JP2005058065A - Maltitol-sucrose eutectic mixture and method for producing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a maltitol-sucrose eutectic mixture which has a low melting point, can easily be treated, and is suitable for producing high quality products, and to provide a method for producing the same. <P>SOLUTION: This eutectic mixture comprising substantially only the maltitol and the sucrose. The eutectic mixture can be produced by kneading a maltitol-sucrose mixture solution in the presence of seed crystals and then ageing the kneaded product. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a eutectic mixture containing maltitol and sucrose.

  Sucrose is the most common sweetener used in foods and has the characteristics that it has no sweetness, is mild and does not irritate. However, in recent years, it tends to be avoided by consumers in terms of high calories and caries. Therefore, the demand for low-calorie and non-cariogenic sweeteners is increasing more than ever, and various sweeteners that can replace sucrose have been proposed. One of such sweeteners is sugar alcohols, and typical sugar alcohols include maltitol, sorbitol, reduced isomaltulose, erythritol, lactitol, xylitol and the like. Among them, maltitol has characteristics such as low calorie, non-cariogenicity, and does not cause Maillard reaction, and since it is a sweetness most similar to sucrose, it is used in many foods as a substitute for sucrose. Yes. On the other hand, the sweetness of maltitol is slightly lower than that of sucrose, so that it has a problem that sweetness tends to be insufficient when used in foods. For this reason, maltitol is often used in combination with other sweeteners such as sucrose, resulting in complicated food production processes.

  On the other hand, sucrose and maltitol had problems in use in addition to the above-mentioned problems of taste quality. For example, sucrose has a problem of solubility. Since sucrose, especially granulated sugar, has poor solubility, problems such as undissolved residues in the product have occurred in industrial applications.

  Although sucrose is used as a table sugar as a general application, it is not suitable for cold drinks such as iced coffee because of its particularly poor solubility at low temperatures. Currently, liquid products such as gum syrup, which is about 50% sucrose solution, are used as sweeteners to replace table sugar for cold beverages. Since gum syrup contains a lot of water, it is easy for bacteria to propagate and has a problem in terms of hygiene. On the other hand, in the case of individual packaging in consideration of hygiene and ease of use, packaging costs and transportation costs further increase.

  Maltitol powder is not suitable for products that have not been subjected to purification treatment such as chromatographic separation and recrystallization because it is highly hygroscopic and causes stickiness when used in gums and tablet confectionery.

  Furthermore, maltitol is often used in combination with sucrose due to the above-mentioned problem of sweetness. However, when maltitol and sucrose are simply used in combination, the melting point of maltitol and sucrose is greatly different, so that food is produced. Depending on the temperature, sucrose may remain undissolved in the product, or maltitol and other food components may be altered by high temperatures to eliminate undissolved. Furthermore, since maltitol crystals and sucrose crystals have different specific gravities, there is also a problem that it is difficult to obtain a uniform product due to segregation of a simple mixture of the two in the process of storage, transportation and the like.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a eutectic mixture of maltitol and sucrose suitable for producing a high-quality product that has a low melting point and is easy to handle when maltitol and sucrose are used in combination.

  The present inventors have found that the problem of having maltitol and sucrose can be solved by using maltitol and sucrose as a eutectic mixture, thereby completing the present invention.

  That is, the present invention provides a eutectic mixture consisting essentially of maltitol and sucrose.

  The present invention also relates to a method for producing a eutectic mixture, wherein a mixed solution of maltitol and sucrose is kneaded with a kneading apparatus in the presence of a seed crystal and then aged.

  In the present specification and claims, “consisting essentially of maltitol and sucrose” means that the eutectic mixture does not adversely affect the object of the present invention in addition to maltitol and sucrose. It means that impurities may be included.

In the present specification, unless otherwise specified, the “eutectic mixture substantially consisting only of maltitol and sucrose” is simply referred to as “eutectic mixture”.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

  In the eutectic mixture of the present invention, the weight ratio of maltitol: sucrose is preferably 80:20 to 50:50. More preferably 65:35 to 55:45, particularly 60:40 to 55:45 is preferably used.

  The eutectic mixture of the present invention has a single peak in the scanning temperature range of 30 to 200 ° C. in the analysis by the differential scanning calorimeter, and the melting point is in the range of 100 to 130 ° C. by the differential scanning calorimeter. Is preferred.

  The eutectic mixture of the present invention preferably has a melting enthalpy of 70 J / g or more, more preferably 80 J / g or more. When the melting enthalpy is 70 J / g or less, crystallization of both maltitol and sucrose is insufficient, and it cannot be said to be an eutectic mixture. The higher the melting enthalpy, the better, but maltitol (100% purity) is about 160 J / g and sucrose is about 120 J / g (including the amount of heat of decomposition during measurement). As a result, it does not exceed 160 J / g.

  The eutectic mixture of the present invention is obtained by kneading a mixed solution of maltitol and sucrose as a raw material (hereinafter referred to as “raw material mixed solution”) in the presence of seed crystals and then aging. As maltitol used for preparing the raw material mixed solution, it is preferable to use a maltitol having a purity of 80% or more. Moreover, it is preferable to use a sucrose having a purity of 95% or more.

  In the production method of the present invention, the composition ratio of maltitol and sucrose in the raw material mixture solution may be determined according to the ratio of both in the desired eutectic mixture, and maltitol: sucrose is 80:20. It may be prepared so as to be ˜50: 50, preferably 65:35 to 55:45, more preferably 60:40 to 55:45.

  The maltitol and sucrose raw material mixed solution is preferably adjusted to have a water content of 1 to 7% by weight, and more preferably 3 to 5% by weight.

  The temperature at which the raw material mixed solution is supplied to the kneading apparatus may be a temperature at which crystals do not precipitate, and is preferably about 70 to 130 ° C, more preferably about 90 to 110 ° C.

  In the method for producing the eutectic mixture of the present invention, the raw material mixed solution is kneaded in the presence of seed crystals. The seed crystal may be supplied to the kneading apparatus together with the raw material mixed solution, or may be mixed in advance into the raw material mixed solution before being charged into the kneading apparatus.

The amount of seed crystals added to the raw material mixed solution is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 0.5 to 60% by weight, preferably about 20 to 50% by weight, based on the raw material mixed solution in terms of production efficiency and crystallinity. Is more preferable.
The particle diameter of the seed crystal is not particularly limited, but is preferably 300 μm or less from the viewpoint of crystallization time.

  The seed crystal to be added is preferably a eutectic mixture having the same or similar composition as the raw material mixed solution. Therefore, once the eutectic mixture is obtained according to the present invention, a part of the obtained eutectic mixture may be used as a seed crystal for subsequent production.

  When the eutectic mixture used as a seed crystal cannot be obtained, such as when the eutectic mixture of the present invention is first produced, first kneading and aging using a mixture of maltitol crystals and sucrose crystals as seed crystals Just do it. The resulting crystal mixture is newly blended into the raw material mixed solution as a seed crystal, and further kneaded and aged to obtain a crystal. A part of the crystal mixture is further used as a seed crystal to repeat the kneading and aging steps, thereby eutectic mixture. Can be obtained. The number of repetitions of the kneading and aging steps until the eutectic mixture is obtained varies depending on the amount of seed crystal added, but may be repeated as appropriate until the desired eutectic mixture is obtained. For example, in the case of adding about 20% by weight of seed crystals, the eutectic mixture of the present invention can be obtained by repeating the kneading and aging steps about 3 to 4 times.

In the present invention, the kneading time varies depending on the amount of seed crystals to be added, and a suitable time may be determined as appropriate. When 0.5 to 60% by weight of the seed crystal is added to the raw material mixed solution, it may be kneaded for about 10 to 60 minutes.
The kneading is preferably performed at a temperature of 70 to 130 ° C, more preferably 90 to 110 ° C.

As the kneading apparatus used in the method of the present invention, any conventionally kneading apparatus may be used. For example, any of a batch type, a continuous type, an open type, and a closed type can be adopted. Examples of the batch kneader include a blade kneader and a ribbon mixer. Examples of the continuous kneader include an extruder, a continuous kneader, a mixtron, and a kneedex. A continuous type is preferably employed from the viewpoint of production efficiency. In particular, a continuous kneading extruder called an extruder is preferably used. Examples thereof include a KRC kneader (manufactured by Kurimoto Steel Works) and a food-use biaxial extruder (manufactured by Nippon Steel Works). By adopting an extruder, it is possible to obtain a product with reduced manufacturing time and improved crystallinity.
Moreover, in order to keep the temperature at the time of kneading within a preferable range, a kneading apparatus equipped with a cooling jacket is preferably used.

  The degree of crystallinity is generally expressed by the melting enthalpy, but the eutectic mixture of the present invention produced using a batch kneader is likely to have a melting enthalpy of about 80 J / g, and an extruder is used. The eutectic mixture produced in this manner is likely to have a melting enthalpy of about 100 J / g.

  The kneaded product immediately after kneading is in the form of a slurry. In order to sufficiently crystallize the kneaded product, aging is performed to obtain a target eutectic mixture. The aging is suitably performed at 30 to 100 ° C, more preferably 70 to 90 ° C. Since the aging time varies depending on the aging temperature, it may be carried out while confirming the state of formation of the eutectic mixture in a timely manner, but may be carried out with about 12 to 48 hours as a guide.

  The eutectic mixture of the present invention produced under the above conditions is an aggregate of fine crystals having an average particle size of about 1 to 3 μm. The X-ray diffractometer analysis shows the same peak as the mixture of maltitol and sucrose, but the differential scanning calorimetry analysis shows that a simple mixture of maltitol and sucrose shows two peaks. In contrast, the eutectic mixture of the present invention exhibits a single peak.

  Since the eutectic mixture of the present invention has a melting point of about 120 ° C., which is lower than the melting points of maltitol and sucrose, food can be produced at a lower temperature than when only maltitol and sucrose are used in combination. . For this reason, it is possible to obtain a higher quality food.

  For example, in the manufacture of baked confectionery, when a simple mixture of maltitol crystals and sucrose crystals is used, sucrose remains undissolved at a baking temperature of about 150 ° C, while maltitol is colored when the baking temperature is increased to about 200 ° C. And alterations such as decomposition occur. On the other hand, if the eutectic mixture of the present invention is used, baked confectionery can be produced without sucrose remaining undissolved and without altering maltitol and other food materials. In addition, the use of the eutectic mixture of the present invention in the production of candy eliminates the time-consuming work of boiling the sucrose solution under reduced pressure in order to prevent coloring. It is possible to directly melt the mixture to produce a candy.

  In addition, as described above, since the eutectic mixture of the present invention is a mixture of very fine crystals of maltitol and sucrose uniformly, segregation like a mixture of maltitol crystals and sucrose crystals occurs. And a uniform product can be provided.

  The eutectic mixture of the present invention can be used as an alternative to sweeteners commonly used in foods and pharmaceuticals. For example, it can be used in confectionery such as candy, chewing gum, chocolate, and tablets. It can also be used as a coating agent or excipient for tablets, tablet confectionery, etc., and the processing characteristics such as roughness and hardness of the product are improved.

  Since the eutectic mixture of the present invention is an aggregate of extremely fine crystals, it is easy to maintain the flavor and aroma of food, and compared with the conventional case where sucrose and maltitol are used alone or in combination, the sweetness and aroma A product with improved durability can be obtained.

A sweetener composition obtained by blending other components with the eutectic mixture of the present invention is also included in the present invention. Other ingredients that may be incorporated into the sweetener composition of the present invention include high-intensity sweeteners, acidulants, flavorings, preservatives, colorants, and interfaces that are conventionally known to be incorporated into sweeteners. Examples include, but are not limited to, active agents, nutritional supplements (such as vitamins), and the like.
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail by way of examples.

Example 1
(1) Preparation of raw material mixed solution Powdered maltitol (90% maltitol per solid, 5% sorbitol, 5% other sugar alcohol) and sucrose (granulated sugar: manufactured by Dainippon Sugar) were mixed at 60:40, A small amount of water was added and dissolved by heating, boiled and adjusted to a moisture content of 4% to obtain a raw material mixed solution.

(2) Preparation of seed crystal Seed crystal A: A 60:40 mixture of powdered maltitol and sucrose used for preparation of the raw material mixed solution was pulverized and passed through a JIS 30 mesh sieve.
Seed crystal B: The solidified product 1 produced using the seed crystal A was pulverized and passed through a JIS 30 mesh sieve to obtain a seed crystal B.
Seed crystal C: The solidified product 2 produced using the seed crystal B was pulverized and passed through a JIS 30 mesh sieve to obtain a seed crystal C.

(3) Manufacture of eutectic mixture 1 kg of the raw material mixed solution is put into a blade-type batch kneader (effective volume 6 L: manufactured by Satake) whose jacket temperature is set to 80 ° C., and the product temperature of the raw material mixed solution is 100 When the temperature reached 0 ° C., 250 g of seed crystal A was added, and the mixture was further kneaded for 30 minutes. After kneading, the kneaded product was poured into a stainless steel tray and aged in an incubator at 80 ° C. for 24 hours to obtain solidified product 1. Next, the same kneading operation and aging were performed using 250 g of seed crystals B prepared from the solidified product 1 and 1 kg of the raw material mixed solution to obtain a solidified product 2. Further, the same kneading operation and aging were performed using 250 g of seed crystals C prepared from the solidified product 2 and 1 kg of the raw material mixed solution to obtain a solidified product 3 (eutectic mixture of the present invention).

The obtained solidified materials 1 and 3 were subjected to thermal analysis, observation with an electron microscope, and X-ray diffraction.
(1) Thermal analysis (method)
The solidified materials 1 and 3 were measured with a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC6200, manufactured by Seiko Instruments Inc.) under the conditions of a scanning temperature of 30 to 200 ° C. and a temperature increase rate of 4 ° C./min.

(result)
When the number of melting points (number of peaks) of solidified products 1 and 3 was confirmed, solidified product 3 obtained by the third operation had one melting point. The results are shown in Table 1 and FIG.

(2) Observation by electron microscope (method)
The solidified materials 1 and 3 were observed with a scanning electron microscope (S-4300, manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd.) at a magnification of 100 to 10000 times.
(result)
When the solidified product 1 was observed at a magnification of 100 times, no crystals were confirmed, and the magnification was increased to 10,000 times, but no crystals were confirmed.
Next, when the solidified product 3 was observed at a magnification of 100 times, crystals could not be confirmed, but when observed again at a magnification of 8000 times, the eutectic mixture of the present invention was confirmed to be an aggregate of fine crystals. It was. At that time, no amorphous material was observed.
Electron micrographs are shown in FIGS.

(3) X-ray diffraction (method)
The peak intensity at a diffraction angle of 0 to 30 ° was measured for the solidified product 3 using a powder X-ray diffractometer (MiniFlex, manufactured by Rigaku Corporation). In addition, maltitol crystals (reagents, manufactured by Hayashibara Biochemical Laboratories Co., Ltd.) and sucrose crystals (reagents, manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) were also measured.

(result)
The X-ray diffraction peak of the solidified product 3 has pure diffraction peaks of maltitol and sucrose, and no other peaks exist, so it is considered to be a mixture of maltitol and sucrose. Table 2 shows the X-ray diffraction results.

Example 2
(1) Preparation of raw material mixed solution In the same manner as in Example 1, a mixed solution of maltitol and sucrose was prepared.

(2) Preparation of Seed Crystal The solidified product 3 obtained in Example 1 was pulverized and passed through a JIS 30 mesh sieve as the seed crystal.

(3) Production of eutectic mixture A continuous kneader (S2KRC kneader: manufactured by Kurimoto Iron Works Co., Ltd.) with a jacket temperature set at 70 ° C., a raw material mixed solution at 100 ° C. and a seed crystal at a rate of 4 kg / hr. And kneaded. The kneaded product was poured into a tray and aged in an incubator at 80 ° C. for 15 hours to obtain a solidified product 4 (eutectic mixture of the present invention).

The solidified product 4 obtained in Example 3 was subjected to thermal analysis, observation with an electron microscope, and X-ray diffraction.
(1) Thermal analysis (method)
The solidified product 4 was measured under the same conditions as in Example 1.

(result)
It was confirmed that the solidified product 4 had one melting point. Moreover, it has higher enthalpy than the solidified material 3 manufactured with the batch kneader, and it was confirmed that the crystallinity degree is improving. The results are shown in Table 3 and FIG.

(2) Observation by electron microscope (method)
The solidified product 4 was observed with a scanning electron microscope (S-4300, manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd.) at magnifications of 100 times, 1000 times, and 8000 times. Electron micrographs are shown in FIGS.

(result)
The solidified product 4 was an aggregate of fine crystals that could be finally confirmed at a magnification of 8000 times. No amorphous material was observed.

(3) X-ray diffraction (method)
X-ray diffraction was measured under the same conditions as in Example 1.

(result)
The X-ray diffraction peak of the solidified product 4 is considered to be a mixture of maltitol and sucrose because it has pure maltitol and sucrose diffraction peaks and no other peaks exist. Table 4 shows the X-ray diffraction results.

Example 3
The solubility of the pulverized product of eutectic mixture (solidified product 4) obtained in Example 2 and granulated sugar (manufactured by Dainippon Seika Co., Ltd.) were compared.

(Method)
Into a 1 L glass beaker, 500 mL of water at 5 ° C. was placed, and 10 g of a sample classified with a JIS 20 mesh and JIS 50 mesh sieve was quickly charged while stirring at a constant speed (600 rpm) with a 5 cm long magnetic stirrer. The state was observed with the naked eye from the side of the beaker, and the time until dissolution was completed was measured.

(result)
The complete dissolution time of the powder obtained in Example 3 was 0.8 times that of granulated sugar. The results are shown in Table 5.

It is the result of the thermal analysis by the differential scanning calorimeter of the solidified material 1 and the solidified material 3 which were obtained in Example 1. FIG. 2 is an electron micrograph (× 100) of solidified product 1 obtained in Example 1. FIG. 2 is an electron micrograph (× 10000) of solidified product 1 obtained in Example 1. FIG. 2 is an electron micrograph (× 100) of solidified product 3 obtained in Example 1. FIG. 4 is an electron micrograph (× 8000) of the solidified product 3 obtained in Example 1. It is the result of the thermal analysis by the differential scanning calorimeter of the solidified material 4 obtained in Example 2. FIG. 4 is an electron micrograph (× 100) of the solidified product 4 obtained in Example 2. 4 is an electron micrograph (× 1000) of the solidified product 4 obtained in Example 2. 4 is an electron micrograph (× 8000) of the solidified product 4 obtained in Example 2.

Claims (14)

A eutectic mixture consisting essentially of maltitol and sucrose. The eutectic mixture according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of maltitol: sucrose is 80:20 to 50:50. The eutectic mixture according to claim 2, wherein the weight ratio of maltitol: sucrose is 65:35 to 55:45. In the differential scanning calorimeter analysis, it has a single peak in the scanning temperature range of 30 to 200 ° C., the melting point measured by the differential scanning calorimeter is in the range of 100 to 130 ° C., and the melting enthalpy is 70 J The eutectic mixture according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is at least / g. The sweetener composition containing the eutectic mixture in any one of Claims 1-4. A mixed solution of maltitol and sucrose is supplied to a kneading apparatus, kneaded in the presence of a seed crystal, and then the kneaded product is aged, and a eutectic mixture substantially consisting of only maltitol and sucrose Manufacturing method. The method for producing an eutectic mixture according to claim 6, wherein the aging is performed at a temperature of 30 to 100 ° C over 12 to 48 hours. The method for producing a eutectic mixture according to claim 6, wherein the weight ratio of maltitol and sucrose in the mixed solution is 80:20 to 50:50. The method for producing a eutectic mixture according to claim 8, wherein the weight ratio of maltitol and sucrose in the mixed solution is 65:35 to 55:45. The method for producing a eutectic mixture according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the mixed solution of maltitol and sucrose is produced from maltitol crystals having a purity of 80% or more and sucrose crystals having a purity of 95% or more. . The method for producing a eutectic mixture according to any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the mixed solution of maltitol and sucrose has a water content of 1 to 7% by weight. The method for producing a eutectic mixture according to any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the seed crystal is a eutectic mixture of maltitol and sucrose, and the weight ratio of maltitol: sucrose is 80:20 to 50:50. . The method for producing a eutectic mixture according to claim 6, wherein 0.5 to 60% by weight of seed crystals is used with respect to the mixed solution of maltitol and sucrose. The method for producing a eutectic mixture according to claim 6, wherein the kneading apparatus is a continuous kneading extrusion apparatus with a cooling device.

Images