JPH0212546B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention contains a dipeptide sweetener inside,
Regarding sugar crystals with enhanced sweetness and their manufacturing method,
The purpose is to efficiently provide a low-calorie sweetener with good taste, appearance, and physical properties.

Dipeptide sweeteners, represented by α-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester (hereinafter abbreviated as AP), are low-calorie sweeteners that have a refreshing and high-quality sweetness, and are used for tabletop purposes. In this case, there are various restrictions on its use as a bulk powder due to its low dispersibility and solubility in water and its high sweetness, which is about 200 times that of sugar.

In order to overcome the limitations when using dipeptide sweeteners for tabletop use, there are two methods: to form tablets together with excipients, lubricants, etc., and to form dipeptide sweeteners into tablets together with edible bulking agents such as dextrin. Dissolved in water or slurried,
Mainly methods include heating drying by spray drying.

Although these methods contribute to the practical application of dipeptide sweeteners, for example, in the case of tablets, it is inconvenient to adjust the sweetness level to suit each individual's preference, and they do not give off a medicinal image. In addition, methods such as dissolving or slurrying together with edible bulking agents and then drying may cause difficulties in dissolving or slurrying, loss of sweetness due to heat in the drying process, and However, there are disadvantages such as energy consumption associated with evaporating a relatively large amount of water.

The present inventors have previously developed a method for producing dipeptide sweetener granules that does not cause loss of sweetness during the production process, is advantageous in terms of energy costs, and has improved physical properties such as solubility and dispersibility. 34397), but apart from such granules, we further investigated the possibility of obtaining a dipeptide sweetener with a rich crystalline feel, and conducted extensive research with the aim of obtaining crystals consisting of a dipeptide sweetener and sugar.

The first method for obtaining such crystals is to form a eutectic or mixed crystal between a dipeptide sweetener and sugar; Almost no mixed crystal formation is observed.

That is, as confirmed by the present inventors,
In the case of normal cooling crystallization, the combinations of sucrose and dipeptide sweeteners, the combinations of fructose and dipeptide sweeteners, and the combinations of lactose and dipeptide sweeteners are crystallized separately, and the combinations of glucose and dipeptide sweeteners are crystallized separately. It has been found that crystallization is difficult and in any case it is very difficult to form a eutectic or mixed crystal with the dipeptide sweetener.

The inventors of the present invention have further conducted extensive research into obtaining a dipeptide sweetener with a rich crystalline feel, and by imparting the structure described below, the present inventors have achieved a crystalline appearance as well as improved taste, physical properties, and manufacturing efficiency. The present invention was completed based on the finding that excellent dipeptide sweetener-containing sugar crystals can be obtained.

That is, the present invention is a dipeptide sweetener-containing sugar crystal and a method for producing the same, characterized in that sugar is crystallized around seed crystals formed by mixing and granulating a dipeptide sweetener and sugar.

The present invention will be explained in detail below.

In the present invention, a granulated mixture of a dipeptide sweetener and sugar is used as the seed crystal or coarse seed crystal.
The dipeptide sweetener used is α-L-aspartel-L-phenylalanine, a lower alkyl ester, preferably AP, and the sugar is sucrose, lactose,
These include fructose and glucose. The granulation method may be any method as long as it is a granulation method for powder raw materials. Specifically, for example, a dipeptide sweetener and sugar are finely ground and mixed, and then granulated and crushed together with a binder by a method such as fluid granulation, extrusion granulation, stirring granulation, or compression granulation.
As the binder, it is preferable to use water, alcohol, sugar and other water-soluble substances. The particle size of the crushed product is approximately 50
~1000μ, preferably 100-500μ.

The ratio of sugar and dipeptide sweetener in the mixed granulated product is adjusted depending on the desired degree of sweetness.

The dipeptide sweetener-containing sugar crystals of the present invention are obtained by crystallizing sugar around the granulated mixture of the dipeptide sweetener and sugar. Specifically, the sugar crystals containing the dipeptide sweetener are crystallized by the following method.

That is, sugar crystals are grown in a saturated solution of the dipeptide sweetener and sugar using the mixed granulated product as a seed crystal (or crude seed crystal).

The solvent used for this saturated liquid is not particularly limited, but water or a mixed solution of water and a hydrophilic organic solvent such as methanol or ethanol can be used. Specifically, as an example, a saturated dipeptide sweetener-sugar solution is heated and brought into contact with sugar, and then this solution is cooled to become supersaturated with sugar and brought into contact with the mixed and granulated seed crystals. An example of this method is to crystallize the sugar by allowing the seed crystals to coat the seed crystals with the sugar crystals. Since the dipeptide sweetener is brought into contact with the seed crystal in a saturated state and the sugar is supersaturated, the dipeptide sweetener-containing sugar crystal can be obtained without dissolving the seed crystal component in the solvent.

The ratio between the seed crystal and the sugar crystals formed around it is
It can be arbitrarily changed depending on the degree of sweetness of the desired dipeptide sweetener-containing sugar crystals and the strength of the crystalline feeling. On the other hand, in this dipeptide sweetener-sugar saturated solution, a mixed granulated product of the dipeptide sweetener and sugar is used as coarse seed crystals, and the sugar is crystallized to the extent that the surrounding area is coated. By further crystallizing and growing sugar crystals by concentration crystallization or the like, it is possible to efficiently produce dipeptide sweetener-containing sugar crystals with a rich crystalline feel. In this case, the ratio of sugar crystals coated around the coarse seed crystals mixed and granulated may be about 1 to 20% of the seed crystals, and 5 to 10% of the sugar crystals.
% is preferable.

Note that the sugar crystals containing the dipeptide sweetener of the present invention may use one type of sugar or a combination of two or more types. Further, the use of a third component other than the dipeptide sweetener and sugar is not excluded as long as it does not interfere with achieving the objectives of the present invention.

The dipeptide sweetener-containing sugar crystals of the present invention thus obtained are rich in transparency and crystallinity that are not found in conventional granules, tablets, etc., have good dispersibility and solubility in water, and have a refreshing and elegant appearance. It can be provided as a sweet, low-calorie sweetener.

Next, the present invention will be further explained with reference to Examples.

Example 1 50 parts by weight of AP and 100 parts by weight of sucrose were pulverized and mixed, extruded and granulated using 5 parts by weight of water as a binder, and then sieved to form seed crystals with an average particle diameter of 100 μm.

The above seed crystals and sucrose were separately placed in a crystallization can, and a 60°C saturated solution of AP and sucrose was circulated to form AP-containing sugar crystals of the present invention. The above saturated liquid is
It was prewarmed to 80°C and contacted with sucrose, then cooled to 60°C and contacted with seed crystals.

The obtained AP-containing sugar crystals had a particle size of 300 μm, and the time required for crystal formation was 3 hours. In addition, it appeared as white crystals with a bumpy, transparent feel, and when these crystals were dissolved in warm water at 60°C, they dissolved as easily as granulated sugar.

Example 2 A mixed granulated product of AP and sucrose obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 was used as a coarse seed crystal, and in the same manner as in Example 1, AP was
A saturated solution of sucrose and sucrose was circulated at 60°C, and taken out when the sucrose coated portion reached 10% to obtain a granulated AP-sucrose mixture coated with sucrose (particle size 100 to 200μ). .

Using the sucrose coated AP-sucrose mixed granules as seed crystals, concentrate and crystallize in a sucrose solution,
AP-containing sugar crystals of the present invention were obtained.

The obtained AP-containing sugar crystals have a particle size of 300 to 600μ,
The sucrose crystal content was 96%, and the time required for crystal precipitation was 5 hours.

Example 3 50 parts by weight of AP and 100 parts by weight of lactose were finely ground and mixed, and a sodium glutamate aqueous solution was added as a binder.
Fluidized granulation was performed using 20 parts by weight to obtain an AP-lactose mixed granulated product (particle size 50 to 200μ).

Using this mixed granulated product as a seed crystal, a saturated solution of AP and lactose at 60°C in 70% ethanol as a medium was circulated in the crystallization can containing AP and lactose separately in the same manner as in Example 1, and lactose crystals were crystallized. was crystallized to obtain AP-containing sugar crystals of the present invention.

The obtained AP-containing sugar crystals had a particle size of 300 to 500 μm, and the time required for crystal precipitation was 5 hours.

Example 4 25 parts by weight of AP, 50 parts by weight of stevioside and 100 parts by weight of sucrose were pulverized and mixed, fluidized and granulated.
A mixed granulated product of AP-stevioside-sucrose (coarse seed crystals, particle size 50-200μ) was obtained.

The crude seed crystals and sucrose were put into separate crystallization cans, and a 50% ethanol saturated solution of AP, stevioside, and sucrose at 70°C was circulated in the same manner as in Example 1 to crystallize sucrose. Then, a sucrose-coated product (sucrose coating portion: 10%) was obtained, which was used as a seed crystal to concentrate and crystallize in a sucrose solution to obtain the product of the present invention.
AP-containing sugar crystals were obtained.

The obtained AP-containing sugar crystals have a particle size of 300 to 500μ,
The time required for crystal formation was 5 hours.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A dipeptide sweetener-containing sugar crystal, characterized in that sugar is crystallized around seed crystals formed by mixing and granulating a dipeptide sweetener and sugar. 2. Production of dipeptide sweetener-containing sugar crystals, which is characterized by mixing and granulating a dipeptide sweetener and sugar, and using this as a seed crystal to grow sugar crystals in a dipeptide sweetener saturated solution and a sugar supersaturated solution. Law. 3 Mix and granulate the dipeptide sweetener and sugar, use this as crude seed crystals, crystallize the sugar in a dipeptide sweetener saturated solution and a supersaturated sugar solution, use it as a seed crystal, and further crystallize the sugar. A method for producing sugar crystals containing a dipeptide sweetener, which comprises growing crystals.