JP2008048618A - Powdery dried soy sauce, and method and device for producing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide powdery dried soy sauce substantially having no deliquescence. <P>SOLUTION: The powdery dried soy sauce comprises a mixture of large-diameter spheres and small-diameter spheres, wherein at least the large-diameter spheres in the mixture comprise hollow bodies each formed of a thin shell body, and the surface of the large-diameter sphere body substantially has no opening and formed into a relatively smooth one. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a dry powder soy sauce obtained by drying liquid soy sauce, a method for producing the same, and an apparatus therefor, and more specifically, a granular powder dry soy sauce in which the dry powder of soy sauce is formed in a thin shell, a method for producing the same, and a production thereof. Relates to the device.

  There is much consumption in Japan, and soy sauce is a typical seasoning. In this soy sauce, many kinds of products such as koikuchi soy sauce, light soy sauce, tamari soy sauce, white soy sauce, saishikomi soy sauce, raw soy sauce and low salt soy sauce are manufactured and sold.

  As a matter of course, the soy sauce usually used is in a liquid state, and is stored in a container such as a glass bottle or a plastic bottle, stored, transported and sold, and used in small portions. However, storing and transporting in liquids increases transportation costs due to its large volume and weight, and tends to deteriorate in a short period of time when stored at high temperatures, and the storage conditions are rather strict. There is also a problem that the taste changes during storage. Therefore, the fresh one immediately after the warehouse is used.

  Naturally, juices such as powdered milk and instant noodles are dried by a method such as freeze-drying or spray-drying to reduce the volume as a powder to improve handling and storage.

(About deliquescence)
However, dry soy sauce has an essential problem. That is, first, it has “deliquescent”. The deliquescence is, for example, a surface of about 2 to 3 hours when left in an atmosphere with a humidity of about 50 to 60% with a pile of dried soy sauce in a flat dish-shaped container having a diameter of about 5 cm. The layer absorbs moisture, and the absorbed portion hardens along the chevron and peels off from the pile of dried soy sauce as if it were a cone-shaped baked confectionery or casabata. And when the said dried soy sauce is preserved for one day, the whole becomes a sticky state, and the handleability is extremely deteriorated.

  Secondly, it is substantially difficult to put the dried soy sauce fine powder into a container which is dispensed due to the first deliquescence or hygroscopicity and to use it in a powder form like a sprinkle. As described above, the surface layer is agglomerated and solidified like Casablanc due to moisture absorption for a short time, so that the discharge hole of the container is clogged in a short time.

  Thirdly, when the dried soy sauce is returned to the original liquid, the taste is greatly changed. If stored for a long period of time, it will become moldy due to moisture absorption and the taste will deteriorate.

  In addition, since the conventional product needs to be provided with a large amount of “excipient” in order to form into granules, the taste has changed when the dry powdered soy sauce is returned to its original state.

(About drying method)
Heat-drying methods are often used for powdered seasonings, instant ramen juice, and other powdered seasonings and medicines. As a dryer for carrying out this drying method, a spray dryer (spray dryer) is often used.

On the other hand, as a method for drying soy sauce, a vacuum drum drying method, a vacuum freeze drying method, and a spray drying method are used, and the spray drying method seems to be most preferable. As a preferable apparatus used for this spray drying method, for example, a pressure nozzle type spray dryer, a two-fluid nozzle type spray dryer, a desk atomizer type spray dryer, a spray drying / granulating combined dryer, or the like is used ( Non-patent literature, Patent literature 1, 2).
Koshobo Co., Ltd. 1997.9.1 "Basics and Applications of Dried Food", pages 92-94 JP 2004-105066 A JP-A-7-213249

  Conventional spraying of soy sauce with high-pressure air from a nozzle, or making it fine with a rotating disk, hot air is discharged in a dispersed state into the supply drying tower from above and heats the atomized soy sauce droplets In this method, the hot air is 120 to 200 ° C., and a particularly efficient drying method employs heated air as high as 260 ° C.

On the other hand, the diameter of dried soy sauce, which is a product, is generally 60 to 200 μm, but there is actually no clear data. Various soy sauces are manufactured as described above. For example, one example of the “koikuchi soy sauce” component is as follows.
1) Total nitrogen content: 1.602% ... (Umami components / solid components)
Aspartic acid, glutamic acid 2) Salt content: 16.15% ... (deliquescent-related component / solid component)
3) Sugars: 3.1% ... (deliquescent components)
Reducing sugar, glycolose, arabinose,
Glycerin, alanine 4) Solid content: 19.1% ... (part of the core components / solid components)
Inorganic (potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, etc.)
Enzyme 5) Alcohol content: 2.65% (Evaporation component)
6) Water: 57.4% (Evaporation component)

  This soy sauce is not added with an excipient for shaping into powder. The reason is that it does not change the taste of soy sauce.

  In order to dry soy sauce consisting of the above ingredients as a raw material into a granular powder soy sauce, dextrin is generally added as an “excipient”. If this excipient is not used, granular powdered soy sauce of the desired size cannot be produced.

  However, this excipient has excellent properties for water solubilization of powders, and this is a substance that greatly contributes to deliquescence. Therefore, since this dextrin is contained in large quantities, the conventional dry powder soy sauce has poor storage stability. Therefore, it cannot be used for applications that frequently open and close the lid.

  On top of that, when water is added to powdered soy sauce containing dextrin and returned to the original liquid, it becomes a different taste from the original taste because it is a different component from the original soy sauce, and deterioration in quality can be avoided. There is no problem.

  Moreover, the dry powder using the hot hot air using the conventional spray dryer contains a slight amount of moisture (about 2-3%) in the solid content, but most of the moisture present as soy sauce It is evaporating. However, this dried powdered soy sauce is essentially deliquescent and absorbs moisture in a short time as described above.

(Technology related to far-infrared heating related to the inventor)
The present inventor has studied for many years on heating technology (particularly low temperature heating) using far infrared rays, and is familiar with the technology. Examples of the practical use are as follows.

  a) Sauna bath by low temperature heating using far-infrared heating (Patent No. 2808443), b) Floor heating device using PTC type heating body, c) Heating body of grilled fish cooker such as grilled chicken and eel (Patent No. 3777328), d) Furthermore, drying of grains (Patent No. 3074479), e) Technology for accelerating the curing of epoxy resin in the LED manufacturing process (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-33344, Patent No. 3706636), and many others Such as food drying technology.

  In particular, it has been confirmed that heating by far-infrared radiation suitable for low-temperature drying can dry the object to be heated, such as food, quickly and while maintaining the condition of the object to be dried such as burning of the surface with little damage. ing. Based on the knowledge of the present inventors, the combined use of hot air and far-infrared rays was studied in a range from high temperature (baking cooking device, sauna bath) to low temperature (food drying device, heating device).

  Conventional powder dry soy sauce production equipment uses hot air at a high temperature of about 120 to 260 ° C. as described above, and the powder dry soy sauce thus obtained has strong deliquescence as described above. Had problems with storage and handling.

(Meeting with dried soy sauce)
Since the present inventor has the technology relating to the low-temperature drying method using far-infrared rays as described above, the inventor considered that this can be used for drying soy sauce and conducted the following basic experiment.

  For the basic experiment, a spray dryer having a two-fluid jet nozzle was used. The drying tower body has a diameter of 500 mm, a length of 5 m, and a thickness of 3 mm. A ceramic layer made of aluminum oxide is formed on the outer surface of a cylinder made of aluminum, and a ceramic layer made of titanium oxide is formed on this double layer. An electric heater was provided on the ceramic layer via an electrical insulating layer. In order to control the temperature of the entire drying tower by measuring the temperature inside the tower body, three thermometers are provided in the longitudinal direction.

  Then, the temperature of the upper part of the drying tower main body was maintained at a low temperature of 60 ° C., and the temperature was controlled so as to form a temperature difference between the central part at 65 ° C. and the lower part at 75 ° C. And the soy sauce used as a raw material was heated at 70 degreeC with the heater provided between the raw material tank and the spray nozzle, and it sprayed in the tower body with the hot air of about 80 degreeC.

  The soy sauce spray was formed like a thick fog or a sea of clouds, floated in the air in the drying tower body, floated, fused, combined, repeated and dried to obtain a small amount of dry powder soy sauce.

  Then, put the soy sauce produced in this way into a container with a capacity of 250 cc, open the lid and take out the necessary amount of soy sauce from time to time, cover it, and repeat this opening and closing operation several tens of times. It was done.

  Surprisingly, however, powdered soy sauce radiated with far-infrared rays into the drying tower and dried at a low temperature (60 to 75 ° C.) as described above is air-dried from the outside to the inside of the container each time the lid is opened and closed. Was forced to replace and had the opportunity for moisture to enter, but after a considerable period of manufacture, it was stored without any deliquescence.

  In order to confirm this good result, we asked a famous soy sauce manufacturer to analyze its ingredients and evaluate its chemical quality. As a result, the components were not substantially changed from those of normal soy sauce, and the taste and aroma as soy sauce were evaluated to be kept in their original states. In addition, this powder dry soy sauce does not add the dextrin which is an excipient | filler like the conventional powder dry soy sauce, but uses the thing as a commercial item as a raw material.

  Moreover, the difference between this powder dry soy sauce and the conventional powder dry soy sauce was that the former had a residual water content of 2-3%. On the other hand, the residual moisture of the dried soy sauce obtained in the experiment is 7%, and therefore, it has been confirmed that the umami component remains.

  The inventor has hinted that this dry powdered soy sauce has substantially no deliquescence and that even soy sauce that does not use excipients as in the past could be dried in a granular form. Obtained.

  Therefore, especially in a drying tower heated to a low temperature so that moisture does not suddenly evaporate, that is, a kind of “steam explosion”, such that evaporation does not inhibit the growth of particles constituting the powder, In order to prevent temperature shock, the raw material soy sauce was heated to about the temperature in the drying tower, and sprayed with low temperature hot air to produce powder dry soy sauce by spray drying.

  As a result of studying the amount of heat energy (heating temperature, etc.) imparted to the soy sauce mist and the process of drying the mist by forming a fine powder, the present invention was obtained.

(Observation of spray state, estimation by the inventor)
In the usual spray drying method, it is difficult to directly observe the process of changing from spraying soy sauce inside the drying tower of the spray dryer to dry soy sauce. That is, a viewing window is provided on one side of the drying tower body, a lamp is placed at the opposite position, and a fine mist of soy sauce sprayed from the nozzle floats in the middle space to float the sea of clouds. It shows a dense fog state, and it can be observed that the particles of the fog drop fall in a disturbed state.

  However, this state is the observation of a group of mist droplets, such as a sea of clouds or fog, or a mist moving through the glass. Therefore, the actual state of the powder production process cannot be grasped at all. Of course, even if a small camera was set inside the drying tower, the lens was only wet with soy sauce and observation was impossible.

Therefore, the inventor made the following estimation.
That is, if the fine mist droplets of soy sauce are dried individually as they are in the drying tower, the size of the fine powder obtained is the same as that of the mist droplets. Compared to what became, the fine powder has grown to a large size. From this, it was considered that the dry powder soy sauce of the required size was not formed even if the mist droplets were dried as they were.

From the above observations, the following was estimated.
The sprayed fine soy sauce mist floats in the warm air (filled with far-infrared rays and warm air) in the main body of the drying tower, rotates, collides, and collides with mist droplets that collide. Melt together and gradually grow together as an aggregate. That is, while the soap bubbles float and fall while turning, the ones that come into contact with other soap bubbles and adhere to each other grow greatly. During this growth process, the outer shell gradually grows as if it contains a small soap bubble that cannot be fused, as if it contains seeds.

  In addition, there is a change in the external shape of the fine powder as a product depending on the temperature condition and the stirring condition in this growth stage. The component of soy sauce is a mixture of solid content, moisture and volatile content as exemplified above, and the solid content forms a powder skeleton.

  Moreover, in the conventional product, a part of the solid content is related to great deliquescence. In particular, dextrin used as an excipient is greatly involved in deliquescence. The shape of this skeleton (smooth, large and small, with a shell formed like a volcano crater, etc.) changes with the evaporation of evaporating vapor.

[Major problems of conventional powder drying methods]
(Shape of powdered soy sauce)
The present inventor performed observation with an electron micrograph in order to confirm “assuming or estimation” of the production process of the powdered dry soy sauce.

  Although details will be described later, when the dried soy sauce powder is observed with an electron microscope, surprisingly, most of them are spherical hollow bodies. There is a case where a crack exists on the surface of the shell constituting the hollow body and a case where a crack does not exist. This break is related to deliquescence.

  The drying method in which high-temperature hot air of about 200 to 260 ° C. employed in the prior art is blown into the drying tower receives a large amount of thermal energy instantly when the water in the mist drops evaporates. And it is thought that moisture is evaporated at a stroke by giving and receiving this thermal energy. Moreover, the rapid evaporation of moisture due to this rapid heating is unavoidable in the conventional drying method.

  As described above, the water vapor generated from the droplets generated during the instantaneous or short-time drying destroys the skeleton that forms the shell that is an aggregate of the solid matter that has grown or is growing. It is estimated that it will be.

  In addition, the conventional dry powder soy sauce is a deliquescent cause and contains a large amount of dextrin necessary as an excipient. is there.

  The shape of the sphere changes in relation to the strength of the water vapor eruption state. In particular, the explosive water vapor eruption destroys the shell like a lunar crater (this can be observed with photographs). In contrast, a small eruption creates small cracks or holes in the shell. Furthermore, it is presumed that the size of the surface area, that is, the contact area with the air, is affected by the fracture state of the shell, and that the deliquescence is affected in this connection.

  In the prior art, high-temperature hot air of about 260 ° C. is applied for high-speed drying. As a result, the water inside the fine mist drops evaporates in a boiling state, and this water vapor is surrounded by the shell. It is presumed that there will be no escape route and the shell will be destroyed (exploded).

(Heating conditions of the present invention)
As described above, the present invention has been obtained as a result of taking into account the experience of producing a small amount of powdered dry soy sauce, observation of an electron micrograph, estimation of evaporation behavior from its outer shape, prediction, and the like.

  1) In the present invention, the heating conditions and heating means of soy sauce mist droplets are significantly larger than those of the prior art for the purpose of preventing as much as possible the "water boiling" generated from the mist droplets when they are dried. change. That is, low-temperature drying in a range not applied in the prior art is employed.

  2) In order to perform low-temperature drying, a large amount of “far-infrared radiation” and a small amount of hot air are used in combination as thermal energy contributing to drying.

  And the temperature in a drying tower is limited to the temperature below the azeotropic point of the water and alcohol content contained in soy sauce, and generation | occurrence | production of explosive water vapor | steam is suppressed.

  3) It is 40 to 82 degreeC which is below the azeotropic point of the mixture of the water and the alcohol component which comprises the component of soy sauce, and makes drying temperature into the said range thru | or preferably about 60 degreeC. The reason is that the evaporation of moisture from the mist is much gentler than the prior art. As a result, it is possible to employ a method of powder drying that prevents sudden ejection of water vapor.

  When the drying temperature is lower than 82 ° C., which is the azeotropic temperature of water and alcohol, it becomes possible to leave about 7% of moisture in the powdered soy sauce, leaving the alcohol and umami components contained in the soy sauce. It becomes possible.

  4) Since the present invention is intended to evaporate mild water from the mist as described above, the length of the drying tower body is longer than that of the conventional apparatus in order to assist drying.

  5) “Upward flow” along the inner wall of the drying tower body is naturally generated by the temperature difference between the upper and lower sides of the tower body, and the temperature of the drying tower body is adjusted between the upper part and the middle part in order to adjust the heating state to the drying state. The lower part is divided into upper and lower parts, and the lower part is set to a high temperature and the upper part is set to a lower temperature. The upper and lower temperature difference is preferably 15 ° C. or more, and can be carried out even at a temperature difference of about 20 ° C. to 30 ° C.

  If the temperature difference is small, the required upward flow will not be generated sufficiently, and if a high temperature is used to increase the temperature difference, it will be out of the above temperature range, so a temperature difference that can be realized within the indicated temperature range. Must be set with the actual device.

(Observation with scanning electron microscope)
In order to confirm or observe the above assumptions, A) using a scanning electron microscope, B) dried by applying rapid heating with conventional high-temperature hot air, and C) the far-infrared and low-temperature of the present invention Compare those obtained by gentle drying by heating with warm air. In particular, observe the outer shape of dry powder soy sauce and confirm the relationship with deliquescence.

1. About Appearance of Conventional Powdered Dry Soy Sauce Powder dried soy sauce dried by a high-speed heating method using a conventional high temperature has the following characteristics.

  FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 (images mimicking micrographs) are images showing the characteristics of commercially available powdered soy sauces d3, d4, d5, d6.

  9 and 10 are reflection electron images (BEI) of commercially available powdered soy sauce taken with a scanning electron microscope. Further, FIGS. 11 and 12 show secondary electron images (SEI), respectively. 9 and 11 are electron micrographs at a magnification of 350, and FIGS. 10 and 12 are magnifications at a magnification of 750.

  Estimating the approximate dimensions from these micrographs (FIGS. 9 to 12), the diameter of one of the fine powders is 100 to 120 μm, and the small one is about 15 to 25 μm. Yes.

  The features of these photomicrographs are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and the powder d3 shown in FIG. 3 is a potato-shaped sphere, which is formed of a thin shell and has a plurality of cracks. Yes. Further, the powders d4 to d6 shown in FIG. 4 have a complicated structure in which a plurality of large and small spheres are combined, and an opening or a crack exists in the large-diameter sphere. Moreover, this crack communicates with the inside of the shell. This tendency is the same also about the said 9-12.

  9 to 12 (photographs), it is as follows that the powdered soy sauce according to the prior art can be understood.

  a) The powders d3 to d6 constitute a sphere. It is a mixture of large and small spherical or potato-shaped fine powders that are uneven in size as a whole.

b) The large-diameter powder particles have the outer shape of a hollow sphere composed of a thin shell.
c) The surface of the sphere has irregularities, is rugged, and a large number of holes and cracks are formed in the shell constituting the sphere.

d) A plurality of small-diameter spheres are contained in the inside of the large-diameter sphere (FIGS. 9 and 10).
e) There are few spheres that are individually separated. A large number of small-diameter spheres are accommodated inside the large-diameter sphere, and a medium- or small-diameter sphere is attached like a bump on the surface of the large-diameter sphere, and another sphere is attached to the sphere. The outline of the ginger lump is shown (FIGS. 9-12).

(Low-temperature dried soy sauce of the present invention)
Using a two-fluid nozzle provided at the top of the drying tower body, the raw material soy sauce heated about 10 ° C. higher than the temperature 60 ° C. inside the tower body was sprayed into the drying tower body together with heated air at 70 ° C. and dried. .

  In this case, the temperature inside the tower body is set to 60 ° C., and the temperature of the inner wall surface of the tower body is set to 65 ° C. as temperature conditions so that water vapor does not spout or explode when the mist drops dry. Held respectively.

  A large amount of far-infrared rays are radiated inside the tower body, and this radiant heating is mainly used for heating and drying. Specifically, as will be described later, a ceramic layer having a two-layer structure is formed by thermal spraying on the outer surface of the tower body, and an electric heater is disposed thereon and heated at a predetermined temperature. Compared with the conventional apparatus, it may be heated at a low temperature. Therefore, for example, if the temperature control method is improved, a heating means using a heat medium such as steam or dowsam can be employed.

Powdered soy sauce produced by applying the low-temperature heating of the present invention has the following characteristics.
FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show d1 and d2, respectively, of a photocopy of a large diameter sphere in an electron micrograph. FIGS. 5 and 6 show secondary electron images (SEI) of the dry powder soy sauce, and FIGS. 7 and 8 show backscattered electron images (BEI), respectively. FIGS. And FIG. 8 shows the one of 750 times.

  As estimated from the photograph, the large spheres constituting the powder have a size of about 60 to 120 μm, the small spheres have a size of about 30 to 50 μm, and the sphere has the following characteristics in appearance.

  a) A large growth as a whole and a small one that does not grow so much are mixed. The number of large growth is not so many (Figs. 5 and 7).

  b) Large diameters are spherical with a clean and simple surface (FIGS. 5 and 7), and have a “turtle shell or soccer ball type” protrusion or pattern on the surface (FIG. 8) or close to this. There is something (Fig. 6).

  c) Most large and small diameters form “independent spherical shells”. And there are no passages on the surface that communicate with the inside of the sphere, such as cracks and openings. This point can be understood by comparing with FIGS. 3 and 4 and FIGS.

  The dry powder soy sauce of the present invention and the production method thereof are obtained by knowledge and analysis based on the experimental results and observation of micrographs. And the place made into the objective of this invention is providing the powder dry soy sauce with little deliquescence.

(Request for dry powder soy sauce)
1) A mixture of large-diameter spheres and small-diameter spheres, wherein at least the large-diameter sphere is a hollow body formed of a thin shell, and the surface thereof is substantially open and relatively smooth. It is characterized by being formed on the surface.

  2) Some of the large-diameter spheres are characterized in that a turtle shell pattern bun or a soccer ball-shaped ridge is formed on the surface, and the surface does not substantially have an opening.

  3) The large-diameter sphere includes a large number of small spheres therein.

  4) A water-repellent film that is at least harmless to humans is formed on the surface of a mixture of large-diameter spheres and small-diameter spheres.

  Edible water repellents include edible coating materials made of vegetable protein, rosin, sandalac, copal, gum arabic, twein, soy protein, casein, and the like.

  5) The present invention is characterized in that it can be produced without substantially adding an excipient for shaping as a dry powder soy sauce to the raw material soy sauce.

  Excipient means the one that has been used in the past, but it may be necessary to add it in some cases, but even in this case, deliquescence occurs when the addition amount is as small as possible compared to conventional products Can be suppressed.

(Request for manufacturing method)
6) In the drying tower body heated to a temperature lower than the boiling temperature of water, the raw material soy sauce adjusted to a temperature higher than the temperature inside the tower body is sprayed, and this spray is contacted, fused, and coalesced with other sprays. In a method of forming a shell formed of solid components of soy sauce by evaporating moisture contained in the soy sauce while drying and growing as a spherical shell, the moisture evaporated from the soy sauce is The temperature control in the drying tower body is performed under a temperature condition in which the body is not destroyed and ejected.

  Supplying raw material soy sauce at a temperature lower than the temperature inside the tower body will cause the temperature at the top of the tower body to become unstable due to the large amount of heat received due to the large temperature difference, and also stabilize the spray moisture. Hard to evaporate.

  7) The inside temperature of the drying tower body is characterized in that the top side of the tower is kept at a low temperature, the bottom side of the tower is kept at a high temperature, and the temperature range is controlled at 40 to 82 ° C.

  A temperature of 40 ° C. or lower cannot substantially effectively perform spray drying. Moreover, at 82 degreeC or more, the alcohol component contained in the composition of soy sauce is evaporated, and umami is reduced.

  8) The temperature inside the drying tower is divided into a plurality of parts in the longitudinal direction, the upper temperature is kept at a low temperature, the lower temperature is kept at a high temperature, and the temperature difference between the low temperature and the high temperature is about 10 to 10. A difference is made in the temperature of the inner wall surface of the tower body in the range of 30 ° C., and this temperature difference is used to generate an upward flow along the inner wall surface.

  The lower part of the tower body is heated to a high temperature, and the upper part is kept at a low temperature to generate an upward flow along the inner wall surface of the tower body. Sprayed mist droplets can be suspended in effect droplets.

(Request for manufacturing equipment)
9) Cylindrical drying tower main body, raw material soy sauce spraying means provided on the upper part of the drying tower main body, supply device with temperature control function of soy sauce which is a raw material connected to the spraying means, and the drying tower A cyclone connected to the lower part of the main body by a pipe for separating the dried powdered soy sauce and a gas discharge device for maintaining the inside of the cyclone in a depressurized state, heating an electric heater or the like on the outer surface of the drying tower main body And a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of a necessary portion of the tower body, and a controller for controlling the heating state of the heating means according to the temperature of the drying tower body.

  10) It is characterized in that the inner wall surface of the drying tower body is subjected to water repellent processing such as silicon processing and fluororesin processing for preventing droplets from adhering.

  11) On the outer surface of the drying tower main body, a ceramic layer having a two-layer structure in which a thermal spray layer mainly composed of aluminum oxide and a thermal spray layer mainly composed of titanium oxide is provided on the thermal spray layer is formed, and the titanium oxide layer A heating means such as an electric heater is disposed on the outer surface of the slab.

  The ceramic layer having the two-layer structure efficiently transfers thermal energy for generating far infrared rays from the high temperature side to the low temperature side.

  12) At least three electric heaters are formed on the ceramic layer having a two-layer structure formed on the outer surface of the drying tower body via an electric insulating layer, and each electric heater is independently heated. It is configured so that it can be controlled.

  The temperature inside the tower body can be accurately controlled by dividing the electric heater into three or more and controlling the temperature respectively.

  13) A device for supplying a water-repellent agent suitable for food is provided in the main body of the cyclone device.

  1. Characteristics of the external shape of the dry powdered soy sauce: The dry powdered soy sauce obtained by the present invention forms clean hollow spheres with no large irregularities, particularly cracks, on the surface.

  Therefore, the surface area is kept to a minimum, and the shells constituting the sphere are substantially free of openings and cracks. And the channel | path which connects the exterior and the inside of a spherical body is not substantially formed.

  In addition, since the surface has no unevenness like a large crater and the surface area is kept to a minimum, the component causing deliquescence is protected from contact with air or from being exposed.

  2. Improved deliquescence: In particular, in order to produce conventional powder dried soy sauce, a large amount was required as an excipient for forming granular powder in the spray drying process.

  For example, the conventional method requires about 60% dextrin of the dry fine powder, and it was difficult to produce a granular powder dry soy sauce without this material. However, this dextrin is a sweetening ingredient, which alters the original taste of soy sauce, and it has been desired to reduce its content as much as possible, but if this content is reduced, a powder of a predetermined size It becomes difficult to form.

  On the other hand, this dextrin is a substance that is the largest cause of deliquescence components, and when it is contained, it has been difficult to produce a dry powder soy sauce that can withstand long-term storage due to a decrease in storage stability.

  However, in the present invention, the excipient which is a basic material required for such powdered soy sauce is substantially not used, or even if used, it can be shaped into granules with a small amount. There are advantages.

  3. Improved shelf life: The dry powder soy sauce obtained by the present invention has been improved to reduce its hygroscopicity. Therefore, for example, even if it is put in a container and the lid is opened frequently and used in small amounts, it can be used without solidification or aggregation until the end.

  4). In terms of deliquescence, there are sweet ingredients such as glycose and arapinose, as well as umami ingredients such as aspartic acid and glutamic acid as well as the above-mentioned dexudrin. It is.

  As shown in the attached photomicrograph, the conventional dry powdered soy sauce has a broken surface, which results in an increased contact area with air and a greater amount of excipients. The decline could not be avoided.

  However, the dry powder soy sauce of the present invention solves many of the conditions that cause deliquescence and can withstand long-term storage.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 13 shows the dry powder soy sauce of the present invention and the apparatus used to produce it.

  It mainly uses the far infrared rays radiated from the inside of the drying tower 1 to dry by applying indirect thermal energy to the spray. Of course, heat energy is given by low-temperature warm air used for spraying soy sauce, which is a raw material to be treated, and radiation of radiation heat from the inner surface of the tower body.

  A spray nozzle 2 (two-fluid spray nozzle) for supplying raw material soy sauce r in a sprayed state is provided at the top of the drying tower body 1, soy sauce r in the tank 4 is pressurized by the pump 3 to the nozzle 2, and a heater A predetermined amount is supplied via a pipe 5 interposing 5a to form a fine spray m (fine mist) in the tower body 1. The reason for interposing the heater 5a is that when low-temperature soy sauce is sprayed as it is, powder soy sauce cannot be formed smoothly, and in some cases there is a risk of explosive evaporation.

  In this embodiment, the drying tower body 1 is also formed in a relatively long and bowl-shaped cylindrical shape because of low temperature drying. For example, a cylinder having a diameter of 500 mm and a height of 5 m is used. Using a shaped device. Therefore, it is configured so that the powder can be sufficiently formed even by low temperature heating by extending the time for the mist to descend in the tower body 1.

  The drying tower itself is made of aluminum (in some cases, stainless steel or iron plate can be used). A ceramic layer of aluminum oxide is sprayed directly on the outer surface of the drying tower, and the oxidation layer is oxidized on the ceramic layer. A ceramic layer made of titanium is thermally sprayed to form a double-layered ceramic layer. In addition, a water-repellent resin is coated on the inner surface and a silicon (or fluororesin) resin film is coated so that mist droplets of soy sauce do not adhere so that dry powdered soy sauce can be formed efficiently.

  The electric heater 17 is provided on the ceramic layer through an electric insulating layer so as to be divided into a plurality of stages (17a, 17b, 17c) as shown in FIG. 14, and the temperature in the length direction of the tower body 1 can be freely adjusted. It is configured as follows.

  In addition, a plurality of temperature sensors S1, S2 for measuring the temperature and temperature distribution inside the tower body 1 are provided at least at the upper part, the middle part and the lower part inside the tower body 1, Overall and comprehensive temperature control.

  A pipe or duct 6 is connected to the lower portion of the drying tower body 1, which is connected to a supply pipe of a cyclone 7, and a discharge pipe 6 a is connected to a blower 8 that performs powerful exhaust, and the exhaust from the blower 8 is exhausted. Water vapor generated in the drying process in the processing device 9 is liquefied by spraying cooling water to form drain D, or has a function of separating and removing solids contained in the exhaust.

  The dry powder soy sauce d separated by the cyclone 7 is accommodated in a tank 7a connected through a valve.

  In FIG. 14A, the electric heater 17 is divided into three sections, 17a, 17b, and 17c in this example, and can be controlled to different temperatures. For example, the temperature of the electric heater 17a is controlled so that the temperature T1 of the portion where the spray nozzle is present is 60 ° C., the temperature of the electric heater 17b is controlled so that the temperature T 2 of the intermediate portion is 65 ° C. The temperature of the electric heater 17c is controlled so that the temperature T3 becomes 75 ° C.

  Since it is difficult to accurately measure the temperature inside the drying tower body 1 due to airflow and radiant heat, the temperature inside the electric heater is accurately measured and the temperature inside the tower is predicted and controlled. A method can also be employed.

  By adjusting the temperature of T1, T2, and T3 (that is, the temperature on the electric heater side) as described above, the lower temperature T3 is set within the range of 82 ° C or less (below the azeotropic temperature of the mixture of alcohol and water). The upper temperature T1 is set to 40 ° C. or more, and the central temperature T2 is controlled to be intermediate between the above temperatures, and the temperature difference between the upper and lower portions is controlled to be in the range of 10 to 30 ° C. .

  That is, heat shock is prevented by gently heating the spray of soy sauce into the tower body 1, and the temperature is increased from the middle part to the lower part. To promote granulation while preventing steam explosive drying.

  In this granulation process, an upward flow u is formed along the inner wall surface of the tower body 1 by forming a temperature difference in the atmosphere inside the upper lower tower body as described above, and a downward flow dn is formed in the center. It is possible to adjust the time during which the mist drops float inside the tower body 1.

  FIG. 14 (B) shows the disturbance state of the mist droplets inside the tower body 1, and the disturbance state is efficiently generated by the air flow as shown in FIG. A dry powder soy sauce with a unique appearance can be produced.

  As the composition of the raw material soy sauce, commercially available ones can be used as they are, but depending on the case, "starch" (saturated moromi mash) produced in the processing step before the soy sauce is completed, After the burning treatment, starch generated in the starching step can be easily dried to produce a powdery seasoning with good taste.

  The raw material soy sauce used in the examples of the present invention was dried using “koikuchi soy sauce” having the above-described composition, and the powder forms thereof are shown in FIGS. These are the same as those shown in FIG.

  There is currently no numerical data on deliquescence, but even after several years after opening and closing the lid several tens of times in a container of at least 250 cc, there is no sign of deliquescence and it is dry. Is retained. In extreme cases, almost no deliquescence is observed even if the container is kept open for 10 days.

  Since the dry powdered soy sauce according to the present invention can provide the same taste as the original soy sauce, it can be used as a seasoning for seasoning dishes.

It is a sketch of the microphotograph of the powdered soy sauce obtained by this invention. It is a sketch of the microphotograph of the powdered soy sauce obtained by this invention. It is the sketch of the microphotograph of the powdered soy sauce obtained by the conventional method. It is the sketch of the microphotograph of the powdered soy sauce obtained by the conventional method. It is a microscope picture of the powdered soy sauce obtained by this invention. It is a microscope picture of the powdered soy sauce obtained by this invention. It is a microscope picture of the powdered soy sauce obtained by this invention. It is a microscope picture of the powdered soy sauce obtained by this invention. It is a microscope picture of the powdered soy sauce obtained by the conventional method. It is a microscope picture of the powdered soy sauce obtained by the conventional method. It is a microscope picture of the powdered soy sauce obtained by the conventional method. It is a microscope picture of the powdered soy sauce obtained by the conventional method. It is a figure which shows an example of the apparatus for implementing this invention. (A) is explanatory drawing of the flow of the airflow in the drying tower shown in FIG.

    (B) is explanatory drawing of the generation state of the mixed flow in the drying tower shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

r Raw material soy sauce d1, d2 Powder dried soy sauce appearance of the present invention d3 to d6 Appearance of powder dried soy sauce by conventional method 1 Drying tower body 2 Spray nozzle 3 Pump 4 Raw material tank 5 Piping 5a Heater 6 Duct 7 Cyclone 8 Blower 9 Exhaust treatment Equipment 17 Electric heater

Claims (13)

  A mixture of a large sphere and a small sphere, wherein at least the large sphere of the mixture is a hollow body formed of a thin shell, the surface of which is substantially open and relatively smooth. Powdered soy sauce, characterized in that it is formed.   2. The dry powder soy sauce according to claim 1, wherein some of the large-diameter spheres have a turtle-shell pattern or a soccer ball-like ridge formed on the surface thereof, and have substantially no opening on the surface.   2. The dry powder soy sauce according to claim 1, wherein the large-diameter sphere includes a large number of small spheres therein.   2. The dry powder soy sauce according to claim 1, wherein a water-repellent film that is at least harmless to human beings is formed on the surface of a mixture of large and small spheres.   2. The dry powder soy sauce according to claim 1, wherein powdery soy sauce can be formed without adding an excipient for shaping as granular dry powder soy sauce to the raw material soy sauce.   In the drying tower body heated to a temperature lower than the boiling temperature of water, the raw material soy sauce adjusted to a temperature higher than the internal temperature of the tower body is sprayed, and this spray repeats contact, fusion, and coalescence with other sprays. In a method of evaporating moisture contained in soy sauce while growing as a spherical shell to form a shell formed of solid components of soy sauce, moisture evaporating from the soy sauce erupts by destroying the shell A method for producing dry powdered soy sauce, characterized in that the temperature inside the drying tower body is controlled under temperature conditions that do not.   7. The dry powdered soy sauce according to claim 6, wherein the temperature inside the drying tower main body is maintained at a low temperature on the tower top side and at a high temperature on the tower bottom side, and the temperature range is maintained at 40 ° C to 82 ° C. Production method.   The temperature inside the drying tower is divided into a plurality of portions in the longitudinal direction, the upper temperature is kept at a low temperature, the lower temperature is kept at a temperature higher than the upper temperature, and the temperature difference between the low temperature and the high temperature is about 10-30 ° C. 7. A method for producing dry powdered soy sauce according to claim 6, wherein a temperature difference is provided on the inner wall surface of the tower body within the range, and an upward flow is generated along the inner wall surface using this temperature difference. . Cylindrical drying tower main body, raw material soy sauce spraying means provided on the upper portion of the drying tower main body, soy sauce temperature control supply device connected to the spraying means, and the drying tower main body A cyclone for separating the dried powder soy sauce connected with the lower part and piping, and a gas discharge device for maintaining the inside of the cyclone in a reduced pressure state,
A heating means such as an electric heater is provided on the outer surface of the drying tower main body, and a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of a necessary portion of the tower main body is provided. An apparatus for producing dry powdered soy sauce, comprising a control device for controlling a heat generation state.   10. The apparatus for producing powdered soy sauce according to claim 9, wherein the inner wall surface of the drying tower body is subjected to water-repellent processing such as silicon processing and fluororesin processing to prevent adhesion of droplets.   On the outer surface of the drying tower main body, a ceramic layer having a two-layer structure in which a thermal spray layer mainly composed of aluminum oxide and a thermal spray layer mainly composed of titanium oxide is provided on the thermal spray layer is formed, and the outer surface of the titanium oxide layer 10. The apparatus for producing dry powdered soy sauce according to claim 9, wherein heating means such as an electric heater is disposed in the apparatus.   The electric heater provided on the outer surface of the drying tower body on the two-layered ceramic layer through an electric insulating layer is divided into at least three parts, and the temperature of each electric heater can be controlled independently. The apparatus for producing dry powdered soy sauce according to claim 9, which is configured as described above. The apparatus for producing powdered soy sauce according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein a device for supplying a water repellent suitable for food is provided in the main body of the cyclone.

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