JP6935276B2 - White edible ink, inkjet printer, and food manufacturing method using these - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a white edible ink, a white edible ink for inkjet, an edible inkjet ink set containing the ink, an inkjet printer, a method for producing a food product using these, and a white edible ink for spraying.

When decorating food, a method of manually applying a coloring material to the food using a brush, a spatula, a roller, or the like, or a printing method such as pad printing, electrostatic screen printing, or inkjet printing is used.

In pad printing, food ink is placed in the recesses of an intaglio plate on which a printing pattern such as characters or figures is formed, the ink is transferred to the pad, and the ink is transferred from the pad to the food. In pad printing, it is possible to print even if the printing surface is a curved surface.

In electrostatic screen printing, food powder placed on a mesh net on which printing patterns such as letters and figures are formed is adhered to the surface of food using electrostatic force, and the printing pattern is printed on the surface of food. do.

In inkjet printing, food ink is made into droplets and ejected onto food for printing.

As an example of inkjet printing, Patent Document 1 discloses an inkjet edible ink composition comprising a food white pigment, a dispersant, an alcohol, and water. Further, titanium dioxide and the like are disclosed as white pigments for foods, and glycerin and the like are disclosed as dispersants.

Patent Document 2 discloses a pretreatment liquid for inkjet printing containing a water-soluble natural polysaccharide, a food emulsifier, water, and alcohol. Further, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose and hydroxypropylcellulose are disclosed as water-soluble natural polysaccharides, and it is also disclosed that titanium dioxide is contained in the pretreatment liquid.

Special Table 2003-535923 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-192557

Pad printing is suitable for mass production because it requires the creation of an intaglio plate on which a printing pattern is formed. Further, the printed surface is limited to a smooth surface without unevenness because it is necessary to transfer ink from the pad.

Electrostatic screen printing is also suitable for mass production because it requires the creation of a mesh net (screen) on which a printing pattern is formed. In addition, full-color decoration such as complicated patterns and color photographs cannot be performed.

On the other hand, inkjet printing as described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 does not require the production of plates and screens, and therefore can be used not only for mass production but also for small lot production. In addition, since printing is performed by ejecting minute droplets, full-color decoration such as complicated patterns and color photographs is possible. In addition, printing is possible if there is some unevenness.

However, in inkjet printing using conventional inkjet ink, as described above, since the ink is droplets, non-water-absorbent foods (for example, chocolate and candy) that are possible in pad printing and electrostatic screen printing). There was a problem that bleeding and repelling occurred on the printed surface when printing on. Further, in the conventional white ink for inkjet, the white color material in the ink is not sufficiently dispersed, and there is room for improvement in the stability of the ink.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a white edible ink having excellent ink stability and few surface defects on the printed surface.

As a result of diligent research in view of the above problems, the present inventors have found that the ink containing a specific fatty acid ester has the ease of dispersing titanium oxide, which is an edible white pigment, and the stability of dispersion, that is, the friability. It was found that it has functions such as reaggregation resistance, sedimentation resistance, and surface adjustability, and is excellent overall. Based on these findings, the present inventors further studied and completed the present invention.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the white edible ink of the present invention contains titanium oxide and a fatty acid ester having a dispersibility and a surface adjusting ability.

The white edible ink having the above configuration has excellent ink stability and few surface defects on the printed surface.

In the fatty acid ester, it is preferable that the number of carbon atoms of the fatty acid m satisfies 6 ≦ m ≦ 12.

The white edible ink having the above structure is excellent in glutinous property and surface adjustment ability.

Wherein the fatty acid ester is a polyglycerol fatty acid Es Te Le, preferred.

The white edible ink having the above structure is excellent in defibration resistance, re-aggregation resistance, sedimentation resistance, and surface adjustment ability.

Glycerol polymerization degree n of the polyglycerol fatty acid Es Te le satisfies 4 <n ≦ 14, and preferably.

The white edible ink having the above structure is excellent in defibration resistance, re-aggregation resistance, sedimentation resistance, and surface adjustment ability.

It is preferable that the white edible ink further contains a polysaccharide.

The white edible ink having the above structure is excellent in the adhesiveness between the titanium oxide fine particles and the titanium oxide fine particles and the base material, and the function as a receiving layer of the colored edible ink.

The polysaccharide is preferably carboxymethyl cellulose.

The white edible ink having the above configuration is excellent in that when printing on the hydrophobic surface of food, bleeding can be suppressed even when the printing density becomes high.

It is preferable that the titanium oxide is uniformly dispersed in the white edible ink in the range of an average particle size of 0.2 μm to 0.6 μm.

The white edible ink having the above configuration is excellent in reaggregation resistance and sedimentation resistance, and is suitable for inkjet applications and spray applications from the viewpoint of ejection from a nozzle.

The white edible ink is suitable for inkjet ink.

The inkjet ink having the above configuration has few surface defects such as repelling and low scratch resistance, and also has excellent ink stability such as maintaining uniform fine dispersion of titanium oxide particles for inkjet. It is possible to prevent clogging of the nozzle.

The edible inkjet ink set of the present invention includes the above-mentioned white edible ink for inkjet and a colored edible ink for inkjet containing a coloring material other than white.

The white edible inkjet ink set having the above configuration can be used for producing a decorated food product by performing white decoration and colored decoration using the white decoration as a receiving layer by inkjet printing.

The inkjet printer of the present invention includes a nozzle for ejecting the white edible ink for inkjet and a nozzle for ejecting the colored edible ink for inkjet.

The inkjet printer having the above configuration can improve the adhesiveness, surface property, and color development property of ordinary colored ink for inkjet. In addition, since the coating can be thinly and uniformly applied only to the necessary part by inkjet printing, the original texture and taste of the target food are not impaired. Moreover, since there is no difference in the skills of the workers, the quality can be made uniform.

The method for producing a food product of the present invention includes a first printing step of printing a pattern on a food product using the above-mentioned white edible ink for inkjet.
The second printing step of printing the colored edible ink for inkjet is included in at least a part of the pattern area printed in the first printing step.

The food manufacturing method having the above structure can improve the adhesiveness, surface property, and color development property of ordinary colored ink for inkjet. In addition, since the coating can be thinly and uniformly applied only to the necessary part by inkjet printing, the original texture and taste of the target food are not impaired. Moreover, since there is no difference in the skills of the workers, the quality can be made uniform.

The white edible ink is also suitable as a spray ink.

The spray ink having the above configuration is excellent in ink stability. In addition, the printing performance can be partially improved by using it in combination with a food printer that does not have a printing function of white edible ink.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a white edible ink having excellent ink stability and few surface defects on the printed surface.

Next, the present invention will be described in more detail.

The white edible ink of the present invention contains titanium oxide and a fatty acid ester having dispersibility and surface conditioning ability.

(Titanium oxide)
The titanium oxide used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is for food and is in the form of fine particles of titanium oxide that can be dispersed in a white edible ink (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as “ink”). The crystal structure of titanium oxide is not particularly limited and may be any of rutile type, anatase type and brookite type, but the rutile type is preferable from the viewpoint of thermal stability and the like. Examples of titanium oxide include BENIFUJI titanium dioxide (food additive, colorant, white) manufactured by Benifuji Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

The particle size of titanium oxide is not particularly limited, but is a particle size measured by a dynamic light scattering method, and the primary particle size is preferably 0.01 μm to 10 μm, more preferably 0.1 μm to 2 μm, and 0. It is particularly preferably .2 μm to 0.6 μm. Further, in the titanium oxide, it is preferable that the primary particle size or the secondary agglutinated particles are uniformly dispersed in the white edible ink, and the average particle size is in the range of 0.2 μm to 0.6 μm. When the average particle size is in this range, it is preferable in terms of reaggregation resistance and sedimentation resistance, and it is suitable for inkjet applications and spray applications from the viewpoint of ejection from a nozzle. The average particle size can be measured using a dynamic light scattering nanotrack particle size analyzer (Nanotraic UPA-EX150, manufactured by Microtrac). The average particle size can also be measured based on JIS Z 8828 2013. The average particle size of the uniformly dispersed titanium oxide in the white edible ink can be adjusted by adjusting the particle size of the titanium oxide used, the stirring means, the stirring time, and the like. For example, a method of stirring with equal weight beads in a paint shaker for 10 hours or more, preferably 20 hours or more, more preferably 25 hours or more, particularly preferably about 30 hours can be mentioned.

The content of titanium oxide in the ink is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1% by mass to 10% by mass, more preferably 2% by mass to 5% by mass, and particularly preferably 3% by mass to 3.5% by mass. When the content of titanium oxide is more than this lower limit, it is preferable from the viewpoint of white color development and color development of colored edible ink described later. Further, it is preferable that the content of titanium oxide is less than this upper limit from the viewpoint of scratch resistance.

(Fatty acid ester)
The fatty acid ester according to the present invention has a dispersing ability and a surface adjusting ability.

In the present specification, the dispersibility refers to the property of suppressing the reaggregation of the titanium oxide powder dispersed in the ink (reaggregation resistance) and the property of suppressing the precipitation of the titanium oxide powder dispersed in the ink. (Settle resistance). Re-aggregation resistance and sediment resistance contribute to ink stability. It is preferable that the dispersibility further includes the ease of dispersing titanium oxide in the ink (glutinous property).

The surface adjustability is a property that lowers the surface tension of the ink. When the surface tension is lowered, when the white edible ink is applied to the food, surface defects on the printed surface such as poor wettability, poor adhesion, and repelling of the white edible ink to the food can be suppressed. In addition, when a white edible ink is used to form the base layer of the colored edible ink, which will be described later, it is possible to suppress surface defects on the printed surface such as poor wettability, poor adhesion, and repelling of the colored edible ink. can.

The fatty acid ester according to the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it has a dispersing ability and a surface adjusting ability. Examples of fatty acid esters having dispersibility and surface conditioning ability include fatty acid esters in which the number of carbon atoms of the fatty acid m satisfies 6 ≦ m ≦ 12.

As the fatty acid constituting the fatty acid ester in which the number of carbon atoms satisfies 6 ≦ m ≦ 12, a linear or branched linear or branched carboxylic acid having an unsubstituted or substituent and having 6 to 12 carbon atoms is saturated or unsaturated. Acids can be mentioned. Of these, unsubstituted linear saturated fatty acids are preferable. More specifically, as linear saturated carboxylic acids, m = 6 caproic acid (common name: caproic acid), m = 7 heptanic acid (common name: enanthic acid), m = 8 octanic acid (common name: caproic acid). Conventional name: caprylic acid, m = 9 nonanoic acid (common name: pelargonic acid), m = 10 decanoic acid (common name: caproic acid), m = 12 dodecanoic acid (common name: lauric acid), m = 14 tetradecanoic acid (common name: myristic acid) can be mentioned. The carbon number m of the fatty acid is preferably 7 or more and 11 or less, and more preferably 8. It is preferable that the number of carbon atoms m of the fatty acid is smaller than these upper limits in terms of glutinous property and the like. Further, it is preferable that the carbon number m of the fatty acid is within these ranges in terms of surface conditioning ability and the like.

The alcohol constituting the fatty acid ester is not particularly limited as long as it constitutes the fatty acid and the ester and has a dispersing ability and a surface adjusting ability. Examples of the alcohol include monohydric alcohols such as methanol, ethanol and propanol, dihydric alcohols such as ethylene glycol and propylene glycol, trihydric alcohols such as glycerin, and polyhydric alcohols such as polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol and polyglycerin. .. Of these, polyhydric alcohols are preferred, and polyglycerin is more preferred. When the fatty acid ester is a polyglycerin fatty acid ester, it is preferable in terms of defibration resistance, reaggregation resistance, sedimentation resistance, and surface conditioning ability.

（ｎは、グリセリン重合度を表し、２以上の整数である。） Polyglycerin is a polyhydric alcohol obtained by polymerizing glycerin into a linear, branched, cyclic or the like by dehydration condensation or the like, and examples thereof include linear polyglycerin represented by the following formula (1).

(N represents the degree of glycerin polymerization and is an integer of 2 or more.)

The degree of glycerin polymerization n of polyglycerin is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that 4 <n ≦ 14 is satisfied, more preferably 6 ≦ n ≦ 12, and n = 12 is particularly preferable. More specifically, as polyglycerin, n = 5 pentaglycerin, n = 6 hexaglycerin, n = 7 heptaglycerin, n = 8 octaglycerin, n = 9 nonaglycerin, n = 10 Examples thereof include decaglycerin, undecaglycerin with n = 11, and dodecaglycerin with n = 12. When the degree of glycerin polymerization n is larger than these lower limits, it is preferable in terms of reaggregation resistance, sedimentation resistance, and surface adjustment ability. Further, it is preferable that the degree of polymerization n of glycerin is in these ranges in terms of glutinous property.

The fatty acid ester with a polyhydric alcohol such as polyglycerin may have at least one hydroxyl group of the polyhydric alcohol esterified. Examples of such fatty acid esters include polyglycerin fatty acid esters represented by the following formula (2).

（ここで、ｎはグリセリン重合度を表し２以上の整数である。Ｒ^１、Ｒ^２、及びＲ^３は、それぞれ独立して、水素またはアシル基を表し、Ｒ^２は各モノマー単位で同一であっても異なっていてもよい。）

(Here, n represents the degree of glycerin polymerization and is an integer of 2 or more. R ¹ , R ² , and R ³ each independently represent a hydrogen or acyl group, and R ² is the same for each monomer unit. It may or may not be different.)

Among the polyglycerin fatty acid esters represented by the formula (2), polyglycerin fatty acid esters in which R ¹ and R ² are hydrogen and R ³ is an acyl group are preferable.

More specifically, represented by the following formula (3) include decaglycerol caprylate monoester Te Le.

Such polyglycerol fatty acid esters are, for example, is available as Sakamoto Yakuhin Kogyo Co., Ltd. of MCA-750 (decaglycerol caprylate monoester Te le).

The content of the fatty acid ester in the ink is not particularly limited, but is preferably 5% by mass to 40% by mass, more preferably 10% by mass to 30% by mass, and particularly preferably 15% by mass to 25% by mass. When the content of the fatty acid ester is more than this lower limit, it tends not to repel the colored edible ink described later, which is preferable. Further, it is preferable that the content of the fatty acid ester is less than this upper limit from the viewpoint of scratch resistance.

(solvent)
The solvent of the white edible ink of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include an aqueous solvent and a non-aqueous solvent, and an aqueous solvent is preferable, and water is more preferable.

(Polysaccharide)
The white edible ink of the present invention preferably further contains a polysaccharide. When the polysaccharide is contained, it is preferable from the viewpoint of the adhesiveness between the fine particles of titanium oxide and the fine particles of titanium oxide and the base material, and the function as a receiving layer of the colored edible ink.

Examples of polysaccharides include celluloses such as cellulose, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, methyl hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose and carboxymethyl ethyl cellulose, quinceed, carrageenan, pectin and mannan. , Carrageenan, starch, arabic gum, tragant gum, xanthan gum, guagam, dextrin, locust bean gum, chitin, chitosan, agar, alginic acid, silium, duran gum, peach gum, pullulan, tamarind seed gum and the like. Of these, carboxymethyl cellulose is preferable because it can suppress bleeding even when the printing density is high when printing on the hydrophobic surface of food.

The content of the polysaccharide in the white edible ink of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably in the range of 0.01% by mass to 20% by mass, and more preferably in the range of 1% by mass to 10% by mass. It is preferably in the range of 2% by mass to 4% by mass, and particularly preferably. When the content of the polysaccharide is less than this upper limit, it is preferable in terms of scratch resistance, low viscosity of the ink, and the like. Further, when the content of the polysaccharide is larger than this lower limit, it is preferable in that the ink is not repelled on the printed surface.

(Other ingredients)
The white edible ink of the present invention can further contain other edible components as long as the present invention is not impaired. Other ingredients include edible antioxidants, preservatives, flavors, pigments and the like.

The white edible ink of the present invention is not limited to the production method thereof, but includes, for example, titanium oxide, a fatty acid ester having a dispersibility and a surface adjusting ability, and a solvent, polysaccharides and other components added as necessary. Mix and stir so that the titanium oxide powder is evenly dispersed in the ink. Examples of the stirring method include the same method as the above-mentioned method for adjusting the average particle size of dispersed titanium oxide.

The white edible ink of the present invention has few surface defects on the printed surface such as repelling and low scratch resistance, and also has excellent ink stability such as maintaining uniform fine dispersion of titanium oxide particles. Since it is possible to prevent clogging of the nozzle, it can be suitably used as an ink for inkjet.

The white edible ink of the present invention can be used for decorating food with white color, and can also be used as a receiving layer for other inks. For example, when decorating a colored, non-water-absorbent food such as brown chocolate, the white edible ink of the present invention is applied to the portion to be patterned, and the white edible ink of the present invention is used as a receiving layer to be normally edible. By adding a pattern using non-water-based or water-based colored ink, it is possible to decorate with good color development and without surface defects such as repelling.

Further, since the white edible ink of the present invention can be suitably used as an ink for inkjet, the white edible ink for inkjet of the present invention and the colored edible ink for inkjet containing a coloring material other than white are contained. It can be used in the production of decorated foods by combining with ink to form an edible inkjet ink set, and performing the above-mentioned white decoration and colored decoration using the white decoration as a receiving layer by inkjet printing.

The method for producing this food is a first printing step of printing a pattern on a food with the white edible ink for inkjet of the present invention, and at least a part of the pattern area printed in the first printing step can be colored for inkjet. The second printing step of printing the food ink is included.

The food can be produced by using an inkjet printer provided with a nozzle for ejecting white edible ink for inkjet and a nozzle for ejecting the colored edible ink for inkjet.

By this method for producing food, the adhesiveness, surface property, and color development property of ordinary colored ink can be improved. Inkjet printing is thinner and more uniform than brushes, spatulas, rollers, etc., and can be coated only on the parts necessary for decoration, so the original texture and taste of the target food is not impaired. Further, according to the inkjet printing, the skill difference of the operator is eliminated as compared with the case of using a brush or a spatula, so that the quality can be made uniform.

Since the white edible ink of the present invention is excellent in ink stability, it can be suitably used as an ink for spraying as well as for inkjet. As a result, the printing performance can be partially improved by using it in combination with a food printer that does not have a printing function of white edible ink.

Further, the white edible ink of the present invention can be further used for other purposes such as ink for pad printing.

(Example)
Next, the present invention will be specifically described based on examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. The ink was evaluated by the following method.

(Functional judgment as a dispersant; glutinous property)
After stirring with a stirrer, it was judged from the result of particle size distribution measurement. Judgment was made according to the following criteria.
The particle size distribution is a value measured by a dynamic light scattering method using a dynamic light scattering type nanotrack particle size analyzer (Nanotraic UPA-EX150 manufactured by Microtrac).
⊚; D50 ≦ 0.5 μm and D90 ≦ 0.7 μm
〇; D50 ≤ 0.7 μm and D90 ≤ 1.0 μm
Δ; Other than the above Stirring with a stirrer is gentler than stirring with a mill or the like, the dye particles are not destroyed, the primary particle size does not change, and the particles are loosened apart. Therefore, the particle size of this measurement is measured. Is considered to be the particle size of the secondary particle size. The smaller this value is, the easier the dispersion is. When the value is large, it is necessary to make the dispersion more intense, use ultrasonic waves, or lengthen the stirring time. It is considered that the value becomes smaller as the solvent easily enters between the particles. Once dispersed, the stability of the dispersed state is determined by other characteristics, so that it is easy to disperse and it is also a measure of the ease of ink production.

(Functional judgment as a dispersant; re-aggregation resistance)
Judgment was made based on the difference in particle size distribution measurement results immediately after the stirring treatment and after 3 hours. Judgment was made according to the following criteria.
⊚; ± 0.2 μm or less 〇; ± 0.3 μm or less Δ; More than that It shows a low degree to which the particles once dispersed are recombined and the particle size becomes large. The smaller the value, the less likely it is to reaggregate, which is preferable as an ink.

(Functional judgment as a dispersant; sedimentation resistance)
Immediately after the stirring treatment, the mixture was placed in a glass bottle having a diameter of 30 mm, allowed to stand for 18 hours, and then illuminated with a white LED from the opposite side of the observation surface for determination. Judgment was made according to the following criteria.
⊚; Light does not pass from the top surface to the bottom surface of the liquid.
〇; Light transmission is seen at the top of the liquid, but the solid liquid is not seen separately.
(It is a gradation)
Δ: Completely settled and solid and liquid separated.
(Same as when no dispersant is used)

(Functional judgment as a dispersant; comprehensive judgment)
The judgment results of the three items on the left were comprehensively judged. Judgment was made according to the following criteria.
◎; All judgments of the three items on the left are ○.
〇; Of the three items on the left, × is within one item.
Δ: Of the three items on the left, × is two or more items.

(Judgment of surface adjustment ability)
Judgment was made from the surface tension and appearance when 1.0% was added to water. Judgment was made according to the following criteria. The lower the surface tension and the more transparent the appearance, the better the surface adjustment ability for the food surface.
⊚; less than 40 mN / m and transparent ○; less than 40 mN / m but cloudy Δ; 40 mN / m or more ×; equivalent to water (73 mN / m (20 ° C.))

(Example 1)
White pigment (manufactured by Red Fuji Chemical Industry Co., BENIFUJI titanium dioxide) of titanium oxide 20g and, as a fatty acid ester having a dispersing ability and surface adjusting ability, decaglycerol caprylate monoester Te le (Sakamoto Yakuhin Kogyo Co., Ltd., MCA-750, fatty acid: caprylic acid (8 carbon atoms), 20 g of polymerization number 10), and 60 g of water were mixed using a stirrer. The mixing time was 30 hours. The characteristics of the obtained white edible ink 1 are shown in Table 1. The white edible ink 1 is excellent in all of the dispersant functions such as glutinous property, re-aggregation property, and sediment resistance, and is also excellent in the surface preparation function. Obtained.

(Example 2)
As fatty acid esters, tetraglycerol laurate monoester Te le instead of decaglycerol caprylate monoester Te le (fatty lauric acid (12 carbon atoms), a polymerization number 4) was used 20g in the same manner as in Example 1. White Ester edible ink 2 was obtained. The characteristics of the obtained white edible ink 2 are shown in Table 1.

(Example 3)
As fatty acid esters, hexaglycerin laurate monoester Te le instead of decaglycerol caprylate monoester Te le (fatty lauric acid (12 carbon atoms), polymerization 6) was used 20g in the same manner as in Example 1. White Ester edible ink 3 was obtained. The characteristics of the obtained white edible ink 3 are shown in Table 1.

(Example 4)
As fatty acid esters, decaglycerol lauric acid monoester Te le instead of decaglycerol caprylate monoester Te le (fatty lauric acid (12 carbon atoms), a polymerization number 10) was used 20g in the same manner as in Example 1. White Ester edible ink 4 was obtained. The characteristics of the obtained white edible ink 4 are shown in Table 1.

(Example 5)
As fatty acid esters, decaglycerol myristate monoester Te le instead of decaglycerol caprylate monoester Te le (fatty: myristic acid (14 carbon atoms), a polymerization number 10) was used 20g in the same manner as in Example 1. White Ester edible ink 5 was obtained. The characteristics of the obtained white edible ink 5 are shown in Table 1. Both the dispersant function and the surface preparation function were inferior to the results of the polyglycerin fatty acid ester of Example 1.

The present invention allows for various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. Moreover, the above-described embodiment is for explaining the present invention, and does not limit the scope of the present invention. That is, the scope of the present invention is indicated not by the embodiment but by the claims. Then, various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the equivalent meaning of the invention are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (11)

Containing titanium oxide and polyglycerin fatty acid monoester having dispersibility and surface conditioning ability ,
The content of the polyglycerol fatty acid monoester 5% to 40% by mass Ru white edible ink. The white edible ink according to claim 1, wherein the polyglycerin fatty acid monoester is a white edible ink in which the number of carbon atoms of the fatty acid m satisfies 6 ≦ m ≦ 12. The white edible ink according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the degree of glycerin polymerization n of the polyglycerin fatty acid monoester satisfies 4 <n ≦ 14. The white edible ink according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further containing a polysaccharide. The white edible ink according to claim 4 , wherein the polysaccharide is carboxymethyl cellulose. The white edible ink according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the titanium oxide is uniformly dispersed in the white edible ink in the range of an average particle size of 0.2 μm to 0.6 μm. .. The white edible ink according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , which is an ink for inkjet. An edible inkjet ink set containing the white edible ink for inkjet according to claim 7 and the colored edible ink for inkjet containing a coloring material other than white. An inkjet printer comprising the nozzle for ejecting the white edible ink for inkjet according to claim 8 and the nozzle for ejecting the colored edible ink for inkjet. The first printing step of printing a pattern on food with the white edible ink for inkjet according to claim 7.
A method for producing a food product, which comprises a second printing step of printing a colored edible ink for inkjet on at least a part of a pattern area printed in the first printing step. The white edible ink according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is a spray ink.