Frozen dessert

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing an inulin-containing frozen dessert in which shrinkage is suppressed. The present invention provides a frozen dessert containing inulins, wherein the proportion of inulins having 18 or more monosaccharide units is 50 mass% or less. Additionally, the present invention provides a frozen dessert containing inulins, wherein the proportion of inulins having 3 to 13 monosaccharide units is 40 mass% or more.

Description

frozen dessert

[0001] The present invention relates to a frozen dessert.

[0002] Traditionally, frozen desserts such as ice cream have contained a lot of carbohydrates. However, from the perspective of controlling weight while maintaining high palatability, frozen desserts with reduced carbohydrates, like other foods, are becoming increasingly popular. In such low-carbohydrate foods, dietary fiber is typically used instead of carbohydrates. Here, in the production of ice cream, air bubbles are mixed into the ice cream mix to give it a unique soft texture. The proportion of this air mixed in is called overrun. In particular, low-carbohydrate frozen desserts with high overrun have the problem of being difficult to maintain their shape. Adding inulin instead of reducing carbohydrates has the advantage of allowing the frozen dessert to maintain its shape. However, conventional inulin-containing frozen desserts have the problem of shrinkage, or so-called shrinkage, when stored frozen for long periods of time.

[0003] Relisted 2017 / 039008 JP2023-001009

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an inulin-containing frozen dessert in which shrinkage is suppressed.

[0005] Under these circumstances, the present inventors conducted extensive research and found that shrinkage can be suppressed when inulin containing a low proportion of long molecules with a relatively high number of monosaccharides linked together and / or a high proportion of short molecules with a relatively low number of monosaccharides linked together is used. The present invention is based on this novel finding. Therefore, the present invention provides the following: Item 1. A frozen dessert containing inulin, wherein the proportion of inulin with 18 or more monosaccharide units is 50% by mass or less.

[0006] Item 2. A frozen dessert containing inulin, wherein the proportion of inulin having 3 to 13 monosaccharide units is 40% by mass or more.

[0007] Item 3. The frozen dessert according to Item 1 or 2, wherein the sugar content of the frozen dessert is 0 to 30.0% by mass.

[0008] Item 4. The frozen dessert according to Item 1 or 2, wherein the inulin content in the frozen dessert is 3.0 to 30% by mass.

[0009] Item 5. The frozen dessert according to Item 1 or 2 or the agent according to Item 3 or 4, wherein the overrun of the frozen dessert is 15% or more.

[0010] Item 6. The frozen dessert according to Item 1 or 2, which has a hardness of 100 or less when measured using a texture analyzer under the following conditions:

[0011] Measurement conditions: A frozen dessert placed in a container of the following dimensions is stored at -20°C, then moved to a 25°C environment and measurement begins 30 seconds later: Height 51 mm x upper inner diameter 70 mm / lower inner diameter 58 mm. Upper jig: cylindrical pressing jig (diameter 5 mm, stainless steel) Lower jig: lower pressure plate (diameter 200 mm, made of aluminium) Penetration speed: 1.0 mm / min. Penetration distance: 30 mm. The maximum stress (N) until the jig penetrates 30 mm into the sample is taken as the hardness.

[0012] Item 7. The frozen dessert according to Item 1 or 2, wherein the hardness of the frozen dessert is the same as or lower than that of a frozen dessert produced in the same manner except that the same amount of polydextrose is used instead of inulin.

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an inulin-containing frozen dessert in which shrinkage is suppressed.

[0014] The following photographs are provided to explain the outline of shrinkage measurement. The right side of Figure 1 shows a photograph of an ice cream and container with shrinkage. The left side of Figure 1 shows the circle formed by the contact point between the plane including the top surface of the ice cream and the inner wall of the cup (larger circle) and the top surface of the ice cream after storage (smaller circle) for the ice cream and container.

[0015] In the present invention, ice creams and frozen desserts are collectively referred to as "frozen desserts." In the present invention, ice creams refer to processed or frozen foods made from raw milk, milk or dairy products, fruit juice, sugars, flavorings, etc., and contain 3.0% or more milk solids (excluding fermented milk). More specifically, ice creams include ice cream (15.0% or more milk solids (including 8.0% or more milk fat)), ice milk (3.0% or more milk solids (including 3.0% or more milk fat)), lacto ice (3.0% or more milk solids), etc. In the present invention, among frozen desserts, ice creams are preferred, and among ice creams, ice milk and lacto ice are preferred, with ice milk being more preferred. In the present invention, ice creams are preferred because they contain less milk solids than ice cream and can prevent shrinkage even in ice milk and lacto ice, which are prone to shrinkage.

[0016] In the present invention, inulin is interpreted as a term commonly used in the food industry. Typically, inulin is a dietary fiber that is a type of fructose polymer, and usually has glucose attached to its terminal end. In the present invention, "inulin with 3 monosaccharide units" means inulin with three monosaccharides attached to the sugar chain contained in inulin. Similarly, "inulin with X monosaccharide units" means inulin with X monosaccharides attached to the sugar chain contained in inulin.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the frozen dessert of the present invention, the proportion of inulin containing 18 or more monosaccharide units is 50.0% by mass or less, more preferably 49.0% by mass or less, more preferably 48.0% by mass or less, more preferably 47.0% by mass or less, more preferably 46.0% by mass or less, more preferably 45.0% by mass or less, more preferably 44.0% by mass or less, more preferably 43.0% by mass or less, more preferably 42.0% by mass or less, more preferably 41.0% by mass or less, more preferably 40.0% by mass or less, more preferably 39.0% by mass or less, more preferably 38.0% by mass or less, and more preferably 37.0% by mass or less. In a preferred embodiment of the frozen dessert of the present invention, the lower limit of the proportion of inulin containing 18 or more monosaccharide units in the frozen dessert is not limited, but examples include 0% by mass or more, 1% by mass or more, preferably 5% by mass or more, more preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 15% by mass or more, more preferably 20% by mass or more, more preferably 25% by mass or more, and more preferably 30% by mass or more.

[0018] Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the frozen dessert of the present invention, the proportion of inulin containing 3 to 13 monosaccharide units is 40.0% by mass or more, more preferably 41.0% by mass or more, more preferably 42.0% by mass or more, more preferably 43.0% by mass or more, more preferably 44.0% by mass or more, more preferably 45.0% by mass or more, more preferably 46.0% by mass or more, more preferably 47.0% by mass or more, more preferably 48.0% by mass or more, more preferably 49.0% by mass or more, more preferably 50.0% by mass or more, more preferably 51.0% by mass or more, more preferably 52.0% by mass or more, more preferably 53.0% by mass or more, and more preferably 54.0% by mass or more. In a preferred embodiment of the frozen dessert of the present invention, the upper limit of the proportion of inulin having 3 to 13 monosaccharide units contained in the frozen dessert is not limited, but examples include 100% by mass or less, 95% by mass or less, preferably 90% by mass or less, more preferably 80% by mass or less, more preferably 70% by mass or less, more preferably 60% by mass or less, and more preferably 55% by mass or less.

[0019] Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the frozen dessert of the present invention, it is preferred that the proportion of inulin containing 18 or more monosaccharide units is 0% by mass or more and 50.0% by mass or less, and the proportion of inulin containing 3 to 13 monosaccharide units is 40.0% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less. In this embodiment, the upper limit of the proportion of inulin containing 18 or more monosaccharide units can be appropriately selected as long as it is 50.0% by mass or less, but is more preferably 49.0% by mass or less, more preferably 48.0% by mass or less, more preferably 47.0% by mass or less, more preferably 46.0% by mass or less, more preferably 45.0% by mass or less, more preferably 44.0% by mass or less, more preferably 43.0% by mass or less, more preferably 42.0% by mass or less, more preferably 41.0% by mass or less, more preferably 40.0% by mass or less, more preferably 39.0% by mass or less, more preferably 38.0% by mass or less, more preferably 37.0% by mass or less, and more preferably 36.0% by mass or less. In this embodiment, the lower limit of the proportion of inulin containing 18 or more monosaccharide units contained in the frozen dessert can be selected as appropriate as long as it is 0% by mass or more, but is more preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 5% by mass or more, more preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 15% by mass or more, more preferably 20% by mass or more, more preferably 25% by mass or more, and more preferably 30% by mass or more.In this embodiment, the lower limit of the proportion of inulin containing 3 to 13 monosaccharide units contained in the frozen dessert can be selected as appropriate as long as it is 40.0% by mass or more, but is more preferably 41.0% by mass or more, more preferably 42.0% by mass or more, more preferably 43.0% by mass or more, more preferably 44.0% by mass or more, more preferably 45.0% by mass or more, more preferably 46.0% by mass or more, more preferably 47.0% by mass or more, more preferably 48.0% by mass or more, more preferably 49.0% by mass or more, more preferably 50.0% by mass or more, more preferably 51.0% by mass or more, more preferably 52.0% by mass or more, more preferably 53.0% by mass or more, and more preferably 54.0% by mass or more. In this embodiment, the upper limit of the proportion of inulin containing 3 to 13 monosaccharide units in the frozen dessert can be selected as appropriate so long as it is 100% by mass or less, but is more preferably 95% by mass or less, more preferably 90% by mass or less, more preferably 85% by mass or less, more preferably 80% by mass or less, more preferably 70% by mass or less, more preferably 60% by mass or less, and more preferably 55% by mass or less. In this embodiment, the combination of the proportion of inulin containing 18 or more monosaccharide units and the proportion of inulin containing 3 to 13 monosaccharide units in the frozen dessert can also be selected as appropriate from the above. The inulin content in the frozen dessert of the present invention is preferably 3.0 to 30% by mass, and more preferably 7 to 20% by mass.

[0020] Furthermore, the frozen dessert of the present invention preferably has a carbohydrate content (carbohydrates excluding dietary fiber) of 0 to 20.0% by mass. Examples of carbohydrates include, but are not limited to, sugars (white sugar, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, etc.), maltose, lactose, glucose, trehalose, fructose, invert sugar, starch syrup, isomerized sugar, and sugar alcohols. One type of carbohydrate can be used alone, or two or more types can be used in combination. In the present invention, the overrun of the frozen dessert is preferably 15% or more, more preferably 20% or more, more preferably 30% or more, more preferably 40% or more, more preferably 50% or more, more preferably 60% or more, more preferably 70% or more, and more preferably 80% or more. The upper limit of the overrun of the frozen dessert is also not limited, but is preferably 150% or less, and more preferably 120% or less. In the present invention, overrun refers to the ratio of the volume of air mixed with the ingredients of the frozen dessert (e.g., ice cream mix) per unit volume. For example, mixing 1 liter of air into 1 liter of ice cream mix will produce 2 liters of ice cream, with an overrun of 100%.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the frozen dessert of the present invention not only exhibits the effect of shrink suppression, but also has the advantage of low hardness and a smooth mouthfeel. Specifically, in a preferred embodiment, the frozen dessert of the present invention has a hardness of 100 or less when measured using a texture analyzer under the following conditions: Measurement conditions: A frozen dessert placed in a container with the following dimensions was stored at -20°C and then moved to a 25°C environment, and measurement began 30 seconds later. A hollow truncated cone container, 51 mm high, with an upper inner diameter of 70 mm and a lower inner diameter of 58 mm, was used. Upper jig: cylindrical pressing jig (diameter 5 mm, stainless steel). Lower jig: lower pressure platen (diameter 200 mm, aluminum). Penetration speed: 1.0 mm / min. Penetration distance: 30 mm. The maximum force (N) required for the jig to penetrate 30 mm into the sample was used as the hardness. In this embodiment, the hardness was measured by filling 100 mL of the frozen dessert of the present invention into the container. More specifically, the hardness of the frozen dessert of the present invention can be measured by the method described in the Examples. Furthermore, in the present invention, the hardness of the frozen dessert is preferably slightly higher, the same as, or lower than that of a frozen dessert produced in the same manner except for using the same amount of polydextrose instead of inulin; more preferably, the hardness is the same as or lower than that of a frozen dessert produced in the same manner except for using the same amount of polydextrose instead of inulin; and more preferably, the hardness is lower than that of a frozen dessert produced in the same manner except for using the same amount of polydextrose instead of inulin. In this embodiment, "slightly higher than that of a frozen dessert produced in the same manner except for using the same amount of polydextrose instead of inulin" means, for example, that the hardness of the frozen dessert of the present invention is more than 1.0 times but not more than 1.2 times, preferably more than 1.0 times but not more than 1.1 times, the hardness of a frozen dessert produced in the same manner except for using the same amount of polydextrose instead of inulin. In this embodiment, the hardness can be measured under the measurement conditions described above, more specifically, using the method described in the Examples. In the embodiments in which these hardnesses are specified, the present invention is not limited to those under the conditions described above. For example, in such embodiments, the frozen dessert of the present invention is not limited to those stored at −20° C., then transferred to a 25° C. environment, and 30 seconds have elapsed.Therefore, as long as the frozen dessert satisfies the above requirements when measured under the above conditions, it is not limited to the frozen dessert that is actually under the above measurement conditions.

[0022] The frozen dessert of the present invention may further contain milk solids, fat, sweeteners, emulsifiers, stabilizers (thickening polysaccharides), flavorings, colorants, acidulants, coffee, black tea, matcha, fruit juice, soy milk, eggs, water, etc.

[0023] Examples of milk solids include milk, fresh cream, butter, condensed milk, condensed skim milk, unsweetened evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, sweetened condensed skim milk, whole milk powder, sweetened milk powder, and skim milk powder. These milk solids can be used alone or in combination of two or more. When these milk solids are incorporated, their content relative to the total frozen dessert is not limited, but can be, for example, 3 to 25% by mass, preferably 10 to 15% by mass. Examples of fats and oils include cacao-based ingredients such as cocoa butter, cocoa powder, cocoa mass, chocolate dough, and semi-chocolate dough, as well as edible fats and oils. Examples of edible fats and oils include milk fat, shortening, margarine, olive oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, corn oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, and fractionated palm oil, as well as animal fats and oils such as lard and fish oil. These fats and oils can also be used alone or in combination of two or more. When these fats and oils are blended, the content relative to the entire frozen dessert is not limited, but may be, for example, 1 to 15% by mass, preferably 3 to 10% by mass.

[0024] Examples of sweeteners include stevia, aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium. These sweeteners can be used alone or in combination of two or more. When these sweeteners are added, their content relative to the total frozen dessert is not limited, but may be, for example, 0.005 to 0.05% by mass, preferably 0.01 to 0.03% by mass.

[0025] Examples of emulsifiers include nonionic surfactants such as glycerin fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, and propylene glycol fatty acid esters; lecithin; and the like. These emulsifiers may be used alone or in combination of two or more. When these emulsifiers are added, their content relative to the total frozen dessert is not limited, but may be, for example, 0.05 to 0.5% by mass, preferably 0.1 to 0.3% by mass.

[0026] Examples of stabilizers include agar, gelatin, pectin, xanthan gum, tamarind seed gum, locust bean gum, guar gum, cellulose, carrageenan, karaya gum, gum arabic, psyllium seed gum, starches such as potato starch, corn starch, non-glutinous rice starch, wheat starch, tapioca starch, waxy corn starch, and glutinous rice starch, as well as heat-moisture treated starch and modified starch. These stabilizers may be used alone or in combination of two or more. When these stabilizers are added, their content relative to the total frozen dessert is not limited, but may be, for example, 0.05 to 0.5% by mass, and preferably 0.1 to 0.3% by mass.

[0027] As the coloring matter, a wide variety of known coloring matters that can be added to foods, such as annatto coloring matter and carotene coloring matter, as the flavoring matter, a wide variety of known materials that can be added to frozen desserts, as well as as the acidulant, can be used.

[0028] Some embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below using examples and comparative examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0029] Composition of inulin used: Inulin with a short chain length ("short"), medium chain length ("medium"), and long chain length ("long") were used. The composition (mass%) of the sugar chains contained in each inulin is as shown in the table below:

[0030]

[0031] In the table, DP3 means inulin with 3 monosaccharide units. Similarly, DP4 to DP19 mean inulin with 4 to 19 monosaccharide units, respectively.

[0032] Preparation of ice cream containing 10% inulin by mass The ingredients were dissolved in the mass ratios shown in the table below, sterilized, homogenized, cooled, and then adjusted to an overrun of 80% in a freezer to prepare ice milk. "Short," "medium," or "long" inulin was used.

[0033]

[0034] Preparation of ice cream containing 20% ​​inulin by mass The ingredients were dissolved in the mass ratios shown in the table below, sterilized, homogenized, cooled, and then adjusted to an overrun of 80% in a freezer to prepare ice milk. "Short," "medium," or "long" inulin was used.

[0035]

[0036] Preparation of ice cream containing 10% by mass of polydextrose The ingredients were dissolved in the mass ratios shown in the table below, sterilized, homogenized, cooled, and then adjusted to an overrun of 80% in a freezer to prepare ice milk.

[0037]

[0038] Preparation of ice cream containing 20% ​​by mass of polydextrose The ingredients were dissolved in the mass ratios shown in the table below, sterilized, homogenized, cooled, and then adjusted to an overrun of 80% in a freezer to prepare ice milk.

[0039]

[0040] Shrinkage Measurement 1: 100 ml of the ice cream containing 10% inulin by weight prepared as described above was placed in a hollow truncated conical cup measuring 51 mm in height, 70 mm in upper inner diameter, and 58 mm in lower inner diameter, so that it was in contact with the wall of the cup. The lid was closed, and the cup was shaken at temperatures between -25°C and -15°C. After storage for 30 days, the area of ​​the gap between the ice cream and the cup on the top surface of the cup was measured using image analysis software (WinROOF2021). As a positive control, a similar test was performed using ice cream containing 20% ​​polydextrose by weight. The shrinkage rate for each ice cream was calculated using the following formula: {[area of ​​the circle formed by the contact point between the plane including the top surface of the ice cream and the inner wall of the cup] - [area of ​​the top surface of the ice cream after storage]} / [area of ​​the circle formed by the contact point between the plane including the top surface of the ice cream and the inner wall of the cup]. A photograph illustrating an overview of the shrinkage measurement is shown in Figure 1. The results are shown in the table below.

[0041]

[0042] As is clear from the above results, shrinkage occurred when "long" inulin was used, but no shrinkage occurred when "short" or "medium" inulin was used.

[0043] Shrinkage Measurement 2: Containerized ice cream was stored in the same manner as above, except that ice cream containing 20% ​​by mass of inulin "short" was used, and shrinkage was measured. As a result, the shrinkage rate of the ice cream containing 20% ​​by mass of inulin "short" was 0%, even though it contained 20% by mass of inulin, which is a higher amount than in the above-mentioned shrinkage measurement test 1. Therefore, it can be seen that inulin "short" has a particularly high shrinkage suppression effect when added to frozen desserts.

[0044] Measurement of Hardness 100 ml of each ice cream prepared above was packed into a hollow truncated conical container with a height of 51 mm, an upper inner diameter of 70 mm, and a lower inner diameter of 58 mm, and stored at −20° C. for 30 days. After storage, the container-packed ice cream was moved to an environment of 25° C., and measurement was started 30 seconds later using a texture analyzer (Shimadzu Corporation).

[0045] Measurement conditions: Upper jig: cylindrical pressing jig (diameter 5 mm, made of stainless steel) Lower jig: lower pressure plate (diameter 200 mm, made of aluminum) Penetration speed: 1.0 mm / min Penetration distance: 30 mm The maximum stress (N) until the jig penetrates 30 mm into the sample is taken as the hardness. The results are shown in the table below.

[0046]

[0047] As shown above, the ice creams made with "short" and "medium" inulin had significantly lower hardness than the ice creams made with "long" inulin. Furthermore, of the two, "short" and "medium" inulins, "short" inulin is preferred because it has a lower hardness.

Claims

1. A frozen dessert containing inulin, wherein the proportion of inulin with 18 or more monosaccharide units is 50% by mass or less.

2. A frozen dessert containing inulin, wherein the proportion of inulin with 3 to 13 monosaccharide units is 40% by mass or more.

3. A frozen dessert according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sugar content of the frozen dessert is 0 to 30.0% by mass.

4. A frozen dessert according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inulin content in the frozen dessert is 3.0 to 30% by mass.

5. The frozen dessert according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the overrun of the frozen dessert is 15% or more.

6. The frozen dessert according to claim 1 or 2, having a hardness of 100 or less when measured using a texture analyzer under the following conditions: Measurement conditions: The frozen dessert is placed in a container having the following dimensions and stored at -20°C, then moved to a 25°C environment, and measurement begins 30 seconds later: Height 51 mm x upper inner diameter 70 mm / lower inner diameter 58 mm; Upper jig: cylindrical pressing jig (diameter 5 mm, made of stainless steel); Lower jig: lower pressure platen (diameter 200 mm, made of aluminum); Penetration speed: 1.0 mm / min; Penetration distance: 30 mm; The maximum stress (N) until the jig penetrates 30 mm into the sample is taken as the hardness.

7. A frozen dessert according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hardness of the frozen dessert is the same as or lower than that of a frozen dessert produced in the same manner except that the same amount of polydextrose is used instead of inulin.

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