JP7465617B2 - Protein-containing granules - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a protein-containing granulated material.

A known method for easily supplementing protein is to dissolve a powder or granulated material containing protein in water or milk and drink the resulting solution.
Ingesting protein using these powders or granules is easier than getting the same amount of protein through food, and so has become popular as a source of nutritional supplementation for athletes and elderly people who have difficulty eating large meals.

Numerous protein-containing powders or granules and techniques for producing them have been disclosed so far.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology relating to a powdered nutritional formulation that uses spray-dried vegetable protein as at least a part of the dry-blended vegetable protein in order to improve the mouthfeel and viscosity when dissolved.

Patent Document 2 describes a granulated vegetable milk powder containing a pea protein composition and a starch hydrolysate that can be used to prepare a beverage composition that is highly nutritious and does not cause allergic reactions.

The pea protein described in Patent Document 2 is a protein that has been researched in recent years as a new vegetable protein to replace soybean protein.
Pea protein is attracting attention because it does not contain the allergens found in milk and soy proteins and is rich in essential amino acids such as lysine and arginine.

JP 2017-225453 A JP 2012-519013 A

Currently, there is a demand for protein-containing granulated products with high protein concentrations in order to more easily ingest large amounts of protein.
However, as the protein concentration increases, the unpleasant odor and taste caused by the protein become stronger, making the water unsuitable for drinking.

Powders are sometimes granulated to improve the solubility and flowability of the powder. When trying to produce granules with a high protein concentration, the powder cannot contain a lot of carbohydrates such as sugars due to binding, so the binding strength is weak and it is difficult to produce granules of an appropriate size.

In particular, pea protein, which has been attracting attention in recent years, has not yet been sufficiently researched, and there are no granulated products containing pea protein that have both excellent flavor and excellent binding strength.

Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to provide a protein-containing granulated product containing pea protein that has excellent flavor and binding strength.

In addition, sugars such as sucrose are representative of factors that have a masking effect to suppress the flavor of proteins and that increase binding properties.
However, with the growing trend towards a low-carb diet in recent years, consumers have tended to shy away from products that are high in carbohydrates (carbohydrates excluding dietary fiber), including sugars; this tendency has been particularly evident in protein-containing granulated products intended to supplement protein.

Therefore, a further objective of the present invention is to provide a protein-containing granulated product that has a low carbohydrate content but is excellent in flavor and binding strength.

As a result of extensive research, the inventors discovered that protein-containing granules to which specific ingredients have been added have excellent flavor and binding strength, leading to the completion of the present invention.

That is, the present invention which solves the above problems is:
A protein-containing granule having a total protein content of 40% by mass or more,
Tannins and
Carbohydrates and
Contains pea protein as the main protein component,
The tannin is contained in a flavor raw material, and the ratio of the content of the tannin to the content of pea protein is 0.01 to 0.03 in the protein-containing granules.
The protein-containing granule of the present invention contains a flavor ingredient containing tannins and carbohydrates excluding monosaccharides, and is formulated so that the ratio of the tannin content to the pea protein content is a specific value, thereby achieving excellent flavor and binding strength.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least a portion of the carbohydrate is contained in the flavor ingredient.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the content of carbohydrates contained in said flavor raw material is 6 to 17% by mass, relative to the total amount of the protein-containing granules, and the ratio of the content of said flavor raw material to the content of said pea protein is 0.2 to 0.7.
A protein-containing granulated product having such a structure has a low content of additives and carbohydrates and is excellent in flavor and binding properties.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the content of carbohydrate contained in the flavor raw material is 1 to 6% by mass based on the total amount of the protein-containing granules,
The ratio of the content of said flavor raw material and the total content of other carbohydrates (excluding monosaccharides and disaccharides) different from the carbohydrates contained in the flavor raw material to the content of said pea protein is 0.2 to 0.7.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pea protein content is 70% by mass or more relative to the total protein content.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the carbohydrate content is 35% by mass or less, more preferably 32% by mass or less, and even more preferably 30% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the protein-containing granule.
The protein-containing granules of the present invention have excellent flavor and binding strength even when the content of carbohydrates that affect the flavor and binding strength is low.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the carbohydrate content is 20% by mass or less based on the total amount of the protein-containing granule.
The protein-containing granules of the present invention have excellent flavor and binding strength even when the content of carbohydrates, which have a particular effect on flavor and binding strength, is small.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flavoring ingredient is one or more selected from cocoa, tea, and coffee.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the granules are obtained by fluidized bed granulation.

The protein-containing granules of the present invention have a high protein content and are excellent in flavor and binding strength.
The protein-containing granules of the present invention have excellent flavor and binding strength even when the carbohydrate, and hence sugar, content is low.

(1) Protein-Containing Granules In this specification, the term "protein-containing granules" refers to a granule obtained by granulating a powder composition containing 40% by mass or more of protein (hereinafter simply referred to as granules).

The granules of the present invention contain flavor ingredients, carbohydrates other than monosaccharides, and pea protein as essential components.

The protein content in the granule of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is 40% by mass or more, but is preferably 45% by mass or more, and more preferably 48% by mass or more.
The upper limit of the protein content is not particularly limited, but is preferably 80% by mass or less, more preferably 70% by mass or less, even more preferably 60% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 55% by mass or less.

The upper limit of the carbohydrate (including sugar) content in the granule of the present invention is preferably 35% by mass or less.
It is not preferable for the granulated product of the present invention to contain a large amount of carbohydrates, but from the viewpoints of flavor and binding property, it is preferable for the granulated product to contain a small amount of carbohydrates.

The carbohydrate content in the granulated product of the present invention is preferably 20% by mass or less, and more preferably 15% by mass or less.

The granulated product of the present invention may contain monosaccharides and disaccharides, preferably in an amount not exceeding the above-mentioned preferred carbohydrate content or preferred sugar content.
Specifically, it is preferably 20% by mass or less, more preferably 15% by mass or less, and further preferably 10% by mass or less.

Examples of monosaccharides and disaccharides include glucose, galactose, mannose, fructose, lactose, sucrose, and maltose.

The granulation method of the present invention is not particularly limited, and any of wet granulation method and dry granulation method may be used. Examples of the granulation method include fluidized bed granulation, stirring granulation, extrusion molding, etc.
The granules of the present invention are preferably granules produced by a wet granulation method, and more preferably granules produced by fluidized bed granulation.

The components contained in the granulated product of the present invention, their contents, and content ratios are described in detail below.

(2) Protein The granules of the present invention contain pea protein as the main protein component.
In the present invention, the "main protein component" refers to a main component as a nutrient source contained in the granulated product.

The granules of the present invention may contain proteins other than pea proteins, such as animal proteins such as casein proteins, whey proteins, milk proteins, proteins derived from eggs, collagen, and vegetable proteins such as soybean proteins, etc. Furthermore, the granules may contain proteins contained in flavoring ingredients described below.
In this case, the content of pea protein relative to the total amount of protein contained in the granules is preferably at least 70% by weight, more preferably at least 80% by weight, and even more preferably at least 90% by weight.
The isolated and purified protein material preferably contains only pea proteins.

(3) Flavoring Material The granule of the present invention contains a flavoring material containing tannin.
In this specification, the term "flavoring ingredient" refers to an ingredient that is primarily derived from a plant and is used for the purpose of imparting a taste and/or aroma, excluding fragrances.
Examples of such flavoring materials include ground grains, fruits, seeds, tea, and the like, extracts, and dried ground extracts.

Flavoring ingredients that contain tannins include beans such as cacao and coffee, teas such as green tea, matcha, black tea, oolong tea, and persimmon leaves, and fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, and grapes.

As the flavor raw material containing tannins and carbohydrates other than monosaccharides according to the present invention, cocoa powder, matcha powder, coffee powder and instant coffee are preferred.
Since the granulated material of the present invention contains a large amount of protein, the content of carbohydrates and lipids which improve the binding property of the granulated material is necessarily small.
By using a flavor ingredient containing carbohydrate, it is possible to mask the protein flavor caused by the high protein content and at the same time improve the binding properties of the granules.

The fat content in the flavor raw material is not particularly limited, but is preferably 23% by mass or less, and more preferably 12% by mass or less.
For example, when cocoa powder is used as the flavor ingredient, it is preferable to use cocoa powder with a fat content of 11% by mass.

The content of tannins contained in flavoring ingredients can be measured by standard methods. For example, the Folin-Ciocalteu method and the Folin-Denis method can be used. The content of methylxanthines such as caffeine and theobromine contained in flavoring ingredients can be measured by standard methods, for example, the method described in "Simultaneous Analysis Method of Caffeine, Theobromine, and Theophylline in Foods by HPLC" in Food Hygiene Journal Vol. 37, No. 1 (1996).

(4) Carbohydrates The granule of the present invention contains carbohydrates.
Preferably, at least a portion of the carbohydrate is contained in the flavour ingredient.

It may also contain carbohydrates different from those contained in the flavouring material.
Examples of such carbohydrates include water-soluble dietary fibers such as pectin, β-glucan, fructan, inulin, maltitol, resistant oligosaccharides, resistant dextrin, agarose, alginic acid, carrageenan, and fucoidan, and insoluble dietary fibers such as cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and chitin.

(5) Content and Ratio of Each Component In the granule of the present invention, the ratio of the content of the tannin to the content of the pea protein is 0.01 to 0.03.
The contents of pea protein and flavor raw materials are appropriately adjusted so as to obtain the above-mentioned tannin/pea protein ratio.

The tannin/pea protein ratio is preferably between 0.013 and 0.03, more preferably between 0.013 and 0.024, even more preferably between 0.015 and 0.024, and particularly preferably between 0.016 and 0.022.
The granulated product of the present invention, which has a tannin/pea protein ratio within a specific range, has a more excellent flavor and adhesiveness.

The content of pea protein in the total amount of the granules is preferably 30 to 80% by mass, more preferably 40 to 70% by mass, even more preferably 45 to 60% by mass, particularly preferably 45 to 55% by mass, and most preferably 50 to 55% by mass.

The tannin content relative to the total amount of the granules is preferably 0.3 to 2.5% by mass, more preferably 0.6 to 1.3% by mass, even more preferably 0.8 to 1.3% by mass, and particularly preferably 0.8 to 1.2% by mass.

The content of the flavoring ingredient is appropriately adjusted so that the tannin/pea protein ratio is 0.01 to 0.03, but it is preferable to further mix it so that the following requirement (A) or (B) is satisfied.

(A) The content of carbohydrates contained in the flavor raw material is 7 to 17% by mass relative to the total amount of the protein-containing granules, and the ratio of the content of the flavor raw material to the content of the pea protein is 0.2 to 0.7.
(B) The content of carbohydrates contained in the flavor raw material is 1 to 6% by mass relative to the total amount of the protein-containing granule, and other carbohydrates (excluding monosaccharides and disaccharides) different from the carbohydrates contained in the flavor raw material are contained, and the ratio of the content of the flavor raw material and the total content of the other carbohydrates to the content of the pea protein is 0.2 to 0.7.

When trying to adjust the tannin/pea protein ratio to 0.01 to 0.03, the carbohydrate content of the flavor ingredient contained in the total protein-containing granules is inevitably determined according to the carbohydrate content of the flavor ingredient used.

In this case, if the carbohydrates in the flavor ingredient account for a certain amount relative to the total amount of the protein-containing granules, and the content ratio of the flavor ingredient to the pea protein is a specific ratio, the granules will have better flavor and binding properties (requirement (A)).
On the other hand, when the proportion of carbohydrates in the flavoring material is low, a protein granule having excellent flavor is obtained, but the binding property tends to be inferior to that of the best mode of the present invention. In such a case, the binding property of the granule can be reinforced by adding a carbohydrate (excluding monosaccharides and disaccharides) different from the carbohydrate contained in the flavoring material (requirement (B)).

In requirement (A), the content of the protein contained in the flavor ingredient relative to the total amount of the protein-containing granules is preferably 8 to 16 mass%, more preferably 10 to 16 mass%, even more preferably 10 to 14 mass%, and particularly preferably 10 to 13 mass%.
The ratio between the content of flavouring raw material and pea protein is preferably between 0.3 and 0.7, more preferably between 0.35 and 0.7, even more preferably between 0.35 and 0.6, particularly preferably between 0.35 and 0.55 and most preferably between 0.39 and 0.52.

When the flavor ingredient contains methylxanthines such as theobromine and caffeine, the ratio of the methylxanthine content to the pea protein content is preferably 0.004 to 0.013, more preferably 0.006 to 0.013, even more preferably 0.006 to 0.011, and particularly preferably 0.007 to 0.009.

The methylxanthine content is preferably 0.25 to 0.6% by mass, more preferably 0.3 to 0.6% by mass, even more preferably 0.3 to 0.55% by mass, and particularly preferably 0.3 to 0.5% by mass.

By keeping the methylxanthine content within the above range, the taste and aroma derived from proteins can be further suppressed, resulting in a granulated product with better flavor.

(6) Other Physical Properties The average particle size of the granulated product of the present invention is preferably 100 to 300 μm, more preferably 150 to 300 μm.

In this specification, the average particle size refers to the volume-based average diameter D[4,3] measured by a laser diffraction/scattering method.

The Carr fluidity index of the granulated product of the present invention is preferably 35 to 50, more preferably 35 to 45, and even more preferably 35 to 40.

The fluidity index can be calculated by a conventional method.
Specifically, the angle of repose, angle of collapse, spatula angle, loose bulk density, packed bulk density, degree of aggregation or particle size distribution, and degree of dispersion are measured, and the difference angle, degree of compressibility, and degree of uniformity are calculated from these measured values. Evaluation indexes for each factor are then obtained in accordance with the evaluation conversion index table shown by Carr, and the sum of the evaluation indexes becomes the fluidity index.

Test Example 1: Protein-containing granules using cocoa powder as a flavor ingredient. According to the formulation shown in Table 1, the ingredients were mixed and subjected to fluidized bed granulation to obtain protein-containing granules.
10 g of each protein-containing granule was dissolved in 100 mL of water, and a technician familiar with the technical field of the present invention tasted the solution to evaluate the flavor.
In addition, each protein-containing granule was visually observed to evaluate its adhesiveness. The results are shown in Table 1.
The tannin content of the cocoa powder was measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and the theobromine and caffeine contents of the cocoa powder were measured by HPLC.
The criteria for each evaluation are as follows:

<Evaluation criteria>
(Flavor)
◎: Protein odor is suppressed and flavor is good.
Good: The protein smell is hardly noticeable and the flavor is just right.
△: Protein smell or strong flavor.
×: Strong protein odor.
(Adhesiveness)
⊚: Optimum binding properties, enabling granulation with uniform particle size.
Good: Appropriate adhesiveness allows granulation with a fairly uniform particle size.
Δ: Granulation is possible, but the particle size is uneven.
×: The adhesiveness is poor and granulation is difficult.

As shown in Table 1, the protein-containing granules of Examples 1 to 4, in which the ratio of the tannin to the pea protein content is 0.01 to 0.03, are superior in flavor and binding properties to those of Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Example 2, in which the ratio of the tannin to the pea protein content is less than 0.01 or more than 0.03.
In particular, Examples 2 to 4, in which the ratio of tannin to pea protein content is 0.016 to 0.027, have a suppressed protein odor and a well-balanced flavor.
Moreover, Examples 2 and 3, in which the ratio of the tannin content to the pea protein content is between 0.016 and 0.021, have optimal binding properties and allow granulation with a uniform particle size.

On the other hand, in Comparative Examples 1 and 2, although granulation was not impossible, the particle size was inconsistent and did not meet product suitability.

<Test Example 2> Protein-containing granules using instant coffee and matcha as flavor ingredients Protein-containing granules were obtained by mixing the ingredients according to the formulations shown in Table 2 and performing fluidized bed granulation (Examples 5 and 6). The flavor and binding properties of these protein-containing granules were evaluated in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The results are shown in Table 2.
The tannin content of matcha and instant coffee was measured by the Folin-Denis method, and the theobromine and caffeine contents of matcha and instant coffee were measured by HPLC.

As shown in Table 2, the protein-containing granules of Examples 5 and 6 have excellent flavor and optimal binding properties. These results show that the same effect can be obtained when coffee and matcha are used as flavor ingredients as when cocoa powder is used.

Here, instant coffee and matcha have a higher tannin content than the cocoa powder of Test Example 1.
Therefore, when instant coffee and matcha are used, if an attempt is made to adjust the tannin/pea protein ratio to 0.01 to 0.03, the content of the flavor raw material will inevitably be reduced compared to Test Example 1, and as a result, the carbohydrate content in the flavor raw material will be reduced.

These results show that when using a flavor ingredient with a relatively high tannin content, adding carbohydrates such as dietary fiber and adjusting the carbohydrate content of the entire protein-containing granules can result in a protein-containing granules with excellent flavor and binding properties.

Test Example 3: Protein-containing granules with extremely low sugar content Protein-containing granules were obtained by mixing the raw materials and performing fluidized bed granulation according to the formulation shown in Table 3 (Example 7, Comparative Examples 3 and 4). The flavor and binding property of these protein-containing granules were evaluated in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The results are shown in Table 3.

As shown in Table 3, the protein-containing granules of Example 7, which had a tannin/pea protein ratio in the range of 0.01 to 0.03, had excellent flavor and binding properties even though they contained only 1% sugar.

On the other hand, Comparative Example 3, in which the tannin/pea protein ratio was less than 0.01, had a strong protein odor, uneven particle size, and poor binding properties.

In addition, in Comparative Example 4, in which the tannin/pea protein ratio was greater than 0.03, the protein odor was slightly suppressed, but the particle size distribution was relatively broad.
The uniformity and binding properties were poor.

These results show that even when the amount of sugars, which contribute greatly to flavor and binding properties, is small, protein-containing granules with a tannin/pea protein ratio of 0.01 to 0.03 have excellent flavor and binding properties.

The present invention can be applied to the technology of preparing granulated materials.

Claims (10)

A protein-containing granule having a total protein content of 40% by mass or more,
Tannins and
Carbohydrates and
Contains pea protein as the main protein component,
The tannin is contained in a flavor raw material,
the ratio of the tannin content to the pea protein content is between 0.01 and 0.03,
At least a portion of the carbohydrate is contained in the flavoring material;
The content of pea protein relative to the total protein content is at least 70% by weight,
A protein -containing granule containing carbohydrates (excluding monosaccharides and disaccharides) different from the carbohydrates contained in the flavoring material . The content of carbohydrate contained in the flavor raw material is 1 to 6% by mass based on the total amount of the protein-containing granules,
2. Protein-containing granule according to claim 1, characterized in that the ratio of the content of the flavor raw material and the total content of the other carbohydrates (excluding monosaccharides and disaccharides) to the content of the pea protein is 0.2 to 0.7. The content of carbohydrate contained in the flavor raw material is 7 to 17% by mass based on the total amount of the protein-containing granules,
2. Protein-containing granules according to claim 1, characterized in that the ratio between the content of the flavor raw material and the content of the pea protein is between 0.2 and 0.7. The carbohydrate content is 25% by mass or less based on the total amount of the protein-containing granule,
The protein-containing granulated material according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the carbohydrate content is 20 mass% or less based on the total amount of the protein-containing granulated material. The protein-containing granulated product according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tannin content is 0.3 to 2.5 mass% based on the total amount of the granulated product. The protein-containing granule according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the flavor ingredient is one or more selected from the group consisting of cocoa, tea and coffee. The protein-containing granule according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the granule has a Carr fluidity index of 35 to 50. The flavor ingredient comprises a methylxanthine,
8. Protein-containing granules according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the content of methylxanthines to the content of pea protein is between 0.004 and 0.013. The protein-containing granule according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the carbohydrate (excluding monosaccharides and disaccharides) different from the carbohydrate contained in the flavoring material is selected from pectin, β-glucan, fructan, inulin, maltitol, resistant oligosaccharides, resistant dextrin, agarose, alginic acid, carrageenan, fucoidan, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and chitin. The content of pea protein relative to the total amount of the granules is 45% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less,
The protein-containing granulated material according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the average particle size of the granulated material is 100 to 300 µm .