JP7794582B2 - Method for producing sheared food material - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for producing shredded food materials.

Frozen desserts include fruits such as strawberries, oranges, apples, nuts such as peanuts and almonds, and vegetables such as pumpkin.
In order to enhance image recognition based on the appearance of fruit in frozen desserts, an attempt has been made to make it easier for consumers to recognize that they are eating a fruit-based frozen dessert by developing a technology for molding a covering material made of an edible material such as grain flour into a frozen dessert such as ice cream containing fruit inside, thereby making it easier for consumers to recognize that they are eating a fruit-based frozen dessert (Patent Document 1).

In addition, by using additive ingredients for ice cream, in which sugar components are precipitated on the surface of vacuum freeze-dried vegetables and fruits, an ice cream has been developed that has the melt-in-your-mouth feel of ice cream, while also providing the contrasting textures of crunchiness and crunchiness, creating a novel texture that can be enjoyed at the same time.
On the other hand, there have been few developments of frozen desserts that use fresh fruit to not only allow the taste of the fruit's natural freshness to be enjoyed, but also allow the desserts to be easily eaten.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 62-22547

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing shredded fruit and vegetable food materials that can be used in various food products.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a frozen dessert that not only allows the user to enjoy the original fresh taste of fruit but also makes it easy to eat by using shredded fruit in the frozen dessert.

As a result of extensive research to solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventors discovered a method for producing sheared food material by shearing a mixture of one or more food materials selected from fruits and vegetables and a fat powder with a melting point of 55°C or higher in a specific ratio, and thus completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention relates to the following.
[1] A method for producing sheared food material products, which comprises shearing a mixture of one or more food materials selected from fruits and vegetables and an oil or fat powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher, wherein the oil or fat powder has an average particle size of 0.5 to 200 μm, and the amount of the oil or fat powder is 20 to 150 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the food material.
[2] The method for producing sheared food material according to [1] , wherein one or more selected from the group consisting of an emulsifier, a complex dietary fiber material, and a sugar are added to the food material and the oil or fat powder, and the mixture is sheared.
[3] The method for producing sheared food material according to [1] or [2], wherein the fat powder contains a fat component including one or more XXX triglycerides having a fatty acid residue X with a carbon number of x at positions 1 to 3 of glycerin, wherein the carbon number x is an integer selected from 16 to 20, the fat component contains a β-type fat, and the fat powder particles have a plate-like shape.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide shredded fruit or vegetable food materials that can be used in various foods.
Furthermore, the shredded food material of the present invention not only allows the user to enjoy the original fresh taste of the fruit, but also provides a frozen dessert that is easy to eat.

1 is a DSC chart showing the change in endothermic heat when oil/fat powder (a) is heated at a temperature increase rate of 2° C./min. 1 is an electron microscope photograph of the fat or oil powder (a) of Production Example 1. The graph in FIG. 3 shows the analysis results of odor components (esters) in strawberry shreds for ice cream.

Specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and can be implemented with appropriate modifications within the scope of the invention.

The present invention is a method for producing sheared food material by shearing a mixture of one or more food materials selected from fruits and vegetables and an oil or fat powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher, wherein the amount of the oil or fat powder is 5 to 200 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the food material.

[Food ingredients]
First, the food material used in the present invention will be explained.
The food material used in the present invention is one or more food materials selected from fruits and vegetables.
Examples of fruits include strawberries, pineapples, mangoes, mixed berries, mandarins, oranges, apples, and nuts such as peanuts and almonds.
Vegetables include, for example, green onions and edamame.

[Oil powder]
Next, the fat and oil powder used in the present invention will be explained.
The fats and oils used as raw materials for the fat and oil powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher are not particularly limited as long as they are edible fats and oils.
Here, the fat or oil powder refers to a powder consisting essentially of fat or oil. The term "substantially" means that, when the total amount of the fat or oil powder is taken as 100% by mass, the amount of components other than fat or oil is less than 5% by mass.
Furthermore, since the oil or fat powder used has a high melting point of 55°C or higher, it mixes well with fruits and vegetables that contain a lot of water, and as a result, it is thought that the sheared food material of the present invention can be obtained.
The oil and fat powder of the present invention is different from powdered oil and fat obtained by spray-drying an emulsion of an aqueous solution containing oil and fat, excipients, emulsifiers, etc.
Examples of fat and oil powders used in the present invention include palm stearin, extremely hardened palm oil, extremely hardened rapeseed oil, extremely hardened high-erucic acid rapeseed oil, extremely hardened soybean oil, extremely hardened sunflower oil, and extremely hardened safflower oil, in which 80 mass % or more of the fatty acids constituting the fat and oil are saturated fatty acids having 16 or more carbon atoms, and one or more of these may be used.
The melting point of the oil or fat powder is 55°C or higher, preferably 58°C or higher, and more preferably 61°C or higher, and the upper limit of the melting point is preferably 90°C or lower, more preferably 80°C or lower, and even more preferably 75°C or lower.

The melting point of the fat or oil powder used in the present invention can be determined by DSC (differential scanning calorimetry) measurement. The fat or oil powder is heated at a temperature increase rate of 1 to 5°C (preferably 2°C) per minute, and the temperature at which endothermic heat disappears is taken as the melting point.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the melting point is the temperature at the intersection of the baseline where endotherm has completely disappeared due to heating and the rising line returning from the final endotherm to the baseline.

The average particle size (effective diameter) of the particles is, for example, preferably 0.5 to 200 μm, more preferably 1 to 100 μm, even more preferably 1 to 50 μm, particularly preferably 1 to 30 μm, and especially preferably 1 to 20 μm.
In particular, when the average particle size of the oil or fat powder is 1 to 20 μm, it is possible to obtain not only a paste-like but also a powder-like sheared food material product.
Here, the average particle size (effective diameter) refers to the volume-average diameter [MV], and the volume-average diameter [MV] is determined by measuring the volume-based particle size distribution by dry measurement using a particle size distribution analyzer (for example, manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation, device name: SALD-2300) based on a laser diffraction scattering method (ISO 13320, JIS Z 8825-1), and the obtained volume-average diameter [MV] is defined as the average particle size. The volume-average diameter [MV] can be determined from the following formula using the values of the particle size, particle volume, and the sum of the particle volumes.

Volume mean diameter [MV] = sum of (particle size x volume of the particle) / sum of particle volumes

The effective diameter means the particle size of a sphere when the measured diffraction pattern of the crystal to be measured matches the theoretical diffraction pattern obtained assuming the crystal is spherical. In this way, in the case of the laser diffraction scattering method, the effective diameter is calculated by matching the theoretical diffraction pattern obtained assuming the crystal is spherical with the measured diffraction pattern, so that the measurement can be performed using the same principle whether the object to be measured is plate-shaped or spherical.

The fat powder may optionally contain other components (additives) such as emulsifiers, flavorings, colorings, etc. To incorporate these other components, the other components may be added to or mixed with the raw material of the fat powder or the fat powder. Specifically, the fat powder may be produced by mixing the other components such as emulsifiers, flavorings, colorings, etc. with the raw material of the fat powder, mixing the other components such as emulsifiers, flavorings, colorings, etc. with the fat powder raw material, mixing the other components such as emulsifiers, flavorings, colorings, etc. with the fat powder raw material when producing the fat powder by pulverizing it, or mixing the other components such as emulsifiers, flavorings, colorings, etc. with the produced fat powder.
Here, examples of the emulsifiers as other ingredients include monoglycerides, polyglycerol fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, and lecithin. Examples of the flavoring agents include limonene, vanillin, orange, vanilla, and jasmine. Examples of the coloring agents include natural coloring agents such as turmeric color, gardenia color, safflower color, paprika color, and red cabbage color, and synthetic coloring agents such as tar-based coloring agents.
The amount of these other components can be any amount as long as it does not impair the effects of the present invention, but for example, when the total mass of the oil or fat powder is 100% by mass, it is, for example, 0 to 30% by mass, preferably 1 to 18% by mass, more preferably 2 to 15% by mass, and even more preferably 3 to 8% by mass. Preferably, 90% by mass or more of the other components are powders having an average particle size of 1000 μm or less, and more preferably powders having an average particle size of 500 μm or less. Furthermore, since fine particles of 20 μm or less are difficult for the human senses to detect, powders having an average particle size of, for example, 20 μm or less, preferably 0.1 to 20 μm, more preferably 1 to 18 μm, are preferred because they do not have a rough, gritty feel when placed in the mouth.

The method for producing the fat or oil powder used in the present invention is not particularly limited. For example, the fat or oil powder can be produced by pulverizing a raw material of the fat or oil powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher by a conventionally known method such as freeze-pulverization, extrusion granulation, or spray cooling.
The oil powder used in the present invention may be a commercially available oil powder, such as "Lubriwax-102H" sold by Freund Corporation, "TP-9" sold by NOF Corporation, or "Spray Fat NR-100" sold by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.
Furthermore, the oil and fat powder used in the present invention can be a product (oil and fat powder A) described below.

[Oil powder A]
As the fat powder used in the present invention, fat powder A, which will be explained below, can be used.
The fat/oil powder A is a fat/oil powder containing a fat/oil component including one or more XXX triglycerides having saturated fatty acid residues X with a carbon number x at positions 1 to 3 of glycerin, where the carbon number x is an integer selected from 16 to 20, the fat/oil component includes β-type fats, and the particles of the fat/oil powder are in the form of plates.
The oil and fat powder A will be described in detail below.

The fat and oil powder A contains a fat and oil component. The fat and oil component contains at least an XXX triglyceride and optionally contains other triglycerides.
The fat and oil component includes β-type fats and oils. Here, β-type fats and oils are fats and oils consisting only of β-type crystals, which is one of the crystalline polymorphs of fats and oils. Other crystalline polymorphs include β'-type fats and α-type fats. β'-type fats and oils are fats and oils consisting only of β'-type crystals, which is one of the crystalline polymorphs of fats and oils. α-type fats and oils are fats and oils consisting only of α-type crystals, which is one of the crystalline polymorphs of fats and oils. Some fat and oil crystals have the same composition but different sublattice structures (crystal structures), which are called crystalline polymorphs. Representative examples include hexagonal, orthorhombic perpendicular, and triclinic parallel, which are called α-type, β'-type, and β-type, respectively. The melting points of each polymorph increase in the order of α, β', and β. The melting points of each polymorph vary depending on the type of fatty acid residue X with carbon number x. Therefore, Table 1 below shows the melting points (°C) of each polymorph for tripalmitin, tristearin, and triarachydin, respectively. Table 1 was prepared based on Nissim Garti et al., "Crystallization and Polymorphism of Fats and Fatty Acids," Marcel Dekker Inc., 1988, pp. 32-33. In preparing Table 1, the melting points (°C) were rounded to the nearest whole number. Furthermore, if the composition of a fat or oil and the melting points of each of its polymorphs are known, it is possible to detect at least whether or not a beta fat or oil is present in the fat or oil.

A common technique for identifying these polymorphs is X-ray diffraction, the diffraction conditions of which are given by the Bragg equation:

2dsinθ=nλ (n=1, 2, 3...)

Diffraction peaks appear at positions that satisfy this equation. Here, d is the lattice constant, θ is the diffraction (incidence) angle, λ is the wavelength of the X-ray, and n is a natural number. The diffraction peaks corresponding to the short spacing, 2θ = 16 to 27°, provide information about the lateral packing (sublattice) in the crystal, allowing for identification of the polymorph. In particular, in the case of triacylglycerol, characteristic peaks of the β-type appear at 2θ = 19, 23, and 24° (near 4.6 Å, 3.9 Å, and 3.8 Å), and a characteristic peak of the α-type appears around 21° (4.2 Å). X-ray diffraction measurements are performed, for example, using an X-ray diffractometer (Rigaku Corporation, fully automated multipurpose X-ray diffractometer, Smart Lab 9 kW) maintained at 20°C. CuKα radiation (1.54 Å) is the most commonly used X-ray source.

The fat and oil component contains β-type fats and oils, and has a peak intensity ratio of 0.6 to 1, or contains β-type fats and oils as the main component (more than 50% by mass of the fat and oil powder A or the fat and oil component).
In a preferred embodiment of the oil and fat component, the oil and fat component is substantially composed of β-type oil and fat, in a more preferred embodiment, the oil and fat component is composed of β-type oil and fat, and in a particularly preferred embodiment, the oil and fat component is composed solely of β-type oil and fat. When all of the oil and fat component is β-type oil and fat, no α-type oil and/or β'-type oil and fat is detected by differential scanning calorimetry.
In a further embodiment, it is preferable that all of the oil and fat components are β-type oils and fats, but other α-type oils and fats or β'-type oils and fats may also be contained.

Specifically, based on the findings of the above-mentioned X-ray diffraction measurement, the ratio of the peak intensity at 2θ = 19° (4.6 Å), which is a characteristic peak of β-type fat, to the peak intensity at 2θ = 21° (4.2 Å), which is a characteristic peak of α-type fat, is calculated as follows: peak intensity around 19°/(peak intensity around 19° + peak intensity at 21°) [peak intensity around 4.6 Å/(peak intensity around 4.6 Å + peak intensity around 4.2 Å)]. This is used as an index representing the amount of β-type fat present in the above-mentioned fat and oil component, and it can be understood that "β-type fat and oil is contained." Ideally, in the present invention, all of the above-mentioned fat and oil components are β-type fat and oil (i.e., peak intensity ratio = 1).
In other words, if this peak intensity ratio is 0, it is determined that all of the fats and oils are alpha-type fats, if the peak intensity ratio is 1, it is determined that all of the fats and oils are beta-type fats, and if the peak intensity ratio is close to 1, it is determined that there is a large amount of beta-type fats and oils.
Since it is preferable that the oil and fat component contains a larger amount of β-type oil and fat, the peak intensity ratio is preferably close to 1.
Therefore, the peak intensity ratio is preferably 0.6 to 1, more preferably 0.7 to 1, even more preferably 0.8 to 1, still more preferably 0.9 to 1, and particularly preferably 0.95 to 1.
The content of the oil or fat component in the oil or fat powder A may be, for example, about 50 to 100 mass%, 70 to 100 mass%, 80 to 100 mass%, 85 to 100 mass%, 92 to 100 mass%, or 95 to 100 mass%.

The fat and oil component contains one or more XXX triglycerides having a fatty acid residue X with a carbon number of x at positions 1 to 3 of glycerin. The XXX triglycerides are triglycerides having a fatty acid residue X with a carbon number of x at positions 1 to 3 of glycerin, and each fatty acid residue X is the same as the others. Here, the carbon number x is an integer selected from 16 to 20, preferably an integer selected from 16 to 18, and more preferably 18.
The fatty acid residue X may be a saturated or unsaturated fatty acid residue. Specific examples of the fatty acid residue X include, but are not limited to, palmitic acid, stearic acid, and arachidic acid. Palmitic acid and stearic acid are more preferred fatty acids, and stearic acid is even more preferred.
The content of the XXX triglyceride is, when the total mass of the oil/fat powder A or the oil/fat component is taken as 100% by mass, for example, 50% by mass or more, preferably 60% by mass or more, more preferably 70% by mass or more, and even more preferably 80% by mass or more as the lower limit, and for example, 100% by mass or less, preferably 99% by mass or less, and more preferably 95% by mass or less as the upper limit. One or more types of XXX triglycerides can be used, preferably one or two types, and more preferably one type is used. When two or more types of XXX triglycerides are used, the total value represents the content of the XXX triglyceride.

The oil/fat component may contain triglycerides other than the above-mentioned XXX triglycerides, as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. The other triglycerides may be multiple types of triglycerides, and may be synthetic or natural oils and fats. Examples of synthetic oils and fats include glyceryl tricaprylate and glyceryl tricaprate. Examples of natural oils and fats include cocoa butter, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, and cottonseed oil. When the total triglycerides in oil/fat powder A or the oil/fat component are taken as 100% by mass, there is no problem if the other triglycerides are contained in an amount of, for example, 1% by mass or more, or 5 to 50% by mass, based on the total mass of oil/fat powder A or the oil/fat component. The content of other triglycerides is, for example, 0 to 50% by mass, preferably 5 to 40% by mass, more preferably 10 to 30% by mass, and even more preferably 15 to 25% by mass, when the total mass of oil/fat powder A or the oil/fat component is taken as 100% by mass.

It is preferable that oil/fat powder A consists essentially of the above-mentioned oil/fat component, and that the oil/fat component consists essentially of triglycerides. Furthermore, "substantially" means that the components other than the oil/fat component contained in oil/fat powder A or the components other than triglycerides contained in the oil/fat component account for, for example, 0 to 15% by mass, preferably 1 to 10% by mass, and more preferably 2 to 5% by mass, when oil/fat powder A or the oil/fat component is taken as 100% by mass.

The fat and oil powder A is a powdery solid at room temperature (20°C), and the particles have a plate-like shape.
Here, whether or not the particles of the fat or oil powder have a plate-like shape can be determined by the aspect ratio.
The plate-like shape preferably has an aspect ratio of 1.1 or more, more preferably 1.2 or more, still more preferably 1.2 to 3.0, particularly preferably 1.3 to 2.5, and even more preferably 1.4 to 2.0.

[Aspect ratio]
The aspect ratio in the present invention is defined as the ratio of the long side length to the short side length of a circumscribing rectangle that circumscribes the particle shape so as to minimize the area. Furthermore, when the particles are spherical, the aspect ratio is less than 1.1. In a method in which an oil or fat with a high solid fat content, such as an extremely hardened oil, is dissolved at room temperature and directly sprayed, the particles of oil or fat powder A become spherical due to surface tension, and the aspect ratio is less than 1.1. The aspect ratio can be determined by measuring the lengths of the major and minor axes of arbitrarily selected particles through direct observation using, for example, an optical microscope or a scanning electron microscope, and then calculating the average value of the number of particles measured.

[Loose bulk density]
The loose bulk density of the fat or oil powder A is preferably 0.05 to 0.6 g/cm ³ , more preferably 0.1 to 0.4 g/cm ³ , and even more preferably 0.1 to 0.3 g/cm ³ .
The loose bulk density (g/cm ³ ) is the value obtained by dividing the mass of a powder by the bulk volume occupied by the powder, that is, the powder mass per unit bulk volume.
The loose bulk density can be measured using a Powder Tester PT-X (manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation). Measurement using the Powder Tester PT-X employs an injection method in which air-containing powder or granules are allowed to fall freely into a container using sinusoidal vibrations.
Specifically, ^{200-300 cm} of powder sample was placed on a circular sieve with a diameter of 7.5 cm and mesh openings of 1.7 mm, which was then vibrated at an amplitude of 1.5 mm to allow it to fall through the sieve (free fall due to sinusoidal vibration). The powder sample, which had free-fallen from a height of 27 cm, was poured into a stainless steel 100 ^cm cup (inner diameter approximately 5 cm x height approximately 5 cm) placed below the sieve. After the powder sample had overflowed from the cup, the vibration of the sieve was stopped. The excess powder sample on the cup was then leveled off along the top surface of the cup with a rectangular blade. The mass (A (g)) of the powder sample in the cup was measured, and the loose bulk density was calculated using the following formula (V):
The loose bulk density is measured three times for each sample, and the average value is taken as the loose bulk density value of the sample.

Loose bulk density (g/cm ³ )=A (g)/100 (cm ³ ) (V)

The loose bulk density of the fat/oil powder A is, for example, 0.05 to 0.6 g/cm ³ , preferably 0.1 to 0.5 g/cm ³ , more preferably 0.1 to 0.4 cm ³ , and even more preferably 0.1 to 0.3 g/cm ³ when the fat/oil powder A consists essentially of fat/oil components only.

Next, a method for producing the oil and fat powder A will be described.
The fat powder A can be obtained by melting a fat powder A raw material containing one or more XXX triglycerides having saturated fatty acid residues X with carbon number x at positions 1 to 3 of glycerin, maintaining the melt at a specific cooling temperature, and cooling and solidifying the melt. This allows the fat powder A to be obtained without employing special processing methods such as spraying or mechanical pulverization using a mill or other grinder. More specifically, (a) a fat powder A raw material containing the XXX triglycerides is prepared, and optionally, in step (b), the fat powder A raw material obtained in step (a) is heated to dissolve the triglycerides contained in the fat powder A raw material to obtain the fat powder A raw material in a molten state. Furthermore, (d) the fat powder A raw material is cooled and solidified to obtain fat powder A containing β-fat and having a plate-like particle shape. The fat powder A can also be produced by applying known pulverization processing methods such as a hammer mill, cutter mill, or fine grinder to the solid obtained after cooling.

The method for producing the oil and fat powder A will be described in more detail.
The oil and fat powder A is produced by the following steps:
(a) preparing a raw material for fat or oil powder A containing XXX triglycerides;
(b) an optional step of optionally heating the raw material of the oil/fat powder A obtained in step (a) to dissolve triglycerides contained in the raw material of the oil/fat powder A to obtain the raw material of the oil/fat powder A in a molten state;
(d) A step of cooling and solidifying the raw material of the oil/fat powder A to obtain an oil/fat powder A containing β-type oils and fats and having a plate-like particle shape;
It can be produced by a method comprising:
In addition, an optional step (c) for promoting powder generation may be included between the steps (b) and (d), such as (c1) a seeding step, (c2) a tempering step, and/or (c3) a pre-cooling step.
Furthermore, in the above step (d), the solid material having voids obtained after cooling can be subjected to impact (by crushing, loosening, vibrating, sieving, etc.) to obtain the fat or oil powder A.
The above steps (a) to (d) will be explained below.

(a) Raw Material Preparation Step The raw material for the XXX triglyceride-containing oil/fat powder A prepared in step (a) is produced based on a typical method for producing oils and fats, such as XXX triglycerides, containing one or more XXX triglycerides having saturated fatty acid residues X with carbon number x at positions 1 to 3 of glycerin, or is readily available commercially. Here, the XXX triglycerides specified by the carbon number x and saturated fatty acid residue X are identical to those of the target oil/fat component obtained in the end, except for the crystalline polymorphism. The raw material may contain β-type oils and fats, for example, the β-type oil content may be 0.1% by mass or less, 0.05% by mass or less, or 0.01% by mass or less. However, since β-type oils and fats disappear when the raw material is heated or otherwise melted, the raw material may be in a molten state. When the raw material is in a molten state, for example, being substantially free of β-type fats and oils means not only that XXX triglycerides are present, but also that substantially all of the fat and oil components are not β-type fats and oils. The presence of β-type fats and oils can be confirmed by the diffraction peaks attributable to β-type fats and oils by the above-mentioned X-ray diffraction measurement, or by confirming β-type fats and oils by differential scanning calorimetry. The amount of β-type fats and oils present when the raw material is "substantially free of β-type fats and oils" can be estimated from the intensity ratio of the characteristic peak of β-type fats and oils to the characteristic peak of α-type fats and oils among the X-ray diffraction peaks [intensity of characteristic peak of β-type fats/(intensity of characteristic peak of α-type fats + intensity of characteristic peak of β-type fats)] (peak intensity ratio). The peak intensity ratio of the raw material for the above-mentioned oil and fat powder A is, for example, 0.2 or less, preferably 0.15 or less, and more preferably 0.10 or less. The raw material for the oil and fat powder A may contain one or more types of XXX triglycerides as described above, preferably one or two types, and more preferably one type.
Specifically, for example, the above-mentioned XXX triglycerides can be produced by direct synthesis using a fatty acid or a fatty acid derivative and glycerin. Methods for directly synthesizing XXX triglycerides include (i) a method of directly esterifying a fatty acid having X carbon atoms with glycerin (direct ester synthesis), (ii) a method of reacting a fatty acid alkyl (e.g., fatty acid methyl and fatty acid ethyl) in which the carboxyl group of a fatty acid X having x carbon atoms is bonded to an alkoxyl group with glycerin under basic or acidic catalytic conditions (transesterification synthesis using fatty acid alkyl), and (iii) a method of reacting a fatty acid halide (e.g., fatty acid chloride and fatty acid bromide) in which the hydroxyl group of the carboxyl group of a fatty acid X having x carbon atoms is substituted with a halogen with glycerin under a basic catalyst (acid halide synthesis).
XXX triglycerides can be produced by any of the above-mentioned methods (i) to (iii). From the viewpoint of ease of production, however, (i) direct ester synthesis or (ii) transesterification synthesis using a fatty acid alkyl is preferred, and (i) direct ester synthesis is more preferred.

When producing XXX triglycerides by (i) direct ester synthesis, from the viewpoint of production efficiency, it is preferable to use 3 to 5 moles, and more preferably 3 to 4 moles, of fatty acid X or fatty acid Y per mole of glycerin.
The reaction temperature in (i) direct ester synthesis of XXX triglycerides may be any temperature at which the water produced by the esterification reaction can be removed from the system, and is, for example, preferably 120° C. to 300° C., more preferably 150° C. to 270° C., and even more preferably 180° C. to 250° C. By carrying out the reaction at 180 to 250° C., XXX triglycerides can be produced particularly efficiently.

In the (i) direct ester synthesis of XXX triglycerides, a catalyst that promotes the esterification reaction may be used. Examples of the catalyst include acid catalysts and alkaline earth metal alkoxides. The amount of the catalyst used is preferably about 0.001 to 1% by mass based on the total mass of the reaction raw materials.
In the (i) direct ester synthesis of XXX triglycerides, after the reaction, the catalyst and unreacted raw materials can be removed by carrying out known purification treatments such as water washing, alkaline deoxidation and/or deoxidation under reduced pressure, and adsorption treatment. Furthermore, the obtained reaction product can be further purified by carrying out decolorization and deodorization treatment.

The amount of XXX triglycerides contained in the raw material for the above-mentioned oil/fat powder A is, for example, 100 to 50% by mass, preferably 95 to 55% by mass, and more preferably 90 to 60% by mass, assuming the total mass of all triglycerides contained in the raw material to be 100% by mass. It is even more preferably 85 to 65% by mass.

<Other triglycerides>
In addition to the above-mentioned XXX triglycerides, other triglycerides that can be used as raw materials for the fat/oil powder A containing XXX triglycerides may include various triglycerides as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Examples of other triglycerides include X2Y triglycerides in which one of the saturated fatty acid residues X in the above-mentioned XXX triglycerides is substituted with fatty acid residue Y, and XY2 triglycerides in which two of the saturated fatty acid residues X in the above-mentioned XXX triglycerides are substituted with fatty acid residue Y.
The amount of the other triglycerides is, for example, 0 to 100% by mass, preferably 0 to 70% by mass, and more preferably 1 to 40% by mass, when the total mass of the XXX triglycerides is 100% by mass.

In addition, instead of directly synthesizing the above-mentioned XXX-type triglycerides, the raw material for oil/fat powder A may be a naturally-derived triglyceride composition that has been subjected to hydrogenation, interesterification, or fractionation. Examples of naturally-derived triglyceride compositions include rapeseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, safflower oil, palm stearin, and mixtures thereof. Particularly preferred are hydrogenated oils, partially hydrogenated oils, and extremely hydrogenated oils of these naturally-derived triglyceride compositions. Even more preferred are hard palm stearin, extremely hydrogenated high oleic sunflower oil, extremely hydrogenated rapeseed oil, and extremely hydrogenated soybean oil.

Furthermore, examples of raw materials for the oil powder A include commercially available triglyceride compositions or synthetic oils and fats. For example, examples of triglyceride compositions include hard palm stearin (manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Group, Ltd.), extremely hydrogenated rapeseed oil (manufactured by Yokoseki Oil & Fat Industries Co., Ltd.), and extremely hydrogenated soybean oil (manufactured by Yokoseki Oil & Fat Industries Co., Ltd.). Examples of synthetic oils and fats include tripalmitin (manufactured by Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), tristearin (manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich Co., Ltd.), tristearin (manufactured by Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), triarachidin (manufactured by Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), and tribehenin (manufactured by Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.).
In addition, highly hydrogenated palm oil has a low content of XXX-type triglycerides and can therefore be used as a diluting component for triglycerides.

<Other ingredients>
In addition to the triglycerides, the raw materials for the fat and oil powder A may optionally contain other components such as partial glycerides, fatty acids, antioxidants, emulsifiers, solvents such as water, etc. The amount of these other components can be any amount as long as it does not impair the effects of the present invention, but for example, when the total mass of the XXX triglycerides is taken as 100% by mass, it is 0 to 5% by mass, preferably 0 to 2% by mass, and more preferably 0 to 1% by mass.

When the raw material of the oil or fat powder A contains a plurality of components, they may be mixed arbitrarily. The mixing may be performed using any known mixing method as long as a homogeneous reaction substrate can be obtained, for example, a paddle mixer, an azihommixer, a disper mixer, etc.
The mixing may be carried out under heating as necessary. The heating temperature is preferably about the same as that in the step (b) described below, for example, 50 to 120°C, preferably 60 to 100°C, more preferably 70 to 90°C, and even more preferably 80°C.

(b) Step of obtaining the molten oil/fat powder A Before the step (d), if the raw material for oil/fat powder A prepared in the step (a) is in a molten state when prepared, it is cooled as it is without heating, but if it is not in a molten state when prepared, it is optionally heated to melt the triglycerides contained in the raw material for oil/fat powder A and obtain the raw material for oil/fat powder A in a molten state.
Here, the raw material for oil/fat powder A is suitably heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the triglycerides contained in the raw material for oil/fat powder A, particularly a temperature at which XXX triglycerides can be melted, for example, 70 to 200° C., preferably 75 to 150° C., more preferably 80 to 100° C. Furthermore, heating is suitably continued for, for example, 0.1 to 3 hours, preferably 0.3 to 2 hours, more preferably 0.5 to 1 hour.

(d) Step of cooling the raw material of molten fat powder A to obtain fat powder A The raw material of molten fat powder A prepared in step (a) or (b) is further cooled and solidified to form fat powder A containing β-type fats and having a plate-like particle shape.
Here, in order to "cool and solidify the raw material of molten fat powder A," it is necessary to maintain the raw material of molten fat powder A at a temperature lower than the melting point of the β-type fat of the fat component contained in the raw material of fat powder A as the upper limit of the cooling temperature. For example, in the case of an XXX triglyceride having three stearic acid residues with 18 carbon atoms, the melting point of the β-type fat is 74°C (Table 1), so "a temperature lower than the melting point" refers to a temperature that is 1 to 30°C lower than the melting point (i.e., 44 to 73°C), preferably a temperature that is 1 to 20°C lower than the melting point (i.e., 54 to 73°C), more preferably a temperature that is 1 to 15°C lower than the melting point (i.e., 59 to 73°C), and particularly preferably a temperature that is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10°C lower.
The reason for setting the cooling temperature at or above this level is that, in order to obtain β-type fats containing XXX triglycerides, the cooling temperature must be set at a temperature at which α-type fats and β'-type fats other than β-type fats do not crystallize during crystallization of the fats. Since the cooling temperature mainly depends on the molecular size of the XXX triglycerides, it can be seen that there is a certain correlation between the carbon number x and the lower limit of the optimal cooling temperature.
For example, when the XXX triglyceride contained in the raw material of fat powder A is a XXX triglyceride having three stearic acid residues each having 18 carbon atoms, the lower limit of the cooling temperature is 50.8° C. or higher. Therefore, in the case of a XXX triglyceride having three stearic acid residues each having 18 carbon atoms, the temperature at which the "molten raw material of fat powder A is cooled and solidified" is more preferably 50.8° C. or higher and 72° C. or lower.
Furthermore, when the XXX triglyceride is a mixture of two or more types, the lower limit can be determined in accordance with the cooling temperature of the triglyceride having the smaller carbon number x. For example, when the XXX triglycerides contained in the raw material of fat or oil powder A are a mixture of an XXX triglyceride having three palmitic acid residues with a carbon number of 16 and an XXX triglyceride having three stearic acid residues with a carbon number of 18, the lower limit of the cooling temperature is 37.6°C or higher in accordance with the smaller carbon number of 16.

In another embodiment, the lower limit of the cooling temperature is suitably a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the α-type oil or fat corresponding to the β-type oil or fat in the raw material for oil powder A containing XXX triglycerides. For example, if the XXX triglyceride contained in the raw material for oil powder A is an XXX triglyceride having three stearic acid residues with a carbon number of 18, the melting point of the α-type oil or fat in the XXX triglyceride having three stearic acid residues is 55°C (Table 1), and therefore the temperature for "cooling and solidifying the raw material for oil powder A in a molten state" in such a case is preferably 55°C or higher and 72°C or lower.

In yet another embodiment, the raw material for oil/fat powder A in a molten state is cooled preferably to 36 to 66°C, more preferably 44 to 64°C, and even more preferably 52 to 62°C when x is 16; preferably to 50 to 72°C, more preferably 54 to 70°C, and even more preferably 58 to 68°C when x is 17 or 18; and preferably to 62 to 80°C, more preferably 66 to 78°C, and even more preferably 70 to 77°C when x is 19 or 20. It is appropriate to leave the material at the above final temperature for, for example, preferably 2 hours or more, more preferably 4 hours or more, and even more preferably 6 hours or more, and preferably for 2 days or less, more preferably 24 hours or less, and even more preferably 12 hours or less.

(c) Powder Production Promotion Step Furthermore, before step (d) or between steps (a) or (b) and (d), as an optional step for promoting powder production (c), the molten oil/fat powder A composition raw material used in step (d) may be treated by a seeding method (c1), a tempering method (c2), and/or a pre-cooling method (c3). These optional steps (c1) to (c3) may be performed alone or in combination. Here, "between step (a) or (b) and step (d)" means during step (a) or (b), after step (a) or (b) and before step (d), and during step (d).
The seeding method (c1) and the tempering method (c2) are methods for promoting powder production in the production of fat or oil powder A, in which the raw material for fat or oil powder A in a molten state is treated before being cooled to the final temperature in order to more reliably turn the raw material for fat or oil powder A in a molten state into a powder.
The seeding method (c1) is a method of promoting powderization by adding a small amount of a core (seed) component to a molten raw material for fat or oil powder A during cooling. Specifically, for example, a core (seed) component is prepared by adding, to the molten raw material for fat or oil powder A obtained in step (b), preferably 80% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, of XXX triglycerides having the same carbon number as the XXX triglycerides in the raw material for fat or oil powder A. This method promotes powderization of fats and oils by adding 0.1 to 1 part by mass, preferably 0.2 to 0.8 parts by mass, of this core fat or oil powder to 100 parts by mass of the raw material for fat or oil powder A during cooling of the raw material for fat or oil powder A when the temperature of the raw material for fat or oil powder A reaches, for example, the final cooling temperature ±0 to +10°C, preferably +5 to +10°C.
The tempering method (c2) is a method for accelerating the powderization of fats and oils by cooling the raw material of the molten fat and oil powder A once, before leaving it to stand at the final cooling temperature, to a temperature lower than the cooling temperature in step (d), for example, a temperature lower by 5 to 20°C, preferably a temperature lower by 7 to 15°C, more preferably a temperature lower by about 10°C, for preferably 10 to 120 minutes, more preferably about 30 to 90 minutes.
Furthermore, the pre-cooling method (c3) is a method in which the molten fat powder A raw material obtained in step (a) or (b) is temporarily cooled at a temperature between the temperature at which the fat powder A raw material containing the XXX triglycerides was prepared and the cooling temperature at which the fat powder A raw material was cooled before being cooled in step (d). In other words, it is a method in which the fat powder A raw material is temporarily pre-cooled at a temperature lower than the molten state temperature in step (a) or (b) and higher than the cooling temperature in step (d). (c3) Pre-cooling Method is followed by cooling at the cooling temperature at which the fat powder A raw material was cooled in step (d). The temperature higher than the cooling temperature in step (d) may be, for example, a temperature 2 to 40°C higher, preferably 3 to 30°C higher, more preferably 4 to 30°C higher, and even more preferably about 5 to 10°C higher than the cooling temperature in step (d). The lower the pre-cooling temperature, the shorter the main cooling time at the cooling temperature in step (d). In other words, the pre-cooling method differs from the seeding method and tempering method in that it is a method that can promote the powdering of fats and oils simply by gradually lowering the cooling temperature, and is therefore highly advantageous for industrial production.

(Powdering by impact)
The solid material with voids obtained after cooling in step (d) is a solid material with voids whose volume has increased compared to the molten oil or fat, but since this solid material with voids easily disintegrates into a powdery substance, the voids can be disintegrated into a powdery substance during the filling process of filling into containers or the transportation process, without the need for a special powdering process.
The porous solid obtained in step (d) can also be powdered by applying an impact. The method of applying an impact is not particularly limited, but examples include a method of crushing the porous solid using a conventional crusher (such as a hammer mill, cutter mill, or fine crusher), a method of breaking up the porous solid with a spatula, rubber spatula, or shovel, a method of vibrating the porous solid placed in a container, and a method of sieving the porous solid and applying an impact.
Furthermore, before pulverization, solid materials having voids may be crushed in a crusher.
In this way, oil and fat powder A can be produced.

(Shearing Treatment) Next, the shearing treatment will be described.
The mixture of one or more food materials selected from fruits and vegetables and an oil or fat powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher can be sheared using a machine having shearing capabilities.
One or more kinds of food materials selected from fruits and vegetables may be used as they are, or may be cut into pieces of an appropriate size to facilitate shearing treatment with a machine described below. The cutting method may be any method as in the conventional art.
As described above, commercially available or manufactured oil or fat powders having a melting point of 55°C or higher can be used, and are used in powder form.
One or more food materials selected from fruits and vegetables and an oil or fat powder having a melting point of 55° C. or higher are generally put into a machine having a shearing ability and subjected to a shearing treatment. The materials may be stirred before being subjected to the shearing treatment to form a mixture, or may be subjected to the shearing treatment to form a mixture.

As the machine having a shearing ability, for example, a high speed fluid mixer, a roll refiner, a ball mill, a bead mill, or other known machine that refines materials by shearing can be used.
Examples of high-speed fluid mixers include a benchtop blend-type high-speed fluid mixer (manufactured by Kawata Corporation, device name "Super Mixer Piccolo SMP-2"), a benchtop grinder (manufactured by Osaka Chemical Co., Ltd., device name "Labo Mill 2"), and the like.
The shearing conditions vary depending on the machine used and the amount of raw material charged, so they can be adjusted as appropriate.
For example, when the above-mentioned "Super Mixer Piccolo SMP-2" is used as the shearing machine and the charge amount is about 300 g, the rotation speed is preferably 1000 to 5000 rpm, more preferably 2000 to 5000 rpm, and even more preferably 2000 to 4000 rpm. In this case, the shearing treatment time is preferably 5 to 60 seconds, more preferably 10 to 40 seconds, and even more preferably 20 to 40 seconds.
Furthermore, when the above-mentioned "Labo Mill 2" is used as the shearing machine and the charge amount is about 50 g, the rotation speed is preferably 3,000 to 20,000 rpm, more preferably 5,000 to 15,000 rpm, and even more preferably 8,000 to 12,000 rpm. In this case, the shearing treatment time is preferably 5 to 30 seconds, more preferably 5 to 20 seconds, and even more preferably 5 to 10 seconds.
The shearing treatment may be carried out in several steps, and when the shearing treatment is carried out in several steps, the shearing time mentioned above refers to the total time of all the shearing treatments.

Next, the amount of food material to be sheared and the amount of oil or fat powder to be mixed will be explained.
The amount of oil or fat powder during shearing is preferably 5 to 200 parts by mass, more preferably 20 to 150 parts by mass, even more preferably 30 to 100 parts by mass, and most preferably 40 to 90 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the food material.

Next, the shredded food material of the present invention will be described.
The sheared food material of the present invention is obtained by shearing a mixture of one or more food materials selected from fruits and vegetables and an oil or fat powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher, and is characterized in that the amount of the oil or fat powder is 5 to 200 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the food material.
The appearance of the shredded food material of the present invention is, for example, but not limited to, a paste or powder.
As shown in the examples, by adjusting the type of oil or fat powder used, the amount of oil or fat powder added, and other additives, the resulting sheared food material can be made into, for example, a paste or powder.

The sheared food material of the present invention may also contain other ingredients such as emulsifiers, complex dietary fiber materials, crystalline cellulose, sugars, high-intensity sweeteners, etc. It is particularly preferred to add one or more ingredients selected from the group consisting of emulsifiers, complex dietary fiber materials, and sugars before shearing.
Examples of emulsifiers include monoglycerides, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, and lecithin.
As the composite dietary fiber material, commercially available products can be used, for example, "Ceolas Fiber DF-17" sold by Asahi Kasei Corporation.
Examples of sugars include sugar, lactose, trehalose, and starch.

<Uses of sheared food ingredients>
The shredded food material of the present invention can be used in various fields.
For example, fruit paste or powder shreds can be used as the fruit ingredient in ice cream.
The powdered shredded fruit can be sprinkled on salads, and the green onion paste can be added to natto and other foods to create a green onion-flavored condiment.

<Foods containing shredded food ingredients>
The content of shredded food materials in a food product varies depending on the type of food product. For example, when pasty or powdery shredded fruit is used as a fruit ingredient in ice cream, the content is preferably 5 to 30% by mass, more preferably 5 to 20% by mass, and even more preferably 10 to 20% by mass, when the total amount of ice cream is taken as 100% by mass.
The food of the present invention can be produced by a known method except that the sheared food material is used as a raw material.

Next, the present invention will be described in detail using examples. However, the present invention is in no way limited to these examples. In the following, "%" indicates % by mass unless otherwise specified.

<Analysis method>
Using a DSC (DSC1 manufactured by Mettler Toledo), a sample (e.g., a fat powder) was heated at a temperature increase rate of 2°C/min to measure the endothermic curve. The melting point was determined as the temperature at the intersection of the baseline where endothermic heat completely disappeared upon heating and the rising line returning from the final endothermic heat to the baseline.

Average particle size of fat or oil powder The average particle size was determined by measuring the volumetric particle size distribution by dry measurement using a particle size distribution analyzer (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation, device name: SALD-2300) based on the laser diffraction scattering method (ISO 13320, JIS Z 8825-1) to determine the volume average diameter [MV], and the resulting volume average diameter [MV] was used as the average particle size. The volume average diameter [MV] was calculated using the following formula using the values of the particle diameter, particle volume, and the sum of the particle volumes.

Volume mean diameter [MV] = sum of (particle size x volume of the particle) / sum of particle volumes

Triacylglycerol composition gas chromatography analysis conditions DB1-ht (0.32 mm x 0.1 μm x 5 m) Agilent Technologies (123-1131)
Injection volume: 1.0μL
Inlet: 370℃
Detector: 370°C
Split ratio: 50/1 35.1 kPa Constant pressure column CT: 200 ° C (0 min hold) ~ (15 ° C / min) ~ 370 ° C (4 min hold)

X-ray diffraction measurement An X-ray diffractometer (Rigaku Corporation, fully automated multipurpose X-ray diffractometer Smart Lab 9 kW) was used, and measurements were performed using a CuKα (λ = 1.542 Å) radiation source, a Cu filter, an output of 9.0 kW, an operating angle of 0.96 to 30.0°, and a measurement speed of 20°/min. This measurement confirmed the presence of α-type fats, β'-type fats, and β-type fats in the fat and oil components containing XXX-type triglycerides. If there is only a peak near 4.6 Å and no peak near 4.1 to 4.2 Å, it can be determined that all of the fat and oil components are β-type fats.
Therefore, from the results of the above X-ray diffraction measurement, the peak intensity ratio = [intensity of the characteristic peak of β type (2θ = 19° (4.6 Å)) / (intensity of the characteristic peak of α type (2θ = 21° (4.2 Å)) + intensity of the characteristic peak of β type (2θ = 19° (4.6 Å))] was calculated, and this value was used as an index representing the amount of β type fats and oils present.

Loose Bulk Density The loose bulk density (g/cm ³ ) was determined by dividing the mass of a powder by the bulk volume occupied by the powder, that is, the powder mass per unit bulk volume.
The loose bulk density was measured using a Powder Tester PT-X (manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation). The Powder Tester PT-X employs an injection method, in which air-containing powder is allowed to fall freely into a container using sinusoidal vibrations to perform the measurement.
Specifically, ^{200-300 cm} of powder sample was placed on a circular sieve with a diameter of 7.5 cm and mesh openings of 1.7 mm, vibrated at an amplitude of 1.5 mm, and allowed to fall through the sieve (free fall due to sinusoidal vibration). The powder sample, which had free-fallen from a height of 27 cm, was poured into ^a 100 cm stainless steel cup (inner diameter approximately 5 cm x height approximately 5 cm) placed below the sieve. After the powder sample had overflowed from the cup, the vibration of the sieve was stopped. The excess powder sample on the cup was then leveled off along the top surface of the cup with a rectangular blade, and the mass (A (g)) of the powder sample in the cup was measured. The loose bulk density was calculated using the following formula (V). The loose bulk density was measured three times for each sample, and the average value was used as the loose bulk density value for that sample.
Loose bulk density (g/cm ³ )=A (g)/100 (cm ³ ) (V)

- Observation of Appearance The appearance of each of the obtained oil and fat powders was visually observed.
In addition, the particle shape of the oil or fat powder (a) of Production Example 1 described below was observed at a magnification of 10,000 times using an electron microscope (manufactured by JEOL Ltd., "JSM-7500F").
The deposition method for the samples observed under the electron microscope is described below.
First, conductive tape was attached to a copper plate, and the sample powder was placed on top of it. After that, a nitrogen gas blower was used to blow off the excess sample. Then, an osmium plasma coater (manufactured by Nippon Laser & Electronics Lab., "OPC-80") was used to perform osmium deposition (30 nm).

Moisture content of food materials and sheared food material products The moisture content of food materials and sheared food material products was measured using a moisture meter "heat drying type moisture meter MS-70" manufactured by A&D Co., Ltd.
Specifically, 2 g of the sample to be measured (food material or sheared food material) was placed in a measurement container and heated at 140° C., and the moisture content was measured.

Analysis of odor components (esters) On page 636, right column, lines 6-8 of the Journal of the Horticultural Society of Japan (authors: To, Beni, Ueda, Yoshinori, published December 1993, "Effect of freezing method and frozen storage temperature on the flavor and ester content of frozen strawberries"), it is stated that "It is said that most of the aroma components of strawberries are esters (Dirinck et al., 1981)." Therefore, this time, the area values of esters, specifically the total area value of methyl butyrate, methyl hexanate, and ethyl butyrate were measured using the dynamic headspace method (DHS), and the relative area value was calculated for the obtained area value when the area value of the reference sample (strawberry) was set to 1, and this value was used as the analytical value of the odor component.
[Dirinck et al., 1981] Dirinck, PJ, HL/Pooter, GAWillaert and NMSchamp.1981.Flavor quality of cultivated strawberries,The role of the sulfur compounds.J.Agric.Food Chem.29:316-321

Dynamic headspace gas chromatography mass spectrometry (DHS-GCMS, manufactured by Gestel, Agilent) was used to measure the esters.
Each sample was weighed into a 10 mL vial so that the strawberry weight was 0.4 g.
Then, the analysis was carried out under the conditions shown below.
(Dynamic Head Space Method (DHS) Conditions)
Sample incubation: 80°C, 0.1 min. Sample trapping: Purge volume 60 mL (10 mL/min), trap temperature 25°C, sample heating 80°C
Drying Purge: Purge volume 1000 mL (50 mL/min) Trap temperature 40°C Adsorbent: TENAX TA (GESTEL)
(GCMS analysis conditions)
Column: Agilent DB-WAX (60 m x 0.25 mm x 0.50 μm)
Desorption temperature: 240℃
Oven temperature: 40°C (10 min hold) → 8°C/min → 240°C (5 min hold)

Ingredients for shredded food materials Table 2 shows the ingredients used in producing the shredded food materials described below.

[Production Example 1: Oil and Fat Powder (a)...corresponding to Oil and Fat Powder A described in the specification]
As a raw material for the oil and fat powder, flaked extremely hydrogenated rapeseed oil (α-type oil, peak intensity ratio: 0.03, melting point: 67°C, content of XXX-type triglycerides having fatty acid residues X (stearic acid residues) with 18 carbon atoms at positions 1 to 3 of glycerin was 79.6% by mass, when the total mass of the extremely hydrogenated rapeseed oil was taken as 100% by mass) was used, manufactured by Yokoseki Oil and Fat Industries Co., Ltd.
2 kg of flaky rapeseed extremely hardened oil was spread and laid in a stainless steel container (width: 530 mm x depth: 325 mm x height: 100 mm), and a total of three stainless steel containers were placed on a steel rack (width: 760 mm x depth: 460 mm x height: 1795 mm) in a constant temperature room (width: 5100 mm x height: 2100 mm x depth: 4050 mm, manufactured by Espec Corporation, device name "TBUU"). The container was maintained at 80 ° C., which is above the melting point, for 10 hours to completely melt it, and then cooled at 60 ° C. for 16 hours to form a solid having voids with an increased volume. After completing crystallization, the container was cooled to room temperature (25 ° C.) to obtain a fat and oil solid.
6.0 kg of the obtained oil and fat solid was crushed in a crusher to obtain crushed oil and fat.
Next, the resulting crushed material was pulverized using a fine grinder at room temperature (25°C) to obtain a pulverized product. The pulverized product was passed through a sieve (30 mesh) and the powder that passed through the sieve was collected to obtain a fat powder (a) containing β-type fats and oils (melting point: 67.4°C, average particle size: 16.6 µm, loose bulk density: 0.21 g/cm ³ , aspect ratio: 1.6, specific surface area: 2.1 (m ² /g), peak intensity ratio: 0.98, the content of XXX-type triglycerides having a fatty acid residue X (stearic acid residue) with 18 carbon atoms at positions 1 to 3 of glycerin was 79.4% by mass when the total mass of the fat powder was taken as 100% by mass).
X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that the crystalline polymorphism of the fat in the obtained fat powder (a) was the β type.
The particles of the oil/fat powder (a) were observed under an electron microscope based on the above appearance observation, and were found to have a plate-like shape. An electron microscope photograph is shown in Figure 2.

[Production of shredded food material (strawberry shredded product) (reference sample, examples 1 to 4, comparative example 1)]
Strawberry shreds were produced using the formulations shown in Tables 3 and 4 (total amount: 50 g).
For the production, a tabletop grinder (Osaka Chemical Co., Ltd., equipment name "Labo Mill 2") was used.
First, the oil powder and strawberries were placed in a container of a crusher, and after the lid was placed on the container, the mixture was sheared by stirring at 10,000 rpm for 8 seconds to obtain strawberry shears (Examples 1 to 4).
As a reference sample for odor evaluation, strawberries alone were placed in the container of the grinder, and after the lid was placed on top, they were sheared by stirring at 10,000 rpm for 8 seconds to obtain strawberry shreds (reference sample).
Furthermore, as a comparative example, commercially available strawberry powder (spray-dried product) was prepared (Comparative Example 1). Note that the spray-dried product is produced using a heat drying process.

[Appearance, analysis, sensory evaluation]
(1) Appearance The appearance of the strawberry shredded material and strawberry powder (spray-dried product) was visually observed. The appearance is shown below the formulation in Tables 3 and 4.
(2) Analysis - Analysis of Moisture Content The moisture content of the strawberry shreds was measured. The measurement results are shown below the formulation in Tables 3 and 4.
(3) Sensory Evaluation The strawberry shreds and strawberry powder (spray-dried product) were evaluated for odor. The evaluation results are shown below the formulations in Tables 3 and 4.

From the results in Tables 3 and 4, it was found that the reference sample and the strawberry shreds of Examples 1 to 4 had a fresh scent of raw strawberries, but the strawberry powder (spray-dried product) of Comparative Example 1 did not have a fresh scent of raw strawberries.
This result was probably due to the fact that the strawberry powder (spray-dried product) of Comparative Example 1 includes a heat-drying step in its manufacturing process, and the strawberry scent components volatilized during the heat-drying process.
As described above, the strawberry shredded products of Examples 1 to 4 can maintain the same fresh aroma as the reference sample, i.e., fresh strawberries. In particular, the strawberry shredded products of Examples 1 to 3 are powdered, which makes them easier to handle and work with than fresh strawberries.

[Production of strawberry shreds using various oil and fat powders (Examples 5 to 7)]
In the formulation of strawberry shredded product using the above-mentioned oil and fat powder (a), strawberry shredded product was produced using the formulation shown in Table 5 (total amount of 300 g) with reference to the formulation of Example 1, which has the lowest strawberry content of 40 mass %. The oil and fat powder was replaced with another oil and fat powder.
The production was carried out using a tabletop blend-type high-speed fluid mixer (manufactured by Kawata Corporation, device name "Super Mixer Piccolo SMP-2").
First, various oil and fat powders were placed in a container equipped with a high-speed fluid mixer, and the lid was then placed on the container. Strawberries were then placed in the container through a feeder. The mixture was sheared by stirring at 3000 rpm for 10 seconds, the lid was opened once, and the contents were mixed with a spoon to make the mixture uniform. The mixture was then sheared by stirring at 3000 rpm for a further 10 seconds (total shearing time: 20 seconds) to obtain strawberry sheared products (Examples 5 to 7).

〔exterior〕
(1) Appearance The appearance of the strawberry shredded products was visually observed and is shown below the formulation in Table 5.

The results in Table 5 show that oil and fat powders (b), (c), and (d) did not turn into powder, but remained as a paste, even at a low fruit content of 40% by mass. On the other hand, oil and fat powder (a) was powdered, and was therefore found to have a higher ability to powder crushed fruit than oil and fat powders (b), (c), and (d). As mentioned above, powdered oil and fat powders are easier to handle and work with. Furthermore, in powder form, they can be used by sprinkling them on foods such as salads.

[Production of strawberry shreds for ice cream (reference sample, Examples 8 to 11, Comparative Example 2)]
Strawberry shreds were produced using the formulations (total amount: 50 g) shown in Tables 6 and 7. A tabletop grinder (Osaka Chemical Co., Ltd., device name: "Labo Mill 2") was used for the production.
First, the oil powder and strawberries were placed in a container of a crusher, and after the lid was placed on the container, the mixture was sheared by stirring at 10,000 rpm for 8 seconds to obtain strawberry shreds for ice cream (Examples 8 to 12).
As a reference sample for odor evaluation, strawberries alone were placed in the container of the grinder, and after the lid was placed on top, they were sheared by stirring at 10,000 rpm for 8 seconds to obtain strawberry shreds (reference sample).
For comparison, commercially available strawberry jam was also prepared (Comparative Example 2).

[Appearance, analysis, and sensory evaluation of each sample]
(1) Appearance of strawberry shreds, strawberry shreds for ice cream, and strawberry jam The appearance of the strawberry shreds, strawberry shreds for ice cream, and strawberry jam was visually observed. The appearances are shown below the formulations in Tables 6 and 7.

(2) Analysis - Moisture Content The moisture contents of the strawberry shreds (reference sample) and the strawberry shreds for ice cream of Example 8 were measured. The measurement results are shown below the formulation in Table 6.
Analysis of odor components (esters) The strawberry shredded material was analyzed for esters, which are odor components of strawberries. Specifically, the total area of methyl butyrate, methyl hexanate, and ethyl butyrate was measured, and the relative area of each sample was calculated using the area of the reference sample (shredded material containing only strawberries) as 1. This value was used as the analysis value of the odor component.
The analysis results (relative area values) are shown below the formulations in Tables 6 and 7. The odor analysis results are shown in a bar graph in Figure 3.

(3) Sensory Evaluation The obtained strawberry shredded material for ice cream and strawberry jam were eaten by a panel of experts, and their flavor and texture were evaluated. The results of the sensory evaluation are shown below the formulations in Tables 6 and 7.
(4) Evaluation of the physical properties of frozen strawberry shreds (spoonability)
Generally, frozen fruits are hard and difficult to eat. However, if the frozen strawberry shreds obtained in this study do not become hard, it is expected that ice cream that is easy to eat and easy to spread will be made.
Therefore, the frozen strawberry shreds obtained this time were examined to see if they had better spoonability compared to the frozen reference sample. The spoonability results are shown below the formulations in Tables 6 and 7.

As can be seen from the results in Tables 6 and 7, the frozen strawberry shreds for ice cream in Examples 8 to 11 had a smooth spoonful, unlike the reference sample, and had a fresh strawberry scent, unlike the strawberry jam in Comparative Example 2.
Furthermore, the analysis results for the odor components (esters) of the strawberry shredded ice cream products of Examples 8 to 11, which have the fresh scent of raw strawberries, showed values of 0.84 to 1.28, almost the same as those of the reference sample (shredded strawberries only), when the area value of the reference sample (shredded strawberries only) was set to 1.
On the other hand, the analysis result of the odor components (esters) of the strawberry jam (Comparative Example 2), which did not have the fresh scent of raw strawberries, was a low value of 0.22.
In particular, the strawberry shredded material for ice cream of Example 8 was smooth and not rough, and unlike the strawberry shredded material for ice cream of the other Examples, it had a light texture and was not sticky.

[Production of Ice Cream (Examples 12 to 15, Comparative Example 3)]
Using the strawberry shredded ice cream paste of Examples 8 to 11, strawberry shredded ice creams were produced according to the formulations shown in Tables 9 and 10.
Specifically, first, the raw materials having the composition shown in Table 8 were mixed and stirred (500 rpm) using a stirring machine (manufactured by Shinto Scientific Co., Ltd., device name "TYPE HEIDON 1200G"), and then sterilized by holding at 80°C for 5 minutes to produce an ice cream mix.
The resulting ice cream mix was pre-emulsified using a homomixer (TK. HOMO MIXER HV-M, manufactured by Primix Corporation) at 7,500 rpm for 3 minutes. This was followed by a final emulsification using a high-pressure homogenizer (Homogenizer H3-1DA, manufactured by Sanmaru Machinery Co., Ltd.) at 15 MPa. After emulsification, the ice cream mix was cooled in ice water and aged overnight in a refrigerator at 5°C. The aged ice cream mix was placed in a freezer (TAYLOR FREEZER M702, manufactured by TAYLOR Corporation), and cooling and stirring were initiated. After confirming that the ice cream had cooled to -6.0°C, approximately 50 g of the mixture was dispensed into cups (70 mm diameter x 28 mm height x 58.8 mm bottom diameter), and then 6 g of each strawberry shredded product was added and frozen at -27°C to obtain ice cream containing strawberry shredded product paste.

(1) Appearance The appearance of the resulting ice cream was visually observed. The appearance is shown below the formulation in Tables 9 and 10.
(2) Sensory Evaluation The resulting ice cream was tasted by a panel of experts and evaluated for flavor and texture. The results of the sensory evaluation are shown below the formulations in Tables 9 and 10.
(3) Evaluation of ice cream properties (spoonability)
The ice cream thus obtained was examined for ease of spooning of the fruit portion. The results of spooning are shown below the formulations in Tables 9 and 10.

From the results in Tables 8 and 9, it was found that when the strawberry shredded ice cream products of Examples 8 to 11 were added to ice cream as an ice cream topping and frozen (Examples 12 to 15), the ice cream was easy to spoon and, unlike when commercially available strawberry jam was used (Comparative Example 3), the ice cream retained the fresh flavor of raw strawberries.
In particular, the ice cream of Example 12, which used the strawberry shredded ice cream of Example 8, was smooth and not rough, and the fruit part had a light texture and was less sticky, unlike the ice creams of the other Examples.

[Production of all-purpose green onion shreds (Example 16)]
A versatile leek shredded product was produced using the formulation (total amount: 300 g) shown in Table 11. The production was carried out using a tabletop blend-type high-speed fluid mixer (manufactured by Kawata Corporation, device name: "Super Mixer Piccolo SMP-2").
First, the oil powder (a) was placed in a container equipped with a high-speed fluid mixer, and the lid was then placed on top. After that, green onions cut into pieces about 4 cm long were placed in the container from the feeder. The mixture was sheared by stirring at 3000 rpm for 10 seconds, the lid was opened once, and the contents were mixed with a spoon to make them uniform. The mixture was then sheared by stirring at 3000 rpm for a further 10 seconds (total shearing time: 20 seconds) to obtain a sheared green onion product (Example 16).

(1) Appearance The appearance of the obtained all-purpose green onion shredded product was visually observed. The appearance is shown below the formulation in Table 11.
(2) Sensory Evaluation The resulting green onion shredded products were eaten by a panel of experts, and the flavor and texture were evaluated. The results of the sensory evaluation are shown below the formulation in Table 11.

The results in Table 11 show that the all-purpose green onion shreds of Example 16 were in a paste form with a fresh aroma. Because it is in paste form, it can be used as a green onion-flavored condiment paste.

Claims (3)

A method for producing sheared food material products, which comprises shearing a mixture of one or more food materials selected from fruits and vegetables and an oil or fat powder having a melting point of 55°C or higher, wherein the oil or fat powder has an average particle size of 0.5 to 200 μm, and the amount of the oil or fat powder is 20 to 150 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the food material. 2. The method for producing sheared food material according to claim 1 , wherein one or more selected from the group consisting of an emulsifier, a complex dietary fiber material, and a sugar are added to the food material and the oil/fat powder, and the shearing treatment is performed. 3. The method for producing sheared pieces of a food material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fat powder contains a fat component including one or more XXX triglycerides having a fatty acid residue X with a carbon number of x at positions 1 to 3 of glycerin, wherein the carbon number x is an integer selected from 16 to 20, the fat component contains a β-type fat, and the particles of the fat powder have a plate-like shape.