Gel-like food product

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a new gel-like food product having a texture further similar to the texture of baked chocolate confectionery. A gel-like food product according to the present invention comprises: a crystalline carbohydrate that is contained at a mass proportion in the range of 20-32 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food product; a dietary fiber; pectin; and a water-insoluble powder and / or a poorly water-soluble powder. The gel-like food product according to the present invention preferably contains 3 parts by mass or less of a lipid with respect to 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food product.

Description

Gel-like food

[0001] The present invention relates to a gel-like food.

[0002] In recent years, consumers tend to prefer gel-like foods such as gummies. Among these, consumers particularly value the texture of gel-like foods. Therefore, various gel-like foods with different textures have been proposed so far (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] However, since consumers' preferences for the texture of gel-like foods vary widely, further texture variations are demanded. As one such texture variation, the texture of baked chocolate confectionery can be cited. Baked chocolate confectionery has a so-called "crispy texture" and a "good melting texture," and such textures tend to be preferred by consumers. However, generally, gel-like foods have a "sticky texture" or an "elastic texture" because a gelling agent is used during their production. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to achieve the texture of baked chocolate confectionery. For this reason, a gel-like food having a texture similar to that of baked chocolate confectionery, which can satisfy consumers who like gel-like foods, has not yet been developed.

[0004] JP-A-2002-315510 JP-A-2010-148475

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a novel gel-like food having a texture closer to that of baked chocolate confectionery.

[0006] As a result of intensive studies by the present inventors to solve the above problems, a novel gel-like food having a texture closer to that of baked chocolate confectionery was completed by producing a gel-like food from a raw material containing a crystalline carbohydrate, dietary fiber, pectin, and at least one kind of powder of a water-insoluble powder and a water-sparingly soluble powder.

[0007] That is, the present invention is as follows. (1) A gel-like food containing a crystalline carbohydrate, dietary fiber, pectin, and at least one kind of powder of a water-insoluble powder and a water-sparingly soluble powder, which occupies a mass ratio within a range of 20 parts by mass or more and 32 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass.

[0008] (2) The gel-like food according to (1), which contains 3 parts by mass or less of lipid per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food.

[0009] (3) The gel-like food according to (1) or (2), wherein the dietary fiber accounts for a mass ratio of 7 parts by mass or more and 37 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food.

[0010] (4) The powder is a gel-like food according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the powder is in a mass ratio of 3 parts by mass or more and 38 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food.

[0011] (5) The gel-like food according to (1) or (2), wherein dietary fiber accounts for a mass ratio of 7 parts by mass or more and 37 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food, and powder accounts for a mass ratio of 3 parts by mass or more and 38 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food.

[0012] (6) A gel-like food according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein, when the shape of the sample is a rectangular parallelepiped of 10 mm × 15 mm × 15 mm, when the 15 mm × 15 mm surface of the sample is compressed at a speed of 2 mm / second with a plunger of 15 mm in diameter until the sample breaks at 23°C under normal pressure, the compression distance at the time of breakage is in the range of more than 0 mm and 5 mm or less, and the maximum load is in the range of more than 0 kgf and 10 kgf or less.

[0013] (7) The gel-like food according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the crystalline carbohydrate is at least one crystalline carbohydrate selected from the group consisting of isomaltulose, sucrose, and trehalose.

[0014] (8) The gel-like food according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the dietary fiber is at least one dietary fiber selected from the group consisting of polydextrose, inulin, indigestible dextrin, indigestible glucan, isomaltodextrin, and cyclonigerosylnigerose.

[0015] (9) The gel-like food according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the powder is at least one powder selected from the group consisting of cocoa powder, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, whey powder, soy flour, and cheese powder.

[0016] (10) The gel-like food according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein the pectin is low-methoxyl (LM) pectin.

[0017] According to the invention described in (1) of the means for solving the problem, it is possible to provide consumers with a new variation in texture, such as baked chocolate confectionery, which is not found in conventional gel-like foods.

[0018] According to the invention described in (2) of the means for solving the problem, it is possible to provide consumers with a gel-like food that has a texture similar to that of baked chocolate confectionery and is lower in calories than baked chocolate confectionery.

[0019] According to the invention described in (6) of the means for solving the problem, it is possible to provide consumers with a gel-like food product that has a texture closer to the "crispy texture" characteristic of baked chocolate confectionery.

[0020] This is a bar graph showing the results of the "sensory evaluation" of the samples in Examples 1-4 and Comparative Examples 1-3. This is a bar graph showing the results of the "compression distance at fracture" of the samples in Examples 1-4, Comparative Examples 1-3 and the Reference Example. This is a bar graph showing the results of the "maximum load" of the samples in Examples 1-4, Comparative Examples 1-3 and the Reference Example.

[0021] 1. Composition of the Gel-like Food The gel-like food according to the embodiment of the present invention contains crystalline carbohydrates, dietary fiber, pectin, and at least one powder consisting of a water-insoluble powder and a water-poorly soluble powder. The gel-like food will be described in detail below, followed by a detailed description of its manufacturing method.

[0022] (1) Crystalline Carbohydrates The crystalline carbohydrates according to the embodiments of the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they have the desired effect, and monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides, sugar alcohols, etc. can be used as crystalline carbohydrates. Monosaccharides include glucose and fructose, disaccharides include maltose, isomaltulose, sucrose and trehalose, polysaccharides include starch such as corn starch, and sugar alcohols include erythritol, maltitol, xylitol and sorbitol. Furthermore, it is preferable that the crystalline carbohydrate contained in the gel-like food according to the embodiments of the present invention is at least one crystalline carbohydrate selected from the group consisting of isomaltulose, sucrose and trehalose.

[0023] The crystalline carbohydrate contained in the gel-like food according to the embodiment of the present invention accounts for a mass ratio of 20 parts by mass or more and 32 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food. Preferably, the crystalline carbohydrate accounts for a mass ratio of 23 parts by mass or more and 30 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food, and more preferably, it accounts for a mass ratio of 25 parts by mass or more and 28 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food.

[0024] (2) Dietary Fiber The dietary fiber according to the embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it has the desired effect, but it is preferably at least one dietary fiber selected from the group consisting of polydextrose, inulin, indigestible dextrin, indigestible glucan, isomaltodextrin, and cyclonigerosylnigerose.

[0025] The dietary fiber contained in the gel-like food according to the embodiment of the present invention preferably accounts for a mass ratio of 7 parts by mass or more and 37 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food, more preferably accounts for a mass ratio of 15 parts by mass or more and 33 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food, and even more preferably accounts for a mass ratio of 20 parts by mass or more and 29 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food.

[0026] (3) Pectin The pectin according to the embodiments of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it has the desired effect, and may be low methoxyl (LM) pectin (pectin with a degree of esterification of less than 50%), high methoxyl (HM) pectin (pectin with a degree of esterification of galacturonic acid of 50% or more), etc. Furthermore, the pectin contained in the gel-like food according to the embodiments of the present invention is preferably LM pectin. The pectin contained in the gel-like food according to the embodiments of the present invention may also be used in combination with a gelling agent such as gelatin.

[0027] The pectin contained in the gel-like food according to the embodiment of the present invention preferably accounts for a mass ratio of 0.5 parts by mass or more and 2.5 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food, more preferably accounts for a mass ratio of 0.8 parts by mass or more and 2.0 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food, and even more preferably accounts for a mass ratio of 1.0 part by mass or more and 1.5 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food.

[0028] (4) Powder The powder according to the embodiment of the present invention is at least one of the following: a water-insoluble powder and a water-poorly soluble powder. Furthermore, the powder according to the embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it has the desired effect, but it is preferably at least one powder selected from the group consisting of cocoa powder, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, whey powder, soy flour, and cheese powder.

[0029] The powder contained in the gel-like food according to the embodiment of the present invention preferably accounts for a mass ratio of 3 parts by mass or more and 38 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food, more preferably accounts for a mass ratio of 18 parts by mass or more and 34 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food, and even more preferably accounts for a mass ratio of 20 parts by mass or more and 28 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food.

[0030] (5) Lipids It is preferable that the gel-like food according to the embodiment of the present invention does not contain lipids. However, the gel-like food according to the embodiment of the present invention may further contain lipids. In this case, the lipids according to the embodiment of the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they do not impair the spirit of the embodiment of the present invention, and examples include animal lipids, plant lipids, hydrogenated lipids, transesterified oils, etc.

[0031] The lipids contained in the gel-like food according to the embodiment of the present invention preferably account for 3 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food, more preferably 2 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food, and even more preferably 1 part by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food. The lower limit of the mass ratio of lipids per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food is not particularly limited as long as the desired effect is achieved, but if a limit is to be set, it is 0.1 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food.

[0032] 2. Physical Properties of Gel-like Foods In the embodiment of the present invention, when the sample is a rectangular parallelepiped measuring 10 mm × 15 mm × 15 mm, under normal pressure and at 23°C, when the 15 mm × 15 mm surface of the sample is compressed at a speed of 2 mm / second using a plunger with a diameter of 15 mm until the sample breaks, the compression distance at the time of breakage is in the range of greater than 0 mm and less than or equal to 5 mm, and the maximum load is in the range of greater than 0 kgf and less than or equal to 10 kgf. Preferably, the compression distance at the time of breakage of the gel-like food under the above measurement conditions is in the range of 1 mm or more and less than or equal to 2 mm, and the maximum load is in the range of greater than 5 kgf and less than or equal to 9.5 kgf, and more preferably, the compression distance at the time of breakage is in the range of 1.3 mm or more and less than or equal to 1.8 mm, and the maximum load is in the range of greater than 6 kgf and less than or equal to 9.1 kgf.

[0033] The gel-like food according to the embodiment of the present invention may be jelly, gummy candy, or the like.

[0034] 3. Method for Producing Gel-like Food In the method for producing gel-like food according to an embodiment of the present invention, a sugar raw material is prepared by mixing, for example, crystalline carbohydrates, dietary fiber, glycerin, pectin, etc. Then, a sugar solution is obtained by heating the sugar raw material after adding water to it. Here, the heating is preferably carried out until the Brix value of the water-added sugar raw material is in the range of 75° to 85°, and more preferably until the Brix value is 80°. Then, at least one type of powder, a water-insoluble powder and a water-poorly soluble powder, is added to the obtained sugar solution and mixed to prepare a dough. Then, the obtained dough is filled into a mold and dried at 23°C for 24 hours to obtain the desired gel-like food. The temperature conditions during the drying are within the range of 15°C to 25°C. The drying time is 18 hours to 30 hours.

[0035] The molds used in the above manufacturing method are not particularly limited, but for example, cornstarch molds or resin molds can be used. When using a resin mold to mold a gel-like food, for example, the desired gel-like food can be obtained by filling the resin mold with the resulting mixture, waiting for a period of 10 to 60 seconds, and then peeling it off.

[0036] Furthermore, the mass ratio of each component in the gel-like food obtained by the above manufacturing method can be adjusted by adjusting the mass ratio of each component (for example, at least one of crystalline carbohydrates, dietary fiber, water-insoluble powders, and water-poorly soluble powders) when blending the raw materials.

[0037] The present invention will be described more specifically below based on examples and comparative examples. These examples and comparative examples are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0038] A sugar raw material was prepared by mixing 33.3 parts by mass of isomaltulose (95.0% solids), 33.3 parts by mass of inulin (96.4% solids), and 10.0 parts by mass of glycerin (100% solids) so that the isomaltulose content and inulin content were 28.8 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the final product (see Table 2) (see Table 1). Then, 1.2 parts by mass of LM pectin (88.0% solids) and 0.15 parts by mass of sodium hexametaphosphate (100% solids) were added to this sugar raw material and mixed, and then 29.1 parts by mass of water was added to obtain 129.1 parts by mass of sugar solution. The obtained sugar solution was then heated at 110°C until the Brix value reached 80° to evaporate the water, obtaining 115.7 parts by mass of sugar solution (i.e., 15.7 parts by mass of water remained in the obtained sugar solution). Furthermore, to obtain a raw material mixture, 9.0 parts by mass of cocoa powder (96.0% solids) and 13.0 parts by mass of skim milk powder (97.4% solids) were added to the obtained sugar solution and mixed so that the cocoa powder content was 7.8 parts by mass and the skim milk powder content was 11.2 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the final product (see Table 2) (see Table 1). Subsequently, the obtained raw material mixture was filled into a cornstarch mold and dried at 40% relative humidity and 23°C for 24 hours to obtain the desired gel-like food product.

[0039] 1. Sensory Evaluation The gel-like food obtained through the process described above was subjected to sensory evaluation according to the following method. This evaluation was conducted by five evaluators (with more than 10 years of experience) from Meiji Co., Ltd.

[0040] (Evaluation Method) The gel-like food was tasted to evaluate whether it had the "texture of baked chocolate confectionery (i.e., a 'crispy texture' or 'melt-in-the-mouth texture')" according to the following criteria. In this evaluation, the average score of the scores given by five evaluators was used as the final score.

[0041] (Evaluation Criteria for the Texture of Baked Chocolate Confectionery) 1: Not the texture of baked chocolate confectionery 2: Somewhat not the texture of baked chocolate confectionery 3: Neither can be said 4: Somewhat the texture of baked chocolate confectionery 5: The texture of baked chocolate confectionery

[0042] When the texture of the same gel-like food was evaluated according to the above method, the score was 4.1 (see Table 3 and Figure 1).

[0043] 2. Measurement of Physical Property Values The "compression distance at break" and "maximum load" of the gel-like food obtained through the above steps were measured according to the following method.

[0044] (1) Measurement of Compression Distance at Break and Maximum Load Using a texture analyzer (manufactured by Eiko Seiki Co., Ltd.) as the measuring instrument, the compression distance at break and maximum load of the gel-like food were measured according to the following conditions. Specifically, for a sample prepared from the gel-like food, the 15 mm × 15 mm surface of the same sample was compressed by a plunger. Then, the plunger was returned to the origin at a speed of 10 mm / second. And the moving distance of the plunger from the start of compression to breakage of the same sample was taken as the compression distance at break (unit: mm), and the peak of the load observed during the compression of the same sample was taken as the maximum load (unit: kgf).

[0045] (Measurement Conditions) Plunger used: Cylindrical plunger (diameter: 15 mm, height: 50 mm) Sample shape: Cuboid of 10 mm × 15 mm × 15 mm Weight per sample: 4 g Plunger entry speed: 2 mm / second Plunger return speed: 10 mm / second Sample temperature during measurement: 23°C

[0046] The compression distance at break of the gel-like food according to this example obtained by the above measurement was 1.3 mm (that is, within the range of more than 0 mm and 5 mm or less) (see Table 3 and Figure 2), and the maximum load was 9.1 kgf (that is, within the range of more than 0 kgf and 10 kgf or less) (see Table 3 and Figure 3).

[0047] To obtain a content of isomaltulose of 25.0 parts by mass and a content of inulin of 25.0 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the final product (see Table 2), 28.4 parts by mass of isomaltulose (solid content 95.0%), 28.4 parts by mass of inulin (solid content 96.4%), 2.4 parts by mass of starch syrup (solid content 75.0%) and 10.0 parts by mass of glycerin (solid content 100%) were mixed to prepare a sugar raw material (see Table 1). Then, 1.2 parts by mass of LM pectin (solid content 88.0%) and 0.15 parts by mass of sodium hexametaphosphate (solid content 100%) were added to and mixed with this sugar raw material, and then 25.7 parts by mass of water was added to obtain 125.7 parts by mass of a sugar solution. Then, the obtained sugar solution was heated at 110 °C until the Brix value reached 80° to evaporate the moisture, thereby obtaining 113.6 parts by mass of a sugar solution (that is, 13.6 parts by mass of moisture remained in the obtained sugar solution). Further, to obtain a content of cocoa powder of 11.4 parts by mass and a content of non-fat dry milk of 14.5 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the final product (see Table 2), 13.0 parts by mass of cocoa powder (solid content 96.0%) and 16.5 parts by mass of non-fat dry milk (solid content 97.4%) were added to and mixed with the obtained sugar solution to obtain a raw material mixture (see Table 1). Thereafter, the obtained raw material mixture was filled into a corn starch molding mold and dried at a relative humidity of 40% and 23 °C for 24 hours to obtain the target gel-like food.

[0048] When the texture of the same gel-like food was evaluated by the same method as described in Example 1, the score was 4.6 (see Table 3 and FIG. 1). Also, when the compression distance and the maximum load at break of the same gel-like food were measured by the same method as described in Example 1, the compression distance at break was 1.5 mm (that is, within the range of more than 0 mm and 5 mm or less) (see Table 3 and FIG. 2), and the maximum load was 8.5 kgf (that is, within the range of more than 0 kgf and 10 kgf or less) (see Table 3 and FIG. 3).

[0049] A sugar raw material was prepared by mixing 31.5 parts by mass of isomaltulose (95.0% solids), 31.5 parts by mass of inulin (96.4% solids), 2.6 parts by mass of corn syrup, and 10.0 parts by mass of glycerin (100% solids) so that the isomaltulose content and inulin content were 27.4 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the final product (see Table 2) (see Table 1). Then, 1.2 parts by mass of LM pectin (88.0% solids) and 0.15 parts by mass of sodium hexametaphosphate (100% solids) were added to this sugar raw material and mixed, and then 28.0 parts by mass of water was added to obtain 128.0 parts by mass of sugar solution. The obtained sugar solution was then heated at 110°C until the Brix value reached 80° to evaporate the water, thereby obtaining 114.9 parts by mass of sugar solution (i.e., 14.9 parts by mass of water remained in the obtained sugar solution). Furthermore, to obtain a raw material mixture, 10.0 parts by mass of cocoa powder (96.0% solids) and 13.0 parts by mass of skim milk powder (97.4% solids) were added to the obtained sugar solution and mixed so that the cocoa powder content was 8.7 parts by mass and the skim milk powder content was 11.3 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the final product (see Table 2) (see Table 1). Subsequently, the obtained raw material mixture was filled into a cornstarch mold and dried at 40% relative humidity and 23°C for 24 hours to obtain the desired gel-like food product.

[0050] The texture of the gel-like food was evaluated using the same method as in Example 1, and the score was 4.8 (see Table 3 and Figure 1). Furthermore, the compression distance and maximum load at the time of rupture of the gel-like food were measured using the same method as in Example 1, and the compression distance at the time of rupture was 1.8 mm (i.e., within the range of greater than 0 mm and less than or equal to 5 mm) (see Table 3 and Figure 2), and the maximum load was 8.4 kgf (i.e., within the range of greater than 0 kgf and less than or equal to 10 kgf) (see Table 3 and Figure 3).

[0051] A sugar raw material was prepared by mixing 24.8 parts by mass of sugar (100% solids), 24.8 parts by mass of polydextrose (70.0% solids), 9.5 parts by mass of corn syrup, and 10.0 parts by mass of glycerin (100% solids) so that the sugar content and polydextrose content were 23.6 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the final product (see Table 2) (see Table 1). Then, 1.2 parts by mass of LM pectin (88.0% solids) and 0.15 parts by mass of sodium hexametaphosphate (100% solids) were added to this sugar raw material and mixed, and then 16.0 parts by mass of water was added to obtain 116.0 parts by mass of sugar solution. The obtained sugar solution was then heated at 110°C until the Brix value reached 80° to evaporate the water, obtaining 105.2 parts by mass of sugar solution (i.e., 5.2 parts by mass of water remained in the obtained sugar solution). Furthermore, to obtain a raw material mixture, 13.0 parts by mass of cocoa powder (96.0% solids) and 16.5 parts by mass of skim milk powder (97.4% solids) were added to the obtained sugar solution and mixed so that the cocoa powder content was 12.4 parts by mass and the skim milk powder content was 15.7 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the final product (see Table 2) (see Table 1). Subsequently, the obtained raw material mixture was filled into a cornstarch mold and dried at 40% relative humidity and 23°C for 24 hours to obtain the desired gel-like food product.

[0052] The texture of the gel-like food was evaluated using the same method as in Example 1, and the score was 4.4 (see Table 3 and Figure 1). Furthermore, the compression distance and maximum load at the time of rupture of the gel-like food were measured using the same method as in Example 1, and the compression distance at the time of rupture was 1.5 mm (i.e., within the range of greater than 0 mm and less than or equal to 5 mm) (see Table 3 and Figure 2), and the maximum load was 6.0 kgf (i.e., within the range of greater than 0 kgf and less than or equal to 10 kgf) (see Table 3 and Figure 3).

[0053] (Comparative Example 1) A sugar raw material was prepared by mixing 18.4 parts by mass of isomaltulose (95.0% solids), 21.7 parts by mass of inulin (96.4% solids), 15.6 parts by mass of corn syrup (75.0% solids), and 10.0 parts by mass of glycerin (100% solids) so that the isomaltulose content was 16.8 parts by mass and the inulin content was 19.8 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the final product (see Table 2) (see Table 1). Then, 1.2 parts by mass of LM pectin (88.0% solids) and 0.15 parts by mass of sodium hexametaphosphate (100% solids) were added to this sugar raw material and mixed, and then 20.5 parts by mass of water was added to obtain a sugar solution of 120.5 parts by mass. Then, the obtained sugar solution was heated at 110°C until the Brix value reached 80°C to evaporate the water, yielding 109.6 parts by mass of sugar solution (i.e., 9.6 parts by mass of water remained in the obtained sugar solution). Furthermore, 15.0 parts by mass of cocoa powder (96.0% solids) and 18.0 parts by mass of skim milk powder (97.4% solids) were added to the obtained sugar solution and mixed to obtain a raw material mixture, such that the cocoa powder content was 13.7 parts by mass and the skim milk powder content was 16.4 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the final product (see Table 2) (see Table 1). Subsequently, the obtained raw material mixture was filled into a cornstarch mold and dried at 40% relative humidity and 23°C for 24 hours to obtain the desired gel-like food product.

[0054] The texture of the gel-like food was evaluated using the same method as in Example 1, and the score was 1.0 (see Table 3 and Figure 1). Furthermore, the compression distance and maximum load at the time of rupture of the gel-like food were measured using the same method as in Example 1, and the compression distance at the time of rupture was 12.1 mm (i.e., outside the range of greater than 0 mm and less than or equal to 5 mm) (see Table 3 and Figure 2), and the maximum load was 6.1 kgf (i.e., within the range of greater than 0 kgf and less than or equal to 10 kgf) (see Table 3 and Figure 3).

[0055] (Comparative Example 2) A sugar raw material was prepared by mixing 11.8 parts by mass of sugar (100% solids), 26.6 parts by mass of inulin (96.4% solids), 20.7 parts by mass of corn syrup (75.0% solids), and 10.0 parts by mass of glycerin (100% solids) so that the sugar content was 10.8 parts by mass and the inulin content was 24.2 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the final product (see Table 2) (see Table 1). Then, 1.2 parts by mass of LM pectin (88.0% solids) and 0.15 parts by mass of sodium hexametaphosphate (100% solids) were added to this sugar raw material and mixed, and then 21.2 parts by mass of water was added to obtain a sugar solution of 121.2 parts by mass. Then, the obtained sugar solution was heated at 110°C until the Brix value reached 80°C to evaporate the water, yielding 109.8 parts by mass of sugar solution (i.e., 9.8 parts by mass of water remained in the obtained sugar solution). Furthermore, 13.0 parts by mass of cocoa powder (96.0% solids) and 16.5 parts by mass of skim milk powder (97.4% solids) were added to the obtained sugar solution and mixed to obtain a raw material mixture, such that the cocoa powder content was 11.8 parts by mass and the skim milk powder content was 15.0 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the final product (see Table 2) (see Table 1). Subsequently, the obtained raw material mixture was filled into a cornstarch mold and dried at 40% relative humidity and 23°C for 24 hours to obtain the desired gel-like food product.

[0056] The texture of the gel-like food was evaluated using the same method as in Example 1, and the score was 1.0 (see Table 3 and Figure 1). Furthermore, the compression distance and maximum load at the time of rupture of the gel-like food were measured using the same method as in Example 1, and the compression distance at the time of rupture was 12.0 mm (i.e., outside the range of greater than 0 mm and less than or equal to 5 mm) (see Table 3 and Figure 2), and the maximum load was 3.2 kgf (i.e., within the range of greater than 0 kgf and less than or equal to 10 kgf) (see Table 3 and Figure 3).

[0057] (Comparative Example 3) A sugar raw material was prepared by mixing 41.4 parts by mass of isomaltulose (95.0% solids), 17.7 parts by mass of inulin (96.4% solids), and 10.0 parts by mass of glycerin (100% solids) so that the isomaltulose content was 36.3 parts by mass and the inulin content was 15.6 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the final product (see Table 2) (see Table 1). Then, 1.2 parts by mass of LM pectin (88.0% solids) and 0.15 parts by mass of sodium hexametaphosphate (100% solids) were added to this sugar raw material and mixed, and then 26.1 parts by mass of water was added to obtain 126.1 parts by mass of sugar solution. Then, the obtained sugar solution was heated at 110°C until the Brix value was 80° and the water was evaporated to obtain 114.1 parts by mass of sugar solution (i.e., 14.1 parts by mass of water remained in the obtained sugar solution). Furthermore, to obtain a raw material mixture, 13.0 parts by mass of cocoa powder (96.0% solids) and 16.5 parts by mass of skim milk powder (97.4% solids) were added to the obtained sugar solution and mixed so that the cocoa powder content was 11.4 parts by mass and the skim milk powder content was 14.5 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the final product (see Table 2) (see Table 1). Subsequently, the obtained raw material mixture was filled into a cornstarch mold and dried at 40% relative humidity and 23°C for 24 hours to obtain the desired gel-like food product.

[0058] The texture of the gel-like food was evaluated using the same method as in Example 1, and the score was 3.3 (see Table 3 and Figure 1). Furthermore, the compression distance and maximum load at the time of rupture of the gel-like food were measured using the same method as in Example 1. The compression distance at the time of rupture was 2.0 mm (i.e., within the range of greater than 0 mm and less than or equal to 5 mm) (see Table 3 and Figure 2), and the maximum load was 11.8 kgf (i.e., outside the range of greater than 0 kgf and less than or equal to 10 kgf) (see Table 3 and Figure 3).

[0059] (Reference Example) The compression distance and maximum load at the time of fracture of the baked chocolate confectionery (BAKE®, manufactured by Morinaga & Co., Ltd.) were measured in the same manner as described in Example 1, except that a commercially available baked chocolate confectionery (BAKE®, manufactured by Morinaga & Co., Ltd.) was used instead of the gel-like food prepared above. The compression distance at the time of fracture was 1.8 mm (i.e., within the range of greater than 0 mm and less than or equal to 5 mm) (see Table 3 and Figure 2), and the maximum load was 3.5 kgf (i.e., within the range of greater than 0 kgf and less than or equal to 10 kgf) (see Table 3 and Figure 3).

[0060]

[0061]

[0062]

[0063] (Comparison of Nutritional Components of Products in Examples, Comparative Examples, and Reference Examples) The nutritional components per 100g of each gel-like food in the above examples and comparative examples were calculated by referring to the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (https: / / fooddb.mext.go.jp / ). In addition, the nutritional components per 100g of the commercially available baked chocolate confectionery (BAKE®, manufactured by Morinaga & Co., Ltd.) in the reference example were calculated using the nutritional component values ​​of each raw material obtained from Morinaga & Co., Ltd. When calculating the above nutritional components, energy was calculated using the following values: carbohydrates at 4 kcal / g (dietary fiber at 2 kcal / g), protein at 4 kcal / g, and lipids at 9 kcal / g. The lipid content per 100g of the gel-like food obtained in Example 1 was 1.68g, in Example 2 it was 2.14g, in Example 3 it was 1.79g, and in Example 4 it was 2.3g (see Table 4). The lipid content per 100g of the gel-like food obtained in Examples 1-4 was 3.0g or less. This satisfies the conditions for "labeling that the product is low in lipids" as defined by the Food Labeling Standards. On the other hand, when the lipid content per 100g of the baked chocolate confectionery of the reference example was measured using the same method as described above, it was 35g (see Table 4).

[0064]

[0065] (Summary) As is clear from the sensory evaluation results above, the texture of the gel-like foods in Examples 1-4 was very similar to that of baked chocolate confectionery (see Table 3 and Figure 1). From this, it was confirmed that by tasting the gel-like foods in Examples 1-4, one could moderately feel the "crispy texture" and "melt-in-the-mouth texture" characteristic of baked chocolate confectionery. In Comparative Examples 1-3, none were found to have a texture similar to that of baked chocolate confectionery (see Table 3 and Figure 1).

[0066] The compression distance at the time of rupture of the gel-like foods in Examples 1-4 was equivalent to that of the baked chocolate confectionery in the Reference Example (see Table 3 and Figure 2). This confirms that the gel-like foods in Examples 1-4 are easily ruptured in the mouth when chewed (i.e., crumble easily) and have a texture closer to that of the baked chocolate confectionery in the Reference Example. On the other hand, the compression distance at the time of rupture of the gel-like food in Comparative Example 1-2 was higher than that of the baked chocolate confectionery in the Reference Example (see Table 3 and Figure 2). Therefore, it is suggested that the gel-like food in Comparative Example 1-2 does not have a texture close to that of the baked chocolate confectionery in the Reference Example.

[0067] The maximum load of the gel-like foods in Examples 1-4 was 10 kgf or less (see Table 3 and Figure 3). This suggests that the gel-like foods in Examples 1-4 have a texture similar to the "crispy texture" of the baked chocolate confectionery in the Reference Example. On the other hand, the maximum load of the gel-like food in Comparative Example 3 was higher than 10 kgf (see Table 3 and Figure 3). Therefore, it is suggested that the gel-like food in Comparative Example 3 is difficult to chew and does not have the "crispy texture" characteristic of the baked chocolate confectionery in the Reference Example.

[0068] As is clear from the comparison of nutritional components above, the lipid content per 100g of the gel-like food obtained in Examples 1-4 was 3.0g or less (see Table 4). Therefore, it was confirmed that the gel-like food obtained in Examples 1-4 had a texture similar to baked chocolate confectionery, and had a lower lipid content per 100g and was lower in calories than baked chocolate confectionery.

[0069] The gel-like food according to the present invention has a texture that is closer to the "crispy texture" and "melt-in-the-mouth texture" characteristic of baked chocolate confectionery. Therefore, the gel-like food according to the present invention can provide consumers with a new variation in texture, similar to baked chocolate confectionery, which is not available in conventional gel-like foods.

Claims

1. A gel-like food containing crystalline carbohydrates in a mass ratio of 20 parts by mass or more and 32 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass, dietary fiber, pectin, and at least one powder of water-insoluble powder and water-poorly soluble powder.

2. The gel-like food according to claim 1, wherein it contains 3 parts by mass or less of lipids per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food.

3. The gel-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dietary fiber accounts for a mass ratio of 7 parts by mass or more and 37 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food.

4. The gel food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the powder accounts for a mass ratio of 3 parts by mass or more and 38 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of the gel food.

5. The gel-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dietary fiber accounts for a mass ratio of 7 parts by mass or more and 37 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food, and the powder accounts for a mass ratio of 3 parts by mass or more and 38 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the gel-like food.

6. The gel-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, when the shape of the sample is a rectangular parallelepiped of 10 mm × 15 mm × 15 mm, and the 15 mm × 15 mm surface of the sample is compressed at a speed of 2 mm / second with a plunger of 15 mm diameter until the sample breaks at 23°C under normal pressure, the compression distance at the time of breakage is in the range of more than 0 mm and 5 mm or less, and the maximum load is in the range of more than 0 kgf and 10 kgf or less.

7. The gel-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the crystalline carbohydrate is at least one crystalline carbohydrate selected from the group consisting of isomaltulose, sucrose, and trehalose.

8. The gel-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dietary fiber is at least one dietary fiber selected from the group consisting of polydextrose, inulin, indigestible dextrin, indigestible glucan, isomaltodextrin, and cyclonigerosylnigerose.

9. The gel-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the powder is at least one powder selected from the group consisting of cocoa powder, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, whey powder, soy flour, and cheese powder.

10. The gel-like food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pectin is low-methoxyl (LM) pectin.

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