JP7709288B2 - Additives for frozen desserts and frozen desserts - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to additives for frozen desserts and frozen desserts.

To date, additives have been studied to improve the quality of frozen desserts. For example, additives that improve the texture and flavor release of frozen desserts, as well as additives that impart shape retention, such as slowing down the melting of frozen desserts when eaten, have been studied. In addition, to facilitate the production of frozen desserts, additives have been studied to make it easier to handle the pre-freezing mix liquid in which the various ingredients, such as water, are mixed.

For example, Patent Document 1 proposes an additive containing dietary fiber derived from soybeans, which is said to impart desirable shape retention and flavor to frozen desserts.

Patent Documents 2 and 3 propose additives containing locust bean gum as a polysaccharide, which are said to be capable of imparting a favorable texture and excellent shape retention to frozen desserts. Locust bean gum also has the property of thickening an aqueous solution containing it when frozen, but not thickening before freezing. Thus, a mixed liquid containing locust bean gum has a fluidity that is relatively easy to handle.

In addition to the above, Patent Document 4 proposes an additive containing microfibrous cellulose to impart shape retention to frozen desserts without adversely affecting the texture.

JP 2002-17267 A JP 2003-333995 A JP 2005-13099 A JP 2013-74883 A

However, additives of the prior art may not be able to improve the quality of the mixed liquid or frozen dessert sufficiently. For example, when additives containing galactomannans such as locust bean gum, or polysaccharides such as xyloglucan or cellulose derivatives are used, some of the ingredients in the mixed liquid may aggregate, which may result in a decrease in the quality of the frozen dessert. In addition, some of the mixed liquid may gel, making it difficult to handle. For these reasons, there is a demand for additives that can further improve the quality of mixed liquids and frozen desserts.

In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide an additive for frozen desserts that can impart excellent stability and fluidity to a mixed liquid and excellent shape retention and good flavor release properties to frozen desserts, as well as a frozen dessert that has excellent shape retention and good flavor release properties.

The inventors discovered that by combining a specific thickening polysaccharide with a specific dietary fiber, the mixed liquid can be endowed with the above-mentioned properties while still producing a frozen dessert with the above-mentioned excellent quality, and thus completed the present invention.

That is, the additive for frozen desserts according to the present invention is
Contains thickening polysaccharides and dietary fiber,
The thickening polysaccharide comprises at least one of deacylated gellan gum and LM pectin,
The dietary fiber includes citrus-derived dietary fiber.

In this configuration, the thickening polysaccharide contains at least one of deacylated gellan gum and LM pectin, and the dietary fiber contains citrus-derived dietary fiber, which can impart excellent stability and fluidity to the mixed liquid used to produce the frozen dessert, and can also impart excellent shape retention and good flavor release properties to the frozen dessert.

In addition, the additive for frozen desserts according to the present invention is preferably
The content of insoluble dietary fiber contained in the citrus-derived dietary fiber is 40% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less, relative to the total mass of the dietary fiber, and the content of water-soluble dietary fiber is 10% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less, relative to the total mass of the dietary fiber.

According to this configuration, the content of insoluble dietary fiber contained in the dietary fiber is 40% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less relative to the total mass of the dietary fiber, and the content of water-soluble dietary fiber is 10% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less relative to the total mass of the dietary fiber, thereby further improving the above-mentioned quality of the mixed liquid and the frozen dessert.

The frozen dessert according to the present invention is a frozen dessert containing any one of the above-mentioned additives for frozen desserts.

With this configuration, the inclusion of the above-mentioned frozen dessert additive results in excellent shape retention and good flavor release properties.

In addition, the frozen dessert according to the present invention preferably comprises:
The content of the thickening polysaccharide is 0.01% by mass or more and 0.3% by mass or less relative to the total mass of the frozen dessert, and the content of the citrus-derived dietary fiber is 0.1% by mass or more and 1.2% by mass or less relative to the total mass of the frozen dessert.

With this configuration, the content of thickening polysaccharides and dietary fiber is as described above, resulting in better shape retention and better flavor release.

As described above, the present invention provides an additive for frozen desserts that can impart excellent stability and fluidity to a mixed liquid and excellent shape retention and good flavor release properties to a frozen dessert, as well as a frozen dessert that has excellent shape retention and good flavor release properties.

The following describes an additive for frozen desserts according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the following, the mixture of the ingredients for producing a frozen dessert before freezing is referred to as a mixed liquid. The frozen dessert is produced by freezing the mixed liquid.

The additive for frozen desserts of this embodiment contains at least one of deacylated gellan gum and LM pectin as a thickening polysaccharide, and citrus-derived dietary fiber as a dietary fiber. A mixed liquid containing such an additive for frozen desserts is excellent in stability, as separation and aggregation of ingredients are suppressed. In addition, the mixed liquid has excellent fluidity, making it easy to handle in the manufacture of frozen desserts. Furthermore, a frozen dessert containing the additive for frozen desserts of this embodiment has excellent shape retention, suppressing deformation due to its own weight, etc., and dripping caused by a portion becoming liquid. In addition, the flavor release of the aroma components contained in the frozen dessert is good.

The deacylated gellan gum is a polysaccharide obtained by removing acyl groups from native gellan gum. The native gellan gum is a polysaccharide obtained by separating and purifying accumulations that are accumulated outside the cells of the microorganism Sphingomonas elodea using glucose and the like as a nutrient source. The sugars that make up the deacylated gellan gum are glucose, glucuronic acid, glucose, and rhamnose, and the deacylated gellan gum has a repeating structure in which these four sugars are glycosidicly bonded to form tetrasaccharide units.

Pectin is an acidic polysaccharide whose constituent sugar is galacturonic acid, and its main chain has a structure in which the galacturonic acid is bonded in an α-1,4 bond. In the pectin, the carboxylic acid group of some of the galacturonic acid is a methyl ester group. That is, the pectin has galacturonic acid with a methyl ester group and galacturonic acid with a carboxylic acid group. The pectin is roughly classified according to the ratio of galacturonic acid with a methyl ester group present in the molecule (degree of esterification: DE), and those with a DE of 50% or more are called HM (High Methylester) pectin, and those with a DE of less than 50% are called LM (Low Methylester) pectin. In a general method of manufacturing pectin, the pectin is obtained by treating plant tissue under high temperature acidic conditions and then isolating and purifying it. The majority of pectin manufactured by such a manufacturing method is HM pectin. The LM pectin is obtained by demethylating the HM pectin using an acid, a base such as ammonia, or an enzyme. The LM pectin produced using ammonia is called LMA pectin, and the methyl ester groups of the galacturonic acid in some of the pectin are converted to amide groups. On the other hand, the LM pectin produced using an acid, another base, or an enzyme is called LMC pectin, and the methyl ester groups of the galacturonic acid in some of the pectin are converted to carboxyl groups.

The thickening polysaccharide may contain either the deacylated gellan gum or the LM pectin, but preferably contains both. Specifically, by increasing the content of the deacylated gellan gum in a frozen dessert, excellent shape retention can be imparted to the frozen dessert, but increasing the content may tend to decrease the flavor release of the frozen dessert. Furthermore, when only the LM pectin is used as the thickening polysaccharide, the shape retention may tend to decrease compared to when deacylated gellan gum is used alone or in combination with pectin. For this reason, it is preferable that the thickening polysaccharide contains both the deacylated gellan gum and the LM pectin.

The mass of the deacylated gellan gum in the frozen dessert additive or in the frozen dessert is preferably equal to or less than the mass of the LM pectin, and more preferably less than the mass of the LM pectin. More specifically, the mass ratio of the deacylated gellan gum to the LM pectin is preferably 1:1 to 1:4. This further improves the fluidity of the mixed liquid, and also enables the preparation of a frozen dessert with excellent shape retention and flavor release properties.

The LM pectin may contain either the LMC pectin or the LMA pectin, or may contain both of them. In particular, the LMA pectin has an excellent function of improving the fluidity of the mixed liquid. For example, depending on the raw materials used, it may be difficult to ensure the shape retention of the frozen dessert. However, simply increasing the content of the deacylated gellan gum to ensure the shape retention may cause the fluidity of the mixed liquid to be impaired. In such a case, by using the deacylated gellan gum and the LMA pectin in combination and adjusting the total content of the thickening polysaccharides, it is possible to ensure the shape retention of the frozen dessert and the fluidity of the mixed liquid while reducing the total content of the thickening polysaccharides. Furthermore, since the amount of thickening polysaccharides used can be relatively reduced, it may be possible to improve the flavor release properties of the frozen dessert. The mass ratio of the deacylated gellan gum to the LMA pectin in the additive for frozen dessert or the frozen dessert is preferably 1:1 to 1:2.

The content of the thickening polysaccharide relative to the total mass of the frozen dessert is preferably 0.01% by mass or more, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more. The content is preferably 0.3% by mass or less, more preferably 0.1% by mass or less. Even with such a low content of the thickening polysaccharide, it is possible to impart sufficient shape retention to the frozen dessert by combining it with the citrus-derived dietary fiber. Furthermore, the low content of the thickening polysaccharide can impart sufficient fluidity to the mixed liquid. Furthermore, it can also prevent the flavor release of the frozen dessert from being impaired. Furthermore, the stickiness in the aftertaste of the eater is suppressed, and a light flavor can be imparted to the frozen dessert.

The mass ratio of the deacylated gellan gum and the LM pectin to the total mass of the thickening polysaccharides is preferably 90% by mass or more, and more preferably 95% by mass or more.

Examples of citrus-derived dietary fiber include dietary fiber derived from citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, and oranges.

Here, dietary fiber is defined in the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan as "the total amount of indigestible components in foods that cannot be digested by human digestive enzymes." The definition method used is the "Prosky modified method," in which "insoluble dietary fiber" and "soluble dietary fiber" are quantified and then added together to determine the "total dietary fiber mass."

The content of insoluble dietary fiber contained in the citrus-derived dietary fiber is preferably 40% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less, and more preferably 45% by mass or more and 85% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the dietary fiber. The content of water-soluble dietary fiber contained in the citrus-derived dietary fiber is preferably 10% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less, and more preferably 15% by mass or more and 55% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the dietary fiber. This makes it easier to impart excellent stability and fluidity to the mixed liquid. It also makes it easier to impart excellent shape retention to the frozen dessert. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the impairment of the flavor release properties of the frozen dessert.

The contents of the insoluble dietary fiber and the soluble dietary fiber can be measured by the modified Prosky method described in the "Japanese Manual for Analysis of Food Composition Tables." More specifically, in the modified Prosky method, the sample is first fractionated under the enzyme reaction conditions specified in the manual into an insoluble fraction and a soluble fraction that is insoluble when treated with additional ethanol or the like. The mass of the ash and protein contained in each fraction is then subtracted from the mass of each fraction to determine the mass of the insoluble dietary fiber and the mass of the soluble dietary fiber.

The insoluble components of the citrus-derived dietary fiber include cellulose fiber, xyloglucan, and the like. Furthermore, the cellulose fiber has not been subjected to acid hydrolysis or physical or chemical microfibrillation, and therefore the dietary fiber is clearly distinguishable from microcrystalline cellulose and microfibrous cellulose.

Examples of the water-soluble dietary fiber include pectin.

The citrus-derived dietary fiber preferably has a predetermined swelling property, which means that a homogenized suspension obtained by homogenizing a 1.0 mass% suspension (a suspension in which 1 g of the citrus-derived dietary fiber is suspended in 99 g of water) prepared by suspending the citrus-derived dietary fiber in water at a homogenizing pressure of 15 MPa using a pressure homogenizer satisfies both of the following conditions (1) and (2).
(1) The viscosity (viscosity of the homogenized suspension) measured using a Brookfield viscometer with an M2 rotor at a stirring speed of 30 rpm and a temperature of 25° C. is 10 to 1,000 mPa·s. (2) 100 g of the homogenized suspension is dispensed into a 100 mL graduated cylinder, and after allowing to stand at 25° C. for 1 hour, the volume of the suspended portion (suspension volume) is 40 to 100 mL. It is more preferable that the viscosity of the homogenized suspension is 10 to 800 mPa·s.

The mass ratio of the thickening polysaccharide to the citrus-derived dietary fiber in the frozen dessert additive or the frozen dessert is preferably 1:1 to 1:10, and more preferably 1:3 to 1:7.

The content of the citrus-derived dietary fiber relative to the total mass of the frozen dessert is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.3% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.4% by mass or more. This improves the stability of the mixed liquid and also imparts excellent shape retention to the frozen dessert. The content is preferably 1.2% by mass or less, more preferably 1.0% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.7% by mass or less. This ensures that the mixed liquid has an appropriate fluidity.

In addition to the above, the additive for frozen desserts preferably contains a chelating agent. Examples of the chelating agent include phosphoric acid-based chelating agents such as pyrophosphate, polyphosphate, metaphosphate, and phytic acid, and polycarboxylic acid-based chelating agents such as citric acid, malic acid, fumaric acid, and salts thereof. The chelating agent may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The chelating agent preferably contains sodium metaphosphate or sodium pyrophosphate, and more preferably contains both of these. This makes it possible to suppress thickening and gelation of the mixed liquid caused by the deacylated gellan gum or the LM pectin (particularly the LMA pectin).

The mass ratio of the chelating agent to the thickening polysaccharide is preferably 1:1 to 2:1. The content of the chelating agent relative to the total mass of the frozen dessert is preferably 0.1 to 1.0% by mass, and more preferably 0.1 to 0.5% by mass.

The frozen dessert additive may contain polysaccharides other than the deacylated gellan gum and the LM pectin to the extent that the effect of the additive is not impaired. Examples of such polysaccharides include locust bean gum, tara gum, guar gum, tamarind seed polysaccharides, glucomannan, native gellan gum, agar, xanthan gum, carrageenan, sodium alginate, carboxymethylcellulose, gum arabic, microcrystalline cellulose, gelatin, etc.

The advantages of using the additive for frozen desserts having the above-mentioned configuration include the following: The mixed liquid containing the citrus-derived dietary fiber together with the thickening polysaccharides has moderate fluidity without aggregation. Moreover, the frozen dessert containing the citrus-derived dietary fiber has excellent shape retention with suppressed deformation and dripping compared to frozen desserts containing other dietary fibers. That is, the combination of at least one of the deacylated gellan gum and the LM pectin with the citrus-derived dietary fiber can achieve both the shape retention of the frozen dessert and the fluidity of the mixed liquid. The reason for this effect is, for example, that when the freeze-concentration phenomenon occurs in the freezing process or hardening process during the frozen dessert production process, the above combination forms a denser mesh structure compared to the case of dietary fiber alone, and this mesh structure makes it easier to retain bound water. In contrast, it is difficult to achieve both the shape retention of the frozen dessert and the fluidity of the mixed liquid with only the thickening polysaccharides (specifically, the combination of the deacylated gellan gum and the LM pectin). Furthermore, it is difficult to achieve both of these goals using dietary fiber alone.

The additive for frozen desserts of this embodiment can be used in frozen desserts such as ice cream (JAS standard: milk solids content 15% or more, and milk fat content 8% or more in said ingredients), ice milk (JAS standard: milk solids content 10% or more, and milk fat content 3% or more in said ingredients), lacto ice cream (JAS standard: milk solids content 3% or more), and frozen desserts.

Other ingredients for the frozen desserts can be the same as those used for ordinary frozen desserts, such as milk and dairy products (raw milk, cream, butter, butter oil, condensed milk, concentrated milk, skim milk powder, whole milk powder, buttermilk, whey powder, etc.), vegetable fats (coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, etc.), carbohydrates (sucrose, glucose, isomerized sugar, starch syrup, powdered starch syrup, etc.), sweeteners (aspartame, stevia, etc.), emulsifiers (glycerin fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, lecithin, etc.), fruit juice (grape, etc.), flavorings (vanilla, etc.), colorings, etc.

The form of the frozen dessert is not particularly limited, but examples include cup type, bar type, monaka type, sandwich type, cone type, multi-pack type, bite-sized type, etc.

The frozen dessert can be produced by a general production method. For example, the production method includes mixing ingredients such as the additive for frozen dessert, water, fats and oils, proteins, carbohydrates, emulsifiers, sweeteners, stabilizers, flavors, and colorings to prepare a first mixed liquid, pre-emulsifying the first mixed liquid, homogenizing (emulsifying) it, and sterilizing it, and then aging it at 2 to 5°C for 12 to 18 hours (aging process) to prepare a second mixed liquid. The second mixed liquid is then frozen (freezing process) to produce the frozen dessert.

In the freezing step, the overrun of the frozen dessert is preferably adjusted to 20 to 150%, and more preferably adjusted to 30 to 100%. This provides a good texture to the frozen dessert. The overrun is an index showing the amount of air mixed into the frozen dessert by the freezing step. For example, a frozen dessert with an overrun of 100% means a frozen dessert containing the same volume of air as the second mixed liquid. The overrun is usually calculated by the following formula.
Overrun (%) = [(A-B)/B] x 100
A: mass of the second mixed liquid B: mass of the frozen dessert having a volume corresponding to the mass A of the second mixed liquid

In the freezing process, air bubbles are mixed into the second mixed liquid to adjust the overrun. If the second mixed liquid contains the additive for frozen desserts of this embodiment, it is possible to appropriately adjust the overrun at the temperature normally used in the freezing process (approximately -3 to -9°C).

The mixed liquid containing the frozen dessert additive according to this embodiment is inhibited from separating or agglomerating the ingredients, and is also inhibited from gelling or thickening due to refrigeration at about 0 to 10°C. Therefore, frozen desserts produced from the mixed liquid are of good quality. Furthermore, the aging process can be easily carried out even on an industrial scale.

Furthermore, the mixed liquid is suitable for producing frozen desserts, such as soft serve ice cream, which are often subjected to a freezing process at the store. Specifically, the mixed liquid for producing such frozen desserts is temporarily stored at a refrigerated temperature (0-10°C) where freezing does not occur. Then, when it is time to serve, it is frozen to -3 to -9°C to produce the frozen dessert. Because the mixed liquid has excellent handling properties as described above, deterioration (aggregation and gelation) during transportation to the store (0-10°C) and during refrigerated storage is suppressed. Furthermore, deterioration in quality of frozen desserts produced with such a mixed liquid is also suppressed.

Frozen desserts containing the additive for frozen desserts according to this embodiment have excellent shape retention and are less likely to lose their shape or drip, so deterioration in quality due to temperature changes is suppressed and the eating time can be extended. Furthermore, the flavor release properties are good.

Although one embodiment has been shown as an example, the additive for frozen desserts according to the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment. Furthermore, the additive for frozen desserts according to the present invention is not limited by the above-mentioned action and effect. The additive for frozen desserts according to the present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the present invention.

The present invention will be further explained below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these.

Using the basic ingredients shown in Table 1 below, we decided to change the ingredients and mixing ratios of the frozen dessert additives in various ways and evaluate the quality of the mixed liquid and frozen dessert.

[Production Example 1]
Each raw material was added to a 5L glass beaker so that the total mass was 2,500 g, and the mixture was heated while stirring at 9,000 rpm using a TK homomixer (model: MARKII; manufactured by Primix Corporation). After reaching 85°C, stirring was continued for 10 minutes to obtain a first mixed liquid. The first mixed liquid was homogenized using a two-stage piston homogenizer (model: HA06816; manufactured by Sanwa Engineering Co., Ltd.) under pressure conditions of 10 MPa in the first stage and 5 MPa in the second stage. The homogenized second mixed liquid was then cooled to 10°C while stirring using a Three-One Motor (model: BL1200; manufactured by HEIDON Co., Ltd.), and then aged overnight in a thermostatic chamber at 10°C. The second mixed liquid was frozen using an ice cream freezer (model: Diamond Soft Ice Cream Freezer SF-2; manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries), then poured into a 95 mL paper cup and hardened in a freezer at -40°C to obtain lacto ice cream as a frozen dessert.

[Evaluation 1: Stability of mixed liquid]
The second mixed liquid in Production Example 1 was collected in a 200 mL tall beaker and the appearance was observed, and the stability of the mixed liquid was evaluated based on the occurrence of separation and aggregation.
(Evaluation Criteria)
○: No separation or aggregation observed ×: Separation and aggregation observed

[Evaluation 2: Fluidity of Mixed Liquid]
The second mixed liquid in Production Example 1 was placed in a tall beaker, and the presence or absence of fluidity of the second mixed liquid was observed by tilting the tall beaker. If fluidity was observed, the viscosity was measured using a B-type viscometer (model: TVB-10; manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd.) using an M2 rotor at 30 rpm and a sample temperature of 10°C.
(Evaluation Criteria)
⊚: Fluidity is observed, and viscosity is less than 600 mPa·s; ◯: Fluidity is observed, and viscosity is 600 mPa·s or more, but less than 1,200 mPa·s; Δ: Fluidity is observed, but viscosity is 1,200 mPa·s or more; ×: No fluidity is observed.

[Evaluation 3: Shape retention of frozen dessert (deformation)]
Each lacto ice cream produced in Production Example 1 was cut into a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 30 mm and a height of 20 mm, and placed on a petri dish. The ice cream in this state was stored overnight in a freezer at -40°C. After storage, the ice cream was placed in a thermostatic chamber adjusted to 25°C, and the state of deformation was observed.
(Evaluation Criteria)
◎: The original shape is maintained. ○: Although some dissolution is observed, the original shape is almost maintained. △: Although solids are observed, the proportion of dissolved liquid is large. ×: Although solids are observed, the proportion of dissolved liquid is quite large.

[Evaluation 4: Shape retention of frozen dessert (drip)]
Each lacto ice cream produced in Production Example 1 was cut into a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 30 mm and a height of 20 mm, and placed on a 10-mesh net. The ice cream in this state was stored overnight in a freezer at -40°C. After storage, the frozen dessert was placed in a thermostatic chamber adjusted to 25°C, and after 60 minutes, the mass of the melted liquid dripping from the mesh was measured. The mass of the melted liquid was divided by the weight of the cut ice cream, and the result expressed as a percentage was taken as the "drip rate," which was used as an index to evaluate the dripping.
(Evaluation Criteria)
◎: Drip rate is less than 15.0%. ○: Drip rate is 15.0% or more and less than 25.0%. △: Drip rate is 25.0% or more and less than 35.0%. ×: Drip rate is 35.0% or more.

[Evaluation 5: Flavor release of frozen dessert]
The intensity of the aroma of each ice cream was evaluated.
(Evaluation Criteria)
◎: Strong fragrance ○: Slightly strong fragrance △: Slightly weak fragrance ×: Weak fragrance

The evaluation results of each lacto ice cream produced in Production Example 1 are shown in Table 2 below. The mixed liquid containing at least one of deacylated gellan gum and LM pectin as a thickening polysaccharide, and containing citrus-derived dietary fiber, was found to have excellent stability and fluidity. In addition, the frozen desserts containing these were found to have excellent shape retention and flavor release properties.

Next, lacto ice cream was produced in the same manner as in Production Example 1, with various types of dietary fiber added, and the mixed liquid and ice cream were evaluated according to the evaluation method described above. In addition, the swelling property of each dietary fiber was evaluated according to the method described below.

[Evaluation of Swelling]
(1) Preparation of dietary fiber suspension 495.0 g of tap water was placed in a 1 L stainless steel beaker, and 5.0 g of powdered dietary fiber was added while stirring at a stirring speed of 550 rpm using a Three-One Motor (model: BL1200; manufactured by HEIDON). After addition, the stirring speed of the Three-One Motor was set to 800 rpm and stirring was continued for 5 minutes. Next, this 1.0 mass% suspension was homogenized (once) using a one-stage piston homogenizer (model: HA6011; manufactured by Sanwa Engineering Co., Ltd.) at a homogenizing pressure of 15 MPa. A homogenized suspension was obtained.
(2) Viscosity measurement of homogenized suspension 200 g of the homogenized suspension was dispensed into a 200 mL tall beaker and the temperature was adjusted for 2 hours in a thermostatic bath set to 25° C. The viscosity of the homogenized suspension after temperature adjustment was measured using a B-type viscometer (model: TVB-10; manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd.) with an M2 rotor at a stirring speed of 30 rpm and a temperature of 25° C. The results are shown in Table 3 below.
(3) Measurement of Suspension Volume 100 g of the homogenized suspension was dispensed into a 100 mL graduated cylinder and allowed to stand at 25° C. for 1 hour. After standing, the volume of the suspended portion was measured visually, and this volume was taken as the suspension volume. The results are shown in Table 3 below.

As can be seen from Table 3, when citrus-derived dietary fiber was used, the stability and fluidity of the mixed liquid, as well as the shape retention and flavor release properties of the frozen dessert were excellent.

Furthermore, the insoluble dietary fiber content and soluble dietary fiber content of the three types of citrus-derived dietary fiber confirmed in Table 3 to have excellent stability and fluidity of the mixed liquid, and excellent shape retention and flavor release properties of the frozen dessert, were quantified using the modified Prosky method. The results are shown in Table 4 below. The modified Prosky method was performed in accordance with the "Analysis Manual for the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan 2015 Edition (7th Edition)." The values shown in Table 4 are the insoluble dietary fiber content and soluble dietary fiber content relative to the total dietary fiber content.

From Table 4, the insoluble dietary fiber content and soluble dietary fiber content of citrus-derived dietary fiber were 44.5-82.6% by mass and 17.4-55.5% by mass, respectively.

Next, we decided to further examine the type of thickening polysaccharides and the blending ratio of thickening polysaccharides to citrus-derived dietary fiber. The basic ingredients used for producing the frozen desserts were those shown in Table 5 below.

[Production Example 2]
Each raw material was added to a 3L stainless steel beaker so that the total mass was 2,500 g, and the mixture was heated while stirring using a three-one motor (model: BL1200; manufactured by HEIDON Co., Ltd.), and after reaching 85°C, the mixture was stirred for 10 minutes to obtain a first mixed liquid. The first mixed liquid was pre-emulsified for 3 minutes at 8,000 rpm using a TK homomixer (model: MARKII; manufactured by Primix Co., Ltd.), and then homogenized using a two-stage piston homogenizer (model: HA06816; manufactured by Sanwa Engineering Co., Ltd.) under pressure conditions of 10 MPa in the first stage and 5 MPa in the second stage. The homogenized mixed liquid was then cooled to 10°C while stirring using a three-one motor (model: BL1200; manufactured by HEIDON Co., Ltd.), and aged overnight in a thermostatic chamber at 10°C. After aging, the mixture was frozen using an ice cream freezer (model: Diamond Soft Ice Cream Freezer SF-2; manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries), then poured into a 95 mL paper cup and allowed to harden in a freezer at -40°C to obtain a frozen dessert. The resulting frozen dessert was evaluated according to the above evaluation methods 1 to 5. The results are shown in Table 6 below.

From Table 6, it was found that the stability and fluidity of the mixed liquid, as well as the shape retention and flavor release properties of the frozen dessert, could be further improved by adjusting the amounts and ratios of deacylated gellan gum, LM pectin, and citrus-derived dietary fiber.

Claims (3)

Contains thickening polysaccharides and dietary fiber,
The thickening polysaccharide comprises at least one of deacylated gellan gum and LM pectin,
The dietary fiber comprises citrus-derived dietary fiber;
The additive for frozen dessert is added so that the content of the thickening polysaccharide is 0.01% by mass or more and 0.3% by mass or less and the content of the citrus-derived dietary fiber is 0.1% by mass or more and 1.2% by mass or less, relative to the total mass of the frozen dessert. The additive for frozen desserts according to claim 1, wherein the content of insoluble dietary fiber contained in the citrus-derived dietary fiber is 40% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less relative to the total mass of the dietary fiber, and the content of water-soluble dietary fiber is 10% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less relative to the total mass of the dietary fiber. A frozen dessert containing the additive for frozen desserts according to claim 1 or 2.