Chocolate

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of adjusting a highly temperature-dependent physical property of chocolate to a less temperature-dependent physical property. More specifically, the present invention addresses the problem of suppressing the deterioration of melting of chocolate in the mouth and the deterioration of heat resistance of chocolate which are caused by environmental temperatures.　Provided is chocolate that satisfies all of the following requirements (1) to (3).　(1) The amount of oil contents of the chocolate is 10 mass% to 30 mass% inclusive. (2) The amount of an oil content derived from an oil / fat raw material is 65 mass% or more in the oil contents of the chocolate. (3) The amount of an oil content derived from a food raw material containing oil contents is 9 mass% or less in the chocolate.

Description

Chocolates

[0001] Related Art This application claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-050038 filed with the Japan Patent Office on March 25, 2025. The entire content of the priority-based application is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to chocolates.

[0003] Chocolates are foods having fats and oils as a continuous phase. Therefore, physical properties of fats and oils such as melting point tend to have a great influence on the physical properties of the whole chocolates. Therefore, chocolates using fats and oils with a relatively low melting point and good melt-in-mouth properties tend to have low heat resistance at normal temperature range. In order to improve heat resistance at normal temperature range, when fats and oils with a relatively high melting point are blended into chocolates, while heat resistance is increased, melt-in-mouth properties tend to deteriorate, or a hard texture tends to occur in a low temperature range around 10°C, and it may be difficult to achieve both properties at the same time. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for obtaining chocolates having heat resistance, original texture, melt-in-mouth properties and flavor, and a food using chocolates, by allowing moisture to adhere to the surface of chocolates by any one of methods of condensation, water spraying or coating after cooling and solidifying the chocolate-containing food. Patent Document 2 discloses a technique related to fats and oils for chocolates that can maintain a long period of soft bite and good melt-in-mouth texture.

[0004] International Publication No. 2014 / 157608, International Publication No. 2014 / 156523

[0005] The inventor has studied heat resistance and melt-in-mouth properties of chocolates. Although Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for obtaining heat resistance, it requires a step of adhering moisture, and therefore was not useful for reference. Further, Patent Document 2 is a technique utilizing the characteristics of fats and oils, and does not provide any suggestion for obtaining heat resistance. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to adjust the physical properties of chocolates, which have high temperature dependence, to physical properties with low temperature dependence. More specifically, the object is to suppress the deterioration of melt-in-mouth properties of chocolates and the decrease in heat resistance caused by environmental temperature.

[0006] After extensive research, the inventor discovered that by adjusting the ratio of oil content in chocolate and the raw materials that supply the oil, it is possible to adjust the properties of chocolate to be less temperature-dependent, leading to the present invention.

[0007] In other words, the present invention is as follows: <1> Chocolates that satisfy all of the following requirements (1) to (3): (1) The oil content of the chocolates is 10% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less (2) The oil content derived from oil and fat raw materials is 65% by mass or more in the oil content of the chocolates (3) The oil content derived from food raw materials other than oil and fat raw materials is 9% by mass or less in the chocolates <2> A method for producing chocolates, comprising the steps of mixing raw materials and grinding raw materials, wherein the chocolates satisfy all of the following requirements (1) to (3): (1) The oil content of the chocolates is 10% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less (2) The oil content derived from oil and fat raw materials is 65% by mass or more in the oil content of the chocolates (3) The oil content derived from food raw materials other than oil and fat raw materials is 9% by mass or less in the chocolates <3> A method for improving the heat resistance of chocolates using chocolates that satisfy all of the following requirements (1) to (3). <4> A method for improving the physical properties of chocolate, using chocolate that satisfies all of the following requirements (1) to (3): (1) The oil content of the chocolate is 10% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less. (2) The oil content derived from oil and fat raw materials is 65% by mass or more in the oil content of the chocolate. (3) The oil content derived from food raw materials other than oil and fat raw materials is 9% by mass or less in the chocolate. <5> The chocolate described in <1>, further satisfying all of the following requirements (1-a) to (3-a) and (4). (1-a) The oil content of the chocolate is 20% by mass or more and 28% by mass or less. (2-a) The oil content derived from oil and fat raw materials is 85% by mass or more in the oil content of the chocolate. (3-a) The oil content derived from food raw materials other than oil and fat raw materials is 5% by mass or less in the chocolate. (4) The content of dairy products or processed dairy products is 5% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less in the chocolate. <6> The chocolate described in <1> that also satisfies all of the following requirements (1-a) to (3-a) and (5).(1-a) The oil content of the chocolate is 20% by mass or more and 28% by mass or less. (2-a) The oil content derived from oil and fat raw materials is 85% by mass or more in the oil content of the chocolate. (3-a) The oil content derived from food raw materials other than oil and fat raw materials is 5% by mass or less in the chocolate. (5) The content of carob powder and / or bean powder is 10% by mass or more and 25% by mass or less in the chocolate. <7> The chocolate described in <6> that further satisfies the requirements of (6). (6) The content of cocoa raw materials is 3% by mass or less.

[0008] This invention makes it possible to adjust the properties of chocolates, which are highly temperature-dependent, to properties that are less temperature-dependent. More specifically, it can suppress the deterioration of melt-in-the-mouth quality and the decrease in heat resistance of chocolates that occur due to ambient temperature.

[0009] In this invention, "chocolate" refers to all foods in which fats and oils form a continuous phase. In this invention, "chocolate" is not limited to "pure chocolate," "chocolate," "semi-chocolate," and "chocolate-based foods" as defined by the Japan National Chocolate Industry Fair Trade Council, but also includes processed foods such as compounds that use fats and oils as essential components and utilize cocoa mass, cocoa powder, whole milk powder, dried fruit juice powder, dried vegetable powder, cocoa butter, cocoa butter substitute, hard butter, etc. Therefore, "chocolate" also includes foods that adjust the chocolate flavor without using cocoa raw materials, and foods that disperse edible ingredients on a fat and oil base, such as matcha-flavored or strawberry-flavored foods that mix in powders derived from vegetables and fruits.

[0010] In this invention, the oil content in chocolates is 10% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less of the total amount of chocolates, with a preferred lower limit of 12% by mass, 14% by mass, more preferably 16% by mass, 18% by mass, and even more preferably 20% by mass. The preferred upper limit of oil content is 29% by mass, and more preferably 28% by mass. By adjusting the oil content to an appropriate range, the temperature dependence of chocolates can be suppressed, and deterioration of melt-in-the-mouth texture and reduction of heat resistance can be prevented. The oil content in chocolates refers to the total mass percentage including all oils and fats contained in oil raw materials, cocoa raw materials, or whole milk powder.

[0011] The oil and fat raw materials used in the chocolates of the present invention are not particularly limited, but examples of usable oil and fat raw materials include vegetable oils such as soybean oil, sunflower seed oil, high oleic sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, rapeseed oil, high erucic acid rapeseed oil, peanut oil, rice oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, olive oil, kapok oil, sesame oil, safflower oil, evening primrose oil, linseed oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, shea butter, sal fat, etc., as well as animal oils such as milk fat, beef tallow, lard, fish oil, algae oil, oils derived from microbial fermentation, medium-chain triglyceride (MCT), and processed oils such as hydrogenated oils, fractionated oils, hydrogenated fractionated oils, fractionated hydrogenated oils, transesterified oils, etc., and mixed oils thereof.

[0012] The oils in the chocolates of the present invention include, in addition to the oil and fat raw materials described above, oils derived from food raw materials containing oil. Examples of oils derived from food raw materials include cocoa butter derived from cocoa raw materials, milk fat derived from dairy products or processed dairy products, and oils derived from nuts and seeds such as almonds.

[0013] The oil content of the chocolates of this invention is the sum of the oil content derived from oil and fat raw materials and the oil content derived from food raw materials. Of the oil content of the chocolates, the oil content derived from oil and fat raw materials is 65% by mass or more. Preferably, the oil content derived from oil and fat raw materials is 70% by mass or more, 73% by mass or more, 75% by mass or more, more preferably 77% by mass or more, 80% by mass or more, and even more preferably 85% by mass or more. By adjusting the oil content derived from oil and fat raw materials within the oil content of the chocolates to an appropriate range, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the melt-in-the-mouth quality of the chocolates and a decrease in heat resistance that occur due to ambient temperature.

[0014] The chocolates of the present invention have an oil content of 9% by mass or less derived from food ingredients other than fats and oils. Preferably, the lower limit of the oil content derived from food ingredients other than fats and oils is 0% by mass, the upper limit is 8% by mass, 7% by mass, a more preferable upper limit is 6% by mass, and an even more preferable upper limit is 5% by mass. If the oil content derived from food ingredients other than fats and oils is appropriate, the temperature dependence of the chocolates can be suppressed, and deterioration of melt-in-the-mouth texture and decrease in heat resistance can be prevented. Furthermore, it is preferable that the oil content derived from food ingredients other than fats and oils is 35% by mass or less in the total oil content of the chocolates. More preferably, it is 30% by mass or less, 27% by mass or less, 25% by mass or less, even more preferably 23% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, and most preferably 15% by mass or less.

[0015] The chocolates of the present invention can be measured by measuring the breaking load as a measure of hardness using known means. In one embodiment, the chocolates of the present invention break when the load is at its maximum, so the breaking load is the same as the maximum load. The method of measuring hardness is not particularly limited, but as an example, a creep meter (RE2-33005C) manufactured by Yamaden Co., Ltd. can be used. A more detailed method of measuring hardness is as follows: After cooling and solidifying a sample of chocolate at 5°C (refrigerator temperature), it is left to stand at 20°C for one week, and then left to stand at a predetermined temperature for two hours or more. The breaking load can be measured as a measure of hardness using a creep meter on a sample of chocolate that has been heated to a predetermined temperature. The plunger used for measuring hardness can be selected according to the hardness of the chocolate. For example, the breaking load can be measured as a measure of hardness by pressing a cylindrical plunger with a diameter of φ3 mm and a height of 22 mm, or a wedge-shaped plunger with a width of 13 mm, a tip angle of 30°, and a tip width of 1 mm, into each sample.

[0016] The chocolates of the present invention can prevent deterioration of the melt-in-the-mouth quality of chocolates that occurs due to ambient temperature. The melt-in-the-mouth quality of chocolates can generally be evaluated by the series of flavor developments felt as the chocolate melts in the mouth. In this specification, deterioration of the melt-in-the-mouth quality is evaluated as the presence of a lingering aftertaste or waxy feeling in the latter half of the chocolate. The chocolates of the present invention can prevent deterioration of the melt-in-the-mouth quality that occurs due to ambient temperature, especially low ambient temperatures, so a lingering aftertaste or waxy feeling is less likely to be felt.

[0017] The chocolates of the present invention may use emulsifiers commonly used in the production of chocolates. Examples include lecithin, polyglycerol fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, organic acid monoglycerol fatty acid esters, polysorbate, polyglycerol condensed ricinoleate esters, and polyglycerol condensed ricinoleate esters. Two or more of these may be used in combination.

[0018] The chocolates of the present invention can be manufactured using general chocolate manufacturing processes (mixing process, grinding process (rolling), refining process (conching), molding, cooling, and solidification process, etc.). Other general chocolate manufacturing methods can be used, such as manufacturing methods that involve mixing and grinding using a ball mill or bead mill. For example, a manufacturing method may use oils and fats, sugars, cocoa mass, dairy products, flavorings, emulsifiers, etc. as raw materials and include a mixing process, a grinding process (rolling), a refining process (conching), and a cooling process. Another example may use the same raw materials as above and include a mixing process, a grinding process (grinding using a ball mill or bead mill), a stirring process, and a cooling process.

[0019] The raw materials used in the chocolates of the present invention are not particularly limited. They can also be applied by referring to the composition of typical chocolates. For example, nut paste, nut powder, dried vegetable powder, dried fruit juice powder, bean powder, oils and fats, and other edible materials can be combined as appropriate. Other additives include emulsifiers, antioxidants, and flavorings, but there are no limitations on the type or amount, and they do not need to be added.

[0020] The present invention can suppress the deterioration of melt-in-the-mouth texture and the decrease in heat resistance of chocolates that occur due to ambient temperature. In other words, the present invention can be described as a method for improving the heat resistance of chocolates. Furthermore, considering that it can improve the melt-in-the-mouth texture of chocolates at low ambient temperatures, it can also be described as a method for improving the physical properties of chocolates.

[0021] Although the details of the mechanism of this invention are not clear, it is believed that one of the factors contributing to solving the problem is that, compared to conventional chocolates, it has been possible to adjust the physical properties to have a certain degree of fluidity despite having a low oil content. It is thought that the presence of oil as a continuous phase results in good melt-in-the-mouth quality, and the low amount of oil in the continuous phase allows it to maintain a less sticky state even at around 25°C.

[0022] Among the chocolates of the present invention, the following embodiments are particularly effective: (1-a) The oil content of the chocolate is 20% by mass or more and 28% by mass or less. (2-a) The oil content derived from oil and fat raw materials is 85% by mass or more in the oil content of the chocolate. (3-a) The oil content derived from food raw materials other than oil and fat raw materials is 5% by mass or less in the chocolate. (4) The content of dairy products or processed dairy products is 5% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less in the chocolate. Chocolates that satisfy the above requirements. Other embodiments are also described below: (1-a) The oil content of the chocolate is 20% by mass or more and 28% by mass or less. (2-a) The oil content derived from oil and fat raw materials is 85% by mass or more in the oil content of the chocolate. (3-a) The oil content derived from food raw materials other than oil and fat raw materials is 5% by mass or less in the chocolate. (5) The content of carob powder and / or bean powder is 10% by mass or more and 25% by mass or less in the chocolate. Chocolates that satisfy the above requirements. Furthermore, in this embodiment, chocolates that further satisfy the requirement (6) that the cocoa raw material content is 3% by mass or less can also be mentioned.

[0023] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples of the present invention.

[0024] The following fats were used to prepare the chocolates: Fat A: Cocoa butter (Cocoa Butter 201: manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.), rising melting point 33°C Fat B: Cocoa butter substitute (Melano NEW.SS-7: manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.), rising melting point 34°C Fat C: Mixed random transesterified oil of palm oil and palm kernel oil (Purkid Y: manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.), rising melting point 33°C

[0025] ●Study 1 According to the formulations in Table 1, the powdered raw materials and a portion of the melted fats and oils were mixed in a mixer. After the mixed dough was crushed in a roll refiner, the remaining fats and oils and emulsifiers were added and mixed to prepare each type of chocolate dough. For each chocolate, either fat A or fat C as previously described was used, and chocolate doughs with different fat content were prepared. The fat content derived from the powdered raw materials was 0% by mass. The following emulsifiers were used: Emulsifier X: Soy lecithin (manufactured by Tsuji Oil Co., Ltd.) Emulsifier Y: Sucrose fatty acid ester (HLB 7, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) Emulsifier Z: Polyglycerin condensed ricinoleate ester (manufactured by Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.)

[0026] Of the chocolates prepared earlier, the chocolate mixture using fat A was tempered at 32°C using a seed material (Choco Seed LT: manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.), then filled into 5mm thick molds and cooled and solidified in a refrigerator set to 5°C. Each sample was removed from the refrigerator after 30 minutes, removed from the molds, and left to stand at 20°C for one week. The chocolate mixture using fat C was filled into φ25mm × height15mm aluminum cups in a molten state at 40°C in 5g portions, and then cooled and solidified in a refrigerator set to 5°C for 30 minutes. The solidified chocolates were then left to stand at 20°C for one week.

[0027] - Hardness measurement: Chocolate samples were placed in incubators set to different temperatures and left to stand for 2 hours. The hardness of the chocolate samples at each temperature was measured by the breaking load using a rheometer. The rheometer used was a RHEONER2 (2 is written as the Roman numeral 2) CREEP METER RE2-33005C (manufactured by Yamaden Co., Ltd.). For measuring the hardness of chocolate samples using fat A, a wedge-shaped plunger (No. 49: width 13 mm x tip angle 30° x tip width 1 mm) was used. For measuring the hardness of chocolate samples using fat C, a cylindrical plunger (No. 4) with a diameter of 3 mm and a height of 22 mm was used.

[0028] ・Evaluation of heat resistance The difference between the hardness measured at 5°C and the hardness measured at 25°C was calculated for the hardness evaluated. Samples with a small decrease in hardness were evaluated as having suppressed heat resistance due to ambient temperature. The difference in hardness was defined as "(hardness at 5°C) - (hardness at 25°C)", and the specific evaluation criteria are shown below. 3 points: Less than 2.7N: Heat resistance decrease is suppressed, particularly good. 2 points: 2.7N or more, less than 3.2N: Heat resistance decrease is suppressed to a certain extent, good. 1 point: 3.2N or more: Heat resistance decrease is not suppressed, unsuitable. ・Evaluation of melt-in-the-mouth texture 3 points: No lingering aftertaste or waxy feeling, particularly good. 2 points: Little lingering aftertaste or waxy feeling, good. 1 point: Lingering aftertaste or waxy feeling is felt, unsuitable. The evaluation of melt-in-the-mouth texture was confirmed by having five taste panelists with expertise in the field of chocolate conduct a sensory evaluation of the obtained chocolates. The sensory evaluation scores were assigned from 1 to 3 points by consensus of the panelists, according to the evaluation criteria described above.

[0029] ●Evaluation: Products that received a score of 2 points (good) or higher in both heat resistance and melt-in-the-mouth evaluation were deemed to be of acceptable quality. The oil content, type of oil used, hardness, hardness difference, heat resistance, and melt-in-the-mouth evaluation are shown in Tables 2 and 3.

[0030]

[0031]

[0032]

[0033] In the example with an oil content of 28% by mass or less, the chocolate on the surface did not adhere when touched at 25°C, indicating improved stickiness. In contrast, the comparative example showed that the chocolate adhered when touched, and stickiness was observed. Even when the type of oil used changed, the difference in hardness of the chocolate in the example remained below 3.2 N.

[0034] ●Study 2 Following the same procedure as in Study 1, cocoa mass, powdered raw materials, and a portion of the melted fat were mixed in a mixer according to the formulations in Table 4. After the mixed dough was ground in a roll refiner, the remaining fat and emulsifier were added and mixed to prepare chocolate doughs with different fat content derived from the powdered raw materials. The prepared chocolate doughs were tempered at 32°C using a seed material, similar to the chocolates using fat A in Study 1, then filled into 5mm thick molds and cooled and solidified in a refrigerator. Each sample was removed from the refrigerator after 30 minutes, removed from the molds, and left to stand at 20°C for one week. As in Study 1, hardness was measured, and the final quality evaluation was performed based on the evaluation of heat resistance and melt-in-mouth properties. The evaluation of fat content, hardness, hardness difference, heat resistance, and melt-in-mouth properties is shown in Table 5.

[0035]

[0036]

[0037] In the example where the oil content derived from the powdered raw materials in the chocolate was 9% by mass or less, both heat resistance and melt-in-the-mouth properties were evaluated favorably. In Comparative Example 6, where the oil content derived from the oil and fat raw materials was less than 65% by mass of the total oil content in the chocolate, the melt-in-the-mouth properties were slightly below acceptable quality.

[0038] ● Study 3 In the same manner as Study 1, according to the formulations in Table 6, the powdery raw materials and part of the melted fat and oil were mixed with a mixer. After the mixed dough was pulverized with a roll refiner, the remaining fat and oil and the emulsifier were added and mixed, and chocolate doughs containing no cacao raw materials were respectively prepared. The prepared chocolate doughs were tempered at 32°C using a seed material in the same manner as the chocolates using fat and oil A in Study 1, then filled into a mold with a thickness of 5 mm and cooled and solidified in a refrigerator. Each sample was taken out of the refrigerator after 30 minutes, demolded, and then allowed to stand at 20°C for one week. The hardness was measured in the same manner as in Study 1, and a final quality evaluation was carried out based on the evaluation of heat resistance and melt-in-mouth property. The following raw materials were used: Roasted carob powder (manufactured by BOUBLENZA) Roasted pea powder (manufactured by Terao Flour Milling Co., Ltd.) Caramel powder (manufactured by Tsukuba Milk Industry Co., Ltd.) In addition, for measuring the hardness of chocolates, a wedge-shaped plunger (No.49: width 13 mm × tip angle 30° × tip width 1 mm) was used in the same manner as when fat and oil A was used. Table 7 shows the evaluation of oil content, hardness, difference in hardness, heat resistance and melt-in-mouth property.

[0039]

[0040]

[0041] Although chocolates prepared using roasted carob powder and roasted pea powder did not contain any cacao raw materials, they had a good flavor similar to chocolates containing cocoa mass or cocoa powder. Chocolates containing caramel powder had a caramel-like soft texture and good melt-in-mouth property.

[0042] Even when the raw materials compounded in chocolates were changed, by satisfying the following requirements, the physical properties of chocolates could be adjusted to those with low temperature dependence. (1) The oil content of the chocolate is 10% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less (2) The oil derived from fat and oil raw materials accounts for 65% by mass or more of the total oil content in the chocolate (3) The oil derived from food raw materials containing oil is 9% by mass or less in the chocolate

[0043] The physical properties of chocolate, which are highly temperature-dependent, can be adjusted to have less temperature-dependent properties.

Claims

1. Chocolates that meet all of the following requirements (1) to (3): (1) The oil content of the chocolate is 10% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less. (2) The oil content derived from oil and fat raw materials is 65% by mass or more of the oil content of the chocolate. (3) The oil content derived from food raw materials other than oil and fat raw materials is 9% by mass or less of the chocolate.

2. A method for producing chocolates, comprising a step of mixing raw materials and a step of grinding raw materials, wherein the chocolates satisfy all of the following requirements (1) to (3): (1) The oil content of the chocolates is 10% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less. (2) The oil content derived from oil and fat raw materials is 65% by mass or more in the oil content of the chocolates. (3) The oil content derived from food raw materials other than oil and fat raw materials is 9% by mass or less in the chocolates.

3. A method for improving the heat resistance of chocolates using chocolates that meet all of the following requirements (1) to (3): (1) The oil content of the chocolates is 10% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less. (2) The oil content derived from oil and fat raw materials is 65% by mass or more in the oil content of the chocolates. (3) The oil content derived from food raw materials other than oil and fat raw materials is 9% by mass or less in the chocolates.

4. A method for improving the physical properties of chocolate products using chocolate products that meet all of the following requirements (1) to (3): (1) The oil content of the chocolate products is 10% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less. (2) The oil content derived from oil and fat raw materials is 65% by mass or more in the oil content of the chocolate products. (3) The oil content derived from food raw materials other than oil and fat raw materials is 9% by mass or less in the chocolate products.

5. The chocolates described in claim 1, further satisfying all of the following requirements (1-a) to (3-a) and (4): (1-a) The oil content of the chocolates is 20% by mass or more and 28% by mass or less. (2-a) The oil content derived from oil and fat raw materials is 85% by mass or more in the oil content of the chocolates. (3-a) The oil content derived from food raw materials other than oil and fat raw materials is 5% by mass or less in the chocolates. (4) The content of dairy products or processed dairy products is 5% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less in the chocolates.

6. The chocolates according to claim 1, further satisfying all of the following requirements (1-a) to (3-a) and (5): (1-a) The oil content of the chocolates is 20% by mass or more and 28% by mass or less. (2-a) The oil content derived from oil and fat raw materials is 85% by mass or more in the oil content of the chocolates. (3-a) The oil content derived from food raw materials other than oil and fat raw materials is 5% by mass or less in the chocolates. (5) The content of carob powder and / or bean powder is 10% by mass or more and 25% by mass or less in the chocolates.

7. Chocolates according to claim 6, further satisfying the requirement of (6). (6) The cocoa raw material content is 3% by mass or less.

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