JP2018164450A - Konjak powder and manufacturing method of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a konjak powder having a high content ratio of dietary fiber, capable of controlling a ratio of water soluble dietary fiber and water insoluble dietary fiber according to an object, and useful for direct ingestion of dietary fiber and mixing with food, and to provide an efficient manufacturing method of the same.SOLUTION: A konjak powder is obtained by: preparing a mixture by mixing a konjak base powder and a sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution in a state that powder grains contained in the konjak base powder retain a form as grains; supplying the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution into the powder grains in the mixture; and generating insoluble dietary fiber at a ratio in accordance with a supply amount of calcium to the powder grains in the powder particles.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

  The present invention relates to a konjac powder capable of controlling the ratio of water-soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber in powder particles contained in the konjac powder, and a method for producing the same.

According to the 2015 Japanese Food Standard Composition Table (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Chemical Technology and Science Council, edited by the Resource Research Subcommittee), the total amount of dietary fiber (mass basis) in konjac flour is 79.9%. By dissolving konjac fine powder in about 30 times (mass basis) water of konjac fine powder, glucomannan which is this water-soluble dietary fiber is dissolved, and the mixture becomes paste-like. A konjac can be obtained by kneading slaked lime suspended in water at a concentration of about 1% by mass into the konjac paste thus obtained, molding the mixture and heating it at 80 to 90 ° C. In konjac, 95 mass% or more of dietary fiber is measured as insoluble dietary fiber.
We Japanese have long been the only ethnic group that eats konjac on a daily basis. Today, konjac is recognized for its effects on health from both low calorie and insoluble dietary fiber, and its use is expected. However, it takes time and effort to cook konjac, and because of the limited cooking methods, konjac is now one of the ingredients that are difficult to eat frequently.
Furthermore, since konjac takes in a lot of water, the ratio of dietary fiber in konjac is 2 to 3% by mass, and there is a limit to trying to actively use insoluble dietary fiber through konjac.
As a konjac processed product in which the content ratio of insoluble dietary fiber is increased, konjac powder obtained by milling konjac after drying is known. Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing konjac powder, which is obtained by crushing konjac containing moisture into ground meat, removing the konjac paste by washing with water, drying the konjac paste, and pulverizing it with a finer. ing.

JP-A-4-99453

According to the method described in Patent Document 1, konjac powder having a high content of insoluble dietary fiber can be obtained. However, after manufacturing konjac with high water content from konjac raw material powder, after further crushing konjac containing moisture into ground meat, draining by washing with water, drying the konjac paste obtained through dehydration, drying, fine powder machine A process of powdering is required. Therefore, in the method of Patent Document 1, the number of manufacturing steps is increased, the manufacturing steps are complicated, and it is difficult to improve the manufacturing efficiency.
Patent Document 1 does not describe or suggest the point of controlling the ratio of water-soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber contained in each particle of konjac powder.

  An object of the present invention is a konjac powder that has a high dietary fiber content, can control the proportion of water-soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber according to the purpose, and is useful for direct intake of dietary fiber and incorporation into foods. And providing an efficient manufacturing method thereof.

The production method of the konjac powder according to the present invention is as follows:
A mixing step of mixing the konjac raw material powder and the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution and supplying the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution to the powder particles contained in the konjac raw material powder;
An insoluble dietary fiber forming step of forming an insoluble dietary fiber by the action of the aqueous solution of sugar calcium hydroxide in the powder particles supplied with the aqueous solution of sugar calcium hydroxide,
The mixing step and the insoluble dietary fiber forming step are performed in a state in which the form of the powder particles is maintained.
The konjac powder according to the present invention is
Contains 50% by weight or more and less than 100% by weight of dietary fiber based on the whole powder (on a dry matter basis), and the dietary fiber is composed of water-soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber. The fiber ratio (mass basis) is in the range of 50:50 to 1:99.

According to the present invention, a sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution is added to the konjac raw material powder, and these are mixed while maintaining the form of the powder particles contained in the konjac raw material powder, on the surface of the powder particles and inside thereof. A konjac powder containing powder particles in which the content of insoluble dietary fiber produced by the action of the supplied aqueous solution of sugar calcium hydroxide is increased can be obtained.
The ratio of the insoluble dietary fiber to the water-soluble dietary fiber contained in the konjac powder can be controlled by selecting the reaction conditions of the aqueous sugar calcium hydroxide solution and the powder particles.
Furthermore, in the method for producing konjac powder according to the present invention, the desired konjac powder can be obtained directly by allowing the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution to act while maintaining the particle form of the powder particles contained in the konjac raw material powder. . Therefore, in the method for producing konjac powder according to the present invention, in the prior art, a step of preparing konjac paste, a step of gelling konjac paste by addition of an alkali coagulant and heating, cutting of konjac chunks containing moisture, dehydration By omitting the steps of drying and pulverizing, konjac powder containing 50% by mass or more of insoluble dietary fiber with respect to the total dietary fiber can be produced very efficiently.
Furthermore, the powder particles contained in the konjac powder obtained by the production method according to the present invention have water absorbency, and are excellent in texture when swallowed directly, and have swallowability. It is favorable and can be suitably used as a food additive that requires water absorption.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a konjac powder and a method for producing the konjac powder that are excellent in texture even when ingested directly and have good swallowability.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, it can be added to beverages and foods without impairing the texture and flavor of the beverages and foods, the dietary fiber content is high, and depending on the intended use, It is possible to provide a konjac powder capable of controlling the proportion of insoluble dietary fiber and an efficient production method thereof.

Konjac powder obtained through drying, shredding and pulverization of konjac according to the prior art has a high dietary fiber content, and handling properties are much better than konjac containing a lot of water, as a food for intake of dietary fiber It is a very good product. However, the powder particles contained in the konjac powder according to the prior art have low water absorption or no water absorption, and have a unique texture when ingested as it is, and their use may be limited.
Furthermore, in the production of konjac powder in the prior art, a process for shredding, drying and pulverizing konjac containing a large amount of water is essential, and the yield (mass basis) of konjac powder relative to konjac paste is low. There was a limit to increasing the production efficiency of konjac powder.
As a result of intensive investigations on the method of producing konjac powder, the present inventors have found that glucomannan in konjac raw powder is insoluble dietary fiber from water-soluble glucomannan in a state of being trapped in powder particles without being dissolved in water. As a result, it was concluded that a konjac powder that can be used for a wide range of applications and has high production efficiency can be provided.

By the way, glucomannan in konjac raw material powder is dissolved in water to make it alkaline, and as one of the reasons that it becomes konjac gel by heating, gelation proceeds due to acetyl group in glucomannan coming off under alkaline conditions It is said that. However, since there are few acetyl groups in glucomannan, it has been established that this is not a complete proof of this point.
On the other hand, there is also a report that calcium crosslinking of glucomannan occurs by adding calcium hydroxide to konjac flour.
As described above, although the formation process of konjac gel is still unclear, it is the addition of calcium hydroxide that the inventors have focused on the formation of insoluble dietary fiber during the konjac production process.

The present inventors convert the glucomannan in the konjac raw material powder into insoluble dietary fiber without dissolving the glucomannan in water, while the konjac raw material powder remains in a particulate form. Concludes that it is preferable to absorb the powder particles directly in the form of calcium hydroxide. At that time, it is important that the powder particles absorb the calcium hydroxide solution while maintaining the form of the powder particles contained in the konjac raw powder such as konjac fine powder.
Maintaining the shape of the powder particles as particles means that the powder particles contained in the konjac raw material powder maintain the state of the primary particles regardless of the change in the outer shape and size of the particles. To do. Therefore, the maintenance of the form of the powder particles as a particle includes the case where the shape and size of the particle change.
In the production method according to the present invention, the konjac raw material powder is processed in the form of powder in the mixing step with the aqueous solution of calcium calcium hydroxide and the insoluble dietary fiber forming step in the powder particles, and the powder particles The shape as a particle is maintained.
In order to maintain the morphology of the powder particles as a mixture with the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution, a method of adjusting the amount of water supplied from the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution mixed with the konjac raw material powder can be preferably used. As a result of the study by the present inventors, the amount of the aqueous calcium hydroxide solution added to the amount of the konjac raw material powder is preferably 3 times or less (mass basis), so that the processing is performed while maintaining the form of the powder particles. I got the conclusion that I can do it. For example, when 3.5 times the amount (mass basis) of calcium calcium hydroxide aqueous solution is added to the konjac raw material powder, the water-soluble glucomannan is partially eluted by water absorption to form a paste and the particles are firmly bound to each other. In addition, it may be difficult to maintain the state of the primary particles of one grain or one grain.
The solubility of calcium hydroxide in water is extremely low, and it is 0.15% by mass at maximum even under conditions where it dissolves best at low temperatures. If about 18 mg of calcium per gram of dietary fiber in the konjac raw material powder is to be supplied by an aqueous calcium hydroxide solution, an aqueous solution of about 16 times the amount of slaked lime is required for the konjac raw material powder, and the konjac raw material powder is dissolved, The powder state cannot be maintained.

As a result of various studies on an alkali coagulant for forming insoluble dietary fibers while maintaining the form of powder particles from glucomannan contained in the konjac raw material powder, the present inventors have found that the water content of the original water is 0.00. Means for obtaining an aqueous solution in which calcium hydroxide, which dissolves only about 15%, is dissolved to a required concentration is essential, and has been developed by the present inventors for the preparation of an alkaline coagulant for konjac production. It came to the conclusion that it is effective to apply the technology to dissolve calcium hydroxide in reducing sugar aqueous solution. As a result, the following effects can be obtained by using an aqueous sugar calcium hydroxide solution capable of increasing the concentration of calcium in a dissolved state as an alkali coagulant for the production of konjac powder according to the present invention. I got a good knowledge.
(1) Konjac powder in which an insoluble dietary fiber is formed by the action of an aqueous calcium calcium hydroxide solution, and the content of insoluble dietary fiber is increased so that the content of insoluble dietary fiber is 50% by mass or more based on the total dietary fiber Has a water-absorbing property even after being subjected to dealkalization treatment to remove unnecessary alkali components by washing with about 30% by mass of hydrous alcohol to form a dry powder, and at least 60% by mass after being immersed in water at 25 ° C. for 1 hour. % Of the powder retained the particle shape in water. In this way, even if the konjac powder particles contain water-soluble dietary fiber, there are very few or no components that elute in water.
(2) When the powder particles contained in the konjac powder have water absorbency, when added to a beverage or water-containing food, it is easy to become familiar with the beverage or water-containing food, and the food of the beverage or water-containing food There is very little loss of feeling and flavor. Moreover, even when the powder particles contained in the konjac powder further contain water-soluble dietary fiber in an amount of about 50% to 40% by mass in addition to the insoluble dietary fiber, even when the powder particles are dispersed in water or warm water, The form of the powder particles is maintained, and the function as the powder particles can be maintained.
(3) Konjac powder is extremely useful as a food for reinforcing dietary fiber itself, or as a food additive or auxiliary component for enhancing dietary fiber for beverages and foods.
(4) By changing the conditions when the calcium hydroxide aqueous solution is allowed to act on the konjac raw material powder, the ratio of the water-soluble dietary fiber and the insoluble dietary fiber in the dietary fiber contained in the konjac powder particles is changed to the use of the konjac powder. Can be controlled accordingly. Moreover, the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution as an alkaline agent for insolubilizing water-soluble dietary fiber is remarkably superior in handling property compared to a sodium hydroxide aqueous solution or a slaked lime aqueous suspension. Furthermore, in the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution, the calcium hydroxide concentration can be easily adjusted, and the insolubilization of the water-soluble dietary fiber contained in the konjac raw material powder can be easily controlled by changing the calcium hydroxide concentration and operating conditions. be able to.
(5) Omitting the step of preparing konjac paste, the step of gelling konjac paste by adding an alkali coagulant and heating, the step of cutting the konjac mass containing moisture, drying, and powdering in the prior art It is possible to produce a konjac powder in which the ratio of water-soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber is adjusted according to the purpose extremely efficiently.
The present invention has been completed based on the above-described new findings of the present inventors.

The production method of the konjac powder according to the present invention is as follows:
(1) A mixing step of mixing the konjac raw material powder and the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution, and supplying the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution to the powder particles contained in the konjac raw material powder;
(2) an insoluble dietary fiber forming step for obtaining konjac powder by forming insoluble dietary fiber by the action of the aqueous solution of calcium calcium hydroxide in the powder particles supplied with the aqueous solution of calcium calcium hydroxide;
Have
The mixing step and the insoluble dietary fiber forming step are performed in a state where the form of the powder particles as particles is maintained.
In the present invention, the konjac raw material powder is konjac powder containing water-soluble glucomannan that can be used for konjac production or for konjac production, and is dissolved in water. The konjac powder according to the present invention is a konjac powder obtained by treating the konjac raw material powder by the above-described process, and the content of insoluble dietary fiber is absolutely increased with respect to the konjac raw material powder. It is clearly distinguished from the konjac raw material powder. Therefore, although konjac raw material powder can be used for manufacture of konjac, konjac cannot be manufactured using the konjac powder concerning this invention. Moreover, with respect to the conventional konjac powder as described in Patent Document 1, the konjac powder according to the present invention is clearly distinguished by the fact that the content of water-soluble dietary fiber is higher than that of the conventional konjac powder. .
In the insoluble dietary fiber formation process, the calcium hydroxide aqueous solution is supplied to the powder particles contained in the konjac raw material powder, and insoluble dietary fibers are formed from glucomannan in the powder particles, that is, at least a part of the surface and inside of the powder particles. Is done.
According to the method of the present invention, by forming insoluble dietary fiber from glucomannan, the content of insoluble dietary fiber to the total dietary fiber per dry matter is 50% by mass or more, 60% by mass or more, 70% by mass or more, 80% by mass. The konjac powder which is above or 90% by mass or more can be obtained. In addition, although the upper limit of the insoluble dietary fiber content per dry matter is not specifically limited, the insoluble dietary fiber content with respect to the total dietary fiber per dry matter can be less than 100 mass% or 99.0 mass% or less.
The mixing step and the insoluble dietary fiber forming step described above can be performed simultaneously. Alternatively, the mixture obtained in the mixing step is kept for the time necessary for insoluble dietary fiber formation by stirring or standing, if necessary, and the production of insoluble dietary fiber is advanced to obtain a konjac powder. You can also. In this case, the mixture can be processed in a powder state to obtain a konjac powder.
According to one aspect of the present invention, konjac produced from konjac koji, which is 92% water-soluble dietary fiber and 8% insoluble dietary fiber (calculated according to the Japanese food standard ingredient table 2015 version) among the dietary fibers originally contained. It is possible to provide a technique capable of arbitrarily controlling the proportion of insoluble dietary fiber in the fine powder.

As the konjac raw material powder, any powder can be used without particular limitation as long as the intended konjac powder can be obtained by a treatment using a sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution. As the konjac raw material powder, for example, specially used special powder, first-class powder, or konjac fine powder such as Timac Mannan (manufactured by Orihiro Co., Ltd.) can be used.
In addition, according to the refinement | purification degree of a konjac raw material powder, content of the dietary fiber of the konjac powder concerning this invention can be adjusted to the desired quantity. For example, in konjac powder (on a dry matter basis), 50% by mass to less than 100% by mass, 60% by mass to less than 100% by mass, 70% by mass to less than 100% by mass, 80% by mass to less than 100% by mass, or 90% by mass The content of dietary fiber can be selected within the range of% to less than 100% by mass. Moreover, the upper limit of content of a dietary fiber can be 99 mass%.
As an alkaline coagulant to be added to the konjac raw material powder, a sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution is used. This sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution is an aqueous solution containing water, sugar and calcium hydroxide, in which sugar and calcium hydroxide are dissolved in water.
As the sugar, non-reducing sugar is preferable. The non-reducing sugar does not affect the effect of the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution as a desired coagulant and has a function of improving the solubility of calcium hydroxide. In addition, when reducing sugar is used as sugar, since calcium hydroxide is a strong base, a so-called browning reaction may occur.
Non-reducing sugars include sucrose (sucrose) and trehalose because they are easily available. Sucrose is more preferable because of its high ability to dissolve calcium hydroxide and high stability as an alkaline agent of calcium hydroxide dissolved with sugar. As the sucrose, various sugar products such as commercially available granulated sugar and super white sugar can be used. Fine white sugar may contain a small amount of invert sugar (reducing sugar) that causes browning, and it is more preferable to use granulated sugar.

The calcium hydroxide used as the alkali component is not particularly limited as long as it can be used for food applications. From the viewpoint of reducing the manufacturing cost in industrial mass production, slaked lime obtained from limestone is useful.
For sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution, add calcium hydroxide and water together with sugar and mix with stirring, or add an excess amount of calcium hydroxide to the aqueous sugar solution in which sugar is dissolved and mix with stirring, and then remove the insoluble fraction. It can be prepared by a method or the like.
The solubility of calcium hydroxide in the presence of sugar also varies depending on the preparation temperature of the aqueous solution. Normally, the concentration of calcium hydroxide dissolved in an aqueous solution having the same sugar concentration is inversely proportional to the temperature. That is, calcium hydroxide can be dissolved at a higher concentration at a lower temperature. Also, depending on conditions such as sugar concentration and temperature, the dissolved concentration of calcium hydroxide may not be accurately predicted. In such a case, an excessive amount of calcium hydroxide is added and the solution remains in the prepared aqueous solution. The aqueous alkali solution after the solid content to be separated can be used as the aqueous sugar calcium hydroxide solution. This solid content may be separated by obtaining the supernatant after standing, but is further suspended by a known separation method such as centrifugation, membrane filtration, or clarification treatment using a filter aid. It is more preferable to remove fine particles and use as a so-called transparent solution.

The amount of sugar added is not particularly limited as long as it can maintain a dissolved state in an aqueous solution of sugar calcium hydroxide and can achieve the target concentration of dissolved calcium hydroxide. If the sugar concentration is high, precipitation of insoluble calcium hydroxide is inhibited, and it may be necessary to control the concentration of dissolved calcium hydroxide. Moreover, in the calcium hydroxide aqueous solution to which sugar is added so as to have a sugar concentration of about 35% by mass, troubles such as aggregation of calcium hydroxide to form a sticky lump may occur. Therefore, the addition amount of sugar may be selected from an amount in the range of 2 to 30% by mass, preferably 4 to 20% by mass, more preferably 5 to 15% by mass with respect to the water contained in the aqueous sugar calcium hydroxide solution. .
The concentration of calcium hydroxide dissolved in the aqueous solution of sugar calcium hydroxide can be selected according to the intended conversion rate of glucomannan to insoluble dietary fiber contained in the konjac raw material powder particles. Moreover, it is preferable that the addition amount of calcium hydroxide is an amount which can obtain the function and storage stability as an alkaline coagulant of the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution. When preparing the aqueous solution of sugar calcium hydroxide, if the concentration of calcium hydroxide dissolved in the aqueous solution of sugar exceeds 6.50% by mass, insoluble calcium hydroxide hardly precipitates when insoluble calcium hydroxide is produced. Liquid separation may be difficult. Accordingly, the concentration of calcium hydroxide in the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution is preferably in the range of 0.25 mass% to 6.50 mass%.

The preparation temperature of the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution is not particularly limited as long as it is a temperature at which the intended function and storage stability as the alkali coagulant can be obtained at the use temperature in the production of the konjac powder according to the present invention. . The preparation temperature of the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution can be selected from, for example, a cooling temperature of 5 ° C. to 70 ° C., for example, 9 to 11 ° C., and a normal room temperature of 21 to 25 ° C.
The amount of calcium hydroxide added in the presence of the sugar obtained at the preparation temperature is preferably about 1 to 4 times the mass (based on mass).
The sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution has only to have an alkalinity capable of obtaining the conversion function of the desired glucomannan as an alkali coagulant into insoluble dietary fiber, for example, 12.0 to 13.0, preferably The pH may be alkaline selected from the range of 12.3 to 12.8, more preferably 12.5 to 12.8.
Preferably, a sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution using a non-reducing sugar as a sugar does not contain calcium hydroxide solids and contains calcium hydroxide at a high concentration by coexisting sugar with calcium hydroxide in the aqueous solution. It is extremely stable under temperature conditions that maintain the state of an aqueous solution of 50 ° C. or less, can be prepared in large quantities and stored in a sealed manner, and can be used after diluting as needed, depending on the amount of konjac produced. Since the amount of use can be adjusted, it is highly valuable in terms of industrial use.

In the konjac powder manufacturing method of the present invention, first, a mixture of a konjac raw material powder and a sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution is prepared. For the preparation of this mixture, a method of adding an aqueous calcium calcium hydroxide solution to konjac raw material powder and mixing by stirring can be preferably used.
The amount of sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution added to the konjac raw material powder is such that, depending on the calcium hydroxide concentration of the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution, the powder particles contained in the konjac raw material powder can maintain the form as particles. What is necessary is just to select from the range which can achieve the target conversion ratio to the insoluble dietary fiber of the glucomannan contained in.
The maintenance of the form of the powder particle as a particle means that the form of the particle in the powder particle is through the treatment step with the aqueous solution of calcium calcium hydroxide including the mixing step and the insoluble dietary fiber formation step (conversion step) described above. It means that the state as the primary particles is maintained without breaking, and the swelling of the powder particles due to the penetration of the aqueous calcium hydroxide solution into the powder particles and the release of moisture etc. outside the powder particles A case where shrinkage or a change in particle external shape occurs may be included.

As for the amount of saccharide calcium hydroxide aqueous solution added to the konjac raw material powder, the saccharide calcium hydroxide aqueous solution is supplied to the powder particles contained in the konjac raw material powder so that each powder particle can come into contact with the saccharide calcium hydroxide aqueous solution. From the standpoint that each powder particle can maintain a particulate form even in contact with an aqueous solution, the ratio (mass basis) of the konjac raw material powder and the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution may be determined. The ratio may be selected from the range of 1: 1 to 1: 3, more preferably 1: 1 to 1: 2.
Furthermore, the production | generation of the insoluble dietary fiber by bridge | crosslinking gelation of the glucomannan contained in a konjac raw material powder can be controlled according to the supply amount of the calcium hydroxide to a konjac raw material powder. The amount of calcium hydroxide supplied to the konjac raw material powder can be determined using the amount of calcium added to the konjac raw material powder as an index. For example, according to the 2015 Japanese food standard ingredient table mentioned above, the water content of konjac flour is 6.0% by mass, the water-soluble dietary fiber is 73.3% by mass, the insoluble dietary fiber is 6.6% by mass (dry matter) It is 7.0% by mass in terms of hit. Thus, the content of the water-soluble dietary fiber in the konjac flour is 92% with respect to the total dietary fiber. In addition, the fine konjac has a water content of 97.3% by mass, water-soluble dietary fiber of 0.1% by mass, and insoluble dietary fiber of 2.1% by mass. It is 95% or more. Therefore, in theory, the content of insoluble dietary fiber can be determined by selecting the concentration of calcium hydroxide in the aqueous solution of sugar hydroxide and the amount added within the range of the content of water-soluble dietary fiber contained in the konjac raw material powder. Can be controlled.
Practically, konjac raw material powder is impregnated with an aqueous solution of calcium calcium hydroxide and allowed to react sufficiently, and then components other than glucomannan are removed by a dealkalization step in which excess alkali is removed with water or a hydrous alcohol of about 30% by mass. If removed, the dietary fiber content will increase.
For example, as described above, when the ratio of the konjac raw material powder and the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution is selected from the range of 1: 1 to 1: 3 (mass basis), the concentration of calcium hydroxide in the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution is set to 0. The ratio of water-soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber to the total dietary fiber in the powder particles treated with the aqueous solution of calcium calcium hydroxide is changed by changing the ratio in the range of 50 to 3.0% by mass. It can be controlled in the range of 99, or in the range of 40:60 to 1:99.

When glucomannan comes into contact with an aqueous sugar calcium hydroxide solution, it is presumed that the sugar chain polymer forms a water-insoluble structure, that is, an insoluble dietary fiber bonded through a number of crosslinking points by the action of calcium hydroxide. The formation of this water-insoluble structure is considered to progress from the surface layer to the center of the powder particle as the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution penetrates from the surface to the inside of the powder particle. Therefore, the amount of insoluble dietary fiber produced from glucomannan contained in the powder particles can be controlled by the supply amount of the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution to the powder particles and the degree of penetration into the powder particles.
Further, the network structure of the surface layer of the powder particles presumed to be formed first has water permeability, and even when the network structure is formed on the surface layer, the aqueous solution of calcium hydroxide aqueous solution can penetrate into the powder particles. It is considered unimpeded. Furthermore, by forming a water-insoluble network structure on the surface layer of the powder particles, the powder particles independently maintain the particle shape throughout the treatment process using the aqueous solution of calcium sugar hydroxide. Adhesion and adhesion do not occur, and a powder with good dispersibility of each particle can be obtained.
In addition, by forming a network-like structure composed of a crosslinked gel of glucomannan on the surface layer and inside of the powder particles, the powder particles have water absorbency and water retention properties that retain the absorbed water. Thereby, a good texture can be imparted to the powder particles, and when added to a beverage or food, it is easy to become familiar with the beverage or food, and the texture and flavor thereof are not impaired.

According to the method for producing konjac powder according to the present invention, the following two types of konjac powder can be obtained.
(Type 1) Almost all of glucomannan contained in the konjac raw material powder, or 90% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass, is contained as insoluble dietary fiber made of a crosslinked glucomannan gel. That is, konjac powder in which the dietary fiber contained in the powder particles is mainly composed of insoluble dietary fiber.
(Type 2) 50% by mass or more and less than 90% by mass of glucomannan contained in the konjac powder is contained as insoluble dietary fiber composed of a crosslinked gel of glucomannan. That is, the konjac powder which adjusted the ratio of the water-soluble dietary fiber and the insoluble dietary fiber in the dietary fiber contained in a powder particle according to the objective.
(Manufacture of type 1 konjac flour)
In the production of type 1 konjac powder, the amount of calcium supplied to the konjac raw material powder via the aqueous calcium hydroxide solution is 0.75 to 4.00 mass%, preferably 0.75 to 1.00 mass%. However, it is possible to reduce the amount of added calcium by increasing the purity of the raw material.
The konjac raw material powder has quality standards such as special powder, first-class powder, etc. as a general standard. For example, Timac Mannan (trade name, which has reduced trimethylamine odor by treating konjac raw material powder with ethyl alcohol, Some products have a higher degree of purification, such as Orihiro Co., Ltd.
In other words, the amount of calcium supplied to the konjac raw material powder via the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution depends on the processing state of the konjac raw material powder, and in the case of Timac Mannan (Orihiro Co., Ltd.) with a high degree of purification. The range of 0.75 to 1.00% by mass is preferable. Therefore, when the ratio of the konjac raw material powder and the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution is selected from the preferred range of 1: 1 to 1: 3 (mass basis), the concentration of calcium hydroxide in the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution is set to 0. It is preferable to select from the range of 4-1 to 1.85% by mass.
The content ratio of the insoluble dietary fiber to the total dietary fiber of the whole powder (on a dry matter basis) in the type 1 konjac flour can be, for example, 90% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass.
The ratio (A: B) of the water-soluble dietary fiber A and the insoluble dietary fiber B to the total dietary fiber in the type 1 konjac flour is preferably in the range of 10:90 to 1:99.
(Manufacture of type 2 konjac flour)
The content ratio of the insoluble dietary fiber to the total dietary fiber of the whole powder (on a dry matter basis) in the konjac flour of type 2 can be, for example, 50% by mass or more, 60% by mass or more, and less than 90% by mass.
In the production of type 2 konjac powder, the ratio (A: B) of water-soluble dietary fiber A and insoluble dietary fiber B to the total dietary fiber is 50:50 or more, or 40:60 or more, and less than 10:90. In other words, A / B can be adjusted to 50/50 or more, or 40/60 or more and less than 10/90.
For the production of type 2 konjac powder, the amount of calcium supplied to the konjac raw material powder via the aqueous solution of calcium hydroxide is 0.50 to 1.25% by mass, preferably 0.50 to 1.00% by mass. It is preferable to select from the range of%. Even in this case, the amount of calcium supplied to the konjac raw material powder via the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution varies depending on the processing state of the konjac raw material powder, and in the case of konjac fine powder (special powder), 0.50 to 1. The range is 25% by mass, and in the case of Timac Mannan, the range is 0.50 to 0.73% by mass.
As described above, the amount of calcium supplied to the konjac raw material powder via the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution may be appropriately selected according to the raw material. Furthermore, the ratio of the konjac raw material powder and the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution is selected from the range of 1: 1 to 1: 3 (mass basis), and the concentration of calcium hydroxide in the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution is 0.3 to 1.85 mass%. It is preferable to select from the range.

When the conversion of the desired glucomannan to insoluble dietary fiber has been achieved, the treatment step of the konjac raw material powder with the aqueous solution of calcium calcium hydroxide is completed.
The point of the present invention is how to penetrate calcium hydroxide into the konjac raw material powder, and the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution added to the raw material powder is completely absorbed and the individual powder particles are separated apart from each other. It is important to. When calcium hydroxide is added to the raw material powder to absorb water, moderate heating will promote the conversion of glucomannan to insoluble dietary fiber. Thereafter, the conversion to insoluble dietary fiber may be promoted by normal temperature or moderate heating and holding for several hours to several days.
Regarding the calcium hydroxide concentration of the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution, a sugar calcium hydroxide concentration that matches the degree of processing of the konjac raw material powder used in advance may be determined in accordance with the conversion rate of the desired glucomannan into insoluble dietary fiber.
In the case of Type 1 and Type 2 konjac flour, the saccharide solution of the konjac raw material powder is used until the content of the insoluble dietary fiber and the ratio of water-soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber are obtained. Perform the process. For example, when using a sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution of the same concentration, type 1 or type 2 can be selected depending on processing conditions such as processing time, processing temperature, and the mixture ratio of the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution to the konjac raw material powder. . When processing conditions such as the processing time, processing temperature, and the mixing ratio of the aqueous calcium hydroxide solution to the konjac raw material powder are the same, type 1 or type 2 can be selected depending on the calcium hydroxide concentration of the aqueous sugar calcium hydroxide solution. . Also, depending on the degree of purification of the konjac raw material powder, processing conditions necessary for the production of the target type, such as processing time, processing temperature, calcium hydroxide concentration of the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution, sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution for the konjac raw material powder It is also possible to use a method in which the production ratio is determined in advance by a preliminary test and the production is performed using the obtained processing conditions.
In countries and regions where the production method according to the present invention is implemented, if there are laws and regulations concerning the amount of calcium hydroxide used in food processing, the laws and regulations are followed. For example, the amount of calcium hydroxide used in Japan based on the Food Sanitation Law is defined as 1.0% or less of food as calcium, and this provision is required when the production method according to the present invention is carried out in Japan. Adjust the concentration and amount of sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution according to

The mixture of the konjac raw material powder and the aqueous solution of sugar calcium hydroxide maintains the state as a wet powder during the treatment step with the aqueous solution of sugar calcium hydroxide. You may add a washing | cleaning process and / or a drying process with respect to the wet powder obtained in this way as needed. You may utilize a washing | cleaning process as a process for the process completion | finish which stops the effect | action of sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution. Moreover, you may add the grinding | pulverization process which reduces the particle size of a powder particle to a washing | cleaning process and / or a drying process.
For cleaning the konjac powder, any detergent can be used without limitation as long as it is a cleaning agent capable of cleaning and removing excess sugar calcium hydroxide that has not been used for conversion of glucomannan into insoluble dietary fiber from the konjac powder. As a cleaning agent, alcohol containing water containing volatile alcohols, such as 5-60 mass% ethanol, is preferable, for example.
In a drying process, it can carry out on the conditions according to the water content of the target konjac powder, and can carry out using a well-known powder drying apparatus. The water content of the konjac powder after the drying step can be, for example, 10% by mass or less, preferably 3 to 8% by mass.

A wet pressure pulverization step may be added after the above-described cleaning step or together with the cleaning step. The manufacturing method of the konjac powder which has a wet-pressure grinding | pulverization process can have the following processes.
(A) A mixing step of mixing the konjac raw material powder and the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution and supplying the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution to the powder particles contained in the konjac raw material powder.
(B) An insoluble dietary fiber forming step in which insoluble dietary fiber is formed by the action of the aqueous solution of sugar calcium hydroxide in the powder particles supplied with the aqueous solution of sugar calcium hydroxide to obtain a wet powder.
(C) The process of wash | cleaning wet powder or its dry powder with the washing | cleaning liquid which consists of alcohol containing water containing 5 mass%-60 mass% volatile alcohol.
(D) A step of wet pulverizing the washed wet powder to obtain a wet pulverized product.
(E) A step of drying the wet pulverized product to obtain a konjac powder.
Alcohol containing wet powder particles or dry powder particles for obtaining the above-described konjac powder in a range of 5% to 60% by mass, preferably 20% to 40% by mass of a volatile alcohol such as ethanol. The contained water is washed as a washing liquid, and is applied to a wet type pressure crushing treatment machine, and the obtained pulverized product is separated from the washing liquid. This wet pressure pulverization makes particles in a wet state at least partially broken particles, and is dried to contain a mixture of insoluble dietary fiber and water-soluble dietary fiber, and in a liquid containing water. A konjac powder comprising particles having good dispersibility can be obtained.
Even in the case of type 1 konjac powder mainly containing insoluble dietary fiber as dietary fiber, konjac powder (type 1A) further improved in dispersibility in a liquid medium containing water by the washing step and wet pressure pulverization step described above. ) Can be obtained. Type 1A konjac powder thus obtained has improved dispersibility in water-containing liquids. For example, when added to beverages such as drinking water, soft drinks, various drinks, various soups, or liquid foods. In addition, particles mainly containing insoluble dietary fibers can quickly spread in beverages or liquid foods, and can maintain a dispersed state for a long time. Furthermore, the particles mainly containing dispersed insoluble dietary fiber do not inhibit the throat of a beverage or liquid food, but rather can have the effect of improving the throat. Therefore, konjac flour of type 1A can be suitably used for easy ingestion of insoluble dietary fiber by beverages and liquid foods, and is also suitable for mixing with confectionery, bread, noodles and the like.
The present inventor estimates the reason why the dispersibility of the type 1A konjac flour in water or a liquid containing water is improved as follows.
As described above, when the powder particles are maintained in the form of particles, the konjac raw material powder and the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution are mixed, and the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution is supplied to the konjac powder particles. Insoluble dietary fibers are formed in the absorbed powder particles by the action of the aqueous calcium hydroxide hydroxide solution.
The formation of the insoluble dietary fiber in the powder particles is performed by the penetration of the aqueous solution of calcium calcium hydroxide into the powder particles. That is, a path is formed in the powder particles by permeation of the aqueous calcium calcium hydroxide solution. Glucomannan in contact with this penetrating aqueous solution of sugar calcium hydroxide becomes insoluble. When wet powder particles containing particles containing insolubilized glucomannan are washed with a washing liquid composed of alcohol-containing water, a portion in which the excess sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution is replaced with the washing liquid is generated in the particles forming the wet powder. The alcohol contained in the cleaning liquid has an effect of further strengthening the network structure containing insolubilized glucomannan and further increasing the hardness of the region. That is, the hardness of the surface layer portion of the particle and the portion in contact with the cleaning liquid in the particle is further increased. Therefore, when the wet powder particles washed with the cleaning liquid are subjected to wet pressure pulverization, the particles break up and break along the path where the cleaning liquid penetrates mainly from the part in the particles whose hardness is increased by the action of the alcohol. , Such as cleaving similar to cleavage, hemispherical, flaky, and partially smashed shapes, such as a shape that can obtain good dispersibility when suspended in water or a liquid containing water Konjac powder containing crushed material can be obtained.
Therefore, the wet pressure pulverization of the wet powder particles can be performed by a wet pulverizer capable of applying a pressure for causing the above-described crushing to the particles constituting the wet powder. As such a wet pulverizer, for example, a stone mortar type grinder constituted by two upper and lower whetstones represented by Super Mas Colloider (trade name, model MCK6-5 manufactured by Masuko Sangyo Co., Ltd.), Alternatively, a wet type ball mill or the like can be used.

Furthermore, if the wet pressure pulverization process described above is used to remove the water-containing alcohol to form a dry powder by a dehydrator, pulverization is facilitated, so if dry pulverization is performed as necessary, hot water or A fine powder having good dispersibility in water or a liquid containing water is obtained. In addition, the effect can be enhanced by repeating the wet pressure pulverization, but if the powder is excessively pulverized in the wet pressure pulverization process, solid-liquid separation becomes difficult and the recovery rate such as leakage of the fine powder into the filtrate is high. It may be accompanied by adverse effects such as a decrease.
Whether or not a type A1 konjac powder is obtained can be confirmed by observing with a stereomicroscope wet powder particles dehydrated after wet pressure pulverization or dried to about 10% moisture. That is, the effect of the wet pressure pulverizer is confirmed by a method of observing a shape in which particles are broken and crushed, crushing similar to cleavage occurs, a hemisphere, a flake, a part of a sphere is broken, etc. be able to.
Furthermore, when adding 20-30 times 20-30 degreeC water to dry powder particle | grains, it can confirm by absorbing water and swelling and causing volume expansion. The volume expansion of the powder particles is larger as the water temperature is higher, but never dissolves in water. Then, the state in which the powder particles (generally 500 μm or less) are swollen with water is observed using a stereomicroscope.
On the other hand, even in the case of type B konjac powder, dispersibility in a liquid medium containing water by the production method having the steps (A) to (Z) described above, in particular, by a washing step and a wet pressure pulverization step. A konjac powder (type 2A) can be obtained with a further enhanced level. In the case of Type 2A, the water-absorbing property and swelling property of the powder particles can be improved by exposing the portion containing the water-soluble dietary fiber to the outer wall surface of the resulting particles due to the cleavage-like crushing described above.
In wet pressure pulverization, wet powder particles, or dry powder particles and washing water (hydrous alcohol solution) are mixed and washed with wet powder particles in contact with washing water, and then wet powder particles. A method in which a mixture of water and washing water is applied to a wet pressure pulverizer, a method in which wet powder particles and washing water are mixed and introduced into a wet pressure pulverizer, and washing and pulverization are performed simultaneously, or the pH of the final powder Can be carried out by adding an acidifying agent such as citric acid to the washing water in advance so that the water is neutralized within the target range.
The amount of the cleaning liquid (hydrous alcohol solution) added to the wet powder particles is not particularly limited, and may be set so that the intended cleaning effect can be obtained. For example, it is preferable to add the cleaning liquid so that the ratio (mass ratio) of the cleaning liquid is in the range of 3 to 10 with respect to the dry powder particles 1 when converted into dry powder particles having a water content of about 10% by mass. .
The clearance between the upper and lower grinders, the grinding time, the number of repeated grindings, and the temperature are not particularly limited and may be set so that the desired wet grinding state and effect can be obtained, but the liquid temperature increases as the number of repeated grindings increases. As the alcohol evaporates, extreme repetition of grinding must be avoided. A point to be noted as the degree of pulverization is to control the particle size distribution so that fine powder cannot be recovered during solid-liquid separation due to miniaturization, and loss does not increase.
The pulverized material obtained by wet pressure pulverization can be solid-liquid separated and dried, and the konjac powder of type 1A can be obtained preferably with a moisture content of 10% by mass or less. As a feature of the dried product at this point, there are many large and small lumps in which particles crushed by wet pulverization are lightly adhered to each other, but these lumps return to individual particle powders by lightly impacting the dried product. It is sufficient to loosen these lumps lightly and collect particles of 425 μm or less with a 36 mesh sieve.
An example of a preferable distribution of dry powder particle (water content 6.5%) size after wet pressure pulverization was 27% less than 100 μm, 47% less than 100 to 200 μm, and 28% 200 to 450 μm. By the way, the particle size distribution of the dry powder when only 30% alcohol washing is performed without performing wet pressure pulverization is 1% less than 100 μm, 29% less than 100 to 200 μm, 62% less than 200 to 450 μm, 450 μm to 700 μm was 8%.
In addition, the particle size of each particle may be further reduced by dry pulverization of the pulverized product obtained by wet pressure pulverization. In addition, the surface of the particle and the part in contact with the alcohol contained in the cleaning liquid in the particle are harder than before contact with the alcohol, and the shape necessary for dispersibility is maintained even after dry pulverization. Further, since the pulverized product containing particles having a reduced particle size can be obtained, the over-throat can be further improved.
In addition, in the fine powder finely pulverized by the dry pulverization after passing through the wet pressure pulverization and the drying step, a change may be recognized in properties as dietary fiber. For example, even if the fine powder finely pulverized by this dry pulverization is processed by dry pulverization so that the ratio of insoluble dietary fiber to the total dietary fiber is 70 to 90% by mass, As cleavage fracture progressed in the process, it was found that the resulting fine powder tended to have enhanced water absorption properties. Therefore, the konjac fine powder concerning this invention containing an insoluble dietary fiber and a water-soluble dietary fiber can anticipate the application of a wide range as a physiological effect as a dietary fiber, and a food additive.

According to the method for producing konjac powder according to the present invention, a konjac powder containing powder particles containing water-soluble dietary fiber, insoluble dietary fiber, calcium, and sugar as dietary fiber can be obtained. Whether or not the target konjac powder was obtained, the measurement results of the content of water-soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber and their content ratio, the measured value of the viscosity of a 1% by mass aqueous dispersion in the experimental examples described later, This can be confirmed by observing the dispersion state in water or warm water.
Examples of the konjac powder that can be obtained by the method for producing a konjac powder according to the present invention include the following forms.
-50% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass, preferably 70 to 99% by mass, more preferably 90% by mass or less and less than 100% by mass, or 90% by mass or more, based on the whole powder (on a dry matter basis) The fiber is composed of water-soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber, and the ratio of water-soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber to the total dietary fiber (mass basis) is 50:50 or 40: 60-1 : Konjac powder in the range of 99.
As the above-mentioned konjac powder, the content (based on dry matter) of dietary fiber with respect to the entire konjac powder is 80% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass, preferably 90% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass, more preferably 90% by mass or more. Konjac powder that is 99% by mass or less and has a ratio of water-soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber to the total dietary fiber (mass basis) in the range of 50:50 or 40:60 to 1:99. it can.
Examples of the konjac powder of the following composition can be given as the type 1 and type 1A and the type 2 and type 2A konjac powders mentioned above.
(Type 1, Type 1A)
-Konjac powder in which 90% by mass or more of dietary fiber is composed of insoluble dietary fiber on a dry matter basis.
The konjac powder of type 1 and type 1A has a dietary fiber content (based on dry matter) of 80% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass, preferably 90% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass, more preferably konjac powder. Is 90% by mass or more and 99% by mass or less, and the ratio A: B (mass basis) of the water-soluble dietary fiber A and the insoluble dietary fiber B to the total dietary fiber is in the range of 10:90 to 1:99. A konjac powder can be mentioned.
(Type 2, Type 2A)
-On a dry matter basis, dietary fiber consists of water-soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber, and the ratio (mass basis) of water-soluble dietary fiber A and insoluble dietary fiber B to total dietary fiber is 50:50 for A: B Or 40:60 or more and less than 10:90 (ie, A / B is 50/50 or more or 40/60 or more and less than 10/90), or A: B is 50:50 or more, or 40:60 or more and less than 30:70 (In other words, konjac powder in the range of A / B of 50/50 or more or 40/60 or more and less than 30/70).
The konjac powder of type 2 and type 3A has a dietary fiber content (based on dry matter) of 80% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass, preferably 90% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass, more preferably konjac powder. Is 90 mass% or more and 99 mass% or less, and A: B (mass basis) which is the ratio of the water-soluble dietary fiber A and the insoluble dietary fiber B to the total dietary fiber is 50:50 or more or 40:60 The konjac powder which exists in the range below 10:90 (namely, A / B is 50/50 or more or 40/60 or more and less than 30/70) can be mentioned.
The konjac powder obtained by the production method according to the present invention is extremely useful as a dietary fiber-enhancing food itself such as a supplement, or as a food additive or auxiliary component for enhancing dietary fiber for beverages and foods.
When the konjac powder according to the present invention is used as a food for reinforcing dietary fiber, the konjac powder can be used as it is or after being formulated with a carrier, excipient, capsule material or the like that is acceptable as a food ingredient. . If necessary, the food for reinforcing dietary fiber using konjac powder can further contain nutritional supplement components such as vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, and mineral components.
Even when used as a food additive or auxiliary ingredient for beverages or foods, konjac powder can be used as it is or after being formulated into a carrier, excipient, capsule material or the like that is acceptable as a food ingredient.

(Experimental example 1)
As the konjac refined powder, Timac Mannan (trade name) (moisture 7.5% by mass, dietary fiber 85.9% by mass) manufactured by Orihiro Co., Ltd. was used.
As calcium sucrose hydroxide aqueous solution, calcium hydroxide concentration (mass%) is A: 0.5% (pH 12.51), B: 0.9% (pH 12.53), C: 1.1% (pH 12.54) ), D: 1.2% (pH 12.53), E: 1.3% (pH 12.54), F: 1.5% (pH 12.60). In addition, a 1.5% calcium hydroxide aqueous solution with a sucrose concentration of 6.0% by mass was prepared as a reference solution, and a solution with a 0.5 to 1.3% calcium hydroxide concentration was appropriately used as tap water. However, calcium hydroxide was not precipitated at all solution concentrations.
Six types of test samples A to F having different calcium contents were prepared by adding 100 g of sucrose calcium hydroxide aqueous solution to 100 g of Timac mannan, and stirring and mixing. It was washed with dehydration with 30% by mass of alcohol 8 times the amount of the raw material, dried at 60 ° C. to obtain a powder.
The dry powder was measured for moisture, water-soluble dietary fiber, and insoluble dietary fiber. The contents of the insoluble dietary fiber and the water-soluble dietary fiber of the raw materials and test samples A to F were compared in terms of dry matter (mass basis). Furthermore, the calcium concentration (per dry matter amount) of these samples was measured. The results obtained are shown below.
(1) Timac Mannan used as a test raw material was 87.5% of water-soluble dietary fiber versus 3.4% of insoluble dietary fiber.
(2) Test sample A using sucrose calcium hydroxide aqueous solution having a calcium hydroxide concentration of 0.5% by mass
It was 93.1% water-soluble dietary fiber, compared to 5.8% insoluble dietary fiber.
Moreover, the calcium content was 0.34%.
(3) Test sample B using sucrose calcium hydroxide aqueous solution having a calcium hydroxide concentration of 0.9 mass%
It was 56.0% water-soluble dietary fiber, compared to 34.9% insoluble dietary fiber.
Moreover, the calcium content was 0.48%.
(4) Test sample C using sucrose calcium hydroxide aqueous solution having a calcium hydroxide concentration of 1.1% by mass
It was 32.8% water-soluble dietary fiber, compared with 65.8% insoluble dietary fiber.
Moreover, the calcium content was 0.59%.
(5) Test sample D using a calcium hydroxide sucrose aqueous solution having a calcium hydroxide concentration of 1.2% by mass
It was 23.2% water-soluble dietary fiber, compared to 74.4% insoluble dietary fiber.
The calcium content was 0.61%.
(6) Test sample E using sucrose calcium hydroxide aqueous solution having a calcium hydroxide concentration of 1.3% by mass
The water-soluble dietary fiber was 14.0% against 83.6% insoluble dietary fiber.
Moreover, the calcium content was 0.63%.
(7) Test sample F using sucrose calcium hydroxide aqueous solution having a calcium hydroxide concentration of 1.5% by mass
It was 2.0% of water-soluble dietary fiber, compared with 97.0% of insoluble dietary fiber.
The calcium content was 0.75%.
The results are shown in Table 1.

From the above results, in the case of Timac Mannan as the test raw material, when the ratio of the raw material powder to the calcium hydroxide sucrose aqueous solution is 1: 1, if the calcium hydroxide concentration is 1.0% or more, the insoluble dietary fiber of the final powder It was concluded that the content can be 60% or more in terms of dry matter.
In addition, in the measurement of dietary fiber, insoluble dietary fiber and water-soluble dietary fiber were quantified by a modified Prosky method, which is one of the enzyme and weight methods.
The calcium was measured by ashing the sample and quantifying it by atomic absorption spectrometry.

(Experimental example 2)
As in Experimental Example 1, Timac Mannan (manufactured by Orihiro Co., Ltd.) (water content 7.5% by mass, dietary fiber 85.9% by mass) was used as the konjac fine powder, and the aqueous sucrose calcium hydroxide solution was hydroxylated. After preparing a calcium concentration (mass%) of 1.0% (pH 12.53), adding 100 g of calcium hydroxide sucrose aqueous solution to 100 g of Timac Mannan, stirring and mixing, and then leaving it to stand at room temperature for 3 days in a sealed state These were washed with 30% by mass of alcohol, 8 times the amount of each raw material, dehydrated, and dried at 60 ° C. to obtain powder.
The dry powder thus obtained was measured for moisture, water-soluble dietary fiber, and insoluble dietary fiber, and the content of insoluble dietary fiber and water-soluble dietary fiber was converted to 54.0% insoluble dietary fiber on a dry matter basis (mass basis). On the other hand, it was 42.8% of water-soluble dietary fiber, and the ratio of insoluble dietary fiber to total dietary fiber was 55.8% by mass. Moreover, the calcium content was 0.54%.
About 8 types of samples obtained by adding 6 types (A to F) of the sample of Experimental Example 1 and the sample of this Experimental Example 2 to the konjac flour (Timac Mannan) as a raw material, the concentration is 1% by mass. Mixtures were prepared by mixing with water, and the viscosity of each mixture was measured.
When the sample is water-soluble, the mixture is an aqueous solution. When the sample contains a water-soluble substance and an insoluble substance, the mixture contains dissolved components and dispersed components. If the sample is insoluble, the mixture becomes a dispersion of insoluble material.
The above-mentioned viscosity measurement method is generally adopted to determine the quality standard of konjac flour (water-soluble konjac flour), and the viscosity (east east) is stirred in a 35 ° C. warm bath. Machine type, B type viscometer) is measured and judged with the highest value among them. The higher the viscosity, the better the quality of the konjac powder. The quality of the konjac raw material powder in this measurement method. Ratings are widely spread.
In an example of classification of the quality of the konjac raw material powder based on this viscosity, those having a viscosity of 15,000 mPa · s or higher in this measurement method are classified as special powder, and those having 13,000 mPa · s or higher are classified as first-class powder. . Timac mannan has been purified by alcohol treatment to remove konjac odor trimethylamine, and the standard value of viscosity in this measurement method is 16,000 mPa · s or more. In addition, as a konjac raw material generally used for konjac manufacture, the viscosity of several thousand mPa * s or more is required.
Table 2 shows the results of viscosity measurement, and at the same time, the contents of insoluble dietary fiber and water-soluble dietary fiber were expressed in terms of dry matter (mass basis).

In the results of Table 2, the viscosity in a 1% by weight solution of Timac Mannan (3.4% insoluble dietary fiber) is 19,0000 mPa · s, and Experimental Example 1-A (5.8% insoluble dietary fiber) The viscosity of was 15,000 mPa · s, but in Experimental Example 1-B (insoluble dietary fiber 34.9%), the viscosity decreased to 1,000 mPa · s. Furthermore, in Experimental Example-2 (insoluble dietary fiber 54.0%), the viscosity is 300 mPa · s, and in Experimental Example 1-C (insoluble dietary fiber 65.8%), the viscosity is 200 mPa · s. It became less than 1/10 of the lowest value.
In Experimental Example 1-D (insoluble dietary fiber 74.4%), Experimental Example 1-E (insoluble dietary fiber 83.6%), and Experimental Example 1-F (insoluble dietary fiber 97.0%), the viscosity is zero. It became. From the above, it became clear that when the content (mass basis) of insoluble dietary fiber in terms of dry matter exceeds 50%, the original properties of konjac flour are lost.
As shown in Table 2, the konjac powder according to the present invention having no characteristics of the konjac raw material when the viscosity is reduced to less than this value with the threshold of 1,000 (mPa · s) in the above viscosity measurement conditions is It can be used as an indicator of being manufactured.

Example 1
40 kg of konjac fine powder (2015 special powder, moisture 8.0%, water-soluble dietary fiber 75.6%, insoluble dietary fiber 2.1%), sucrose (granulated sugar) calcium hydroxide aqueous solution (sucrose 40 kg of a calcium hydroxide concentration 1.8 mass% solution, pH 12.6) dissolved in a 7 mass% solution was added and mixed. Mixing was carried out using a stirring and mixing device (Model VG-100F, manufactured by POWREC Co., Ltd.), adding 40 kg of aqueous sucrose hydroxide solution over 20 minutes, and stirring and mixing. The product temperature at the time of mixing was 50-60 degreeC, and 79 kg was collect | recovered. Immediately weigh 3 to 4 g in a 50 ml beaker, repeat washing with distilled water, add cold water, leave it for 2 hours and swell well, then use a stereomicroscope (manufactured by Moritex Co., Ltd. MSX-500Di) to remove the particles. As a result of observing magnification (100 times), it was confirmed that water was absorbed but one grain and one grain were separated apart. The konjac flour that had absorbed the aqueous sugar calcium hydroxide solution was dried at 70 ° C. to obtain 38.5 kg (water content 6.9%) of a dry powder.
5 kg of this dry powder was stirred and washed with 4 times the amount of 30% by mass alcohol solution, dehydrated and then dried at 70 ° C. (water content 6.5%). When dietary fiber of this powder was measured, it was 83.5% insoluble dietary fiber, 12.0% water-soluble dietary fiber, and 0.99% calcium in terms of dry matter (mass basis).
The powder, which was dried after dealkalization, was pulverized with a dry pulverizer (manufactured by LaboNect Co., Ltd., speed mill, model HS-20) to recover a powder having a particle size of 100 μm or less.

(Example 2)
As konjac fine powder, 40 kg of Timac Mannan (trade name) (water 7.5% by weight, water-soluble dietary fiber 80.9% by weight, insoluble dietary fiber 3.2% by weight) manufactured by Orihiro Co., Ltd. 40 kg of sugar (granulated sugar) calcium hydroxide aqueous solution (calcium hydroxide concentration 1.56 mass% solution, pH 12.4 dissolved in a solution having a sucrose concentration of 6 mass%) was mixed with a stirring and mixing device (manufactured by Paulec Co., Ltd.) After adding and mixing (final product temperature 60 ° C.) over 50 minutes using a model VG-100F), it was dried to a moisture content of 7.8%. To this dry powder 10 kg, 80 kg of 30 mass% alcohol solution added with 110 g of citric acid is added, and wet pressure crushing treatment is performed using a super mass collider (manufactured by Masuyuki Sangyo Co., Ltd., model MKZA-15-40J). went. After 5 repeated treatments, it was dehydrated and dried to obtain a dried product (moisture 6.7% by mass). After this dry powder was lightly loosened using a household cooking cutter (manufactured by Hitachi Hometech Co., Ltd., model FV-F3), the sections that passed through a 36 mesh sieve (reference size 425 μm) were collected.
The insoluble dietary fiber in this dry powder was 88.8% by mass, and the water-soluble dietary fiber was 8.2% by mass. The dry powder (5 kg) was finely pulverized with a dry pulverizer (ACM Pulverizer-15H, manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation). When the particle size distribution of the dry-pulverized powder particles (moisture 6.4%) was measured using a laser analysis type particle size distribution measuring device (Malvern, Mastersizer 3000), less than 50 μm was 75% and less than 50 to 75 μm. Was 17%, less than 75-100 μm was 4%, and 100-450 μm was 4%.
Add 3g of this fine powder to commercially available onion consomme soup powder (11.5g), mix, pour 150ml of hot water and stir 1 minute after stirring. The konjac fiber swells in the soup. It was floating, soft, smooth to the touch, and smooth over the throat. The original salty taste of the consomme soup was softened and felt mellow.

(Example 3)
40 kg of Timac Mannan (water 7.5% by mass, water-soluble dietary fiber 80.9% by mass, insoluble dietary fiber 3.2% by mass) used in Example 2 was stirred and mixed (Poulec Co., Ltd., model VG) -100F) and 40 kg of sucrose (granulated sugar) calcium hydroxide aqueous solution (calcium hydroxide concentration 1.10 mass% solution, pH 12.3 dissolved in a sucrose concentration 4 mass% solution) over 40 minutes After adding and mixing, stirring was continued for 10 minutes until the final product temperature reached 65 ° C., transferred to a sealed container, stored overnight, and dried (moisture content 10.4%). A part of the powder particles formed a lump in this dry powder, and this was lightly loosened, and a section passing through a 32 mesh sieve (nominal size 425 μm) was collected (recovery rate 99%). Insoluble dietary fiber in this dry powder was 60.2%, and water-soluble dietary fiber was 30.0%. When the size of the powder particles was measured using a laser analysis type particle size distribution measuring apparatus, the ratio was 100% to less than 250 μm, 37%, and 250 μm to 450 μm was 63%. This dry powder never dissolved in water in an aqueous solution, and it was recognized that the powder particles swell quickly when they absorb water. For example, add 2.0 g of dry powder to 150 ml of warm water at 35 ° C, gently stir, add 2.5 ml of 1 wt% citric acid solution to neutralize the solution (pH 7.0), and then keep it at around 32 ° C. When the state after 20 minutes was observed with a stereomicroscope (manufactured by Moritex Co., Ltd., MSX-500Di), all particles absorbed water, but the largest one had a major axis of 980 μm and a minor axis of 670 μm. It was in the shape of an oval and swelled to about twice the original particle by sucking water. As described above, the present dry powder particles had a feature of well absorbing water and swelling.

Claims (18)

A method for producing konjac powder,
A mixing step of mixing the konjac raw material powder and the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution and supplying the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution to the powder particles contained in the konjac raw material powder;
An insoluble dietary fiber forming step of forming an insoluble dietary fiber by the action of the aqueous solution of sugar calcium hydroxide in the powder particles supplied with the aqueous solution of sugar calcium hydroxide,
The method for producing konjac powder, wherein the mixing step and the insoluble dietary fiber forming step are performed in a state in which the form of the powder particles is maintained.   The manufacturing method of the konjac powder of Claim 1 with which the said mixing process and the said insoluble dietary fiber formation process are performed simultaneously.   The manufacturing method of the konjac powder of Claim 1 or 2 which controls the ratio of the insoluble dietary fiber contained in the said konjac powder by changing the mixture ratio of the said calcium hydroxide with respect to the said konjac raw material powder.   The manufacturing method of the konjac powder of Claim 3 in which the said konjac powder contains 90 mass% (dry matter conversion) or more of insoluble dietary fiber with respect to all dietary fibers.   The method for producing konjac powder according to claim 4, wherein a ratio of the water-soluble dietary fiber and the insoluble dietary fiber on a mass basis is in the range of 10:90 to 1:99.   The method for producing konjac powder according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the amount of calcium supplied to the konjac raw material powder via the aqueous sugar calcium hydroxide solution is selected from a range of 0.75 to 4.00 mass%. .   The manufacturing method of the konjac powder of Claim 3 in which the said konjac powder contains 50 mass% or more of less than 90 mass% (dry matter conversion) with respect to the total dietary fiber.   The manufacturing method of the konjac powder of Claim 7 which has the ratio in the mass reference | standard of the said water-soluble dietary fiber and the said insoluble dietary fiber in 50:50 or more and less than 10:90.   The manufacturing method of the konjac powder of Claim 7 selected from the range of 0.50-1.00 mass% of the quantity of calcium supplied via the said sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution with respect to the said konjac raw material powder.   The method for producing konjac powder according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising at least one of a washing step and a drying step of the konjac powder.   Contains 50% by weight or more and less than 100% by weight of dietary fiber based on the whole powder (on a dry matter basis), and the dietary fiber is composed of water-soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber. A konjac powder characterized by having a fiber ratio (mass basis) in the range of 50:50 to 1:99.   The konjac powder of Claim 11 which contains 90 mass% or more of insoluble dietary fiber with respect to the total dietary fiber with respect to the whole powder (dry matter basis).   The konjac powder of Claim 11 which contains 50 mass% or more and less than 90 mass% of insoluble dietary fiber with respect to the whole dietary fiber with respect to the whole powder (dry matter basis). A method for producing konjac powder,
A mixing step of mixing the konjac raw material powder and the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution and supplying the sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution to the powder particles contained in the konjac raw material powder;
An insoluble dietary fiber forming step of forming an insoluble dietary fiber by the action of the aqueous solution of sugar calcium hydroxide in the powder particles supplied with the aqueous solution of sugar calcium hydroxide;
Washing the wet powder or its dry powder with a washing liquid comprising alcohol-containing water containing 5% by mass to 60% by mass of volatile alcohol;
Wet-pulverizing the washed wet powder to obtain a wet pulverized product;
Drying the wet pulverized product to obtain a konjac powder;
Have
The method for producing konjac powder, wherein the mixing step and the insoluble dietary fiber forming step are performed in a state in which the form of the powder particles is maintained.   The konjac powder contains 90% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass of dietary fiber with respect to the whole konjac powder (on a dry matter basis) and 80% by mass or more of insoluble dietary fiber with respect to the total dietary fiber. The manufacturing method of the konjac powder of description.   The manufacturing method of the konjac powder of Claim 15 selected from the range of 0.5-1.0 mass% of the quantity of calcium supplied via the said sugar calcium hydroxide aqueous solution with respect to the said konjac raw material powder.   The manufacturing method of the konjac powder of any one of Claims 14 thru | or 16 with which the said mixing process and the said insoluble dietary fiber formation process are performed simultaneously.   The production of konjac powder according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein a ratio of insoluble dietary fiber contained in the konjac powder is controlled by changing a blending ratio of the calcium hydroxide with respect to the konjac raw material powder. Method.