JP7664694B2 - Confectionery and method for producing same - Google Patents

Description

Application of Article 30, paragraph 2 of the Patent Act On May 26, 2020 and September 24, 2020, Morinaga & Co., Ltd. released a news release announcing the nationwide release of "In Bar Protein Baked Bitter," invented by Kunihiko Takahashi, Yoko Okafuji, and Masaaki Nishimura. https://www.morinaga.co.jp/company/newsrelease/detail.php?no=1867, https://www.morinaga.co.jp/company/newsrelease/detail.php?no=1919

Application of Article 30, paragraph 2 of the Patent Law On October 17, 2019 and September 24, 2020, Morinaga & Co., Ltd. announced the nationwide release of "In Bar Protein Baked Chocolate," invented by Kunihiko Takahashi, Yoko Okafuji, and Masaaki Nishimura. https://www.morinaga.co.jp/public/newsrelease/web/fix/file5da7b1608fae6.pdf, https://www.morinaga.co.jp/company/newsrelease/detail.php?no=1919

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act From May 26, 2020 to October 12, 2020, Morinaga & Co., Ltd. distributed or wholesaled the "In Bar Protein Baked Bitter" invented by Kunihiko Takahashi, Yoko Okafuji, and Masaaki Nishimura to multiple stores, including 99 Ichiba Co., Ltd.

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act From October 16, 2020 to October 12, 2020, Morinaga & Co., Ltd. distributed or wholesaled the "in Bar Protein Baked Chocolate" invented by Kunihiko Takahashi, Yoko Okafuji, and Masaaki Nishimura to multiple stores, including 99 Ichiba Co., Ltd.

The present invention relates to confectionery suitable for easy nutritional supplementation and a method for producing the confectionery.

Conventionally, bar-shaped food products, such as cereal bars and granola bars, have been known that allow people to easily replenish specific nutrients and dietary fiber. They can be eaten quickly while exercising or at work, which makes the act of eating itself enjoyable. In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for bar-shaped food products that are intended to replenish protein.

Regarding bar-formed foods, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cereal bar that contains at least 15% by weight or more whole grains, about 35% by weight or more binder, and about 5% by weight or more compound coating agent, and is effective in providing at least about 5% by weight or more protein, about 5% by weight or more fiber, and at least 120 calories or less per 28 grams of the bar, and the cereal bar has an Aw of about 0.4 to about 0.6 (see claim 1 of Patent Document 1).

However, in Patent Document 1, the binding strength of a binder made of sugar syrup was relied upon to ensure the moldability and shape retention required to mold whole grains into bar-shaped foods. In this case, the binder contains sugar and starch syrup, which results in a sweet product, making it difficult to provide a product with a flavor that is not too sweet. In addition, the texture of the binder portion is nougat-like or candy-like. Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, the protein is blended in the form of extruded soy protein nuggets (see the examples in Patent Document 1). With this form, the nugget portion remains hard in the resulting bar-shaped food, which has an adverse effect on the texture.

For example, Patent Document 2 discloses an invention of a plastic dough that is a mixture of a kneaded material containing fats and oils and soybean protein, and an aqueous liquid, and that is characterized by a soybean protein content of 15 to 65% by weight based on the dry solid content of the dough and a water content of 2 to 15% by weight in the dough, and a heated confectionery that is a nutrition bar obtained from the dough (see claims 1, 5, and 6 of Patent Document 2). It also describes that by producing chocolate in which soybean protein has been blended in advance and mixing it with water to prepare a confectionery dough, a dough that is sufficiently durable for continuous mechanical production is obtained, and the confectionery obtained by baking the dough has a favorable texture with a moderate crispness, melts easily in the mouth, and does not stick to the teeth (see paragraphs 0035 and 0042 of Patent Document 2).

JP 2007-130018 A JP 2007-97514 A

However, the inventors' investigations revealed that attempts to incorporate a high protein content into confectionery would result in problems with the moldability of the dough and the texture of the resulting confectionery. In this regard, Patent Document 2 describes that when mixing powdered soy protein into the dough, refining and conching processes similar to those used in chocolate manufacturing are carried out, but on the other hand, it describes that when dough was prepared without going through such processes, the kneaded dough was in a crumbly state and was of such a quality that it could not be mechanically molded (see paragraphs 0036 and 0038 of Patent Document 2). Therefore, it was not possible to prepare the dough using a simple mixing process.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a method for producing confectionery that has good moldability of the dough and a soft, not too hard, texture, even when a high protein content is included.

The inventors conducted extensive research to achieve the above objective and have now completed the present invention.

That is, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a confectionery that contains lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, and an emulsifier, the protein content being 30% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, and the emulsifier containing an organic acid monoglyceride.

In the confectionery according to the present invention, it is preferable that the emulsifier further contains a polyglycerol fatty acid ester.

In the confectionery according to the present invention, it is preferable that an oil-based confectionery is placed on at least a portion of the surface.

In the confectionery according to the present invention, it is preferable that the confectionery is in the form of a bar.

In the confectionery according to the present invention, the confectionery is preferably a baked confectionery.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method for producing a confectionery, comprising preparing a confectionery dough containing lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, and an emulsifier, the protein content of which is 30% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, and the emulsifier contains an organic acid monoglyceride, and forming the confectionery dough into a predetermined shape.

In the method for producing confectionery according to the present invention, it is preferable that the emulsifier further contains a polyglycerol fatty acid ester.

In the method for producing confectionery according to the present invention, it is preferable to form the confectionery into a bar shape.

In the method for producing confectionery according to the present invention, it is preferable to obtain a baked confectionery by baking the shaped product.

In the method for producing confectionery according to the present invention, the forming is preferably carried out by extrusion.

In the method for producing confectionery according to the present invention, it is preferable that the dough is a first dough, and a second dough made of an oil-based confectionery dough is bonded to at least a portion of the surface of the first dough, and then baked.

In the method for producing confectionery according to the present invention, it is preferable that the first dough and the second dough are joined by extruding the dough together through a double nozzle to form the dough.

According to the present invention, a confectionery containing lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, and an emulsifier, and having a protein content of 30% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, contains an organic acid monoglyceride as an emulsifier, and thus has good moldability of the dough and a soft texture that is not too hard.

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram showing the shape of a wedge-shaped plunger used in hardness measurement.

The confectionery provided by the present invention contains lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, and an emulsifier, the protein content of which is 30% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, and contains an organic acid monoglyceride as the emulsifier. In some cases, the protein content may be in the range of 30% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, or in the range of 30% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less.

The confectionery provided by the present invention can be prepared using common food materials used as ingredients for confectionery. In other words, it can be prepared using food materials such as protein materials that are mainly sources of protein, lipid materials that are mainly sources of lipids, and carbohydrate materials that are mainly sources of carbohydrates.

However, in the confectionery provided by the present invention, it is necessary to blend a specific type of emulsifier. Specifically, it is necessary to include an organic acid monoglyceride as an emulsifier. By blending a specific type of emulsifier in the confectionery, even when a high protein content is blended, it is possible to obtain a confectionery that has good moldability of the dough and a soft texture that is not too hard. Examples of organic acid monoglycerides include citric acid monoglyceride, diacetyl tartaric acid monoglyceride, lactic acid monoglyceride, succinic acid monoglyceride, acetic acid monoglyceride, and lactic acid monoglyceride. One type of organic acid monoglyceride may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination. As an emulsifier, although it is optional, a polyglycerol fatty acid ester may be further used in combination. By using an organic acid monoglyceride and a polyglycerol fatty acid ester in combination, further improvement in moldability of the dough and improvement in texture can be expected. Examples of polyglycerol fatty acid esters include polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester, polyglycerol erucic acid ester, etc. One type of polyglycerol fatty acid ester may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.

In the confectionery provided by the present invention, the content of organic acid monoglyceride as an emulsifier is typically 0.1% to 5% by mass or less. The content of organic acid monoglyceride may be in the range of 0.5% to 4% by mass, or in the range of 1% to 3% by mass, depending on the case. Furthermore, when polyglycerin fatty acid ester is included as an emulsifier, the content is typically 0.1% to 10% by mass or less. The content of polyglycerin fatty acid ester may be in the range of 0.5% to 8% by mass, or in the range of 1% to 5% by mass, depending on the case. Furthermore, when organic acid monoglyceride and polyglycerin fatty acid ester are used in combination, the mass ratio of organic acid monoglyceride to polyglycerin fatty acid ester is typically 1:9 to 5:5. The mass ratio may be in the range of 2:8 to 5:5, or in the range of 3:7 to 5:5, depending on the case. Furthermore, other emulsifiers may be blended within a range that does not impede the object of the present invention. Examples include monoglycerin fatty acid esters other than organic acid monoglycerides, sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, lecithin, etc. In this case, the content of emulsifiers other than organic acid monoglycerides and polyglycerin fatty acid esters contained in the confectionery provided by the present invention is typically 5% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of ensuring the content of organic acid monoglycerides and polyglycerin fatty acid esters. The content of emulsifiers other than organic acid monoglycerides and polyglycerin fatty acid esters may be in the range of 0.1% by mass or more and 3% by mass or less, or in the range of 0.1% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, depending on the case.

Examples of protein materials that are the source of protein contained in the confectionery provided by the present invention include materials containing soybean protein, materials containing milk protein, and materials containing collagen. However, the materials are not limited to materials containing these types of proteins. One type of protein material may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.

Specifically, materials containing soy protein include extracts extracted under specified conditions from raw materials such as soybeans, defatted soybean flour, concentrated soybean protein, isolated soybean protein, soy milk, etc. Examples of such soybean protein materials include Fujipro AL, Fujipro SEH, Prolina 700, Prolina 800, and Prolina 900 manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd., Solpy 4000H and Solpy 5000H manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Co., Ltd., Profam 649, Profam 974, Profam 781, and Profam 825 manufactured by ADM, and SUPRO XT219D and SUPRO PM manufactured by Solae Co., Ltd., which are commercially available as soybean powders, and such commercially available materials may be used. In addition, methods for preparing materials containing soybean protein are described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 8-173052 and 9-121780, so the materials may be prepared in accordance with such known methods.

Examples of materials containing milk protein include whey protein concentrate (WPC), whey protein isolate (WPI), whey protein hydrolysate (WPH), concentrated milk protein (MPC), and isolated milk protein (MPI). Examples of whey materials include "WPC392", "WPC472", "WPI894", and "WPH817" manufactured by Fonterra, "TATUA901" and "TATUA942" manufactured by TATUA, and "W800" manufactured by Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd., which are commercially available as whey powders. Such commercially available materials may also be used. Examples of milk protein concentrates include "Mirai MC80" manufactured by Mirai Co., Ltd., "Milka MPI" manufactured by Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd., and "Prodiet 87B Fluid" manufactured by Ingredia. In addition, the material containing milk protein may be calcium caseinate, sodium caseinate, potassium caseinate, magnesium caseinate, acid casein, rennet casein, casein peptide, etc. As such casein materials, for example, "Excellion Calcium Caseinate S" manufactured by FrieslandCampina DMV is commercially available as calcium caseinate, and "Excellion Sodium Caseinate S" manufactured by FrieslandCampina DMV is commercially available as sodium caseinate, so such commercially available materials may be used.

Examples of collagen-containing materials include hot water extracts under acidic or neutral conditions from collagen-containing raw materials such as cow bones, cowhide, pigskin, and fish bones, gelatin, and collagen peptides (combined with two or more amino acids). Generally, collagen with a large molecular weight has a strong gelling ability, which affects the physical properties and texture of the confectionery dough, so it is preferable to use collagen peptides to avoid this. The molecular weight of collagen peptides is preferably about 500 to 15,000 as weight average molecular weight, and about 500 to 10,000 is more typical. If the weight average molecular weight of collagen peptides is less than 500, the bitterness of the peptides will be strong, and if it exceeds 15,000, the viscosity will increase, so neither is preferable. The weight average molecular weight of collagen peptides can be measured, for example, by the Pagi method (Photographic Gelatin Test Method, 10th Edition, Joint Council for Photographic Gelatin Test Methods).

In addition, in any non-limiting aspect of the present invention, the protein material is preferably in powder form from the viewpoints of ease of mixing into the confectionery dough and the texture of the resulting confectionery. As for the particle size, it is preferable that 80% by mass or more of the protein material has a particle size of 100 μm or less, and more preferably 90% by mass or more of the protein material has a particle size of 60 μm or less.

The lipid material that is the source of the lipid contained in the confectionery provided by the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is an edible lipid material. For example, it may be any of vegetable oils and fats, animal oils and fats, and processed oils and fats thereof. The melting point of the oils and fats is also not particularly limited, and it may be either liquid oils and fats or solid oils and fats. Examples include margarine, shortening, olive oil, safflower oil, corn oil, coconut oil, cacao butter, palm oil, and milk fat. Among them, in order to impart a better flavor, processed edible oils and fats such as margarine, butter, and shortening are preferred examples.

In the confectionery provided by the present invention, the lipid content is typically 40% by mass or less. In some cases, the lipid content may be in the range of 10% to 30% by mass or in the range of 15% to 28% by mass.

Examples of carbohydrate materials that are the source of carbohydrates contained in the confectionery provided by the present invention include sugar, sucrose, honey, starch syrup, corn syrup, glucose, maltose, isomerized sugar, trehalose, various oligosaccharides, and further sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol, inositol, xylitol, oligosaccharide alcohols, and glycerol. Among them, from the viewpoint of increasing the binding properties of the dough and suppressing the water activity, it is preferable to use non-reducing sugars such as monosaccharides or disaccharides and glycerol. One type of carbohydrate material may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.

In the confectionery provided by the present invention, the sugar content is typically 30% by mass or less. In some cases, the sugar content may be in the range of 10% to 28% by mass, or in the range of 15% to 25% by mass.

The confectionery provided by the present invention may optionally contain dietary fiber. In such a case, the dietary fiber content is typically 30% by mass or less. In some cases, the dietary fiber content may be in the range of 2% by mass or more and 28% by mass or less, or in the range of 5% by mass or more and 25% by mass or less.

Dietary fiber materials that are the source of dietary fiber contained in the confectionery provided by the present invention include, for example, resistant polysaccharides such as polydextrose, inulin, resistant dextrin, and resistant glucan, and resistant oligosaccharides such as fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, xylooligosaccharides, and gentiooligosaccharides. One type of dietary fiber material may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.

In the confectionery provided by the present invention, the moisture content is typically 20% by mass or less. In some cases, the moisture content may be in the range of 5% to 15% by mass or in the range of 5% to 12% by mass. The moisture may be derived from the raw materials.

In the confectionery provided by the present invention, if necessary, other materials than those described above may be blended as appropriate depending on the desired product form. For example, salt, vitamins, amino acids, sweeteners, flavorings, seasonings, granular flavoring materials, thickeners, leavening agents, pH adjusters, egg products, dairy products, etc. may be blended.

For example, dairy products include skim milk powder, whole milk powder, condensed milk, raw milk, concentrated milk, fermented milk, cream, cheese, etc.

For example, granular flavoring materials include dried fruits and vegetables such as raisins, cranberries, currants, blueberries, prunes, figs, apricots, orange peel, strawberries, kiwis, apples, mangoes, pineapples, papayas, bananas, carrots, pumpkins, onions, sweet potatoes, and potatoes; nuts and seeds such as cashew nuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, chestnuts, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds; crushed products such as biscuits, crackers, waffles, and wafers; crushed confectionery products such as biscuit crumbs and cookie crumbs; puffed and roasted products such as wheat, oats, rye, barley, brown rice, polished rice, and corn (e.g., corn flakes, bran flakes, and rice flakes); chocolate chips, caramel chips, marshmallows, soybean puffs, and whey puffs.

The granular flavoring material naturally contains one or more of the confectionery ingredients, including the above-mentioned emulsifier, protein, lipid, carbohydrate, and dietary fiber. However, granular flavoring materials that are typically 1 mm or more in diameter, more typically 1.5 mm or more, and even more typically 2 mm or more in diameter, generally only exhibit a unique texture even when mixed with water, oils, or other confectionery ingredients, and are not materials that impart the dough properties or texture of the confectionery parts other than the granular flavoring material, and are therefore not included in the blend of "confectionery ingredients" required to specify the configuration of this invention.

In the confectionery provided by the present invention, the water activity is preferably 0.70 or less, and more preferably 0.65 or less. This makes it possible to provide a confectionery product that can be distributed at room temperature.

The confectionery provided by the present invention can be in a variety of shapes, including rod, cuboid, plate, sphere, and irregular shapes, but a rod (bar) shape is preferred, as it is easy to hold and eat. Its size is preferably 10-20 mm thick, 20-35 mm wide, and 15-130 mm long. If it is too large, it is not preferred, as it will have poor shape retention, be difficult to remove from the packaging, and be difficult to hold and eat.

In the confectionery provided by the present invention, the hardness of the unbaked confectionery or its dough, when measured, for example, as described below, is preferably 0.5 kgf or less, more preferably 0.4 kgf or less, and even more preferably 0.2 kgf or less.

(Hardness measurement part 1)
Using a digital force gauge ("SHIMPO FGS-50E-L", manufactured by Nidec-Shimpo Corporation), the maximum stress (unit: kgf) is measured when a cylindrical plunger (diameter 10 mm) is inserted to a depth of 7 mm at a penetration speed of 180 mm/min.

In addition, in the fired state, the hardness, for example, when measured as described below, is preferably 3000 gf or less, more preferably 2000 gf or less, and even more preferably 1500 gf or less.

(Hardness measurement part 2)
Using a texture analyzer ("TA.XTplus", manufactured by Eiko Seiki Co., Ltd.), the maximum stress (unit: gf) was measured when a wedge-shaped plunger (vertical edge 2a: 8 mm x width edge 2b: 80 mm, tip apex 2c: 60°) having a plunger handle 1 and plunger tip 2, the approximate shape of which is shown in Figure 1, was inserted to a depth of 5 mm at an insertion speed of 1 mm/sec.

The method for producing the confectionery provided by the present invention will be described in more detail below. However, the method for obtaining the confectionery provided by the present invention is not limited to the specific method described below.

The confectionery provided by the present invention can be obtained by preparing a confectionery dough by mixing ingredients as appropriate and forming the confectionery dough into a desired shape using a method generally known to those skilled in the art. That is, a confectionery dough having the same composition of confectionery ingredients as specified for the confectionery described above is prepared using the food ingredients described above, and then formed into a desired shape.

A typical example is to use a protein material that is the main source of protein as a confectionery ingredient, more specifically, a material that contains 50% or more by weight of protein per dry matter, and to incorporate this material in an amount of 20% or more by weight of the total amount of the confectionery dough. The amount of the protein material may be in the range of 23% to 98% by weight, or in the range of 25% to 95% by weight, depending on the case. Furthermore, the protein content of the protein material may be in the range of 53% to 99% by weight, or in the range of 55% to 90% by weight, depending on the case.

In addition, a lipid material that is the main source of lipids as a confectionery ingredient, more specifically, a material containing lipids at 20% by mass or more per dry matter, is used, and the amount of the lipid material blended is 5% by mass or more of the total amount of the confectionery dough. The amount of the lipid material blended may be in the range of 7% by mass or more and 78% by mass or less, or in the range of 10% by mass or more and 75% by mass or less, or in the range of 10% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less, depending on the case. In addition, the lipid content of the lipid material may be in the range of 25% by mass or more and 99% by mass or less per dry matter, or in the range of 28% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less, depending on the case.

In addition, a carbohydrate material that is the main source of carbohydrates as a confectionery ingredient, more specifically, a material that contains 50% or more by weight of carbohydrates per dry matter, is used, and the amount of the carbohydrate material blended is 40% or less by weight of the total amount of the confectionery dough. The amount of the carbohydrate material blended may be in the range of 0.1% to 35% by weight, or in the range of 1% to 30% by weight, depending on the case. In addition, the carbohydrate content of the carbohydrate material may be in the range of 55% to 99% by weight, or in the range of 58% to 90% by weight, depending on the case.

In addition, a dietary fiber material that is the main source of dietary fiber as a confectionery ingredient, more specifically, a material that contains 50% or more by weight of dietary fiber per dry matter, is used, and the amount of the material blended in the total amount of the confectionery dough is 2% to 60% by weight. The amount of the dietary fiber material blended may be in the range of 5% to 55% by weight, or in the range of 7% to 50% by weight, depending on the case. In addition, the dietary fiber content of the dietary fiber material may be in the range of 53% to 99% by weight, or in the range of 55% to 90% by weight, depending on the case.

The emulsifier may be added to the confectionery dough in an amount appropriate to the content of the confectionery ingredients described above.

By adding water to the confectionery dough as needed, the mixing state of the ingredients and the dough properties can be adjusted. The water may be derived from the ingredients.

The other ingredients to be mixed into the confectionery dough, the composition of the confectionery dough, the water activity, the shape, etc. may be the same as those described for the confectionery above.

The confectionery dough may be shaped, for example, by forming it to a fixed thickness using a rotary mold, by dispensing it using a depositor or wire cutter, or, if necessary, by spreading it with a roll or by extruding it. In particular, the confectionery dough of the present invention has suitable dough properties for extrusion molding, in which the confectionery dough is extruded from a discharge port having a specified diameter or aperture.

The confectionery dough may be baked after being formed into a desired shape. Alternatively, other confectionery dough may be joined and formed into a desired shape, and then baked. There are no particular limitations on the baking method, and baking equipment such as an oven, gas burner, microwave oven, or electric heater (toaster) can be used. Baking at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time can produce a baked confectionery (or baked composite confectionery). Baking conditions can be, for example, 100 to 800°C and 10 to 300 seconds.

On the other hand, another aspect of the present invention relates to a composite confectionery using the confectionery described above and another confectionery. That is, the present invention provides a composite confectionery obtained by joining the confectionery described above with another confectionery. The other confectionery may be any confectionery having the flavor or texture of the desired confectionery or properties suitable for baking, and is not particularly limited. Examples of the other confectionery include chocolate, chocolate-flavored confectionery, cheese-flavored confectionery, butter-flavored confectionery, matcha-flavored confectionery, red bean-flavored confectionery, sweet potato-flavored confectionery, strawberry-flavored confectionery, cookies, biscuits, cream, jam, and the like. The composite confectionery may be obtained by joining the confectionery described above with another confectionery, joining the dough of the confectionery described above with another confectionery and molding it into a predetermined shape, joining the dough of the confectionery described above with the dough of another confectionery and molding it into a predetermined shape, or joining the dough of the confectionery described above with another confectionery and molding it into a predetermined shape. The confectionery may also be baked. The manner of shaping and baking may be the same as that described above for the confectionery described above.

For example, in any non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, the composite confectionery is a composite confectionery containing the confectionery described above and an oily confectionery covering a part or all of the confectionery. With such a composite confectionery, one confectionery and the other confectionery consisting of an oily confectionery are combined to provide a more varied confectionery product. Furthermore, at least the surface layer of the oily confectionery forming the outer layer can be thermally denatured by baking as desired to such an extent that it is not sticky when held in the hand. In this way, for example, if it is in a rod shape (bar shape), it is easy to hold and eat in the hand. Note that "oil-based confectionery" typically refers to confectionery having a lipid content of 15% by mass or more, more typically 18% by mass to 70% by mass, and even more typically 20% by mass to 50% by mass. For example, it means chocolate, chocolate-flavored confectionery, cheese-flavored confectionery, butter-flavored, matcha-flavored confectionery, red bean-flavored, sweet potato-flavored, strawberry-flavored, etc.

The oil-based confectionery constituting the outer layer is not particularly limited, but may be appropriately aerated. In general, aeration tends to suppress the sagging of molded oil-based confectionery such as chocolate when it is heated. In addition, ingredients such as ground nuts, fruit juice powder, freeze-dried fruit chips, coffee chips, caramel, matcha, cacao nibs, puffed snack foods, biscuit chips, candy chips, chocolate chips, dried fruit, marshmallows, etc. may also be included.

There are no particular limitations on the method for joining the confectionery described above and the oil-based confectionery that forms the outer layer. For example, the confectionery described above may be baked and then coated with the oil-based confectionery dough that forms the outer layer using an enrober, or the dough may be extruded from a double nozzle of an extrusion molding device by extruding the oil-based confectionery dough that forms the outer layer from the outer part of the nozzle and the confectionery dough described above from the inner part of the nozzle so that they are joined to each other, and then cut into the desired shape. Alternatively, a method of sequentially forming a shell from the outer layer of the oil-based confectionery dough, a center from the above-described confectionery dough, and a bottom from the outer layer of the oil-based confectionery dough in a mold (form) by molding, a method of coating the above-described confectionery dough formed into a predetermined shape by covering molding with the outer layer of the oil-based confectionery dough using an enrober, a method of using a one-shot depositor to start extruding the outer layer of the oil-based confectionery dough from an outer nozzle, then extrude the above-described confectionery dough from an inner nozzle, and end extrusion from the outer nozzle after the inner nozzle is finished, etc. can be appropriately adopted.

The mass ratio of the confectionery described above to the oil-based confectionery that forms the outer layer is typically, for example, 25:75 to 65:35, and in some cases, for example, 35:65 to 55:45.

If necessary, the confectionery may be baked in the above-mentioned bonded state in a baking device similar to that used for the manufacture of the confectionery described above, whereby at least the outer layer of the oil-based confectionery can be thermally denatured by the heating to such an extent that it is not sticky when held in the hand. Baking conditions may be 100 to 800°C and 10 to 300 seconds, etc.

The oil-based confectionery forming the outer layer may contain dietary fiber. This allows the dietary fiber to be ingested together with the protein content of the confectionery described above as a nutrient. There are no particular limitations on the dietary fiber, as long as it can be used as food, just like the confectionery described above. For example, water-soluble dietary fiber such as inulin, indigestible dextrin, polydextrose, isomaltodextrin, and insoluble dietary fiber such as cellulose and resistant starch are included. Among these, inulin is preferred. Inulin also has an excellent effect of suppressing the sagging during baking. The content of dietary fiber may be appropriately set according to the type of dietary fiber and the intended intake amount for one meal, but is typically 1% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less in the oil-based confectionery forming the outer layer. However, if the content exceeds the above range, molding defects may occur. The content of dietary fiber may be in the range of 10% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, or in the range of 20% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, as necessary.

In this specification, the "protein content" can be measured by a well-known food analysis method, such as the Kjeldahl method.

The "lipid content" in this specification can be measured by a well-known food analysis method, such as hydrochloric acid digestion followed by Soxhlet extraction.

The "water content" in this specification can be measured by a known food analysis method, for example, the normal pressure heating drying aid method (105°C, 5 hours).

In addition, "water activity" in this specification can be measured by well-known analytical methods for food analysis, such as the gravimetric balance method.

The "dietary fiber content" in this specification can be measured using known food analysis methods, such as the CODEX analytical method AOAC Method 2001.03.

In addition, the "ash content" in this specification can be measured using well-known analytical methods for food analysis, such as the direct ashing method.

The "carbohydrate content" in this specification can be calculated using well-known methods of food analysis, for example, by subtracting the moisture, ash, lipid content, protein content, dietary fiber content, and other non-carbohydrate component amounts determined by the above-mentioned measurement methods from the total amount of the confectionery or confectionery dough.

The present invention will be specifically explained below with reference to examples, but these examples are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

<Test Example 1>
We investigated how the protein content of the confectionery affects the moldability of the dough and the hardness of the resulting confectionery. For this purpose, confectioneries of Preparation Examples 1-1 to 1-8 were prepared using the raw material compositions shown in Table 1.

Specifically, the ingredients were put into a mixer and mixed, and the moldability of the resulting dough was evaluated as follows.

(Moldability)
◎ Can be molded using an extrusion molding machine. 〇 Holds together as one dough, and is highly moldable. △ Forms into a lump to some extent, and is moldable. × The dough does not hold together, or is crumbly, and cannot be molded.

The hardness was also measured as follows:

(Measurement of hardness)
The batter was poured into a 200 mL plastic ice cream cup, and a digital force gauge ("SHIMPO FGS-50E-L", manufactured by Nidec-Shimpo Corporation) was used to measure the maximum stress (unit: kgf) when a cylindrical plunger (diameter 10 mm) was inserted to a depth of 7 mm at a speed of 180 mm/min.

As a result, the following became clear:

(1) As shown in Preparation Example 1-1, when the protein content was 45.3% by mass, the dough did not hold together well and moldability was not ensured. In addition, the physical properties of the resulting confectionery tended to be hard.
(2) As shown in Preparation Example 1-2, even when polyglycerol fatty acid ester was added as an emulsifier, when the protein content was 45.8% by mass, the dough did not hold together well, and moldability could not be ensured, as in Preparation Example 1-1. In addition, the physical properties of the resulting confectionery tended to be hard.
(3) As shown in Preparation Example 1-3, even when the protein content was 45.1% by mass, the dough was formed into lumps to some extent and was within the range of moldability when citric acid monoglyceride was added as an emulsifier. In addition, the hardness was 0.5 kgf or less, and a confectionery with a soft texture was obtained.
(4) As shown in Preparation Example 1-4, even when the protein content was 45.1% by mass, by adding citric acid monoglyceride in addition to polyglycerol fatty acid ester as an emulsifier, the dough could be held together. In addition, the hardness was 0.28 kgf or less, and a confectionery with a soft texture was obtained.
(5) As shown in Preparation Example 1-5, when the amount of polyglycerol fatty acid ester and citric acid monoglyceride used as emulsifiers was further increased in the formulation of Preparation Example 1-4, the moldability of the dough was improved and the dough was suitable for an extrusion molding machine. In addition, the hardness was 0.13 kgf, and a confectionery with a soft texture was obtained.
(6) As shown in Preparation Examples 1-6 to 1-8, when other types of organic acid monoglycerides were used in place of the citric acid monoglyceride in the formulation of Preparation Example 1-4, the effect of improving the moldability of the dough was also confirmed. In addition, the hardness was 0.28 kgf, 0.15 kgf, and 0.26 kgf, respectively, and all of the confectioneries had a soft texture.

<Test Example 2>
The confectioneries of Preparation Examples 2-1 to 2-4 were prepared in the same manner as in Test Example 1, except that the raw material composition was as shown in Table 2, and an investigation was conducted into how the content of protein added to the confectioneries affected the moldability of the dough and the hardness of the resulting confectioneries.

As a result, the following became clear:

(1) As shown in Preparation Example 2-1, when the milk-derived protein content was 34.9% by mass, the dough did not hold together well and moldability was not ensured. In addition, the physical properties of the resulting confectionery tended to be hard.
(2) As shown in Preparation Example 2-2, even when the milk-derived protein content was 34.9% by mass, by adding citric acid monoglyceride in addition to polyglycerol fatty acid ester as an emulsifier, the dough could be held together. In addition, the hardness was 0.35 kgf, and a confectionery with a soft texture was obtained.
(3) As shown in Preparation Example 2-3, when the total content of milk-derived protein and soybean-derived protein was 34.9% by mass, the dough did not hold together well and moldability was not ensured. In addition, the physical properties after baking tended to be hard. In addition, the physical properties of the resulting confectionery tended to be hard.
(4) As shown in Preparation Example 2-4, even when the total content of milk-derived protein and soybean-derived protein was 34.9% by mass, when citric acid monoglyceride was added in addition to polyglycerol fatty acid ester as an emulsifier, the moldability of the dough was good and the dough was suitable for use in an extruder. In addition, the hardness was 0.06 kgf, and a confectionery with a soft texture was obtained.

<Test Example 3>
The confectioneries of Preparation Examples 3-1 and 3-2 were prepared in the same manner as in Test Example 1, except that the raw material composition was as shown in Table 3, and an investigation was conducted into how the content of protein added to the confectioneries affected the moldability of the dough and the hardness of the resulting confectioneries.

As a result, the following became clear:

(1) As shown in Preparation Example 3-1, when the soybean-derived protein content was 31.4% by mass, a certain degree of tendency to form lumps was observed, but the lumps were crumbly and did not come together into a single dough. The hardness was 0.5 kgf or less.
(2) As shown in Preparation Example 3-2, even when the soybean-derived protein content was 30.1% by mass, the addition of citric acid monoglyceride in addition to polyglycerol fatty acid ester as an emulsifier improved the moldability of the dough, making it suitable for use in an extruder. In addition, the hardness was 0.01 kgf, and a confectionery with a soft texture was obtained.

[Production Example 1]
The same confectionery dough prepared in Preparation Example 2-4 was used and extruded at a speed of 200 cm/sec from an extrusion molding machine through a nozzle having a diameter of 20 x 7 mm, and the part stretched out on the conveyor was cut to form a confectionery into a shape of 20 mm wide x 20 mm long x 7 mm high.

[Production Example 2]
The raw materials shown in Table 4 were blended and mixed in a conventional manner, followed by refining and conching to prepare a chocolate stock liquid.

The obtained chocolate stock liquid was used to further add cocoa powder and inulin in the proportions shown in Table 5, and mixed in the usual manner to obtain a chocolate-flavored confectionery dough.

100 parts by mass of the confectionery prepared in Production Example 1 was coated with 100 parts by mass of the above chocolate-flavored confectionery dough, and the resulting composite molded product was baked in a convection oven at 200°C for 30 seconds.

As a result, the outer layer of the chocolate-flavored confectionery did not show any noticeable deformation due to dripping during baking, and a confectionery was obtained that could be held and eaten without getting the fingers dirty.

[Production Example 3]
The chocolate stock liquid prepared in Production Example 2 was used, and cocoa powder was further added in the proportions shown in Table 6. The mixture was mixed in a conventional manner to obtain a chocolate-flavored confectionery dough.

100 parts by mass of the confectionery prepared in Production Example 1 was coated with 100 parts by mass of the above chocolate-flavored confectionery dough, and the resulting composite molded product was baked in a convection oven at 200°C for 30 seconds.

As a result, a chocolate-flavored candy was placed on the outer layer, resulting in a candy that can be held and eaten without getting your fingers dirty.

1 Plunger handle 2 Plunger tip 2a Vertical edge 2b Width edge 2c Tip apex

Claims (10)

A confectionery comprising lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, and an emulsifier, the protein content being 30% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, and the emulsifier comprising an organic acid monoglyceride and a polyglycerol fatty acid ester . The confectionery according to claim 1 , wherein an oil-based confectionery is disposed on at least a portion of the surface. 3. The confectionery according to claim 1 or 2 , which is in the form of a bar. The confectionery according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , which is a baked confectionery. A method for producing a confectionery, comprising: preparing a confectionery dough containing lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, and an emulsifier, the protein content being between 30% and 50% by mass, and the emulsifier containing an organic acid monoglyceride and a polyglycerol fatty acid ester ; and forming the confectionery dough into a predetermined shape. The method for producing the confectionery according to claim 5 , wherein the confectionery is formed into a bar shape. The method for producing a confectionery according to claim 5 or 6 , further comprising baking the shaped confectionery to obtain a baked confectionery. The method for producing a confectionery according to any one of claims 5 to 7 , wherein the forming is carried out by extrusion. The method for producing confectionery according to any one of claims 5 to 8 , wherein the confectionery dough is a first dough, and a second dough made of an oil-based confectionery dough is bonded to at least a part of the surface of the first dough, and then baked. The method for producing a confectionery according to claim 9 , wherein the first dough and the second dough are joined together by extruding the dough together through a double nozzle to form the dough.

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