Oil or fat composition for frozen confectionery

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an oil or fat composition for frozen confectionery, with which it is possible to produce frozen confectionery having good in-mouth meltability and shape retention. [Solution] This oil or fat composition for frozen confectionery satisfies the following conditions (a) to (g). (a) X3 is contained in an amount of 3.0-12.0 mass%. (b) X2U is contained in an amount of 25-55 mass%. (c) The mass ratio of XUX / X2U is 0.75 or more. (d) XU2 is contained in an amount of 20-40 mass%. (e) U3 is contained in an amount of 10 mass % or less. (f) C32-38 TG is contained in an amount of 3-20 mass%. (g) The mass ratio of P / St is 4.5-15.0, X represents a saturated fatty acid having 16-18 carbon atoms, U represents an unsaturated fatty acid having 18 carbon atoms, P represents palmitic acid, St represents stearin, and C32-38 TG represents a triglyceride in which the total number of carbon atoms in fatty acid residues constituting the same is 32-38.

Description

Oil and fat composition for frozen confectionery

[0001] The present invention relates to an oil and fat composition for frozen confectioneries that is suitable for producing frozen confectioneries.

[0002] Among confectioneries, frozen confectioneries, typified by ice cream, are popular among general consumers. Generally, frozen confectioneries are consumed in large quantities during the hot summer months, and it is extremely important that they are not only cold but also melt in the mouth when eaten. In recent years, frozen confectioneries have come to be eaten not only during the hot summer months but also in warm rooms during the winter months, and are now eaten throughout the year. Therefore, since frozen confectioneries are eaten in warm environments, it is extremely important that they do not melt easily at room temperature and have good shape retention. Frozen confectioneries with good melt-in-the-mouth and shape retention have been proposed in Patent Documents 1 to 4, etc.

[0003] Frozen confections are produced by mixing and emulsifying oils and fats, dairy products, sugars, emulsifiers, stabilizers, etc. in water to prepare an oil-in-water liquid mix, and then freezing the resulting mix while optionally incorporating air. Frozen confections contain a relatively low amount of oil and fat, roughly 3 to 13% by mass. However, in frozen confections, oil and fat are important components in forming the structure. The structure of frozen confections affects the melt-in-the-mouth texture and shape retention of the frozen confections. Therefore, the melt-in-the-mouth texture and shape retention of the frozen confections are significantly influenced by the oil and fat contained in the frozen confections.

[0004] For the reasons described above, the present invention focuses on the fats and oils to be blended into frozen confections, and aims to develop a fat and oil composition for frozen confections that can be used to produce frozen confections with good melt-in-the-mouth texture and shape retention.

[0005] JP 2023-85734 A JP 2022-165433 A JP 2023-150974 A JP 2013-31458 A

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an oil and fat composition for frozen confectionery, which can be used to produce frozen confectionery having good melt-in-the-mouth texture and shape retention.

[0007] As a result of intensive research to solve the above problems, the inventors have discovered that by adjusting specific triglycerides and specific fatty acids to specific compositions, it is possible to obtain an oil and fat composition for frozen confectionery that can be used to produce frozen confectionery that has good melt-in-the-mouth texture and shape retention, and have thereby completed the present invention.

[0008] That is, the first aspect of the present invention is an oil and fat composition for frozen confectionery that satisfies the following conditions (a) to (g): (a) Contains 3.0 to 12.0 mass% of X3. (b) Contains 25 to 55 mass% of X2U. (c) The mass ratio of XUX / X2U is 0.75 or more. (d) Contains 20 to 40 mass% of XU2. (e) Contains 10 mass% or less of U3. (f) Contains 3 to 20 mass% of C32-38TG. (g) The mass ratio of P / St is 4.5 to 15.0 In the above conditions (a) to (g), X, U, P, St, X3, X2U, XUX, XU2, U3, and C32-38TG respectively represent the following. X: saturated fatty acid having 16 to 18 carbon atoms; U: unsaturated fatty acid having 18 carbon atoms; P: palmitic acid; St: stearic acid; X3: triglyceride having three X molecules bonded; X2U: triglyceride having two X molecules and one U molecule bonded; XUX: triglyceride having X at positions 1 and 3 and U at position 2; XU2: triglyceride having one X molecule and two U molecules bonded; U3: triglyceride having three U molecules bonded; C32-38TG: triglyceride having a total of 32 to 38 carbon atoms in the fatty acid residues. A second aspect of the present invention is the oil and fat composition for frozen confectioneries according to the first aspect of the present invention, further satisfying the following condition (h): (h) the mass ratio of P3 / X3 is 0.65 to 0.90. In the above condition (h), P3 is a triglyceride having three P molecules bonded. The third invention of the present invention is an oil and fat composition for frozen confections according to the first or second invention, wherein the constituent fatty acids of the oil and fat satisfy the following conditions: M is contained in an amount of 3 to 25% by mass. X is contained in an amount of 30 to 55% by mass. U is contained in an amount of 30 to 55% by mass. In the above conditions, M is a saturated fatty acid having 12 to 14 carbon atoms. The fourth invention of the present invention is a mix for frozen confections containing the oil and fat composition for frozen confections according to any one of the first to third inventions. The fifth invention of the present invention is a mix for frozen confections according to the fourth invention, which contains 3 to 20% by mass of the oil and fat composition for frozen confections. The sixth invention of the present invention is a frozen confection in which the mix for frozen confections according to the fourth or fifth invention has been frozen.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an oil and fat composition for frozen confectionery, which can be used to produce frozen confectionery having good melt-in-the-mouth texture and shape retention.

[0010] An oil and fat composition for frozen confectioneries according to an embodiment of the present invention is an oil and fat composition that satisfies the following conditions (a) to (g): (a) Contains 3.0 to 12.0 mass% of X3. (b) Contains 25 to 55 mass% of X2U. (c) The mass ratio of XUX / X2U is 0.75 or more. (d) Contains 20 to 40 mass% of XU2. (e) Contains 10 mass% or less of U3. (f) Contains 3 to 20 mass% of C32-38TG. (g) The mass ratio of P / St is 4.5 to 15.0 In the above conditions (a) to (g), X, U, P, St, X3, X2U, XUX, XU2, U3C32-38TG respectively represent the following. X: saturated fatty acid with 16-18 carbon atoms U: unsaturated fatty acid with 18 carbon atoms P: palmitic acid St: stearic acid X3: triglyceride with 3 molecules of X bonded together X2U: triglyceride with 2 molecules of X and 1 molecule of U bonded together XUX: triglyceride with X bonded at the 1st and 3rd positions and U bonded at the 2nd position XU2: triglyceride with 1 molecule of X and 2 molecules of U bonded together U3: triglyceride with 3 molecules of U bonded together C32-38TG: triglyceride with a total of 32-38 carbon atoms in the constituent fatty acid residues

[0011] In the present invention, the frozen confectionery is not limited by the "Fair Competition Code for the Labeling of Ice Cream and Frozen Confectionery" (Ice Cream and Frozen Confectionery Fair Trade Council) or any other legal provisions, but refers to a food product produced by mixing and emulsifying oils and fats, milk components, sugars, emulsifiers, stabilizers, etc. into water to prepare an oil-in-water liquid mix, and then freezing the resulting mix while incorporating air as necessary.

[0012] The fat and oil composition for frozen confectioneries according to an embodiment of the present invention contains 3.0 to 12.0% by mass of X3, preferably 4.0 to 10.0% by mass, and more preferably 4.5 to 8.5% by mass (condition (a)). In the present invention, X3 is a triglyceride (XXX) in which three molecules of X are bonded. In addition, in the present invention, triglyceride refers to a triacylglycerol in which three molecules of fatty acid are bonded to glycerol. In addition, in the present invention, X is a saturated fatty acid having 16 to 18 carbon atoms.

[0013] The fat and oil composition for frozen confectioneries according to an embodiment of the present invention contains 25 to 55% by mass of X2U, preferably 30 to 53% by mass, and more preferably 35 to 50% by mass (condition (b)). In the present invention, X2U is a triglyceride in which two molecules of X and one molecule of U are bonded (XXU + XUX + UXX). In the present invention, U is an unsaturated fatty acid having 18 carbon atoms.

[0014] In an embodiment of the present invention, the fat and oil composition for frozen confectioneries has a XUX / X2U mass ratio of 0.75 or more, preferably 0.75 to 0.99, more preferably 0.80 to 0.98, and even more preferably 0.85 to 0.93 (condition (c)). In the present invention, the XUX / X2U mass ratio refers to the ratio of the XUX content (% by mass) to the X2U content (% by mass). In the present invention, XUX is a triglyceride in which X is bonded to positions 1 and 3 and U is bonded to position 2.

[0015] The fat and oil composition for frozen confectionery according to an embodiment of the present invention contains 20 to 40% by mass, preferably 23 to 38% by mass, and more preferably 25 to 35% by mass of XU2 (condition (d)). In the present invention, XU2 is a triglyceride in which one molecule of X and two molecules of U are bonded (XUU+UXU+UUX).

[0016] The fat and oil composition for frozen confectionery according to an embodiment of the present invention contains U3 in an amount of 10% by mass or less, preferably 0.1 to 10% by mass, more preferably 1 to 8% by mass, and even more preferably 2 to 6% by mass (condition (e)). In the present invention, U3 is a triglyceride (UUU) in which three U molecules are bonded.

[0017] The fat and oil composition for frozen confectioneries according to an embodiment of the present invention contains 3 to 20% by mass, preferably 4 to 18% by mass, and more preferably 5 to 15% by mass of C32-38TG (condition (f)). In the present invention, C32-38TG refers to a triglyceride in which the total number of carbon atoms in the fatty acid residues constituting the triglyceride is 32 to 38.

[0018] In the fat and oil composition for frozen confectioneries according to an embodiment of the present invention, the mass ratio of P / St is 4.5 to 15.0, preferably 5.0 to 12.0, and more preferably 5.5 to 10.0 (condition (g)). In the present invention, the mass ratio of P / St refers to the ratio of the P content (% by mass) to the St content (% by mass) in the constituent fatty acids. In the present invention, P refers to palmitic acid (a saturated fatty acid having 16 carbon atoms). In the present invention, St refers to stearic acid (a saturated fatty acid having 18 carbon atoms).

[0019] When the fat and oil composition for frozen confectioneries according to the embodiment of the present invention satisfies the ranges of conditions (a) to (g), a frozen confectionery having good melt-in-the-mouth texture and shape retention can be obtained. In the present invention, having good shape retention means that the frozen confectionery does not easily melt at room temperature.

[0020] In the fat and oil composition for frozen confectioneries according to an embodiment of the present invention, the mass ratio of P3 / X3 is preferably 0.65 to 0.90, more preferably 0.70 to 0.85, and even more preferably 0.72 to 0.83 (condition (h)). In the present invention, the mass ratio of P3 / X3 refers to the ratio of the P3 content (% by mass) to the X3 content (% by mass) in the constituent fatty acids. In the present invention, P3 is a triglyceride in which three molecules of P are bonded (PPP). When the fat and oil composition for frozen confectioneries according to an embodiment of the present invention satisfies the range of condition (h), frozen confectioneries with better melt-in-the-mouth texture can be obtained.

[0021] In the oil and fat composition for frozen confectioneries according to an embodiment of the present invention, the P2U / X2U mass ratio is preferably 0.75 or more, more preferably 0.75 to 0.97, even more preferably 0.80 to 0.95, and even more preferably 0.83 to 0.90. In the present invention, the P2U / X2U mass ratio refers to the ratio of the P2U content (% by mass) to the X2U content (% by mass) in the constituent fatty acids. In the present invention, P2U is a triglyceride in which two molecules of P and one molecule of U are bonded (PPU+PUP+UPP).

[0022] In the oil and fat composition for frozen confectioneries according to an embodiment of the present invention, the P2O / P2U mass ratio is preferably 0.70 or more, more preferably 0.70 to 0.90, even more preferably 0.73 to 0.85, and even more preferably 0.75 to 0.83. In the present invention, the P2O / P2U mass ratio refers to the ratio of the P2O content (% by mass) to the P2U content (% by mass) in the constituent fatty acids. In the present invention, P2O is a triglyceride in which two molecules of P and one molecule of O are bonded (PPO + POP + OPP). In the present invention, O is oleic acid (a monounsaturated fatty acid having 18 carbon atoms).

[0023] In the fat and oil composition for frozen confectioneries according to an embodiment of the present invention, the mass ratio of PU2 / XU2 is preferably 0.80 or more, more preferably 0.80 to 0.97, even more preferably 0.83 to 0.95, and even more preferably 0.85 to 0.93. In the present invention, the mass ratio of PU2 / XU2 refers to the ratio of the PU2 content (% by mass) to the XU2 content (% by mass) in the constituent fatty acids. In the present invention, PU2 is a triglyceride in which one molecule of P and two molecules of U are bonded (PUU+UPU+UUP).

[0024] In the oil and fat composition for frozen confectioneries according to an embodiment of the present invention, the mass ratio of PO2 / PU2 is preferably 0.60 to 0.80, more preferably 0.63 to 0.75, and even more preferably 0.65 to 0.73. In the present invention, the mass ratio of PO2 / PU2 refers to the ratio of the PO2 content (% by mass) to the PU2 content (% by mass) in the constituent fatty acids. In the present invention, PO2 is a triglyceride in which one molecule of P is bonded to two molecules of O (POO + OPO + OOP).

[0025] The fat and oil composition for frozen confectioneries according to an embodiment of the present invention preferably contains 3 to 25% by mass, more preferably 4 to 20% by mass, and even more preferably 5 to 18% by mass of M as a constituent fatty acid. In the present invention, M is a saturated fatty acid having 12 to 14 carbon atoms. Examples of M include lauric acid (a saturated fatty acid having 12 carbon atoms) and myristic acid (a saturated fatty acid having 14 carbon atoms).

[0026] The fat and oil composition for frozen confectionery according to an embodiment of the present invention preferably contains 30 to 55 mass %, more preferably 35 to 50 mass %, and even more preferably 40 to 48 mass % of X as a constituent fatty acid.

[0027] The fat and oil composition for frozen confectionery according to an embodiment of the present invention preferably contains 30 to 55 mass % of U as a constituent fatty acid, more preferably 35 to 50 mass %, and even more preferably 38 to 48 mass %.

[0028] The fat and oil composition for frozen confectioneries according to an embodiment of the present invention preferably contains 90% by mass or more of M, X, and U as constituent fatty acids in total, more preferably 93% by mass or more, even more preferably 95% by mass or more, and may also contain 99% by mass or less.

[0029] The fat and oil composition for frozen confectionery according to an embodiment of the present invention contains, as constituent fatty acids, preferably 3% by mass or less, more preferably 2% by mass or less, and even more preferably 1% by mass or less of trans fatty acids, and may contain 0.01% by mass or more, or may contain 0.1% by mass or more. In the present invention, trans fatty acids are sometimes referred to as TFAs.

[0030] The fat and oil composition for frozen confectionery according to an embodiment of the present invention may contain, in addition to fats and oils, components other than fats and oils. Specific examples of components other than fats and oils include emulsifiers, tocopherol, tea extract (e.g., catechin), antioxidants such as rutin, and flavorings. The fat and oil composition for frozen confectionery according to an embodiment of the present invention contains fats and oils in an amount of preferably 95% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, more preferably 97% by mass or more, even more preferably 99% by mass or more, or may contain 99.99% by mass or less or may contain 99.9% by mass or less, and preferably 5% by mass or less, more preferably 3% by mass or less, even more preferably 1% by mass or less, or may contain 0.01% by mass or more, or may contain 0.1% by mass or more of components other than fats and oils.

[0031] The fat and oil composition for frozen confectionery according to an embodiment of the present invention can be produced using ordinary edible fats and oils, without any particular limitation, as long as the triglyceride composition, the composition of constituent fatty acids, etc. are within the above-mentioned ranges. Examples of edible fats and oils used to produce the fat and oil composition for frozen confectionery according to an embodiment of the present invention include palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, milk fat, butter oil, cocoa butter, shea butter, sal fat, illipe fat, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, sesame oil, olive oil, milk fat, etc., as well as processed fats and oils thereof (hydrogenated oil, fractionated oil, interesterified oil), etc. Two or more of the above edible fats and oils can also be used in combination.

[0032] In the production of the fat and oil composition for frozen confectionery according to the embodiment of the present invention, palm-based fats and oils and lauric fats are preferably used.

[0033] In the present invention, palm-based fats and oils refer to palm oil and processed palm oils such as palm fractionated oils. Furthermore, in the present invention, processed palm fractionated oils and oils such as interesterified palm fractionated oils are also considered palm-based fats and oils. Specific examples of palm-based fats and oils include palm oil, palm olein, interesterified palm olein, palm stearin, and palm mid fraction (palm mid fraction (PMF)). In the present invention, one or more palm-based fats and oils can be used in combination. The palm-based fats and oils used in the production of the oil-and-fat composition for frozen confectionery according to an embodiment of the present invention are preferably palm oil, palm olein, palm mid fraction, and palm stearin. The iodine value of the palm olein is preferably 50 to 70, more preferably 50 to 60. The iodine value of the palm mid fraction is preferably 35 to 55, more preferably 40 to 50. The iodine value of the palm stearin is preferably 20 to 40, more preferably 25 to 35.

[0034] In the present invention, the lauric fat refers to a fat containing 30% by mass or more of lauric acid among the fatty acids constituting the fat. Specific examples of the lauric fat include coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and fractionated oils thereof, interesterified coconut oil, and hardened oil. In the present invention, one or more lauric fats can be used in combination. The lauric fat used in the production of the fat composition for frozen confectionery according to an embodiment of the present invention is preferably coconut oil or extremely hardened coconut oil.

[0035] The oil and fat composition for frozen confectioneries according to an embodiment of the present invention preferably contains 75 to 95% by mass of palm-based oil and 5 to 25% by mass of lauric oil, more preferably 80 to 90% by mass of palm-based oil and 10 to 20% by mass of lauric oil. The palm-based oil and fat preferably contains 55 to 90% by mass of palm oil, 0 to 35% by mass of palm olein, 0 to 35% by mass of palm mid-fraction, and 0 to 10% by mass of palm stearin, more preferably 60 to 85% by mass of palm oil, 5 to 20% by mass of palm olein, 5 to 20% by mass of palm mid-fraction, and 0 to 5% by mass of palm stearin.

[0036] The triglyceride content of fats and oils can be measured by gas chromatography (JAOCS, vol. 70, 11, 1111-1114 (1993)), silver ion column-HPLC (J. High Resol. Chromatogr., 18, 105-107 (1995)), and gas chromatography (AOCS Ce5-86). The fatty acid content of fats and oils can be measured by gas chromatography (AOCS Ce1f-96). The iodine value of fats and oils can be measured in accordance with "2.3.4.1-2013 Iodine Value (Wiess-Cyclohexane Method)" of "Standard Methods for the Analysis of Fats, Oils, and Related Materials (edited by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society)."

[0037] A mix for frozen confectioneries according to an embodiment of the present invention contains the oil-and-fat composition for frozen confectioneries according to an embodiment of the present invention. The mix for frozen confectioneries according to an embodiment of the present invention preferably contains 3 to 20% by mass, more preferably 4 to 15% by mass, and even more preferably 5 to 10% by mass of the oil-and-fat composition for frozen confectioneries according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] In addition to the oil and fat composition for frozen confectionery according to the embodiment of the present invention, the mix for frozen confectionery according to the embodiment of the present invention can contain ingredients typically used in the production of mixes for frozen confectionery, such as water, dairy products, sugars, emulsifiers, stabilizers, flavorings, and flavoring agents. Examples of dairy products include milk, skim milk, fresh cream, butter, skim milk powder, whole milk powder, sweetened condensed whole milk, sweetened skim milk powder, and concentrated milk. Examples of sugars include sugar, glucose, fructose, isomerized sugar, starch syrup, powdered syrup, and dextrin. Examples of emulsifiers include lecithin, sucrose fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, glycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, organic acid monoglycerides, and polysorbates. Examples of the stabilizer include gums such as guar gum, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, gellan gum, and gum arabic, corn starch, carrageenan, sodium alginate, CMC, fine cellulose, gelatin, agar, and pectin, as well as salts such as phosphates. Examples of the flavoring agent include cacao mass, cocoa powder, fruit juice, and fruit pulp.

[0039] The frozen confectionery mix according to the embodiment of the present invention can be produced by a general method for producing an oil-in-water emulsion, for example, by dissolving dairy products such as milk, cream, butter, and skim milk powder, sugars such as sugar and dextrin, edible oils and fats, emulsifiers, stabilizers, etc. in water under heating, and then aging the mixture in a homogenizer.

[0040] The frozen confectionery according to the embodiment of the present invention is a frozen confectionery obtained using the mix for frozen confectionery according to the embodiment of the present invention. The frozen confectionery according to the embodiment of the present invention can be produced, for example, by adding a flavoring, a taste-imparting agent, etc. to the mix for frozen confectionery according to the embodiment of the present invention as needed, freezing the mixture, and then subjecting it to a freeze-hardening process.

[0041] The frozen confectionery according to the embodiment of the present invention is preferably ice cream, more preferably ice cream, ice milk, or lacto ice cream, and even more preferably ice milk or lacto ice cream. Note that the ice cream, ice cream, ice milk, and lacto ice cream in the present invention refer to the ice cream, ice cream, ice milk, and lacto ice cream defined in the "Fair Competition Code for the Labeling of Ice Cream and Frozen Confectionery" (Ice Cream and Frozen Confectionery Fair Trade Council).

[0042] The frozen snacks according to the embodiments of the present invention have good melt-in-the-mouth texture and shape retention.

[0043] The present invention will now be described with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0044] [Analysis Method] The triglyceride content of the oils and fats was measured by gas chromatography (JAOCS, vol. 70, 11, 1111-1114 (1993)), silver ion column-HPLC (J. High Resol. Chromatogr., 18, 105-107 (1995)), and gas chromatography (AOCS Ce5-86). The fatty acid content of the oils and fats was measured by gas chromatography (AOCS Ce1f-96). The iodine value of the oils and fats was measured in accordance with "2.3.4.1-2013 Iodine Value (Wiess-Cyclohexane Method)" of "Standard Methods for the Analysis of Fats, Oils, and Related Materials (compiled by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society)."

[0045] [Oils and fats used] Palm oil will be referred to as PO below. Palm olein (iodine value 56) will be referred to as PL below. Palm stearin (iodine value 32) will be referred to as PS below. Palm mid-melting point fraction (iodine value 45) will be referred to as PMF below. Coconut oil will be referred to as CO below. Extremely hardened palm oil will be referred to as CFHO below. Palm kernel oil will be referred to as PKO below.

[0046] [Production of fat and oil compositions for frozen confectioneries] The fat and oil compositions for frozen confectioneries of Examples 1 to 7 were produced by mixing melted fats and oils in the proportions shown in Tables 1 and 2. The fatty acid content and triglyceride content of the obtained fat and oil compositions for frozen confectioneries were measured according to the analytical methods described above. The measurement results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. The units of the proportions and contents are % by mass (no units for mass ratios).

[0047]

[0048]

[0049] [Production of Mixes for Frozen Confectionery and Frozen Confectionery] Mixes for frozen confectionery having the formulations shown in Table 3 were prepared according to the following procedure using the oil and fat compositions for frozen confectionery of Examples 1 to 7. Furthermore, frozen confectionery (lacto ice cream) was prepared according to the following procedure using the prepared mixes for frozen confectionery. The formulation units are in mass %. The prepared frozen confectionery was evaluated for melt-in-the-mouth texture and shape retention according to the following evaluation methods. The results are shown in Tables 4 and 5.

[0050] [Method for producing frozen confectionery mix and frozen confectionery] The components of the aqueous phase, such as skim milk powder, starch syrup, sugar, and water, were mixed and heated to 70°C with stirring, after which the components of the oil phase were added and the temperature was further raised to 80°C. The mixture was then finely homogenized using a homogenizer to prepare a mix for frozen confectionery. Each of the prepared frozen confectionery mixes was frozen using an ice cream maker and the overrun was adjusted to 80, yielding the frozen confectionery (lacto ice cream) of Examples 8 to 14 (those with an overrun that did not reach 80 were adjusted to the maximum overrun).

[0051]

[0052] [Evaluation of melt-in-the-mouth feel of frozen sweets] Each frozen sweet (lacto ice cream) stored at -20°C for 24 hours was tasted by a panel of five experts and scored according to the following evaluation criteria. A comprehensive evaluation was made according to the following criteria based on the total score. An overall evaluation of ◎, ○, or △ was considered to be a pass. (Evaluation criteria for melt-in-the-mouth feel) 3 points: Very good melt-in-the-mouth 2 points: Good melt-in-the-mouth 1 point: Average 0 point: Poor melt-in-the-mouth (Overall evaluation criteria) Total score Evaluation 13 to 15 points ◎ (Very good) 9 to 12 points ○ (Good) 5 to 8 points △ (Average) 0 to 4 points × (Bad)

[0053] [Evaluation of shape retention of frozen confectionery] A tray and a wire mesh are placed on top of it in a desiccator at 20°C. A certain weight of frozen confectionery (lacto ice) that has been kept at -20°C for at least 12 hours is placed on the wire mesh and measurement begins. The weight of the frozen confectionery that has fallen onto the tray is measured every 10 minutes for 120 minutes. The falling rate is calculated using the following formula. A falling rate of 60% or less after 120 minutes is considered to be acceptable. Fall rate (%) = weight of frozen confectionery that has fallen onto the tray / weight of frozen confectionery before measurement began x 100

[0054]

[0055]

[0056] As can be seen from Tables 4 and 5, the frozen confectioneries produced using the oil and fat compositions of the Examples had good melt-in-the-mouth texture and shape retention.

Claims

1. An oil and fat composition for frozen confectioneries that satisfies the following conditions (a) to (g): (a) Contains 3.0 to 12.0 mass% of X3. (b) Contains 25 to 55 mass% of X2U. (c) The mass ratio of XUX / X2U is 0.75 or more. (d) Contains 20 to 40 mass% of XU2. (e) Contains 10 mass% or less of U3. (f) Contains 3 to 20 mass% of C32-38TG. (g) The mass ratio of P / St is 4.5 to 15.

0. In the above conditions (a) to (g), X, U, P, St, X3, X2U, XUX, XU2, U3, and C32-38TG respectively represent the following: X: saturated fatty acid with 16-18 carbon atoms U: unsaturated fatty acid with 18 carbon atoms P: palmitic acid St: stearic acid X3: triglyceride with 3 molecules of X bonded together X2U: triglyceride with 2 molecules of X and 1 molecule of U bonded together XUX: triglyceride with X bonded at the 1st and 3rd positions and U bonded at the 2nd position XU2: triglyceride with 1 molecule of X and 2 molecules of U bonded together U3: triglyceride with 3 molecules of U bonded together C32-38TG: triglyceride with a total of 32-38 carbon atoms in the constituent fatty acid residues 2. The fat and oil composition for frozen confectioneries according to claim 1, further satisfying the following condition (h): (h) the mass ratio of P3 / X3 is 0.65 to 0.

90. In the above condition (h), P3 is a triglyceride in which three molecules of P are bonded.

3. The oil and fat composition for frozen confectioneries according to claim 1, wherein the constituent fatty acids of the oil and fat satisfy the following conditions: M is contained in an amount of 3 to 25% by mass, X is contained in an amount of 30 to 55% by mass, and U is contained in an amount of 30 to 55% by mass. In the above conditions, M is a saturated fatty acid having 12 to 14 carbon atoms.

4. A mix for frozen confectionery containing the fat and oil composition for frozen confectionery according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A mix for frozen confectioneries according to claim 4, containing 3 to 20% by mass of the oil and fat composition for frozen confectioneries.

6. A frozen confectionery in which the mix for frozen confectionery according to claim 4 is in a frozen state.

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