JP7576115B2 - Materials for producing candy-coated foods coated with oil-containing candy, as well as oil-containing candy, candy-coated foods, and methods for producing the same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a material for producing candy-coated foods coated with fat-and-oil-containing candy, fat-and-oil-containing candy, fat-and-oil-containing candy-coated foods, and methods for producing these.

Traditionally, sweet potatoes are prepared by coating sweet potatoes that have been heated by steaming or frying with a sugar solution containing sugars, water, and starch syrup, known as a "sauce." Sweet potatoes are popular because they have a crisp texture immediately after preparation, but there is an issue that the crispness is lost immediately after production as the potatoes absorb the water in the sugar solution. There is also an issue that the sweet potatoes stick together. In recent years, sweet potatoes are sometimes distributed as frozen foods, and in this case, it is required that the crispness of the sweet potatoes remains even after thawing, and that the individual sweet potatoes do not stick together.

For this reason, methods that do not lose the crispy texture of university sweet potatoes are being studied. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing university sweet potatoes in which cut raw potatoes are steamed or fried, and the potatoes are then soaked in an aqueous solution containing sugar, fried, and coated with a candy liquid containing sugar and starch syrup.

Patent Document 2 describes frozen foods coated with candy, in which starch, xanthan gum, or other adhesives are added to the candy so that the candy does not dissolve even after thawing. Patent Document 3 describes foods in which water or an aqueous solution is applied to foods such as potatoes, causing them to swell, and then a hot water-soluble powdered sweetener is applied to the foods, and the sweetener is dissolved by cooking the foods with heat before eating.

JP 2017-163926 A Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 63-79571 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-253752

In conventional methods for producing sweet potatoes, the candy liquid that coats the sweet potatoes contains water. As a result, the crisp texture is lost due to the water in the sweet potatoes, and the surface may become sticky, so there is still room for improvement in the conventional production method. The crisp texture is particularly likely to be lost when the sweet potatoes are thawed after being frozen. This problem is not limited to sweet potatoes, but can occur in general with food compositions that are covered with a coating that contains sugar (e.g., candy-coated foods).

One aspect of the present invention aims to provide a material for producing a candy-coated food that has a desirable crisp texture and can maintain the desirable texture even after storage, a candy containing this material, and a method for producing the same.

As a first aspect, the present invention provides a material for producing a candy-coated food product coated with an oil-containing candy, the material containing at least one sugar selected from the group consisting of isomaltulose and reduced isomaltulose as an active ingredient.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides an oil-containing candy that contains the above-mentioned material and oil.

In the second aspect, the breaking strength of the oil-containing candy when solidified is preferably 40 N or more. The breaking strength refers to a value measured by the method of the examples described below.

In a third aspect, the present invention provides a candy-coated food product in which a food composition is coated with the above-mentioned oil-containing candy.

As a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a method for producing an oil-containing candy, comprising a step of melting a composition containing at least one sugar selected from the group consisting of sucrose, isomaltulose, and reduced isomaltulose, and an oil to obtain an oil-containing candy.

In a fifth aspect, the present invention provides a method for producing a candy-coated food, comprising a step of coating a food composition with an oil-containing candy obtained by melting a composition containing at least one sugar selected from the group consisting of sucrose, isomaltulose, and reduced isomaltulose, and an oil.

In the third and fifth aspects, the food composition may be a tuber.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a material for producing a candy-coated food that has a desirable crisp texture and can maintain the desirable texture even after storage, a candy containing this material, and a method for producing the same. This candy-coated food has a less sticky surface and less candy melting after preparation and long-term storage.

1 is a photograph showing the appearance of frozen university sweet potatoes immediately after thawing in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a photograph showing the state of frozen university sweet potatoes 6 hours after the start of thawing in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a graph showing the breaking strength of candy made from university sweet potatoes according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In this specification, "candy" refers to sugar that has been melted, cooled, and vitrified. In this specification, "candy" also includes candy in a fluid state immediately after melting. "Fat-containing candy" refers to candy that contains fat. "Candy-coated food" refers to a food composition whose surface is partially or entirely covered with candy.

In the "fat-containing candy" of the present invention, the water content is preferably 20% by mass or less based on the total amount of the fat-containing candy. The water content in the fat-containing candy may be 15% by mass or less, 10% by mass or less, 5% by mass or less, or 1% by mass or less. The fat-containing candy does not have to contain water.

[Method of manufacturing fat-containing candy]
The method for producing an oil-containing candy according to one embodiment includes a step of melting a composition containing at least one sugar selected from the group consisting of sucrose, isomaltulose, or reduced isomaltulose, and an oil to obtain an oil-containing candy (hereinafter also referred to as the "melting step").

Sucrose is a disaccharide formed by the 1,2-glucosidic bond between glucose and fructose. Sucrose may be of natural origin or may be artificially synthesized.

Sucrose may be used alone, or may be used as a sweetener containing sucrose as the main component, such as granulated sugar, white sugar, brown sugar, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, brown sugar, etc. Commercially available sucrose may be used.

Isomaltulose is a disaccharide consisting of α-1,6 bonds between glucose and fructose, and is a structural isomer of sucrose. Isomaltulose is found, for example, in natural honey. Industrially, isomaltulose is produced by the action of α-glucosyltransferase derived from bacteria such as Protaminobacter rubrum and Serratia plymuthica on sucrose.

Isomaltulose is also known as palatinose. "Palatinose" is a registered trademark of Mitsui Sugar Co., Ltd.

Isomaltulose may be naturally derived or synthesized by enzymatic action or the like. Commercially available isomaltulose may also be used. Commercially available products include, for example, crystalline palatinose (product name "Crystalline Palatinose IC", manufactured by Mitsui Sugar Co., Ltd.), crystalline palatinose (product name "Crystalline Palatinose PST-N", manufactured by Beneo), powdered palatinose (product name "Powdered Palatinose ICP", manufactured by Mitsui Sugar Co., Ltd.), and palatinose syrup (product names "Palatinose Syrup-ISN", "Palatinose Syrup-TN", manufactured by Mitsui Sugar Co., Ltd.).

Reduced isomaltulose is isomaltulose that has been reduced by hydrogenation or other methods. Reduced isomaltulose is also called reduced palatinose (a registered trademark of Mitsui Sugar Co., Ltd.). Reduced isomaltulose is a mixture of mainly α-D-glucopyranosyl-1,1-mannitol (hereinafter also referred to as GPM) and α-D-glucopyranosyl-1,6-sorbitol (hereinafter also referred to as GPS).

GPM and GPS have different solubilities in water. The difference in solubility between the two components can be used to adjust the above-mentioned mixing ratio (see, for example, JP 10-310595 A). In other words, since the solubility equilibrium is temperature dependent, the concentration ratio of the two components can be adjusted by controlling the temperature of the aqueous solution of reduced isomaltulose. After adjusting to the solubility equilibrium, the concentration of GPM and GPS in the reduced isomaltulose can be controlled by determining the rate of temperature change.

The reduced isomaltulose may be in a granular form. Granular reduced isomaltulose can be produced, for example, as follows. First, a solution of reduced isomaltulose is heated under reduced pressure to obtain a concentrated liquid. Next, this concentrated liquid is sprayed onto the inner wall of a drum that is slowly rotating under reduced pressure, and the reduced isomaltulose adhering to the inner wall surface is scraped off with a stirrer. The scraped off reduced isomaltulose is further granulated into granules by the rotation of the drum, thereby producing granular reduced isomaltulose.

As reduced isomaltulose, commercially available products may be used. Examples of commercially available products include Palatinit PN (Mitsui Sugar Co., Ltd.), Powdered Palatinit PNP (Mitsui Sugar Co., Ltd.), Palatinit GS (Mitsui Sugar Co., Ltd.), Powdered Palatinit GSP (Mitsui Sugar Co., Ltd.), and Palatinit ST-F (Mitsui Sugar Co., Ltd.).

The sugar may contain any one of sucrose, isomaltulose, or reduced isomaltulose, or two or more of these may be used in combination. From the viewpoint of making it easier to attach the oil-containing candy to an object before it cools and hardens, it is preferable that the composition containing sugar and oil contains sucrose and either isomaltulose or reduced isomaltulose. From the same viewpoint, the composition containing sugar and oil may contain sucrose, isomaltulose, and reduced isomaltulose.

When the composition containing sugar and fats and oils contains sucrose and isomaltulose as sugars, the mass ratio of the isomaltulose content to the sucrose content (isomaltulose/sucrose) may be preferably 3/97 or more, more preferably 5/95 or more, and even more preferably 10/90 or more, from the viewpoint of further improving the crispness of the fat-containing candy and making it easier to maintain the crispness after storage. The mass ratio of the isomaltulose content to the sucrose content is preferably 80/20 or less, more preferably 70/30 or less, and even more preferably 50/50 or less, from the viewpoint of making it easier to attach the fat-containing candy to an object before it cools and hardens.

When the composition containing sugar and fats and oils contains sucrose and reduced isomaltulose as sugars, the mass ratio of the reduced isomaltulose content to the sucrose content (reduced isomaltulose/sucrose) may be preferably 3/97 or more, more preferably 5/95 or more, and even more preferably 10/90 or more, from the viewpoint of further improving the crispness of the fat-containing candy and making it easier to maintain the crispness after storage. The mass ratio of the reduced isomaltulose content to the sucrose content is preferably 80/20 or less, more preferably 70/30 or less, and even more preferably 50/50 or less, from the viewpoint of making it easier to attach the fat-containing candy to an object before it cools and hardens.

The composition containing sugar and fats and oils may contain, as the sugar, a sugar other than sucrose, isomaltulose, and reduced isomaltulose. The content of sucrose, isomaltulose, and reduced isomaltulose among the sugars contained in the composition may be 80% by mass or more, 90% by mass or more, or 95% by mass or more based on the total amount of sugar. The composition containing sugar and fats and oils may contain, as the sugar, at least one kind selected from the group consisting of sucrose, isomaltulose, and reduced isomaltulose.

The fat or oil contained in the fat-and-oil-containing candy may be edible oil. Examples of fat or oil include vegetable fats and oils such as soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, canola oil, salad oil, and olive oil, animal fats and oils such as lard, butter, and butter, and processed fats and oils such as shortening and margarine.

The composition containing sugar and fats and oils may consist only of sugar and fats and oils, or may contain components other than sugar and fats and oils. The other components may be, for example, starch syrup. The composition containing sugar and fats and oils and oils may not contain water.

In the melting process, the composition containing the sugar and the oil is melted. The melting process may be a method in which the sugar and the oil are mixed and then heated to melt, or a process in which the composition containing the sugar is poured into the heated oil and then melted. The heating temperature may be set appropriately depending on the type of sugar or the composition of the composition, and may be, for example, 140°C or higher and 200°C or lower.

In the melting process, the mass ratio of the amount of sugar added to the amount of fat added may be 1 part by mass or more, 3 parts by mass or more, or 4 parts by mass or more of fat per 1 part by mass of sugar, and 0.5 parts by mass or less, or 0.1 parts by mass or less of fat per 1 part by mass of sugar.

The melting process allows for the production of a fluid oil-containing candy. By cooling the fluid oil-containing candy, the oil-containing candy becomes solid, allowing for the production of an oil-containing candy with a crispy texture.

In the case of fat-containing candy, from the viewpoint of having a hardness that gives a desired crispy feeling, the breaking strength is preferably 40 N or more, more preferably 70 N or more, and even more preferably 90 N or more. In this specification, the breaking strength means the breaking strength measured under the following conditions when the fat-containing candy is in a solid state (after being cooled and solidified), and can be measured with a creep meter (RHEONERII/Yamaden Co., Ltd.).
(conditions)
Sample size: diameter approx. 30 mm, circular x thickness approx. 5 mm
Plunger: Diameter 3 mm, pointed Load cell: 200 N
Measurement speed: 1mm/sec

[Method of manufacturing candy-coated food]
Using the above-mentioned oil-containing candy, a candy-coated food (hereinafter simply referred to as "candy-coated food") coated with the oil-containing candy can be obtained. The candy-coated food is obtained by coating a food composition with the above-mentioned oil-containing candy. That is, the candy-coated food coated with the oil-containing candy according to one embodiment includes a step of coating a food composition with the oil-containing candy obtained by melting a composition containing at least one sugar selected from the group consisting of sucrose, isomaltulose, and reduced isomaltulose, and an oil (hereinafter also referred to as "coating step"). The aspect of the oil-containing candy is the same as that described above.

The food composition is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, tubers such as sweet potatoes and potatoes, chestnuts and other vegetables, fruits such as apples, beans such as soybeans, kidney beans and fava beans, fried snacks such as karinto, small fish, etc.

When the food composition is sweet potato, the sweet potato can be coated with the oil-containing candy described above to obtain a university sweet potato.

The method for coating the food composition with the oil-containing candy may be, for example, a method for adhering the oil-containing candy in a fluid state obtained by the above-mentioned method for producing the oil-containing candy to the food composition. The adhering method can be performed by pouring the food composition into a container (such as a pot) containing the oil-containing candy and mixing, or by sprinkling the oil-containing candy on the food composition.

In the method for producing a candy-coated food product coated with an oil-containing candy according to this embodiment, a step of solidifying the oil-containing candy by cooling or drying the oil-containing candy in a fluid state after the coating step may be included.

The above-mentioned method for producing a candy-coated food product can produce a candy-coated food product with a crispy and desirable texture. In other words, the candy-coated food product according to one embodiment is a food composition coated with the above-mentioned oil-containing candy.

More specifically, a method for producing a candy-coated food according to one embodiment involves heating a small amount of fat, such as frying oil, for example 3% to 10% by weight of the food composition to be coated with the candy, in a frying pan or pot, adding sugar and other ingredients, heating and melting the sugar to produce the candy, and adding and entangling the food composition to be coated. Alternatively, a mass of fat, such as deep-frying oil, 1 to 20 times the mass of the food to be coated, such as deep-frying oil, can be heated in a pot, adding sugar and other ingredients, melting the sugar to produce the candy, and adding and entangling the food composition to be coated. By melting sugar in the presence of fat to produce the candy, the surface of the candy coated on the food is covered with fat, preventing the candy from adhering to itself. Furthermore, since no water is added when producing the candy, and the water is removed during heating of the fat, a stable candy-coated product with a crispy surface can be produced.

[Materials for manufacturing candy-coated foods coated with oil-containing candy]
The present invention provides a use of at least one sugar selected from the group consisting of isomaltulose and reduced isomaltulose as a material for producing candy-coated foods coated with oil-containing candy. That is, the material for producing candy-coated foods coated with oil-containing candy according to one embodiment contains at least one sugar selected from the group consisting of isomaltulose and reduced isomaltulose as an active ingredient. The aspects of isomaltulose and reduced isomaltulose are the same as those described above, and therefore will not be described.

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

The raw materials used in the following tests are as follows (all manufactured by Mitsui Sugar Co., Ltd.):
"Granulated sugar GN": granulated sugar "Palatinose PST-N": isomaltulose "Palatinite PN": reduced isomaltulose (GPS/GPM = 40/60 or more but less than 60/40 (mass ratio))
"Palatinit GS": reduced isomaltulose (GPS/GPM = 60/40 or more and 99/1 or less (mass ratio))

<Test Example 1>
200g of salad oil was placed in a deep frying pan and heated to 170°C, after which cut and frozen sweet potatoes were added and fried for 6 minutes. After the sweet potatoes were removed, sugar with the composition shown in Table 1 was added to the salad oil, and the sugar was melted in the salad oil to obtain a candy (oil-containing candy). After the sugar had melted, the heat was reduced and 125g of the fried sweet potatoes were added. The sweet potatoes were then coated with the candy while being heated for 2 minutes to produce university sweet potatoes. The university sweet potatoes were removed onto an oven sheet and air-dried for 30 minutes.

[Evaluation of workability]
The workability (degree of foaming of the candy and ease of adhesion to the sweet potato) was evaluated for the candies of Examples 3 to 6. As a result, the candies of Examples 3 to 6 all had little foaming and were easy to adhere to the sweet potato.

[Evaluation of texture]
The texture of the university sweet potatoes was evaluated immediately after preparation. The results are shown in Table 2. As shown in Table 2, the university sweet potatoes made with granulated sugar had a crispy texture, but the university sweet potatoes made with Palatinit GS or Palatinit PN had a stronger crispy texture.

[Evaluation of candy melting]
The sweet potatoes of Examples 1 to 6 were frozen and thawed at room temperature after 5 days. The state of melting of the candy was observed immediately after thawing and 6 hours after thawing began, and the results are shown in Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 shows the state immediately after thawing, and Figure 2 shows the state 6 hours after thawing began. Immediately after thawing, no melting of the candy was observed in any of the sweet potatoes. On the other hand, 6 hours after thawing, no melting of the candy was observed in Example 1, but slight melting of the candy was observed in Examples 3 and 5. Melting of the candy was observed in Examples 4 and 6.

[Evaluation of candy breaking strength]
The breaking strength of the candy of the university sweet potato of Examples 1 to 6 was measured. The sugar with the composition shown in Table 1 was melted in salad oil by the above method to prepare the candy. The breaking strength of each candy after cooling was measured using a rheometer (Yamaden RHEONER II, breaking strength analysis used, load cell 200N, plunger (diameter 3 mm, pointed), measurement strain rate 80%, storage pitch 0.02 seconds, measurement speed 1 mm/second). The breaking strength was measured three times, and the average value is shown in Figure 3. The breaking strength of Example 6, which used granulated sugar, was 40N or more, which was sufficient, but the breaking strength of Examples 1 to 5, which used reduced isomaltulose, was greater, and the breaking strength became even greater as the content of reduced isomaltulose increased.

<Test Example 2>
Salad oil was added to a deep frying pan and heated to 170°C, after which the cut and frozen sweet potatoes were added and fried for 6 minutes. 150g of fresh salad oil was added to a separate pan and heated to 150°C, after which sugar with the composition shown in Table 2 was added. While adjusting the heat, this mixture was heated to 180°C, and the sugar was dissolved in the salad oil to obtain a candy (oil-containing candy). After the sugar had melted, the heat was reduced and 150g of the fried sweet potatoes were added. Then, the sweet potatoes were coated with the candy while being heated to obtain university sweet potatoes. The university sweet potatoes were removed onto an oven sheet and air-dried for 10 minutes.

[Evaluation of stickiness after storage at room temperature]
The prepared sweet potatoes were stored at room temperature, and a sensory evaluation was performed on the stickiness of the sweet potatoes when touched after the storage times shown in Table 2 had elapsed. The evaluation criteria were 6-level, with 0 points representing no stickiness at all and 6 points representing very sticky. In the evaluation criteria, "very sticky" (6 points) is the same level of stickiness as that felt when a paper towel is soaked in starch syrup. The sensory evaluation was performed by a panel of four people, and the average evaluation scores obtained are shown in Table 3.

<Test Example 3>
Using sugars having the composition shown in Table 4, university sweet potatoes were prepared in the same manner as in Test Example 2. The prepared university sweet potatoes were air-dried, frozen 30 minutes later, and stored for 10 days.

[Quality evaluation after frozen storage]
The university sweet potatoes that had been frozen for 10 days were thawed at room temperature. After 30 minutes and 1.5 hours from the start of thawing, the degree to which the candy was attached to the sweet potato, the stickiness of the candy when touched (whether it was stringy or not), and the crispness when eaten were evaluated based on the following evaluation criteria. The results are shown in Table 4.
(Candy sticking)
A: Candy remains all over the surface. B: A thin layer of candy remains all over the surface. C: Candy remains in some areas. D: Most of the candy has come off (sticky).
A: Not sticky B: Slightly sticky C: Sticky (slightly stringy)
D: Very sticky (stringy)
(Crunchy texture)
A: Crispy overall B: Slightly crispy overall C: Crispy in parts D: Not crispy

Claims (3)

The method for producing an oil -containing candy includes a step of melting a composition containing at least one sugar selected from the group consisting of isomaltulose and reduced isomaltulose in heated oil to obtain an oil-containing candy. The method for producing a candy -coated food includes a step of coating a food composition with an oil-containing candy obtained by melting a composition containing at least one sugar selected from the group consisting of isomaltulose and reduced isomaltulose in heated oil. The method for producing the candy-coated food according to claim 2, wherein the food composition is a potato.

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