AU2019455887A1

AU2019455887A1 - Oil-and-fat coated powdered sugar

Info

Publication number: AU2019455887A1
Application number: AU2019455887A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Takahiko OSAWA; Naoto Takahashi
Original assignee: Nisshin Seifun Premix Inc
Current assignee: Nisshin Seifun Premix Inc
Priority date: 2019-07-10
Filing date: 2019-07-10
Publication date: 2021-11-18
Anticipated expiration: 2039-07-10
Also published as: KR20220008258A; WO2021005760A1; AU2019455887B2; CN113811189A

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing an oil-and-fat coated powdered sugar which has low hygroscopicity, and excellent temperature resistance in a distribution process, adhesion to food, and handleability. An oil-and-fat coated powdered sugar of the present invention includes a powdered sugar and an oil-and-fat coating layer adhering to a surface of the powdered sugar, wherein the oil-and-fat coating layer includes an inner coating layer containing oil and fat having a melting point of 50-70°C and an outer coating layer containing oil and fat having a melting point of 40-50°C in the order from the powdered sugar. The adhering amount of the inner coating layer is 0.2-2.2 cm

Description

DESCRIPTION

Title of Invention: OIL-AND-FAT COATED POWDERED SUGAR

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an oil/fat-coated powdered sugar wherein a surface of a powdered sugar is coated with an oil/fat.

Background Art

[0002] A technique called sugaring, wherein a powdered sugar such as dextrose is caused to adhere to a surface of a food product, has conventionally been performed to improve the appearance and/or texture of food products such as bread, confectionery, etc. This type of powdered sugar, however, has strong hygroscopicity and thus undergoes a phenomenon called "sagging" (liquefaction), wherein, after sugaring, the powdered sugar adsorbs moisture in the food product and air and deliquesces, thereby transforming into a transparent syrupy state. Sagging negatively affects not only the appearance of the food product but also texture. There is a demand for a countermeasure against sagging.

[0003] A conventionally known method for preventing sagging is to coat the surface of powdered sugar with an oil/fat. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an oil/fat-coated powdered sugar wherein, with respect to 100 parts by weight of powdered sugar, from 1 to 15 parts by weight of a coating layer of an oil/fat having a melting point from 50 to 70°C is formed on the surface of the powdered sugar, and from 2 to 10 parts by weight of a coating layer of an oil/fat having a melting point from 26 to 40°C is further formed on the outer surface thereof. Patent Literature 1 describes that, according to the disclosed oil/fat-coated powdered sugar, no oiliness or sliminess due to the oil/fat in the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar occurs even after a lapse of time from when a bakery product was subjected to sugaring, and it also describes that the dough of the bakery product does not become dry. Patent Literature 2 discloses a coated powdered sugar wherein a coating layer made from an oil/fat having a melting point of 50°C or higher is provided on the surface of powdered sugar particles, and an oil/fat which is liquid at 25°C is caused to adhere to the outer layer portion of the coating layer. Patent Literature 3 discloses a powdered sugar wherein a lipid layer made from an oil/fat having a melting point of 40°C or higher is formed on the surface of a sugar powder, and an outer layer made from a carbohydrate is formed on the surface of the lipid layer.

Citation List Patent Literature

[0004] Patent Literature 1: JP 2014-39506A Patent Literature 2: JP H11-56290A Patent Literature 3: JPH3-277237A

Summary of Invention

[0005] Compared with powdered sugar alone whose surface is not coated with an oil/fat, an oil/fat-coated powdered sugar in which the surface of a powdered sugar is coated with an oil/fat has lower hygroscopicity and is suppressed in terms of sagging (liquefaction), but, on the other hand, tends to have poorer adhesiveness to food products. To address this, the oil/fat-coated powdered sugars disclosed in Patent Literatures 1 and 2 secure adhesiveness to food products by employing low-melting-point oils/fats having a melting point of 40°C or lower as the oil/fat constituting the outermost layer.

[0006] Unfortunately, in cases where such oil/fat-coated powdered sugars employing low-melting-point oils/fats with a melting point of 40°C or lower are distributed as discrete products and not in a state adhering to a food product, an increase in outside air temperature may cause the surface of such oil/fat-coated powdered sugars to become sticky, which results in deterioration of flowability, as well as handleability, of the oil/fat-coated powdered sugars, thus significantly degrading their product value as coating sugars. There has yet to be provided an oil/fat-coated powdered sugar that has little hygroscopicity (deliquescence) and excels in temperature resistance during distribution, adhesiveness to food products, and handleability, and is thus useful as a coating sugar.

[0007] An objective of the present invention is to provide an oil/fat-coated powdered sugar having little hygroscopicity and excelling in temperature resistance during distribution, adhesiveness to food products, and handleability.

[0008] The present invention relates to an oil/fat-coated powdered sugar comprising: a powdered sugar; and an oil/fat coating layer adhering to a surface of the powdered sugar, wherein: the oil/fat coating layer includes, in order of proximity to the powdered sugar, an inner coating layer containing an oil/fat having a melting point from 50 to 70°C, and an outer coating layer containing an oil/fat having a melting point from 40 to 50°C; and an amount of adhesion of the inner coating layer is from 0.2 to 2.2 cm per a surface area of 1 m2 of the powdered sugar, and an amount of adhesion of the outer coating layer is from 0.05 to 0.9 cm per a surface area of1 m2 of the powdered sugar. The present invention also relates to a food product including the aforementioned oil/fat-coated powdered sugar which adheres to a surface of the food product.

[0009] The present invention also relates to a method for producing an oil/fat-coated powdered sugar including a powdered sugar and an oil/fat coating layer adhering to a surface of the powdered sugar, the oil/fat coating layer including an inner coating layer and an outer coating layer in order of proximity to the powdered sugar, the method including: a first coating step of forming the inner coating layer on the surface of the powdered sugar, a second coating step of forming the outer coating layer on the surface of the inner coating layer the first coating step including; mixing the powdered sugar and a molten-state oil/fat having a melting point from 50 to 70°C, to obtain a mixture, and cooling the mixture to a temperature equal to or below the melting point of the oil/fat; and the second coating step including mixing the powdered sugar, on which the inner coating layer has been formed, and a molten-state oil/fat having a melting point from 40 to 50°C, to obtain a mixture, and cooling the mixture to a temperature equal to or below the melting point of the oil/fat. The present invention also relates to a method for producing a food product, including a step of causing the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar produced by the aforementioned method to adhere to a surface of a food product.

Description of Embodiments

[0010] An oil/fat-coated powdered sugar of the present invention has a structure wherein an oil/fat coating layer adheres to a surface of a powdered sugar, which serves as a core material. For the powdered sugar according to the present invention, it is possible to use, without particular limitation, a sugar that is ordinarily used as a sweetener and is in

particulate form at atmospheric temperature and atmospheric pressure, with examples including: monosaccharides, such as glucose (dextrose), mannose, galactose, fructose, sorbose, tagatose, arabinose, xylose, ribose, ribulose, erythrose, threose, etc.; oligosaccharides, such as trehalose, sucrose, maltose, cellobiose, gentiobiose, lactose, raffinose, gentianose, maltotriose, manninotriose, etc.; dextrins and corn syrup solids obtained by decomposing polysaccharides; polysaccharides, such as glycogen, inulin, lichenin, cellulose, chitin, hemicellulose, pectin, plant gum, etc.; and products obtained by subjecting the aforementioned sugars to treatment such as oxidation, reduction, decomposition, pregelatinization, esterification, etherification, cross-linking, etc. One type of sugar may be used singly, or two or more types may be used in combination.

[0011] Among the aforementioned sugars, particularly, dextrose is preferable as the powdered sugar of the present invention because dextrose has a relatively high sweetness and low hygroscopicity. For the dextrose, any of hydrous crystalline dextrose, fine powdered dextrose, or anhydrous crystalline dextrose may be used, or a mixture containing two or more types thereof may be used. Among these dextroses, hydrous crystalline dextrose and anhydrous crystalline dextrose are preferable because of their low hygroscopicity.

[0012] The particle shape of the powdered sugar of the invention is not particularly limited, and typically, it is possible to use particles that are called powdery, grainy, granular, or the like. Also, the size of the powdered sugar of the present invention is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of improving the flowability of the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar to improve handleability, it is preferable that the median diameter is 120 pm or greater, more preferably 140 pm or greater, even more preferably 160 pm or greater. If the median diameter of the powdered sugar is too small, the flowability of the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar may deteriorate significantly to form lumps, which may impair handleability. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of adhesiveness to food products, the upper limit of the median diameter of the powdered sugar of the present invention is preferably 400 pm or less, more preferably 300 pm or less.

[0013] From the same viewpoint, the cumulative 10% diameter of the powdered sugar of the present invention is preferably 55 pm or greater, more preferably 60 pm or greater, even more preferably 70 pm or greater. If the cumulative 10% diameter of the powdered sugar is too small, the flowability of the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar may deteriorate significantly to form lumps, which may impair handleability. A powdered sugar having a median diameter and cumulative 10% diameter within the aforementioned specific ranges can be obtained by, for example, sifting the powdered sugar into a plurality of fractions, pulverizing the powdered sugar as necessary, and combining the plurality of fractions as appropriate.

[0014] Herein, the median diameter is the particle diameter at which the cumulative amount of particles, as cumulated from small particles, is 50% in a volume-based cumulative particle-size distribution curve of the powdered sugar as measured by dry-powder laser diffraction scattering. The cumulative 10% diameter is the particle diameter at which the cumulative amount of particles, as cumulated from small particles, is 10% in the same cumulative particle-size distribution curve. The median diameter and cumulative 10% diameter can be measured according to an ordinary method using a commercially available laser diffraction particle size distribution measurement device (e.g., Microtrac MT3300EXII from Nikkiso Co., Ltd.).

[0015] The oil/fat coating layer of the present invention is a layer that adheres to the surface of the powdered sugar of the present invention and is constituted mainly by an oil/fat, and includes an inner coating layer and an outer coating layer in order of proximity to the powdered sugar. The oil/fat coating layer of the present invention typically has a two-layer structure including an inner coating layer and an outer coating layer, wherein the outer coating layer constitutes the outermost layer of the oil/fat coating layer, and the inner coating layer is interposed between the powdered sugar of the present invention and the outer coating layer and is in contact with the powdered sugar. Typically, the inner coating layer covers the entire region of the surface of the powdered sugar, and the outer coating layer covers the entire region off the surface of the inner coating layer.

[0016] The inner coating layer of the present invention contains an oil/fat having a melting point of from 50 to 70°C, preferably from 53 to 70°C, more preferably from 55 to °C. On the other hand, the outer coating layer of the present invention contains an oil/fat having a melting point of from 40 to 50°C, preferably from 40 to 48°C, more preferably from 42 to 48°C. Herein, the melting point of the oil/fat refers to the melting point (open-tube melting point) measured according to the Standard Methods for the

Analysis of Fats, Oils and Related Materials 2.2.4.2-1996.

[0017] In the oil/fat coating layer of the present invention, the inner coating layer mainly functions to reduce the hygroscopicity of the powdered sugar, which is the core material of the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar of the present invention, and thereby prevent the occurrence of sagging (liquefaction), whereas the outer coating layer mainly functions to improve the adhesiveness of the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar to food products and to impart, to the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar, temperature resistance during distribution. The aforementioned specific range of the melting point of the oil/fat contained in each coating layer is set so that each coating layer can achieve its functions sufficiently. Particularly, by setting the melting point of the oil/fat contained in the outer coating layer to the range from 40 to 50°C as described above, the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar having the outer coating layer can be made such that the surface thereof is less prone to become sticky even when exposed to a relatively high outside air temperature during distribution, and thus can be provided with excellent flowability and handleability and, when sprinkled onto a food product, can adhere to the surface thereof uniformly.

[0018] From the viewpoint of enabling each coating layer to achieve its functions sufficiently, it is preferable that, in the oil/fat coating layer of the present invention, the melting point of the oil/fat of the inner coating layer is relatively higher, and the melting point of the oil/fat of the outer coating layer oil/fat melting point is relatively lower. The difference between the melting point of the oil/fat of the inner coating layer and the melting point of the oil/fat of the outer coating layer (i.e., the former minus the latter) is preferably 10°C or greater, more preferably 15°C or greater, and preferably 40°C or smaller, more preferably 30°C or smaller, on the premise that the former is higher than the latter.

[0019] As for the oils/fats used in the inner coating layer and the outer coating layer, any kind of oil/fat usable for food products can be used without particular limitation, and the oil/fat may be vegetable oil/fat or animal oil/fat. Concrete examples may include: vegetable oils/fats, such as salad oil, corn oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil, sesame oil, olive oil, etc.; animal oils/fats, such as tallow, lard, fish oil, etc.; hydrogenated oils/fats of the above; and mixed oils/fats containing two or more types of the above. One type of oil/fat may be used singly, or two or more types may be used in combination.

[0020] The oil/fat coating layer (inner coating layer; outer coating layer) of the present invention is usually constituted only by an oil/fat, and the content of the oil/fat in each coating layer is usually 100 mass% with respect to the total mass of the coating layer, but the coating layer may contain ingredients other than the oil/fat to an extent not departing from the scope of the present invention, such as: shellac; waxes; emulsifiers such as monoglycerin fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, etc.; metal salts of fatty acids, such as calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, etc.; and sweeteners and aroma flavorings, such as sucralose, thaumatin, etc.

[0021] As described above, in the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar of the present invention, the outer coating layer, which may serve as the outermost layer, employs an oil/fat having a melting point of 40°C or higher. Thus, the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar is provided with temperature resistance during distribution, and surface stickiness can be suppressed effectively during distribution. On the other hand, however, there is concern that adhesiveness to food products may deteriorate compared, for example, to the oil/fat-coated powdered sugars disclosed in Patent Literatures 1 and 2, wherein the oil/fat constituting the outermost layer has a melting point of 40°C or lower. According to the present invention, however, the issue regarding deterioration of adhesiveness to food products, which is a concern that may arise by using an oil/fat having a melting point of °C or higher in the oil/fat coating layer, is overcome by setting the amount of adhesion of each coating layer within an appropriate range.

[0022]

More specifically, in the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar of the present invention, the amount of adhesion (volume) of the inner coating layer, per a surface area of 1 m2 of the powdered sugar, is from 0.2 to 2.2 cm3 , preferably from 0.3 to 1.8 cm3 , more preferably from 0.4 to 1.5 cm 3 . Further, the amount of adhesion (volume) of the outer coating layer, per a surface area of 1 m2 of the powdered sugar, is from 0.05 to 0.9cm 3

, preferably from 0.1 to 0.7 cm3 , more preferably from 0.15 to 0.5cm3

.

[0023] The surface area of the powdered sugar is measured according to the following method. First, the specific surface area of the powdered sugar is measured by BET multipoint measurement. More specifically, the specific surface area of the powdered sugar is measured using, for example, a 4-station specific surface area/pore size distribution measurement device Nova-Touch Series (from Quantachrome), employing nitrogen gas and using liquid nitrogen for the refrigerant, with pretreatment conditions of 110°C, 12-hour vacuum degassing, and a relative measurement pressure range of 0.05<P/P<0.3. Next, the measurement value of the specific surface area of the powdered sugar is corrected by the powdered sugar's moisture content measured in advance, to calculate the surface area per 1 part by mass of the powdered sugar.

[0024] The amount of adhesion (volume) of the oil/fat in each coating layer in the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar is calculated as follows. First, the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar is heated so that its product temperature becomes equal to or above the melting point of the oil/fat in the coating layer to be measured (the inner coating layer or the outer coating layer), to thereby completely melt the oil/fat. The molten, liquid-state oil/fat is then placed in a graduated cylinder and allowed to cool, to measure the volume of the oil/fat at a product temperature of 30°C, and the volume per 1 part by mass of the oil/fat is calculated.

[0025] From the same viewpoint, the thickness of the inner coating layer is from 0.3 to 2.2 im, preferably from 0.3 to 1.8 im, more preferably from 0.4 to 1.5 im. The thickness of the outer coating layer is from 0.05 to 0.9 im, preferably from 0.1 to 0.7 im, more preferably from 0.15 to 0.5 im. The numerical range of the thickness of each coating layer described herein is calculated from the aforementioned numerical range of the amount of adhesion of each coating layer, and thus corresponds to the amount of adhesion of each coating layer. For example, the upper limit of the amount of adhesion of the inner coating layer according to the present invention is 2.2 cm3 per a surface area of 1 m 2 of the powdered sugar, as described above. Thus, assuming that 2.2 cm3 of the oil/fat, adhering to a region with a surface area of 1I m2 , is present over this region with a uniform thickness, the uniform thickness can be calculated as 2.2 pm (=2.2x10-6 m 3/1 m2 ). Stated differently, the aforementioned expression "the thickness of the inner coating layer is from 0.3 to 2.2 im" refers to "the thickness of the inner coating layer assuming that the thickness of the inner coating layer is uniform in a case where the amount of adhesion of the inner coating layer, per a surface area of 1 m 2 of the powdered sugar, is from 0.2 to 2.2 cm3 ." Further, the aforementioned expression "the thickness of the outer coating layer is from 0.05 to 0.9 im" refers to "the thickness of the outer coating layer assuming that the thickness of the outer coating layer is uniform in a case where the amount of adhesion of the outer coating layer, per a surface area of 1 m2 of the powdered sugar, is from 0.05 to 0.9 cm3 ."

[0026] In the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar of the present invention, powdered starch may adhere to the surface of the oil/fat coating layer (outer coating layer). In this way, the flowability and handleability of the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar can be further improved. For the starch, it is possible to use, without particular limitation, a starch that is ordinarily used in food products, and particularly, corn starch is preferable.

[0027] Because of its structure as described above, the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar of the present invention has little hygroscopicity, and also excels in temperature resistance during distribution, adhesiveness to food products, and handleability, and can thus be used by being sprinkled onto various food products. The present invention encompasses a food product having the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar of the present invention adhering to its surface. Examples of the food product may include baked foods, such as bread, Western-style confectionery, donuts, etc.

[0028] Next, a method for producing the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar of the present invention will be described. A method according to the present invention involves: a first coating step of forming an inner coating layer on the surface of a powdered sugar; and a second coating step of forming an outer coating layer on the surface of the inner coating layer. In the method of the present invention, the amount of adhesion of the inner coating layer is preferably from 0.2 to 2.2 cm 3 per a surface area of 1 m2 of the powdered sugar, 3 and the amount of adhesion of the outer coating layer is preferably from 0.05 to 0.9 cm per a surface area of1 m2 of the powdered sugar, as described above.

[0029] In the first coating step, the powdered sugar and a molten-state oil/fat having a melting point from 50 to 70°C are mixed to obtain a mixture, and the mixture is cooled to a temperature equal to or below the melting point of the oil/fat, to form the inner coating layer on the surface of the powdered sugar. Further, in the second coating step, the powdered sugar obtained in the first coating step, on which the inner coating layer has been formed, and a molten-state oil/fat having a melting point from 40 to 50°C are mixed to obtain a mixture, and the mixture is cooled to a temperature equal to or below the melting point of the oil/fat, to form the outer coating layer on the surface of the inner coating layer. In the first coating step, the cooling of the mixture of the powdered sugar and the oil/fat is a step necessary to prevent the oil/fat employed in the first coating step from getting mixed with the oil/fat employed in the subsequent second coating step, to thereby reliably form a two-layer structure including the inner coating layer and the outer coating layer. The process for cooling the mixture in the first coating step is not particularly limited, so long as the oil/fat can be solidified and the inner coating layer can be formed.

[0030] The first and second coating steps can be executed according to an ordinary method using a known stirring machine, such as a kneader-mixer, a flash mixer, a pressure mixer, etc. More specifically, for example, a powdered sugar (core material) is introduced to a stirring machine and heated while being stirred, and when the product temperature of the core material reaches preferably 70°C or higher, more preferably 80°C or higher, an oil/fat for the inner coating layer (i.e., oil/fat having a melting point from 50 to 70C) which has been heated and molten in advance is introduced to the stirring machine. Then, stirring is performed for a predetermined time while continuing heating such that the product temperature of the contents inside the stirring machine is kept within a temperature range of preferably from 70 to 90°C, more preferably from 75 to 90°C, and then, heating is stopped and the contents are allowed to cool (first coating step). Next, when the product temperature of the contents of the stirring machine (i.e., the powdered sugar on which the inner coating layer has been formed) has become preferably equal to or below the melting point of the oil/fat for the inner coating layer, more preferably 15°C below the melting point of the oil/fat for the inner coating layer, an oil/fat for the outer coating layer (i.e., oil/fat having a melting point from 40 to 50C) which has been heated and molten in advance is introduced to the stirring machine. Then, stirring is performed for a predetermined time while continuing heating such that the product temperature of the contents is kept at a temperature preferably equal to or above the melting point of the oil/fat of the outer coating layer, more preferably within a temperature range from the melting point thereof to 5°C above the melting point of the oil/fat for the outer coating layer, and then, heating is stopped and the contents are allowed to cool (second coating step). Through these steps, the intended oil/fat-coated powdered sugar can be obtained. In cases of making a powdered starch, such as corn starch, adhere to the surface of the thus-obtained oil/fat-coated powdered sugar, the starch may be introduced to the stirring machine, containing the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar, when the product temperature of the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar has become preferably equal to or below 35°C, more preferably equal to or below 30°C, and the contents may be stirred for a predetermined time.

[0031] To adjust the amount of adhesion of each of the inner coating layer and the outer coating layer of the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar, which is the resultant product of the method of the present invention, so that the amount of adhesion falls within the aforementioned specific range, it is only necessary, for example, to adjust, as appropriate, the amount of oil/fat used in each step (the amount of oil/fat introduced to the stirring machine) and/or the amount of powdered sugar (core material) introduced.

[0032] The present invention encompasses a method for producing a food product, involving a step of causing the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar, which has been produced according to the method of the invention, to adhere to a surface of a food product. The food product to which the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar is caused to adhere is not particularly limited, and typical examples may include the aforementioned baked foods. A typical example of a process for causing the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar to adhere to a food product is a process of sprinkling the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar from above the food product, which is the adhesion target. The process, however, is not limited thereto, and other examples may include: (1) a process of placing the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar and a food product in a bag, and shaking the bag with its opening closed; or (2) a process of spreading the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar over a relatively wide area such as a plate, and rolling a food product on the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar that has been spread.

Examples

[0033] The present invention will be described in further detail below according to Examples thereof. The present invention, however, is not limited to the following Examples.

[0034] Example 1: 100 parts by weight of a powdered sugar, serving as a core material, was introduced to a stirring machine equipped with a heating jacket, and was stirred and heated. When the temperature of the core material exceeded 80°C, a pre-molten oil/fat for the inner coating layer was added, and, while maintaining the product temperature of the contents of the stirring machine (i.e., the product temperature of the core material) at

°C or higher, the contents of the stirring machine were stirred at a rotation speed of 63 rpm for 10 minutes, and thereafter, heating was stopped and the contents were allowed to cool (first coating step). Next, when the product temperature of the contents of the stirring machine (i.e., the powdered sugar on which the inner coating layer has been formed) became 47°C, a pre-molten oil/fat for the outer coating layer was added, and, while maintaining the product temperature of the contents within a range from 44 to 49°C, the contents were stirred at a rotation speed of 63 rpm for 10 minutes, and thereafter, heating was stopped and the contents were allowed to cool (second coating step). Then, when the product temperature of the contents of the stirring machine (i.e., the powdered sugar on which the inner coating layer and the outer coating layer have been formed) became 30°C or lower, 10 parts by weight of corn starch was added, and the contents were stirred at a rotation speed of 63 rpm for 5 minutes. The contents were then sifted through a 16-mesh sieve, to obtain the target product, i.e., an oil/fat-coated powdered sugar having corn starch adhering to the surface thereof.

[0035] Examples 2 to 14 and Comparative Examples 1 to 10: Each oil/fat-coated powdered sugar, having corn starch adhering to the surface thereof, was obtained as in Example 1, except that the amount of oil/fat used in each step (i.e., the amount of oil/fat introduced to the stirring machine) and the product temperature of the contents at the time of adding the oil/fat for the outer coating layer were adjusted as appropriate.

[0036] In each of the Examples and Comparative Examples, one or two types of the following powdered sugars A to D was/were used as the powdered sugar (core material). In each of the Examples and Comparative Examples, the oils/fats used each had a melting point ranging from 33°C to 67°C. The volume of each of the oils/fats used was 110 cm per 100 parts by weight at a product temperature of 30°C.

Powdered sugar A: Anhydrous crystalline dextrose (fine fraction); cumulative % diameter: 72.2 im; median diameter: 168.9 im.

Powdered sugar B: Anhydrous crystalline dextrose (coarse fraction); cumulative % diameter: 138.4 im; median diameter: 242.5 im.

Powdered sugar C: Hydrous crystalline dextrose (coarse fraction); cumulative % diameter: 85.7 im; median diameter: 288.5 im. Powdered sugar D: Hydrous crystalline dextrose (fine fraction); cumulative 10% diameter: 49.1 im; median diameter: 117.6 im.

[0037] In Example 2, Powdered sugar C was used as the core material. In Example 3, Powdered sugar B was used as the core material. In Example 4, a mixture containing equal amounts of Powdered sugar A and Powdered sugar C was used as the core material. In Example 5, a mixture containing equal amounts of Powdered sugar A and Powdered sugar B was used as the core material. In Example 14, a mixture containing equal amounts of Powdered sugar A and Powdered sugar D was used as the core material. In the other Examples and Comparative Examples, Powdered sugar A was used as the core material.

[0038] Test Examples: The oil/fat-coated powdered sugar according to each Example and Comparative Example was evaluated in terms of persistence, flowability, and adhesiveness according to the following methods. The evaluation was performed by ten expert panelists. The evaluation results are shown in Tables 1 and 2 below as an average of the evaluation scores from the ten expert panelists.

[0039] Method for Evaluating Persistence: A yeast donut was produced by deep-frying according to an ordinary method, and was allowed to cool until the surface temperature was 35°C. Then, the yeast donut was placed in a container containing 100 parts by mass of the respective oil/fat-coated powdered sugar, and the container was shaken in one direction and in an opposite direction therefrom back and forth five times to perform sugaring, thereby causing the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar to adhere to the surface of the yeast donut. Then, the yeast donut subjected to sugaring was sealed in a polyethylene bag, and was stored in a 30°C environment for 48 hours. Thereafter, the appearance of the donut was visually observed, to evaluate the persistence according to the following evaluation criteria.

Evaluation Criteria for Persistence: 5: Extremely good; no deliquescence of oil/fat-coated powdered sugar, and whiteness remained. 4: Good; slight deliquescence of oil/fat-coated powdered sugar, but whiteness remained. 3: Rather good; oil/fat-coated powdered sugar deliquesced, but whiteness remained. 2: Rather poor; oil/fat-coated powdered sugar deliquesced almost entirely, and no whiteness remained. 1: Poor; oil/fat-coated powdered sugar deliquesced completely, and no whiteness remained.

[0040] Method for Evaluating Flowability: The oil/fat-coated powdered sugar to be evaluated was placed in a paper bag, and in a room at room temperature (30°C), the paper bag was placed under a load of 25 kg per 1 kg of the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar contained in the paper bag, and was stored for 7 days in this state. Then, the state of the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar was visually observed, to evaluate the flowability according to the following evaluation criteria. Flowability serves as an index of the temperature resistance of the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar during distribution. It can be assessed that an oil/fat-coated powdered sugar having a high flowability rating excels in temperature resistance during distribution and handleability.

Evaluation Criteria for Flowability:

5: Extremely good; slightly clumpy, but loosened easily. 4: Good; clumpy, but loosened easily. 3: Rather good; clumpy, but loosened rather easily. 2: Rather poor; clumpy, and rather difficult to loosen. 1: Poor; clumpy, and difficult to loosen.

[0041] Method for Evaluating Adhesiveness: A yeast donut was produced by deep-frying according to an ordinary method, and was allowed to cool until the surface temperature was 35°C. Then, the yeast donut was placed in a container containing 100 parts by weight of the respective oil/fat-coated powdered sugar, and the container was shaken in one direction and in an opposite direction therefrom back and forth five times to perform sugaring, thereby causing the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar to adhere to the surface of the yeast donut. Then, the surface of the yeast donut immediately after sugaring was visually observed, to evaluate the adhesiveness according to the following evaluation criteria.

Evaluation Criteria for Adhesiveness: 5: Extremely good; adhesion of an extremely large amount of oil/fat-coated powdered sugar. 4: Good; adhesion of a large amount of oil/fat-coated powdered sugar. 3: Rather good; thorough adhesion of oil/fat-coated powdered sugar. 2: Rather poor; adhesion of a small amount of oil/fat-coated powdered sugar. 1: Poor; almost no adhesion of oil/fat-coated powdered sugar.

[0042]

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[0043]

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Claims

[Claim 1] An oil/fat-coated powdered sugar comprising: a powdered sugar; and an oil/fat coating layer adhering to a surface of the powdered sugar, wherein: the oil/fat coating layer includes, in order of proximity to the powdered sugar, an inner coating layer containing an oil/fat having a melting point from 50 to 70°C, and an outer coating layer containing an oil/fat having a melting point from 40 to 50°C; and an amount of adhesion of the inner coating layer is from 0.2 to 2.2 cm per a surface area of 1 m2 of the powdered sugar, and an amount of adhesion of the outer coating layer is from 0.05 to 0.9 cm per a surface area of1 m2 of the powdered sugar.
[Claim 2] The oil/fat-coated powdered sugar according to claim 1, wherein the powdered sugar is dextrose.
[Claim 3] The oil/fat-coated powdered sugar according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a median diameter of the powdered sugar is 120 pm or greater.
[Claim 4] A food product comprising the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar according to any one of claims 1 to 3 which adheres to a surface of the food product.
[Claim 5] A method for producing an oil/fat-coated powdered sugar comprising a powdered sugar and an oil/fat coating layer adhering to a surface of the powdered sugar, the oil/fat coating layer including an inner coating layer and an outer coating layer in order of proximity to the powdered sugar, the method comprising: a first coating step of forming the inner coating layer on the surface of the powdered sugar, a second coating step of forming the outer coating layer on the surface of the inner coating layer the first coating step comprising; mixing the powdered sugar and a molten-state oil/fat having a melting point from 50 to 70°C, to obtain a mixture, and cooling the mixture to a temperature equal to or below the melting point of the oil/fat; and the second coating step comprising mixing the powdered sugar, on which the inner coating layer has been formed, and a molten-state oil/fat having a melting point from 40 to 50°C, to obtain a mixture, and cooling the mixture to a temperature equal to or below the melting point of the oil/fat.
[Claim 6] The method for producing an oil/fat-coated powdered sugar according to claim 5, wherein: an amount of adhesion of the inner coating layer is from 0.2 to 2.2 cm per a surface area of 1 m 2 of the powdered sugar; and an amount of adhesion of the outer coating layer is from 0.05 to 0.9 cm3 per a surface area of 1 m2 of the powdered sugar.
[Claim 7] A method for producing a food product, comprising a step of causing the oil/fat-coated powdered sugar produced by the method according to claim 5 or 6 to adhere to a surface of a food product.