the jelly liquid containing the pattern was placed in the container in a refrigerator at 7°C to rapidly cool it and produce an edible solid (jelly food). Photographs of the resulting jelly food are shown in Figures 10 and 11.

[0105] Figure 10 is a photograph of the patterned jelly obtained in Example 3, taken from above, after a pattern was drawn in the jelly solution and gelled. The concentration (%) shown in Figure 10 indicates the gelatin concentration (wt%) in the jelly solution. Figure 11 is a photograph of the patterned jelly (gelatin content: 5 wt%) produced by the above method, taken out of the container. A heart-shaped pattern formed by lycopene microparticles was observed regardless of the gelatin concentration in the jelly solution. This pattern was stable for more than one week in the refrigerator. These results demonstrate that even using a jelly solution containing a high concentration of gelatin, patterning is not hindered and a pattern with good pattern stability can be produced. Furthermore, gelling this patterned jelly solution demonstrated that a stable, edible patterned jelly food product could be produced. Note that the jelly solution with a gelatin concentration of 30 wt% had good pattern stability, but the pattern was somewhat obscured due to air bubbles.

[0106] Example 4 A jelly liquid with a meaningful pattern that can be seen from the top of the container was produced, and the liquid was gelled (solidified) to produce a patterned jelly food. Xanthan gum (xanthan gum granules, SATIAXANE) was added to the jelly liquid to be drawn, at a final concentration of 0.5% by weight. ＴＭ A solution in which gelatin (gelatin #300, manufactured by Nitta Gelatin Co., Ltd.) was mixed with a solution in which gelatin (CX930QD, manufactured by Unitec Foods Co., Ltd.) was suspended in water to a final concentration of 40 wt% or 50 wt% was used. The jelly liquid to be drawn was prepared by suspending powdered gelatin in an aqueous solution in which xanthan gum was suspended, mixing the mixture so that the xanthan gum had a final concentration of 0.5 wt% and the gelatin had the respective final concentrations, and dissolving in a thermostatic bath at 60°C. For pattern drawing, a solution in which lycopene base (trade name, manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I. Co., Ltd.) was dispersed in water to a final concentration of 2% by volume was used as the edible liquid ink. The edible liquid ink and the jelly liquid to be drawn were adjusted by adding sucrose so that their densities were equivalent (the ratio of the density of the edible liquid ink to the density of the jelly liquid (density of the edible liquid ink / density of the jelly liquid) was 1) and used for drawing. The pH of the jelly solution (at 25°C) was 5.64 to 5.80.

[0107] The jelly liquid to be drawn prepared above was placed in a transparent container. A heart-shaped pattern was drawn in the liquid (jelly liquid) to be drawn using edible liquid ink in the same manner as in Example 3. At this time, the temperature of the jelly liquid to be drawn was between 35°C and 50°C. After drawing the pattern, the jelly liquid containing the pattern was allowed to cool to below 40°C to gel, forming an edible solid (jelly food). A photograph of the resulting jelly food is shown in Figure 12.

[0108] Figure 12 is a photograph of the patterned jelly obtained in Example 4, taken from above, after a pattern was drawn in the jelly solution and then gelled. The concentration (%) shown in Figure 12 indicates the gelatin concentration (wt%) in the jelly solution. Regardless of the gelatin concentration in the jelly solution, a heart-shaped pattern formed by lycopene microparticles was observed. Furthermore, this pattern was stable for more than one week in the refrigerator. These results demonstrate that even when using jelly solutions containing high concentrations of gelatin, such as 40 wt% and 50 wt%, it is possible to produce a patterned jelly solution with excellent pattern stability without inhibiting drawing. Furthermore, it was found that gelling this patterned jelly solution made it possible to produce a stable, edible patterned jelly food product. The jelly solution of Example 4 had good pattern stability, but the pattern was somewhat obscured by air bubbles.

[0109] Example 5 A jelly liquid with a pattern that is meaningful when viewed from the top of the container was produced, and the liquid was gelled (solidified) to produce a patterned jelly food. Xanthan gum (xanthan gum granules, SATIAXANE) was added to the jelly liquid to a final concentration of 0.5% by weight. ＴＭA solution was used in which agar (Ina Agar (registered trademark) UP-37, manufactured by Ina Food Industry Co., Ltd.) was mixed into a solution in which agar (CX930QD, manufactured by Unitec Foods Co., Ltd.) was suspended in water to give final concentrations of 0.01 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.25 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 1.25 wt%, 2.5 wt%, and 5 wt%. Each agar-containing solution was prepared by suspending powdered agar in water, dissolving it at 100°C, and then mixing it with a xanthan gum solution to give the respective final agar concentrations. To draw a pattern on the jelly liquid to be drawn, a solution in which lycopene base (trade name, manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I. Co., Ltd.) was dispersed in water to a final concentration of 2% by volume was used as the edible liquid ink. The edible liquid ink and the jelly liquid to be used for drawing were adjusted by adding sucrose so that their densities were equivalent (the ratio of the density of the edible liquid ink to the density of the jelly liquid (density of edible liquid ink / density of jelly liquid) was 1) and then used for drawing. The pH (25°C) of the jelly liquid was 6.23 to 6.80.

[0110] The jelly liquid to be drawn prepared above was placed in a transparent container. A heart-shaped pattern was drawn in the liquid to be drawn (jelly liquid) using edible liquid ink in the same manner as in Example 3. At this time, the temperature of the jelly liquid to be drawn was between 30°C and 50°C. A pattern was drawn in the jelly liquid using edible liquid ink, and immediately after drawing, the jelly liquid containing the pattern was placed in the container in a refrigerator at 7°C to rapidly cool it and form an edible solid (jelly food). Photographs of the resulting jelly food are shown in Figures 13 and 14.

[0111] Figure 13 is a photograph of the patterned jelly, taken from above, after a pattern was drawn in the jelly liquid and gelled in Example 5. The concentration (%) shown in Figure 13 indicates the concentration (wt%) of agar in the jelly liquid. Figure 14 is a photograph of the patterned jelly (agar content in the jelly: 5 wt%) produced by the above method, taken out of the container. Regardless of the agar concentration in the jelly liquid, a heart-shaped pattern formed by lycopene microparticles was confirmed. This pattern was stable in the refrigerator for more than one week. These results demonstrate that a patterned jelly liquid with good pattern stability can be produced without inhibiting drawing, even when using a jelly liquid containing agar. Furthermore, it was found that gelling this patterned jelly liquid makes it possible to produce a stable, edible patterned jelly food product.

[0112] Example 6 A jelly liquid with a meaningful pattern that can be seen from the top of the container was produced, and the liquid was solidified (gelled) to produce a patterned jelly food. Xanthan gum (xanthan gum granules, SATIAXANE) was used as the jelly liquid to be drawn, with a final concentration of 0.5% by weight. ＴＭ A solution was used in which glucomannan (trade name Ultramannan G2, manufactured by Ina Food Industry Co., Ltd.) was mixed into a solution in which glucomannan (CX930QD, manufactured by Unitec Foods Co., Ltd.) was suspended in water to final concentrations of 1.5 wt%, 2.5 wt%, and 5 wt%. The glucomannan-containing solution was prepared by suspending powdered glucomannan in water and mixing it with a xanthan gum solution to achieve the above final concentration. To draw a pattern on the jelly liquid to be drawn, a solution in which lycopene base (trade name, manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I. Co., Ltd.) was dispersed in water to a final concentration of 2% by volume was used as the edible liquid ink. The edible liquid ink and the jelly liquid to be drawn were adjusted by adding sucrose so that their densities were equivalent (the ratio of the density of the edible liquid ink to the density of the jelly liquid (density of the edible liquid ink / density of the jelly liquid) was 1). The pH of the jelly solution (at 25°C) was 6.38 to 7.04.

[0113] The jelly liquid to be drawn prepared above was placed in a transparent heat-resistant container. A heart-shaped pattern was drawn in the liquid (jelly liquid) to be drawn using the edible liquid ink in the same manner as in Example 3. At this time, the temperature of the jelly liquid to be drawn was between 5°C and 30°C. After drawing the pattern, the jelly liquid was heated to 80°C or higher to gel and form an edible solid (jelly food). After gelation, the jelly food containing the obtained pattern was allowed to cool together with the container to 40°C or lower. Photographs of the jelly food after cooling are shown in Figures 15 and 16.

[0114] Figure 15 is a photograph taken from above of the patterned jelly that was gelled after a pattern was drawn in the jelly liquid in Example 6. The concentration (%) shown in Figure 15 indicates the concentration (wt%) of glucomannan in the jelly liquid. Figure 16 is a photograph of the patterned jelly (with a glucomannan content of 5 wt%) produced by the above method taken out of the container. A heart-shaped pattern formed by lycopene microparticles was confirmed regardless of the concentration of glucomannan in the jelly liquid. This pattern was stable and maintained for more than one week in the refrigerator.

[0115] The above results demonstrate that a patterned jelly solution containing glucomannan can be produced without inhibiting drawing and with good pattern stability. Furthermore, it was found that gelling this patterned jelly solution can produce a stable, edible patterned jelly food.

[0116] Example 7 Using the device shown in Reference Example 1, a jelly liquid with a pattern that is meaningful when viewed from the top of the container was produced. The jelly liquid to be patterned was a solution prepared by mixing gelatin (gelatin #300, manufactured by Nitta Gelatin Co., Ltd.) to a final concentration of 1% by weight in a solution in which each of the thickeners shown in Table 1 was suspended. Table 1 shows the thickeners, their final concentrations in the jelly liquid, and the density of the resulting jelly liquid. The thickener was xanthan gum (xanthan gum granules, SATIAXANE ＴＭCX930QD, manufactured by Unitec Foods Co., Ltd.), cellulose (Sun Artist (registered trademark), manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I. Co., Ltd.), gellan gum (Kelcogel LT-100, manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I. Co., Ltd.), locust bean gum (Soarlocust A-200, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), tara gum (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), and carrageenan (Soagina, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) were used.

[0117] The jelly liquid was prepared by preparing a gelatin solution (gelatin 2 wt%, density 0.998 g / mL) and each thickener solution (thickener concentration 0.02 wt% to 2 wt%, density 1.035 g / mL) and mixing the gelatin solution and thickener solution at a 1:1 (weight ratio) in the same manner as in Example 1. To draw a pattern in the jelly liquid to be drawn, a gelatin-free edible liquid ink was used in which Lycopene Base (trade name, manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I. Co., Ltd.) was dispersed at a final concentration of 0.5% by volume (density 1.017 g / mL).

[0118]

[0119] The jelly liquid to be drawn prepared above was placed in a transparent container. The depth of the jelly liquid in the container was 4 cm. Using the device shown in Reference Example 1, a heart-shaped pattern was drawn in the liquid to be drawn (jelly liquid) with edible liquid ink. In Example 7, the pattern was drawn with h (distance from the liquid surface of the jelly liquid) shown in Figure 6C at 0.7 cm. At this time, the temperature of the jelly liquid to be drawn was between 25°C and 30°C, the nozzle movement speed during drawing was 20 mm / s, and the ink discharge flow rate was 2 μL / s. A pattern was drawn in the jelly liquid with edible liquid ink. The pattern was then left at room temperature to gel.

[0120] Figures 17, 18, 19, and 20 are photographs taken from above of patterned jellies that were gelled at room temperature after patterns were drawn in the jelly liquid in Example 7. Figure 17 is a photograph of patterned jellies using jelly liquids Nos. 1 to 5 (Xan 0.01, Xan 0.1, Xan 0.5, Xan 1, and Xan 2) in Table 1. Figure 18 is a photograph of patterned jellies using jelly liquids Nos. 6 to 10 (Cel 0.1, Cel 1, Cel 2, Ger 0.01, and Ger 0.1) in Table 1. Figure 19 is a photograph of patterned jellies using jelly liquids Nos. 11 to 14 (LBG 0.1, LBG 1, Tar 0.1, and Tar 1) in Table 1. Figure 20 is a photograph of patterned jellies using jelly liquids Nos. 1 to 14 (LBG 0.1, LBG 1, Tar 0.1, and Tar 1) in Table 1. Photographs of patterned jellies made using jelly solutions 15 to 18 (Car 0.01, Car 0.1, Car 1, and Car 2). Regardless of the type and concentration of thickener, the heart-shaped patterns formed by the lycopene microparticles were observed. By combining various thickeners and gelling agents, stable, edible patterned jellies can be produced.

[0121] 1 Pattern 2 Jelly liquid 3 Container 420 Nozzle 460 Human collaborative robot 470 Syringe extrusion device 480 Syringe

Claims

1. A patterned jelly liquid comprising a pattern formed by microparticles in a jelly liquid, the jelly liquid containing a gelling agent.

2. The patterned jelly liquid of claim 1, wherein the jelly liquid further comprises a thickener.

3. The patterned jelly liquid according to claim 2, wherein the thickener is a thickener that imparts pseudoplasticity.

4. The patterned jelly liquid according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the thickener is at least one selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum, cellulose, gellan gum, locust bean gum, tara gum and carrageenan.

5. The patterned jelly liquid according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the content of the thickener in the jelly liquid is 0.01 to 2% by weight.

6. The patterned jelly liquid according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the gelling agent is at least one selected from the group consisting of agar, gelatin, glucomannan, pectin, gum arabic, pullulan, alginate, starch, modified starch, carboxymethylcellulose, guar gum, tamarind seed gum, welan gum, psyllium seed gum, curdlan, and white wood ear extract.

7. A patterned jelly liquid according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the content of the gelling agent in the jelly liquid is 0.01 to 50% by weight.

8. A method for producing a patterned jelly liquid, comprising the steps of discharging a pattern-forming material in which microparticles are dispersed in a dispersion solvent into a jelly liquid contained in a container, and forming a pattern consisting of the microparticles in the jelly liquid, wherein the jelly liquid contains a gelling agent.

9. The manufacturing method according to claim 8, wherein the jelly liquid further contains a thickener.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the thickener is a thickener that imparts pseudoplasticity.

11. The method of claim 9 or 10, wherein the thickener is at least one selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum, cellulose, gellan gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, and carrageenan.

12. The manufacturing method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the content of the thickener in the jelly liquid is 0.01 to 2% by weight.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the gelling agent is at least one selected from the group consisting of agar, gelatin, glucomannan, pectin, gum arabic, pullulan, alginate, starch, modified starch, carboxymethylcellulose, guar gum, tamarind seed gum, welan gum, psyllium seed gum, curdlan, and white wood ear extract.

14. A manufacturing method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the content of the gelling agent in the jelly liquid is 0.01 to 50% by weight.

15. A method for producing a patterned jelly food product, comprising a step of gelling a patterned jelly liquid produced by the method for producing a patterned jelly liquid according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

16. A patterned jelly food comprising a pattern formed by microparticles in the jelly food, said jelly food comprising a gelling agent.

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