JP7574382B2 - Method for producing foamable oil-in-water emulsion and method for producing whipped cream - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for producing a foamable oil-in-water emulsion that has excellent emulsion stability, whipping properties, shape retention, and flavor without using synthetic emulsifiers, and a method for producing whipped cream.

Whipped cream is commonly used as a topping for sweets such as cakes, cupcakes, pies, ice cream, waffles, and fruits.

Traditionally, synthetic emulsifiers have been widely used in the field of confectionery to increase volume, improve texture, and prevent aging. However, when synthetic emulsifiers are used, there is a problem that the unique flavor and odor derived from the synthetic emulsifier itself remains in the confectionery, impairing the flavor and having an unfavorable effect on the texture, such as making it difficult to melt in the mouth. Furthermore, with the recent increase in health consciousness, there is a social demand to reduce the use of synthetic emulsifiers as much as possible.

In response to this demand, for example, Patent Document 1 describes an oil-in-water emulsion that is composed of 80-40% by weight of an aqueous phase and 20-60% by weight of an oil phase, and is characterized by containing 0.2-0.8% by weight of caseinate, 3% by weight or more of non-fat milk solids, and 0.05% by weight or more of a natural emulsifier, with the total content of phosphate and citrate being less than 0.01% by weight.

Patent Document 2 describes a method for producing an oil-in-water emulsion consisting of 50-70% by mass of an aqueous phase and 30-50% by mass of an oil phase, characterized in that the method uses 0.25-5.0% by mass of egg yolk oil and 1.0-8.0% by mass of buttermilk powder as raw materials.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-215783 JP 2001-352901 A

However, the oil-in-water emulsions described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 were not fully satisfactory in terms of whipping time, application width, whipping condition, etc.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a method for producing a foamable oil-in-water emulsion and a method for producing whipped cream that require a short whipping time, have a wide range of uses, and are in good condition when whipped, without using synthetic emulsifiers or egg-derived ingredients.

As a result of intensive research conducted by the inventors to achieve the above object, they discovered that by setting the molar ratio of the total amount of calcium and magnesium to the total amount of potassium and sodium derived from caseinate in a foamable oil-in-water emulsion within a specified range, it is possible to achieve excellent emulsion stability, whipping properties, shape retention, and flavor without using synthetic emulsifiers, and thus completed the present invention.

That is, one aspect of the present invention provides a method for producing a foamable oil-in-water emulsion containing 25 to 45% by mass of fats and oils and 1.3% by mass or less of protein, characterized in that the protein precipitated and separated by adding an acid to skim milk powder is neutralized and dissolved with calcium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, or potassium hydroxide, and spray-dried to obtain a caseinate, and the method provides a method for producing a foamable oil-in-water emulsion, characterized in that the molar ratio of the total amount of calcium and magnesium derived from the caseinate to the total amount of potassium and sodium derived from the caseinate is 1.0 to 8.0.

The foamable oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention can provide a foamable oil-in-water emulsion that is excellent in emulsion stability, whipping properties, and shape retention, even without using synthetic emulsifiers. In addition, because no synthetic emulsifiers are used, it is possible to provide a foamable oil-in-water emulsion that is free of the unpleasant taste that comes from synthetic emulsifiers and has excellent flavor.

The foamable oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention preferably contains 0.002 to 0.05% by mass of phospholipids.

In addition, the foamable oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention preferably has a pH of 6.8 to 8.5.

Furthermore, in the foamable oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention, the phospholipid is preferably a milk-derived phospholipid.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a method for producing whipped cream, which comprises adding milk fat to the foamable oil-in-water emulsion obtained by the method described above and whipping the mixture.

The present invention makes it possible to provide whipped cream that brings out the flavor of milk fat.

The foamable oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention can provide a foamable oil-in-water emulsion that has a short whipping time, a wide range of uses, and is in good condition when whipped, even without using synthetic emulsifiers. In addition, since no synthetic emulsifiers are used, it is possible to provide a foamable oil-in-water emulsion that is free of the unpleasant taste that comes from synthetic emulsifiers and has excellent flavor.

In addition, the present invention provides whipped cream that brings out the flavor of milk fat because it is free of the unpleasant taste that comes from synthetic emulsifiers.

The foamable oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention is a foamable oil-in-water emulsion containing 25-45% by mass of fat or oil and a milk protein material containing caseinate, and is characterized in that it contains 1.3% by mass or less of protein and the molar ratio of the total amount of calcium and magnesium to the total amount of potassium and sodium derived from caseinate is 1.0-8.0.

The oils and fats constituting the oil phase of the foamable oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention are not limited as long as they are edible, and examples thereof include vegetable oils and fats such as rapeseed oil, safflower oil, olive oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, rice oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, soft palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, etc.; animal oils and fats such as lard, beef tallow, milk fat, fish oil, etc.; and hydrogenated oils, fractionated oils, interesterified oils, etc. of these. These oils and fats can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The fat/oil content in the foamable oil-in-water emulsion is 25-45% by mass, preferably 27-40% by mass, and more preferably 30-35% by mass. If the fat/oil content is less than 25% by mass, the cream tends to be difficult to foam and lose its shape retention, and if it exceeds 45% by mass, the emulsion tends to become unstable.

In addition, examples of the milk protein ingredients used in the foamable oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention include raw milk, cow's milk, sweetened condensed milk, sweetened condensed skim milk, unsweetened condensed milk, unsweetened condensed skim milk, skim milk, skim milk powder, whole milk powder, buttermilk, buttermilk powder, whey protein, total milk protein, milk protein concentrate, cream, cream cheese, natural cheese, processed cheese, acid casein, rennet casein, caseinate, etc. These milk protein ingredients can be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

Casein salts include, for example, calcium caseinate, magnesium caseinate, sodium caseinate, and potassium caseinate, and refer to salts obtained by adding acid to skim milk, precipitating and separating proteins, neutralizing and dissolving them with calcium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, etc., and spray drying. Commercially available salts may also be used.

The protein content in the foamable oil-in-water emulsion is 1.3% by mass or less, preferably 0.2 to 1.2% by mass, and more preferably 0.3 to 1.1% by mass. If the protein content exceeds 1.3% by mass, whipping takes time, and workability tends to deteriorate. There is no particular lower limit for the protein content, but if it is less than 0.2% by mass, the flavor of the foamable oil-in-water emulsion tends to be poor.

In addition, when the term "protein" is used in this invention, it is not limited to proteins derived from milk protein materials.

In the foamable oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention, the molar ratio of the total amount of calcium and magnesium to the total amount of potassium and sodium derived from caseinate is 1.0 to 8.0, preferably 1.3 to 5.0, and more preferably 1.7 to 4.9. If the molar ratio is less than 1.0, whipping takes time, which tends to impair workability and the whipped state. Specifically, the emulsion has an appropriate fluidity while stirring, but solidifies when stirring is stopped, and is too hard to squeeze out as a whipped cream. On the other hand, if the molar ratio exceeds 8.0, the emulsion becomes unstable, the cream becomes significantly tighter after whipping, and the emulsion tends to break down during the production of the oil-in-water emulsion.

The foamable oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention may contain a phospholipid. The phospholipid to be used is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include phospholipids that can be used in foods, such as glycerophospholipids such as phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylserine, sphingophospholipids such as sphingomyelin, and lyso forms thereof.

As food materials containing such phospholipids, phospholipids (lecithin) derived from milk, soybeans, egg yolk, rapeseed, corn, sunflower, etc., or their enzymatically treated products (lysolecithin) can be used, but it is particularly preferable to use phospholipids derived from milk. As milk, milk from various livestock such as cows, goats, sheep, horses, and buffalo, as well as breast milk can be used.

When phospholipids are contained, the phospholipid content in the foamable oil-in-water emulsion is preferably 0.002 to 0.05% by mass, and more preferably 0.003 to 0.04% by mass. If the phospholipid content is less than 0.002% by mass, whipping takes time and workability tends to be poor, and if the phospholipid content exceeds 0.05% by mass, the emulsion tends to become tight and workability tends to be poor.

Here, the phospholipids in the solid content of a food material can be quantified, for example, by measuring the amount of phosphorus according to the Standard Method for the Analysis of Fats and Oils 2.4.11-2013 and calculating the amount of stearoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine.

The foamable oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention is prepared through a preliminary emulsification process in which the main raw materials and auxiliary raw materials consisting of the above-described oils and fats, milk protein material (including caseinate), and optionally phospholipids are mixed, followed by a heat sterilization process, a cooling process, a homogenization process, an aging process, etc.

In the preliminary emulsification process, the main ingredient and auxiliary ingredients are added and mixed while being heated and stirred to emulsify. In this case, a method is preferably adopted in which materials other than fats and oils are mixed with water, and then fats and oils are added and mixed. The emulsification temperature is preferably 40 to 80°C, and more preferably 50 to 75°C. Various blending tanks holding a propeller or other agitator can be used in the preliminary emulsification process. Here, as auxiliary ingredients, seasonings, proteins, fragrances, colorants, antioxidants, preservatives, pH adjusters, etc. can be used within a range that does not impair the effects of the present invention.

The heat sterilization process is a process carried out to sterilize the emulsion, and is carried out under conditions where the product temperature of the foamable oil-in-water emulsion is preferably 90 to 150°C, more preferably 120 to 150°C, for preferably 2 to 30 seconds, more preferably 4 to 15 seconds. The sterilization device is not particularly limited, but for example, a UHT sterilization device or a HTST sterilization device is preferably used.

The cooling process can be carried out by indirect cooling or evaporative cooling. In particular, indirect cooling can suppress flavor deterioration caused by the dissipation of flavor components during production.

The homogenization process can be carried out using a commonly known homogenization device, such as a kettle-type cheese emulsification device, a high-shear emulsification device such as a Stephan mixer, a static mixer, an in-line mixer, a bubble homogenizer, a homomixer, a colloid mill, a disper mill, etc.

The aging process is a process for stabilizing the crystalline state of the oils and fats and adjusting the viscosity to an appropriate level, and is carried out by leaving the mixture to stand at a temperature of preferably 0 to 10°C, more preferably 0 to 5°C, for preferably 6 to 60 hours, more preferably 12 to 54 hours.

The foamable oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention thus obtained preferably has a pH of 6.8 to 8.5, and more preferably a pH of 6.9 to 8.0. If the pH is less than 6.8, the emulsion becomes unstable, and if the pH exceeds 8.5, the flavor becomes poor. The pH can be adjusted by using an adjuster.

The pH adjuster may be any pH adjuster that can be used in food, such as potassium carbonate (anhydrous), sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, trisodium citrate, sodium acetate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, disodium hydrogen phosphate, sodium dihydrogen phosphate, etc.

Whipped cream made by whipping a foamable oil-in-water emulsion may also contain milk fat.

The amount of milk fat to be added is not particularly limited, and an appropriate amount may be selected according to the type of cream to be finally obtained. The origin of the milk fat is also not particularly limited, and milk fat that does not contain an aqueous phase may be used, or it may be food containing milk fat, such as raw milk, cow's milk, sweetened condensed milk, unsweetened condensed milk, whole milk powder, buttermilk powder, fresh cream, pure milk fat cream, a mixture of fresh cream and pure milk fat cream with compound cream or pure vegetable cream, cheese, butter, and various preparations containing butter and cream.

Whipped cream may be a foaming oil-in-water emulsion containing milk fat, but it is preferable to add fresh cream, pure milk fat cream, or a mixture of fresh cream and pure milk fat cream with compound cream or pure vegetable fat cream to the foaming oil-in-water emulsion and whip it to produce whipped cream.

The foamable oil-in-water emulsion and whipped cream of the present invention can be suitably used as a topping, filling, kneading, or cooking ingredient for confections and fruits such as cakes, cupcakes, pies, ice cream, and waffles.

The foamable oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention has excellent emulsion stability, whipping properties, and shape retention even though it is substantially free of synthetic emulsifiers. "Substantially free of synthetic emulsifiers" means that synthetic emulsifiers are not included at least intentionally, that is, they are not included except for synthetic emulsifiers that are inevitably mixed in due to the raw materials used, and is, for example, 0.01% by mass or less.

Examples of synthetic emulsifiers include distilled monoglycerides, reactive monoglycerides, glycerin acetate fatty acid esters, glycerin lactate fatty acid esters, glycerin succinate fatty acid esters, glycerin tartaric acid fatty acid esters, glycerin citric acid fatty acid esters, glycerin diacetyltartaric acid fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, sucrose acetate isobutyrate esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, calcium stearoyl lactylate, sodium stearoyl lactylate, and polyoxyethylene sorbitan monoglycerides.

The foamable oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention has excellent emulsion stability, whipping properties, and shape retention even if it is substantially free of phosphate and/or citrate. Here, "substantially free of phosphate and/or citrate" means that phosphate and/or citrate are not included at least intentionally, that is, they are not included except for phosphate and/or citrate that are inevitably mixed in due to the raw materials used, and is, for example, 0.01% by mass or less.

Generally, phosphates, citrates, etc. are used as stabilizers in oil-in-water emulsions at about 0.1 to 1% by mass, and are considered essential for achieving good whipped physical properties (overrun, workability, texture, etc.). However, phosphates and citrates impair the flavor.

Furthermore, the foamable oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention has excellent emulsion stability, whipping properties, and shape retention even though it is substantially free of egg-derived components. "Substantially free of egg-derived components" means that egg-derived components are not included at least intentionally, that is, that egg-derived components are not included other than those that are inevitably mixed in as a result of the raw materials used, and is, for example, 0.01% by mass or less. This allows even people with egg allergies to ingest the foamable oil-in-water emulsion and whipped cream of the present invention.

The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to examples, but these examples are not intended to limit the present invention in any way.

<Test Example 1>
(1) Preparation of foamable oil-in-water emulsion The ingredients of the raw materials used are shown in Table 1.

The mineral content of casein Ca, casein K, and casein Mg was measured using atomic absorption spectrometry.

The protein content of Ca casein, K casein, Mg casein, buttermilk powder, whole milk powder, and skim milk powder was measured using the Kjeldahl digestion method.

The amount of phospholipids in buttermilk powder and fats was measured in accordance with Standard Fats and Oils Analysis Test Method 2.4.11-2013 and calculated as the amount of stearoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine.

The oil content of Ca caseinate, K caseinate, Mg caseinate, buttermilk powder, whole milk powder, and skim milk powder was measured using an oil and moisture meter (TURBO SMART SYSTEM 5, CEM).

The oils and fats used were palm-based oils and fats, lauric-based oils and fats, and a mixture of transesterified palm-based oils and lauric-based oils and fats.

Using the above ingredients, foamable oil-in-water emulsions were prepared with the compositions shown in Tables 2 and 3. Specifically, Ca caseinate, K caseinate, Mg caseinate, Na carbonate, buttermilk powder, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, fermented milk, xanthan gum, and guar gum were added to water to form an aqueous phase. This aqueous phase and the oil phase consisting of the above-mentioned fats and oils were each heated to 60°C, the oil phase was added to the aqueous phase, and the mixture was emulsified by stirring, homogenized, and sterilized at about 142°C in a heat sterilizer. The resulting emulsion was cooled. It was then aged for 48 hours at a temperature of 5°C to obtain a foamable oil-in-water emulsion.

The contents of each component in the foamable oil-in-water emulsions prepared are also shown in Tables 2 and 3.

(2) Evaluation Method The foamable oil-in-water emulsions of Examples 1 to 10 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4 prepared above were evaluated according to the following criteria.

Whip time: Using a Hobart mixer N50 and a wire whip, 8% granulated sugar was added and the time it took to whip at speed 3 was recorded as the whipping time.

Time evaluation was based on the whip time and was determined based on the following criteria:
◎: ~2 minutes 29 seconds 〇: 2 minutes 30 seconds ~ 2 minutes 59 seconds △: 3 minutes 00 seconds ~ 3 minutes 29 seconds ×: 3 minutes 30 seconds ~

Use width The difference (A-B) between the following A and B values measured with a rheometer was determined, and evaluation was performed based on this difference (A-B) according to the following evaluation criteria.
A: Value when whipped to 80% + 15 seconds B: Value of optimal hardness (when whipped to 80%) ◎: 0-40 (wide)
○: 40-50
△: 50-60
×: 60~ (narrow)

・Whipped state (appearance when squeezed with the nozzle)
The direct evaluations are shown in Tables 4 and 5.

(3) Results The results are shown in Tables 4 and 5. As shown in Tables 4 and 5, when the fat/oil content, protein content, and Ca+Mg/K+Na molar ratio were within the ranges specified in the present invention, the whipping time was relatively short, the usability was within a range where there were no problems, and the whipped state was good.

On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1, where the protein content was more than 1.3% by mass, the whipping time was long and sagging occurred during whipping.

In addition, in Comparative Example 2, where the molar ratio of Ca+Mg/K+Na was less than 1, the whipping time was long and the whipped state was rough.

Furthermore, in Comparative Example 3, where the molar ratio of Ca+Mg/K+Na was much greater than 8, the emulsion was unstable.

Furthermore, in Comparative Example 4, where the molar ratio of Ca+Mg/K+Na was slightly above 8, the range of use during whipping was narrow.

Claims (5)

A method for producing a foamable oil-in-water emulsion containing 25 to 45% by mass of fat or oil and 1.3% by mass or less of protein, comprising:
A method for producing a foamable oil-in-water emulsion, comprising adding an acid to skim milk powder to precipitate and separate protein, neutralizing and dissolving the protein with calcium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, or potassium hydroxide, and spray-drying the resulting caseinate, so that the molar ratio of the total amount of calcium and magnesium derived from the caseinate to the total amount of potassium and sodium derived from the caseinate is 1.0 to 8.0. The method for producing the foamable oil-in-water emulsion according to claim 1, which contains 0.002 to 0.05% by mass of phospholipids. The method for producing the foamable oil-in-water emulsion according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pH is set to 6.8 to 8.5. The method for producing a foamable oil-in-water emulsion according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the phospholipid is a milk-derived phospholipid. A method for producing whipped cream, comprising adding milk fat to a foamable oil-in-water emulsion obtained by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and whipping the emulsion.