JP7733461B2 - Thickener for chocolate dough - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a thickener for chocolate dough.

When producing chocolate, the viscosity of the chocolate dough is important as it has a significant impact on workability and moldability. If the viscosity of the chocolate dough is too high, it will not only have poor fluidity and be difficult to work with, but it can also be a cause of molding problems. Conversely, if the viscosity of the chocolate dough is too low, it will be difficult to mold into the desired shape and the product shape will be more likely to vary.

Known methods for adjusting the viscosity of chocolate dough include a chocolate manufacturing method that involves conching clay-like chocolate dough at 50°C or higher for 0.2 hours or more so that the chocolate dough changes from a clay-like state to a paste-like state during conching (Patent Document 1); chocolate that is obtained by mixing a chocolate dough containing a sucrose fatty acid ester in which 50% or more of the fatty acid groups are lauric acid and whose HLB value is 4 or less with a milk component, and then molding the mixture (Patent Document 2); and a viscosity-reducing agent for chocolate dough that is fluid at room temperature and is composed of a sorbitan fatty acid ester in which the fatty acids that make up the ester are primarily unsaturated fatty acids with 16 or more carbon atoms and a hydroxyl value of 50 to 80 (Patent Document 3).

However, all of these methods are aimed at reducing the viscosity of the chocolate dough, and do not address the problems caused by a chocolate dough with too low a viscosity. For this reason, if there were a thickener that could increase the viscosity of the chocolate dough, it would be useful for applications such as making it easier to mold chocolate into a desired shape or reducing variation in the shape of the product.

JP 2015-062362 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-097418 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-289985

The present invention aims to provide a thickener for chocolate dough that can be added to chocolate dough to increase its viscosity.

As a result of extensive research into the above-mentioned problems, the inventors discovered that the above-mentioned problems could be solved by using a specific polyglycerol fatty acid ester, and based on this finding, they developed the present invention.

That is, the present invention comprises a thickener for chocolate dough that contains a diglycerin fatty acid ester or a triglycerin fatty acid ester as an active ingredient.

By adding the chocolate dough thickener of the present invention to chocolate dough, its viscosity increases.

The diglycerin fatty acid ester used in the present invention is an esterification product of diglycerin and a fatty acid, and is produced by a method known per se, such as an esterification reaction.

The diglycerin that constitutes the diglycerin fatty acid ester is typically a diglycerin mixture with an average degree of polymerization of 1.5 to 2.4, preferably 2.0, obtained by adding a small amount of acid or alkali as a catalyst to glycerin and heating the mixture to a temperature of, for example, 180°C or higher in an atmosphere of an inert gas such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide, followed by a polycondensation reaction. Diglycerin may also be obtained using glycidol or epichlorohydrin as a raw material. After the reaction is complete, the mixture may be subjected to treatments such as neutralization, desalting, and decolorization, if necessary.

In the present invention, the diglycerin mixture is preferably purified using a method known per se, such as distillation or column chromatography, to obtain a high-purity diglycerin having a concentration of 50% by mass or more, preferably 85% by mass or more, of diglycerin consisting of two glycerin molecules.

The fatty acids that make up the diglycerin fatty acid ester are not particularly limited as long as they are fatty acids derived from edible animal or vegetable fats and oils. Examples include straight-chain saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having 6 to 24 carbon atoms (e.g., caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, behenic acid, lignoceric acid, oleic acid, elaidic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, erucic acid, etc.), and preferably straight-chain saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having 12 to 18 carbon atoms (e.g., lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, etc.).

A preferred method for producing the diglycerol fatty acid ester used in the present invention is outlined below. For example, diglycerol and fatty acid are charged in a molar ratio of about 1:0.8 to 1:1.6, preferably about 1:1, into a conventional reaction vessel equipped with a stirrer, a heating jacket, a baffle, etc., and sodium hydroxide is added as a catalyst, followed by stirring and mixing. The mixture is heated to a predetermined temperature under a nitrogen gas atmosphere while removing water produced by the esterification reaction from the system. The reaction temperature is typically in the range of 180 to 260°C, preferably 200 to 250°C. The reaction pressure is either reduced or normal pressure, and the reaction time is 0.5 to 15 hours, preferably 1 to 3 hours. The end point of the reaction is usually determined by measuring the acid value of the reaction mixture, with an acid value of 12 or less as a guideline.
The resulting reaction liquid is a mixture containing unreacted fatty acids, unreacted diglycerin, diglycerin mono-fatty acid esters, diglycerin di-fatty acid esters, diglycerin tri-fatty acid esters, diglycerin tetra-fatty acid esters, etc. After completion of the reaction, the resulting reaction liquid is cooled to 120°C or higher and lower than 180°C, preferably 130 to 150°C, and then an acid is added to neutralize the catalyst. The mixture is then left to stand preferably for 15 minutes to 1 hour, and if a polyol containing unreacted diglycerin separates into a lower layer, it is removed, and the diglycerin fatty acid ester is obtained.

The diglycerol fatty acid ester usually has a monoester content of 30% by mass or more and less than 50% by mass. However, if desired, the diglycerol fatty acid ester can be subjected to molecular distillation using, for example, a falling thin film molecular distillation apparatus or a centrifugal molecular distillation apparatus, or purified using a method known per se, such as column chromatography or liquid-liquid extraction, to obtain a diglycerol fatty acid ester containing 50% by mass or more, preferably 60% by mass or more, of monoesters based on the total amount.

Diglycerin fatty acid esters, such as Poem DM-100 (trade name: diglycerin myristate ester; approximately 80% monoester; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.), Poem DO-100V (trade name: diglycerin oleate ester; approximately 80% monoester; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.), Poem DP-95RF (trade name: diglycerin palmitate ester; approximately 80% monoester; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.), and Poem DS-100A (trade name: diglycerin stearate ester; approximately 80% monoester; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.), are commercially available and can be used in the present invention.

The triglycerin fatty acid ester used in the present invention is an esterification product of triglycerin and fatty acid, and is produced by a method known per se, such as an esterification reaction.

The triglycerin that constitutes the triglycerin fatty acid ester is typically a triglycerin mixture with an average degree of polymerization of 2.5 to 3.4, preferably 3.0, obtained by adding a small amount of acid or alkali as a catalyst to glycerin and heating the mixture to a temperature of, for example, 180 to 260°C in an atmosphere of an inert gas such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide to cause a polycondensation reaction. The triglycerin may also be obtained from raw materials such as glycidol or epichlorohydrin. After the reaction is complete, treatments such as neutralization, desalting, or decolorization may be carried out as desired.

In the present invention, the above triglycerin mixture is preferably purified using a method known per se, such as distillation or column chromatography, to obtain a high-purity triglycerin having a concentration of 50% by mass or more, preferably 85% by mass or more, of triglycerin consisting of three glycerin molecules.

The fatty acids that make up the triglycerin fatty acid ester are not particularly limited as long as they are fatty acids derived from edible animal or vegetable fats and oils, and examples include straight-chain saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having 6 to 24 carbon atoms (e.g., caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, behenic acid, lignoceric acid, oleic acid, elaidic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, erucic acid, etc.), preferably straight-chain saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having 12 to 18 carbon atoms (e.g., lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, etc.), and more preferably palmitic acid.

A preferred method for producing the triglycerol fatty acid ester used in the present invention is outlined as follows. For example, a conventional reaction vessel equipped with a stirrer, a heating jacket, a baffle, etc. is charged with triglycerol and fatty acid in a molar ratio of about 1:0.8 to 1:1.6, preferably about 1:1, and sodium hydroxide is added as a catalyst. The mixture is stirred and mixed, and heated to a predetermined temperature under a nitrogen gas atmosphere while removing water produced by the esterification reaction from the system. The reaction temperature is usually in the range of 180 to 260°C, preferably 200 to 250°C. The reaction pressure is under reduced pressure or normal pressure, and the reaction time is 0.5 to 15 hours, preferably 1 to 3 hours. The end point of the reaction is usually determined by measuring the acid value of the reaction mixture, with an acid value of 12 or less as a guideline.
The resulting reaction liquid is a mixture containing unreacted fatty acids, unreacted triglycerin, triglycerin mono-fatty acid esters, triglycerin di-fatty acid esters, triglycerin tri-fatty acid esters, triglycerin tetra-fatty acid esters, triglycerin penta-fatty acid esters, etc. After completion of the reaction, the resulting reaction liquid is cooled to 120°C or higher but lower than 180°C, and then an acid is added to neutralize the catalyst, followed by leaving the mixture to stand preferably for 15 minutes to 1 hour; if a polyol containing unreacted triglycerin separates into a lower layer, this is removed, and the triglycerin fatty acid ester is obtained.

Furthermore, the triglycerin fatty acid ester is purified by molecular distillation using, for example, a falling thin film molecular distillation apparatus or a centrifugal molecular distillation apparatus, or by a method known per se such as column chromatography or liquid-liquid extraction, thereby obtaining a product in which 50% of the monoester is obtained based on the total amount.
% by mass or more, preferably 60% by mass or more, of triglycerin fatty acid esters can be obtained.

As a triglycerin fatty acid ester, for example, Poem TRP-97RF (trade name: triglycerin palmitate ester; approximately 80% monoester; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) is commercially manufactured and sold, and this can be used in the present invention.

The monoester content of the diglycerol fatty acid esters and triglycerol fatty acid esters used in the present invention can be determined by analyzing them using HPLC under the following analytical conditions. Specifically, after analyzing the diglycerol fatty acid esters or triglycerol fatty acid esters under the following HPLC analytical conditions, the peak areas corresponding to each component of the test sample recorded on a chromatogram by a data processing device are measured using an integrator, and the monoester content can be determined as an area percentage based on the measured peak areas.

[HPLC analysis conditions]
Apparatus: High-performance liquid chromatograph (model: LC-10AS; manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation)
Detector: RI detector (Model: RID-6A; manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation)
Column: GPC column (Model: SHODEX KF-802; manufactured by Showa Denko K.K.), two columns connected together, temperature: 40°C
Mobile phase THF
Flow rate 1.0mL/min
Test solution injection volume 15μL

The thickener for chocolate dough of the present invention can be used by adding the diglycerol fatty acid ester or triglycerol fatty acid ester directly to the raw materials when producing chocolate, or by adding a formulation prepared by blending it with other optional ingredients using a method known per se.

The chocolate to which the chocolate dough thickener of the present invention can be added is not limited by the "Fair Competition Code for Chocolate Labeling" (National Chocolate Industry Fair Trade Council) or other legal regulations, but refers to chocolate made primarily from fats and oils (such as cocoa butter), sugars, and dairy products, with optional addition of cocoa components (such as cocoa mass and cocoa powder), flavorings, emulsifiers (such as lecithin), etc., and produced through chocolate production processes (all or some of the processes including mixing, refining, conching, tempering, molding, and cooling). Examples of such chocolates include dark chocolate (also known as bitter chocolate, black chocolate, sweet chocolate, and plain chocolate), milk chocolate, white chocolate, and colored chocolate.

In the present invention, chocolate dough refers to the mixture of ingredients up to the molding step in the chocolate manufacturing process. Chocolate dough can be prepared according to conventional methods, for example by mixing and finely pulverizing predetermined amounts of each ingredient, followed by conching, and then tempering as needed to mold and solidify the mixture.

There are no particular restrictions on the timing of adding the chocolate dough thickener of the present invention to the chocolate dough. However, since the diglycerol fatty acid ester and triglycerol fatty acid ester used in the present invention can be uniformly dispersed in oil under sufficiently heated conditions, in industrial production it is preferable to pre-dissolve them in the oil or fat during the mixing process.

The chocolate dough thickener of the present invention can be added to chocolate dough and uniformly stirred and dispersed to increase the viscosity of the chocolate dough. The amount to be added varies, as the optimal viscosity varies depending on the molding method used and the quality desired for the produced chocolate. However, for example, it can be added so that the diglycerin fatty acid ester or triglycerin fatty acid ester content in 100% by mass of the chocolate dough is within any range of 0.25 to 1.0% by mass. Viscosity can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the amount of diglycerin fatty acid ester or triglycerin fatty acid ester added to the chocolate dough.

The chocolate dough containing the chocolate dough thickener of the present invention can be molded by a molding method such as extrusion molding onto a cooling belt, dipping, or shell molding, and then cooled and solidified to produce the final chocolate product.

The present invention will be explained in detail below using examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[Chocolate dough viscosity increase test]
(1) Raw materials for chocolate dough 1) Cocoa butter (product name: Deodorized Cocoa Butter; manufactured by Daito Cocoa Co., Ltd.)
2) Couverture chocolate (product name: Couverture Sweet Cacao 58; manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.)
3) Emulsifier 3-1) Diglycerin laurate (trade name: Poem DL-100; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.; monoester content: approximately 75% by mass)
3-2) Diglycerin myristate ester (trade name: Poem DM-100; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.; monoester content: approximately 80% by mass)
3-3) Diglycerin palmitate (trade name: Poem DP-95RF; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.; monoester content: approximately 80% by mass)
3-4) Diglycerin stearate (trade name: Poem DS-100A; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.; monoester content: approximately 80% by mass)
3-5) Diglycerin oleate (trade name: Poem DO-100V; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.; monoester content: approximately 80% by mass)
3-6) Triglycerin palmitate (trade name: Poem TRP-97RF; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.; monoester content: approximately 80% by mass)
3-7) Monoglycerin stearate (trade name: Emulgy V-100; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.; monoester content: 95% by mass or more)
3-8) Monoglycerin oleate (trade name: Emulgy OL-100H; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.; monoester content of 95% by mass or more)
3-9) Tetraglycerin stearate (product name: SY Glystar PS3S; manufactured by Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd.)
3-10) Tetraglycerin oleate (trade name: SY Glystar PO3S; manufactured by Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.)
3-11) Propylene glycol stearate (trade name: Rikemal PS-100; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.)
3-12) Propylene glycol oleate (trade name: Rikemal PO-100V; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.)

(2) Preparation of Chocolate Dough: 2.7 g of cocoa butter and 0.3 g of emulsifier were placed in a 100 mL beaker, allowed to stand in an 80°C thermostatic bath for 1 hour, and then stirred with a spatula to dissolve. 57.0 g of couverture chocolate, which had been allowed to stand in a 60°C thermostatic bath for 1 hour and completely dissolved, was placed in the beaker and stirred with a spatula to achieve uniformity. After stirring, the mixture was placed in a 60°C thermostatic bath and allowed to stand for 1 hour. 50 g of the contents of the beaker were then transferred to a vial while stirring again, yielding chocolate doughs 1 to 12 for viscosity measurement. As a control, the same procedure was repeated using the same amount of cocoa butter (3.0 g in total) instead of 0.3 g of emulsifier, to obtain chocolate dough 13.

(3) Viscosity measurement of chocolate dough The vial containing the chocolate dough obtained in (2) was left to stand in a 30°C thermostatic water bath for 1 hour to bring the contents to 30°C, and the viscosity of the contents of the vial was measured using a B-type viscometer (manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd.; equipped with a No. 4 rotor; rotation speed 30 rpm). After measurement, the sample was again held in a 60°C thermostatic bath for 30 minutes, and the viscosities at 40°C and 50°C were measured using thermostatic water baths at 40°C and 50°C, respectively, in the same manner as the measurement at 30°C. The results are shown in Table 1.

As is clear from the results in Table 1, chocolate doughs 1 to 6 obtained with the addition of diglycerin fatty acid ester or triglycerin fatty acid ester had higher viscosity measurements at all temperatures than chocolate doughs 7 to 12 obtained with the addition of other emulsifiers and chocolate dough 13 obtained without the addition of an emulsifier. Therefore, it was confirmed that diglycerin fatty acid ester and triglycerin fatty acid ester can be used as thickeners for chocolate dough, capable of increasing the viscosity of the chocolate dough.

Claims (1)

A thickener for sweet chocolate dough (excluding use in aerated chocolate dough) containing the following component (1) or (2) as an active ingredient:
(1) One or more selected from diglycerin laurate, diglycerin myristate, diglycerin palmitate, and diglycerin oleate, containing 50% or more by mass of monoesters
(2) Triglycerin palmitate containing 50% by mass or more of monoester