Composition and method for producing young barley leaf-containing food and beverages

Abstract

The present invention relates to a composition characterized by containing young barley leaves and having a viscosity of 500-100,000 mPa·s. The composition preferably further contains water. The content of young barley leaves in the composition is preferably 10 mass% or greater. The content of water in the composition is preferably 30 mass% or greater. The present invention also provides a method for producing young barley leaf-containing food and beverages using the composition. The production method preferably comprises a step of mixing young barley leaves and water such that the content of young barley leaves in the composition is 10 mass% or greater.

Description

Composition and method for producing food and drink products containing young barley leaves

[0001] The present invention relates to a composition containing young barley leaves and a method for producing food and drink products containing young barley leaves using the same.

[0002] In recent years, due to the trend towards health consciousness, young barley leaves rich in nutrients have attracted attention. Young barley leaves are mainly distributed in the form of powdered beverages that consumers suspend in liquids such as water when ingesting. In addition to powdered beverages, liquid beverage forms are also known (Non-Patent Document 1). Also, young barley leaves have a flavor similar to matcha and can be deliciously ingested when blended into general foods. Therefore, in recent years, powdered young barley leaf beverages (young barley leaf powder) are often used as raw materials for bread, cakes, cookies, etc. (for example, Non-Patent Document 2).

[0003] https: / / www.itoen.jp / products / 41542 / , Internet search on September 6, 2024 https: / / www.kanpo-yamamoto.com / oomugi / recipe_24.html, Internet search on September 6, 2024

[0004] However, since young barley leaf powder is prone to dusting, when used as a raw material for food and drink products, the cooking area is often soiled. Also, the powder of young barley leaves, especially pulverized powder, is prone to forming lumps, so it takes time to mix uniformly with other raw materials. Therefore, there is a demand for the development of a composition containing young barley leaves that does not dust and has excellent handling properties as a raw material for food and drink products.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a composition having good dispersion stability of young barley leaves and excellent handling properties as a raw material for food and drink products.

[0006] As a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have found that a composition obtained by mixing young barley leaves with a liquid and adjusting the viscosity to a specific range has good dispersion stability of young barley leaves in the composition and excellent handling properties as a raw material for food and drink products.

[0007] The present invention is based on the above findings and provides a composition containing barley grass and having a viscosity of 500 mPa·s to 100,000 mPa·s.

[0008] The composition of the present invention exhibits excellent dispersion stability for young barley leaves and is easy to handle as a raw material for food and beverages, thus enabling improvements in the quality and manufacturing efficiency of food and beverages.

[0009] One of the characteristics of the composition of the present invention is that it contains young barley leaves. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant belonging to the grass family, native to Central Asia, and is broadly classified into two-row barley, six-row barley, etc., depending on the shape of the ear. While barley is often used as a grain for its grain (seeds), the present invention utilizes the young leaves. Comparing barley seeds and young leaves, barley grains are mainly composed of starch (carbohydrates), while young barley leaves are mainly composed of dietary fiber and protein, resulting in completely different component compositions. The barley variety used for the young barley leaves of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is commonly available, and young barley leaves of any variety, such as two-row barley or six-row barley, may be used. Young barley leaves refer to the leaves of barley before the start of heading, and in the present invention, the stem may also be included along with the young leaves.

[0010] Generally, barley grass is known in the form of pulverized powder, juice, and extract. Pulverized powder refers to powder obtained by pulverizing barley grass. Preferably, pulverized powder is obtained by drying and pulverizing barley grass. Juice can be the juice itself or powder obtained by concentrating the juice at low temperature to concentrate the solids, and then freeze-drying or spray-drying the concentrate. Extracts can be barley grass extracts obtained using water (warm water, hot water), ethanol, aqueous ethanol, etc., or powders obtained by freeze-drying or spray-drying the extract. In the composition of the present invention, it is typically preferable to include pulverized barley grass as the barley grass. Unlike juice and extracts, pulverized barley grass is particularly preferable from the viewpoint of nutritional intake because it is rich in insoluble dietary fiber derived from barley grass. Furthermore, in the case of pulverized barley grass, since the barley grass is easily separated in the composition, the effect of the present invention, which is improved dispersion stability in the composition, can be enjoyed to the fullest extent. Furthermore, since the powdered barley grass is prone to becoming airborne, the effects of the present invention, such as improved ease of manufacturing food and beverages by suppressing airborne particles, can be more fully enjoyed.

[0011] The crushed barley grass powder preferably has a volume cumulative particle size of 50 μm or less at a cumulative volume of 50%, in order to fully demonstrate the effect of the present invention, which can improve the dispersibility of barley grass by setting a specific viscosity. It is more preferably 40 μm or less, and particularly preferably 30 μm or less. Furthermore, the crushed barley grass powder preferably has a volume cumulative particle size of 5 μm or more at a cumulative volume of 50%, in order to facilitate dispersibility. From this viewpoint, the crushed barley grass powder preferably has a volume cumulative particle size of 10 μm or more at a cumulative volume of 50%, and more preferably 13 μm or more. The volume cumulative particle size at a cumulative volume of 50% is also called the median diameter.

[0012] To further enhance the excellent dispersibility and handling properties of the composition of the present invention, when the composition contains crushed barley grass powder, it is preferable that the cumulative volume percentage of particles with a particle size of 75 μm or less in the crushed barley grass powder contained in the composition of the present invention be 70% by volume or more, more preferably 80% by volume or more, and particularly preferably 90% by volume or more.

[0013] To further enhance the effect of achieving both dispersibility and handling ease with the composition of the present invention, when the composition contains crushed barley grass powder, it is preferable that the cumulative volume percentage of crushed barley grass powder with a particle size of 5 μm or more in the composition of the present invention be 50% by volume or more, more preferably 60% by volume or more, and particularly preferably 70% by volume or more.

[0014] The volume-cumulative particle size, the volume-cumulative percentage of particle size 50 μm or less, and the volume-cumulative percentage of particle size 5 μm or more in the barley grass composition of the present invention can be measured, for example, by a particle size distribution analyzer that uses laser diffraction / scattering as its measurement principle.

[0015] The crushed barley grass powder preferably contains 5% by mass or more of insoluble dietary fiber, more preferably 10% by mass or more, and even more preferably 20% by mass or more, in order to easily achieve the viscosity described above. The upper limit may be, for example, 70% by mass. The amount of insoluble dietary fiber is measured by the modified Prosky method. In the examples described later, crushed barley grass powder containing 20 to 70% by mass of insoluble dietary fiber is used.

[0016] The crushed barley grass powder preferably contains 0.01% by mass or more of water-soluble dietary fiber, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.1% by mass or more, in order to easily achieve the viscosity described above. The upper limit may be, for example, 10% by mass. The amount of water-soluble dietary fiber is measured by the modified Prosky method. In the examples described later, crushed barley grass powder containing 0.1 to 10% by mass of water-soluble dietary fiber is used.

[0017] Specific methods for grinding and pulverizing barley grass include, for example, cutting the barley grass, blanching it, drying it, and then grinding it. Other methods include cutting the barley grass, blanching it, kneading it, drying it, and then grinding it; or drying the barley grass, coarsely grinding it, heating it at 110°C or higher, and then finely grinding it. The blanching process involves treating the barley grass in hot water or steam at 80 to 100°C, more preferably 90 to 100°C, for 60 to 180 seconds, more preferably 90 to 120 seconds. The drying process involves drying the barley grass so that its moisture content is preferably 10% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 5% by mass or less. Drying by heating is preferably carried out at 40°C to 140°C, more preferably 80 to 130°C. The grinding process can be carried out using a cutter, crusher, mill, blender, millstone, mixer, etc. For example, a method is preferred in which coarse grinding is performed using a cutter, crusher, mixer, etc., followed by fine grinding using a mill such as a jet mill. The ground material can be sieved as appropriate.

[0018] The composition of the present invention is characterized by containing young barley leaves and having a viscosity of 500 mPa·s to 100,000 mPa·s. If the viscosity is lower than 500 mPa·s, the shape retention is poor, and even if filled into a container such as a tube, the contents will spill out when the lid is opened and the container is tilted. On the other hand, if the viscosity exceeds 100,000 mPa·s, when filled into a container such as a tube, it becomes too hard and difficult to squeeze out of the tube. The composition of the present invention has a viscosity above a predetermined level, so it has good shape retention, the contents do not spill out even when filled into a container and the lid is opened and the container is tilted, and it can be easily squeezed out when filled into a tube, etc., thus achieving both shape retention and ease of handling, and is excellent as a raw material for food and beverages.

[0019] The viscosity of the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is 500 mPa·s or higher, but from the viewpoint of excellent dispersion stability of barley grass in the composition and shape retention of the composition, it is preferably 1,000 mPa·s or higher, more preferably 3,000 mPa·s or higher, even more preferably 4,000 mPa·s or higher, even more preferably 5,000 mPa·s or higher, particularly preferably 8,000 mPa·s or higher, and particularly preferably 10,000 mPa·s or higher. Furthermore, while the viscosity of the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is 100,000 mPa·s or less, from the viewpoint of ease of squeezing when filled into tubes, etc., and excellent operability, it is preferably 80,000 mPa·s or less, more preferably 60,000 mPa·s or less, even more preferably 50,000 mPa·s or less, particularly preferably 40,000 mPa·s or less, and especially preferably 30,000 mPa·s or less. Having a viscosity below the above values ​​results in excellent dispersibility, compatibility, and handling properties as described above. The viscosity in the present invention shall be measured at 20°C. As a method for adjusting the composition of the present invention to the above viscosity, one example is to adjust the composition of barley and the content of young barley leaves, and then mix and stir the liquid (specifically water) and young barley leaves. For example, the higher the content of young barley leaves, the higher the viscosity, and the lower the content, the lower the viscosity. In addition to the direct impact of the presence of the crushed barley grass powder on viscosity, the slight leaching of dietary fiber from the powder can also affect viscosity. If viscosity needs to be increased without changing the barley grass content, a thickening agent can be added. The stirring method described later is one option.

[0020] In this specification, the viscosity of a composition containing barley grass is measured using a rotational viscometer (e.g., Brookfield's Type B viscometer "Analog Viscometer RVT") at a measurement temperature of 20°C. The measurement conditions (spindle number and rotation speed) should be selected according to the procedure in the instruction manual, depending on the viscosity of the composition. For example, a viscosity of approximately 10 mPa·s can be measured using spindle No. 3 and a rotation speed of 100 rpm; a viscosity of approximately 100 to 800 mPa·s can be measured using spindle No. 4 and a rotation speed of 20 rpm; a viscosity of approximately 800 to 5,000 mPa·s can be measured using spindle No. 4 and a rotation speed of 5 to 10 rpm; and a viscosity exceeding 10,000 can be measured using spindle No. 6 and a rotation speed of 5 to 10 rpm.

[0021] In the composition of the present invention, the barley grass content is preferably 5% by mass or more, more preferably 10% by mass or more, even more preferably 12% by mass or more, even more preferably 14% by mass or more, even more preferably 15% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 16.5% by mass or more. Having a barley grass content above the lower limit makes it easier to adjust the viscosity of the composition to the aforementioned range. Furthermore, increasing the barley grass content in the composition reduces the volume of the composition per unit amount of barley grass, thus reducing transportation costs and allowing for storage in confined spaces.

[0022] In the composition of the present invention, the barley grass content is preferably 50% by mass or less, preferably 45% by mass or less, more preferably 40% by mass or less, even more preferably 35% by mass or less, even more preferably 30% by mass or less, even more preferably 25% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 20% by mass or less. By keeping the barley grass content below the above upper limit, the viscosity can be easily adjusted to the above range. Furthermore, by setting the barley grass content below the above upper limit and the composition to the viscosity described above, a composition with excellent handling properties is obtained when used in the manufacture of food and beverages. The barley grass content described above is the dry mass and can be determined by a heat drying method in which the material is heated at atmospheric pressure and a drying temperature of 110°C until a constant weight is obtained.

[0023] The compositions of the present invention typically preferably contain water. Specifically, the water content of the compositions of the present invention is preferably 30% by mass or more, more preferably 40% by mass or more, even more preferably 50% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 60% by mass or more. On the other hand, in order to ensure the content of components other than water and improve handling and dispersibility, the water content of the compositions of the present invention is preferably 99% by mass or less, more preferably 97% by mass or less, even more preferably 95% by mass or less, particularly preferably 90% by mass or less, and especially preferably 85% by mass or less. The water content of the compositions of the present invention can be determined by a heat drying method in which the material is heated at a drying temperature of 110°C under normal pressure until a constant weight is reached.

[0024] The composition of the present invention is stable as a composition, with barley grass not easily separated regardless of pH. Therefore, the pH of the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of not imparting sourness to food and beverages when used as an ingredient, the pH is preferably 3 or higher, more preferably 4 or higher, even more preferably 4.5 or higher, and particularly preferably 5 or higher. Furthermore, since a bitter taste may be perceived if the composition is strongly alkaline, from the viewpoint of not imparting bitterness to food and beverages when used as an ingredient, the pH of the composition of the present invention is preferably 9 or lower, more preferably 8 or lower, particularly preferably 7.5 or lower, and particularly preferably 7 or lower.

[0025] The composition of the present invention may or may not contain a thickening agent. Even without a thickening agent, if the aforementioned viscosity is obtained by dispersing barley grass in water, the composition of the present invention can be obtained with good dispersibility and easy handling. The thickening agent is a component that does not originate from barley grass and is a component that thickens liquids containing water (sometimes also called a thickening stabilizer, gelling agent, etc.). Thickening agents include polysaccharides such as xanthan gum, succinoglycan, carrageenan, guar gum, locust bean gum, galactan, gum arabic, tragacanth gum, tamarind gum, agar, agarose, mannan, hyaluronic acid and its salts, chondroitin sulfate and its salts, curdlan, pectin, alginic acid and its salts, citrus fiber, proteins such as gelatin and their decomposition products, starch derivatives such as pregelatinized starch, carboxymethyl starch and its salts, acrylic acid graft starch and its salts, hydroxypropyl cellulose and its derivatives, hydroxyethyl cellulose and its derivatives, and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose Examples include hydrophilic synthetic polymers such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose derivatives such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose having hydrocarbon groups such as stearyl groups, sulfonated cellulose derivatives, carboxymethylcellulose and its derivatives and their salts, carboxymethyl ethylcellulose and its salts, cellulose acetate phthalate, cationized cellulose such as O-[2-hydroxy-3-(trimethylammonio)propyl]hydroxyethylcellulose chloride (also known as "polyquaternium-10"), ethylcellulose, chlorocarmellose and its salts, and other cellulose derivatives.

[0026] If the composition of the present invention contains a thickening agent, its content may be 0.1% by mass or more, 0.2% by mass or more, or 0.3% by mass or more. Furthermore, as described above, the composition of the present invention may not contain a thickening agent or may have a low content thereof, for example, 10% by mass or less, 3% by mass or less, 1% by mass or less, 0.5% by mass or less, 0.3% by mass or less, or may not contain a thickening agent at all. In this specification, "not containing a thickening agent" means that the content of the thickening agent is 0.1% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.01% by mass or less.

[0027] Furthermore, if the composition of the present invention contains a thickening agent, the amount of the thickening agent may be more or less than 100 parts by mass of barley grass, but it is preferable that it be less, preferably 100 parts by mass or less, more preferably 50 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 10 parts by mass or less, and most preferably 1 part by mass or less.

[0028] The composition of the present invention may contain components other than water, barley grass, and thickeners (hereinafter also referred to as "other components"). Examples of such other components include oils and fats, emulsifiers, pH adjusters, antioxidants, etc. The content of such other components in the composition of the present invention is preferably 30% by mass or less, more preferably 20% by mass or less, even more preferably 10% by mass or less, even more preferably 5% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 3% by mass or less.

[0029] One method for obtaining the viscosity of the composition of the present invention is to stir and mix a material to be processed, which typically contains crushed barley grass and water. A stirring method used in this case is to rotate a stirring blade using power from a motor, engine, or the like. To successfully adjust to the viscosity, the rotation speed (rpm) of the material being stirred is preferably 400 to 2000 rpm, and more preferably 500 to 1500 rpm, for 100 to 3000 g of material. To successfully adjust to the viscosity, the stirring time is preferably 5 to 40 minutes, and more preferably 10 to 30 minutes. The stirring time of the material is the time during which the material is stirred by the dynamic stirring means. If stirring is intermittent, it is the sum of the stirring times in each stirring stage. For example, in the case of a continuous stirring device, it is the time the material passes through the stirring device (residence time), that is, the time it takes for the material to travel from the inlet to the outlet of the stirring device. Sufficient stirring ensures uniform viscosity in the composition.

[0030] The composition of the present invention is preferably a packaged composition, that is, a composition filled in a container, in terms of ease of handling as a raw material for food and beverages. When the composition of the present invention is filled in a container, the container is preferably a tube, vial, bottle, or glass bottle. The container is preferably made of a flexible material. Examples of flexible materials include PET, polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (high-density polyethylene: HDPE, low-density polyethylene: LDPE), and aluminum. For example, as a flexible material, a single-layer or multi-layer material of the above material, or a laminate material combining one or more of the above materials can be used. The container is preferably one in which the contents are stored inside a flexible container and the contents are pushed out from the opening of the container by pressing the container. Examples of such containers include tubes or pouches with spouts (pouches with caps). In the case of a tube, for example, the diameter (inner diameter) of the extrusion opening is preferably 1 to 20 mm, and more preferably 3 to 8 mm. If the extrusion opening is not circular, this diameter is the area-converted diameter. Furthermore, although not limited, the capacity of the tube is preferably 20 to 500 ml, and more preferably 30 to 300 ml. In addition, the length of the tube (length from the tube extrusion opening to the bottom of the tube with the cap removed) is preferably 5 to 20 cm, and more preferably 8 to 15 cm. The bottom of the tube refers to the end opposite the extrusion opening in the direction parallel to the extrusion direction of the tube. The bottom diameter of the tube is preferably 10 to 100 mm, and more preferably 20 to 50 mm. Here, the bottom diameter of the tube is the diameter of the projected image of the bottom of the tube viewed from the extrusion direction, i.e., from the bottom side of the tube, and if the projected image is not circular, it is the area-converted diameter of the projected area. In the case of a spout pouch, although not limited, the capacity of the pouch is preferably 100 to 1000 ml, and more preferably 200 to 500 ml. The spout opening diameter is preferably 5 to 18 mm, and more preferably 8 to 10 mm.

[0031] The composition of the present invention may be used as is in food and beverages, but it is preferable to use it as a raw material for food and beverages because it exhibits good dispersibility with other raw materials and is easy to handle. In other words, the composition of the present invention is preferably a composition for food and beverage raw materials. For example, food and beverages include beverages; dough foods; and other cooked foods. Examples of beverages include vegetable juices, fruit juices, green juices, juices, shakes, and smoothies made by adding additives or other plant processed products to these, soft drinks, carbonated drinks, and lactic acid bacteria drinks. Examples of dough foods include bakery foods, noodles, and coatings for fried foods. Examples of bakery foods include breads such as white bread, sweet breads, French bread, English bread, muffins, steamed buns, donuts, and waffles, as well as cakes such as butter cakes, sponge cakes, chiffon cakes, and pancakes, and cookies. Examples of noodles include udon, somen, ramen, and pasta. Examples of coatings include batter and batter. Furthermore, frozen desserts such as sherbet and ice cream, and jellies can also be used. Other prepared foods include soups such as curry, stew, miso soup, and vegetable soup, as well as their base ingredients.

[0032] When the composition of the present invention is used in the preparation of food and beverages by mixing it with other raw materials, it is preferable to mix the composition of the present invention with other raw materials such that the content of barley grass in the food and beverage is preferably 20% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 5% by mass or less, in order to ensure good dispersibility and handling of the barley grass. Furthermore, it is preferable to mix the composition of the present invention with other raw materials such that the content of barley grass in the food and beverage is preferably 0.01% by mass or more, more preferably 0.1% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 0.3% by mass or more, in order to easily exhibit the effect of dispersibility of the barley grass.

[0033] Furthermore, when preparing food or beverages using the composition of the present invention, it is preferable to mix the composition of the present invention with other ingredients in an amount of 0.1 to 50% by mass of the total amount of all ingredients in the food or beverage, more preferably 0.5 to 30% by mass, and particularly preferably 1 to 20% by mass.

[0034] Other ingredients include aqueous liquids such as water, soy milk, and cow's milk; emulsifiers; sugars such as monosaccharides and oligosaccharides, sweeteners, inorganic seasonings such as salt and potassium chloride, acidulants, and various extracts; dairy products such as skim milk powder, casein, whey powder, skim concentrated milk, and protein-concentrated whey; colorants such as various synthetic and natural pigments; antioxidants such as tocopherol and tea extract; plant proteins such as wheat protein and soy protein; animal proteins such as gelatin and their hydrolysates; whole eggs, egg yolks, enzyme-treated egg yolks, egg whites, and egg proteins. Examples of food additives include eggs and various egg products; pH adjusters; preservatives such as shelf-life agents; grain flours such as wheat flour, rice flour, corn flour, potato flour, tapioca flour, and sweet potato flour; processed grain flours such as pregelatinized wheat flour; starches such as potato starch and tapioca starch; modified starches obtained by etherification, esterification, pregelatinization, cross-linking, oxidation, and oil processing; legumes such as soybeans and broad beans; polysaccharides such as dextrin, dietary fiber, and thickening polysaccharides; food ingredients such as fruit juices, fruits, vegetables, meat, and seafood; spices; and other food additives.

[0035] In particular, it is preferable that the composition of the present invention includes one or more other raw materials selected from grain flour, processed grain flour, starch, and modified starch (hereinafter collectively referred to as "grain flours"), as this exhibits excellent dispersibility of young barley grass.

[0036] When the composition of the present invention is used as an ingredient for a dough food, other ingredients may include, for example, flours, water, and, if necessary, yeast or leavening agents (such as baking powder), eggs, salt, sugars, sweeteners, oils and fats, emulsifiers, etc. A method for preparing a dough food using the composition of the present invention may include, for example, a manufacturing method in which the aforementioned other ingredients and the composition of the present invention are mixed to prepare a dough, and the resulting dough is heated. Heating methods may include baking, steaming, frying, etc.

[0037] The present invention provides a method for producing food and beverages using the above-described composition. The above-described description of the composition of the present invention can be applied without particular limitation to the description of the production method.

[0038] The present invention also proposes the following: [1] A composition containing barley grass and having a viscosity of 500 mPa·s or more and 100,000 mPa·s or less. [2] A composition for food and beverage ingredients containing barley grass and having a viscosity of 500 mPa·s or more and 100,000 mPa·s or less. [3] The composition according to [1] or [2], further containing water. [4] The composition according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the barley grass content in the composition is 10% by mass or more. [5] The composition according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the water content in the composition is 30% by mass or more. [6] The composition according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the barley grass is in the form of a pulverized powder. [7] The composition according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the pH of the composition is 3 to 9. [8] A composition according to any one of [1] to [7], which is used as an ingredient for food and beverages. [9] A composition according to any one of [1] to [8], characterized in that it is a packaged composition.

[10] The composition according to [9], characterized in that the container is a tube-shaped container or a pouch with a spout.

[11] A method for producing food and beverages containing barley grass, using the composition according to any one of [1] to

[10] .

[12] A method for producing the composition according to any one of [1] to

[10] , comprising the step of mixing barley grass and water so that the barley grass content in the composition is 10% by mass or more.

[0039] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples, and can take various forms as long as it can solve the problems of the present invention.

[0040] (1) Evaluation of the barley grass-containing composition [Production of barley grass powder] As raw material, the above-ground parts (leaves and stems) of barley harvested when the plants were about 30 cm tall and before heading began were used. These were washed with water to remove any attached mud, and then pre-treated by cutting them into pieces about 5-10 cm in size. The pre-treated barley grass was blanched once in hot water at 90-100°C for 90-120 seconds, and then cooled with cold water. Subsequently, the obtained barley grass was dried in a dryer with hot air at 80-130°C for 20-180 minutes until the moisture content was 5% by mass or less. The dried barley grass was coarsely ground to a size of about 1 mm. The obtained barley grass was finely ground and sieved to produce barley grass powder with a median diameter of 20 μm, a proportion of 5 μm or larger of 70% by volume or more, and a proportion of 75 μm or smaller of 90% by volume or less. The median diameter was measured using a laser diffraction / scattering particle size distribution analyzer (LMS-350: manufactured by Seishin Corporation) under the following conditions: Dispersion medium: Ethanol Refractive index: 1.330-0.00i Shape factor: 1.000

[0041] [Production of Barley Grass-Containing Compositions] Each raw material was added in the proportions shown in Tables 1 and 2. 1000 g of the mixture was mixed using a propeller-type agitator "ASONEHIGH-POWERMIXERSM-101" at a rotation speed of 1000 rpm for 15 minutes to produce the barley grass-containing compositions of Examples 1 to 12 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3. For Examples 9 to 12, the pH was adjusted to match Table 1 by appropriately adding sodium bicarbonate or citric acid. For each of the obtained compositions, the pH at 20°C was measured using a pH meter "Seven Easy" (manufactured by METTLERTOLEDO), and the viscosity at 20°C was measured using an analog viscometer "RVT" (manufactured by BROOKFIELD). The spindle and rotation speed were determined according to the procedure in the instruction manual, using spindle No. Measurements were taken by selecting appropriate conditions from among 3 to 6 rotation speeds and 5 to 100 rpm, depending on the viscosity of the composition.

[0042] [Evaluation of the Stability of the Composition] The manufactured composition containing young barley leaves was left standing at room temperature (temperature 25 °C) for 10 minutes. After standing, the young barley leaf composition was visually observed and evaluated according to the following criteria. The evaluation was performed by three panelists engaged in the development of health foods containing young barley leaves and was determined by consensus. Note that Comparative Example 1 was not evaluated because it was not a composition in which young barley leaf powder was dispersed in water.

[0043] (Evaluation Criteria for Dispersion Stability) A: The young barley leaf powder is uniformly dispersed in the composition. B: The young barley leaf powder is slightly separated in the composition, but within the acceptable range. C: The young barley leaf powder is separated in the composition.

[0044] [Evaluation of Ease of Handling (Ease of Squeezing)] The manufactured composition containing young barley leaves was filled into tube-shaped flexible containers (capacity 30 ml, flexible material: polyethylene, bottom diameter 26 mm, mouth diameter 4 mm, tube length (length to the extrusion outlet) 97 mm) in amounts of 15 g each, and the containers were capped and sealed. Then, the ease of squeezing from the tube (flexible container) was evaluated according to the following criteria. The ease of squeezing was evaluated based on the following three-level criteria. The evaluation was performed by three panelists engaged in the development of health foods containing young barley leaves and was determined by consensus.

[0045] (Evaluation Criteria for Ease of Squeezing) A: The contents come out even without strong squeezing, and it is easy to adjust the amount squeezed out. B: It is slightly loose or slightly hard, but acceptable. C: It is too soft and comes out without applying force, or it is too hard and the hand gets tired when performing the operation of extruding from the tube.

[0046] [Evaluation of Shape Retention] The composition containing young barley leaves filled in the tube was evaluated for shape retention according to the following criteria. (Evaluation Criteria for Shape Retention) A: It has sufficient shape retention and does not drip from the mouth of the container without extrusion. B: It has a slightly loose physical property but has shape retention and is acceptable. C: Due to the physical property being too soft, it drips when extruded or even without extrusion, and the extruded paste cannot maintain its shape.

[0047]

[0048]

[0049] [Results] The evaluation results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. Compositions with a viscosity of less than 500 mPa·s (Comparative Examples 2 and 3) had poor ease of squeezing and shape retention, and were not acceptable as ingredients for food and beverages. On the other hand, compositions with a viscosity of 500 to 100,000 mPa·s (Examples 1 to 12) were stable as compositions and had excellent ease of squeezing and shape retention. In particular, compositions with a viscosity of 3,000 to 30,000 mPa·s (Examples 2 to 4 and 8) had outstanding dispersion stability, ease of squeezing, and shape retention. Furthermore, even if the barley grass powder content was the same as in Comparative Example 2, compositions adjusted to a viscosity of 500 mPa·s or higher by adding thickening polysaccharides (citrus fiber) were stable as compositions and had excellent ease of squeezing and shape retention (Example 7). Note that changing the pH did not affect dispersion stability, ease of squeezing, or shape retention (Examples 9 to 12).

[0050] (2) Each ingredient was added to the food and beverage products containing the barley grass composition in the proportions shown in Table 3. The mixture was then mixed with 1000 g of the mixture using a stirring blade propeller-type agitator "ASONEHIGH-POWERMIXERSM-101" at a rotation speed of 1000 rpm and a stirring time of 15 minutes to produce the barley grass composition of Example 13. The obtained barley grass composition was particularly excellent in terms of dispersion stability, ease of squeezing, and shape retention.

[0051]

[0052] [Cookie Production] Cookies of Comparative Example 4 and Examples 14-20 were produced using the barley grass-containing compositions of Comparative Example 1 and Examples 1-6 and 13 as raw materials. Specifically, the raw materials were mixed in the proportions shown in Table 4 to prepare dough (containing 1% by mass of barley grass powder), which was then cut out and baked in an oven to produce cookies containing barley grass (9 g per cookie). The handling characteristics of the cookies of Examples 14-20 were evaluated during production. The results are shown in Table 4. (Evaluation criteria for handling characteristics) A: The barley grass does not become powdery and is easy to mix with other raw materials. B: The barley grass becomes powdery and is difficult to mix with other raw materials.

[0053]

[0054] As shown in Table 4, in each example, compared to the case using dried barley grass powder in Comparative Example 4, the barley grass powder was less likely to become airborne when making cookies and was easier to mix with other ingredients. This resulted in advantages such as less mess during cooking and reduced cooking time.

[0055] [Pound Cake Production] The following ingredients were thoroughly mixed with a whisk, poured into a mold, and baked in a toaster oven (200°C, 40 minutes). After cooling, the cake was removed from the mold and cut to create the pound cake of Example 21. The pound cake of Example 21 did not have the barley grass powder become powdery and was easy to mix. (Ingredients) Cake flour 200g Barley grass-containing composition of Example 13 6.37g Baking powder 5g Eggs 2 Sugar 4 tablespoons Milk 200mL

[0056] The present invention provides a composition that exhibits good dispersion stability of young barley leaves, is easy to handle, and has good dispersibility when used as an ingredient in food and beverages containing young barley leaves.

Claims

1. A composition containing barley grass and having a viscosity of 500 mPa·s or more and 100,000 mPa·s or less.

2. The composition according to claim 1, further comprising water.

3. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the content of young barley leaves in the composition is 10% by mass or more.

4. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the water content in the composition is 30% by mass or more.

5. A method for producing a food or beverage containing barley grass, using the composition described in any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A method for producing the composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising the step of mixing young barley leaves and water so that the content of young barley leaves in the composition is 10% by mass or more.

Images