JP2021108662A - Production method of cocoa-containing granules - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a production method of a powder composition for a cocoa beverage that is excellent in dispersibility in cold water and has whitening suppressed in long-term storage.SOLUTION: A powder mixture is prepared by mixing cocoa powder and another powder raw material. A production method of cocoa-containing granules is characterized by granulating the powder mixture using a binder liquid obtained by mixing an emulsifier with an aqueous solvent. A method for improving dispersibility of cocoa powder in cold water is characterized by preparing a powder mixture containing cocoa powder and creaming powder and granulating the powder mixture using a binder liquid obtained by mixing an emulsifier with an aqueous solvent.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

The present invention relates to cocoa-containing granules having good dispersibility in cold water and suppressed blooming, and a method for producing the same.

Cocoa is the seed of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.), which is obtained by removing some fat from cacao beans. After fermenting the endosperm of cocoa beans, roasting and grinding is called cocoa mass, and squeezing cocoa mass to remove cocoa butter is called cocoa. Cocoa is widely used as a raw material for foods and drinks as cocoa powder that has been crushed and pulverized. Among them, the cocoa beverage, which is made by kneading cocoa powder with a small amount of hot water to make a paste and spreading this paste with hot water, is a palatable beverage that is widely popular from children to adults. Since cocoa has a strong bitter taste by itself, adding sugar or spreading it with milk instead of hot water makes it easier to drink.

In recent years, powder compositions for cocoa beverages, which use cocoa powder as a main raw material and can be prepared by dissolving it in a liquid such as water or milk, have become very popular due to their ease of use. On the other hand, cocoa has a high fat content of about 10 to 25% and has low water wettability. Therefore, even if the cocoa powder is directly put into hot water and stirred, it tends to be lumpy. Therefore, various methods have been tried to improve the water compatibility of the cocoa powder.

For example, in Patent Document 1, cocoa powder is used as granules, and lipophilic polyglycerin fatty acid ester and hydrophilic polyglycerin fatty acid ester dissolved and dispersed in fats and oils are sprayed onto the granules, and cocoa powder is made into granules and dissolved and dispersed in fats and oils. Soluble in water by spraying the lipophilic polyglycerin fatty acid ester and the hydrophilic polyglycerin fatty acid ester to form granules whose surface and inner surface of the void are covered with the lipophilic polyglycerin fatty acid ester and the hydrophilic polyglycerin fatty acid ester. Methods for improving sex are disclosed. Further, in Patent Document 2, in order to improve the solubility and dispersibility of cocoa powder in water, medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride (MCT), diglycerin fatty acid ester, and propylene glycol fatty acid ester having a specific viscosity are used. A method of coating a surface with an oil / fat composition containing an ester is disclosed.

In addition, Patent Document 3 discloses a method for granulating a mixture containing cocoa powder, milk powder and powdered saccharides using an aqueous solution of diglycerin fatty acid ester. In the granules obtained by this method, a relatively highly soluble powder such as a powdered saccharide functions like a binder. In addition, a diglycerin fatty acid ester is present at the boundary between the cocoa powder and other powders, and the diglycerin fatty acid ester provides better dispersion solubility and good storage stability. Is described.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-87892 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-168366 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-104344

Although the water wettability of the cocoa powder is improved by the methods described in Patent Documents 1 to 3, the dispersibility in cold water is still insufficient. Further, the cocoa powder and the powder composition for cocoa beverage containing the cocoa powder do not sufficiently suppress the so-called blooming phenomenon of whitening during long-term storage.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a powder composition for a cocoa beverage, which has good cold water dispersibility and suppresses whitening during long-term storage.

As a result of diligent research to solve the above problems, the present inventors obtained granules obtained by granulating a powder mixture containing cocoa powder and creaming powder using a binder solution in which an emulsifier was mixed with an aqueous solvent. The present invention was completed by finding that it has good cold water dispersibility and is difficult to whiten during long-term storage.

[1] In the method for producing cocoa-containing granules according to the first aspect of the present invention, a powder mixture containing cocoa powder and other powder raw materials is prepared, and the powder mixture is mixed with an emulsifier in an aqueous solvent. It is characterized by granulating with a liquid.
[2] The method for producing cocoa-containing granules according to the above [1], wherein the emulsifier contains one or more fatty acid esters selected from the group consisting of sucrose fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, and sorbitan fatty acid esters.
[3] The method for producing cocoa-containing granules according to [1] or [2], wherein the emulsifier contains one or more fatty acid esters selected from the group consisting of lauric acid esters and oleic acid esters.
[4] The method for producing cocoa-containing granules according to the above [1], wherein the emulsifier contains a sucrose fatty acid ester.
[5] The method for producing cocoa-containing granules according to the above [1], wherein the emulsifier contains a sucrose fatty acid ester and a polyglycerin fatty acid ester.
[6] The method for producing cocoa-containing granules according to any one of [1] to [5] above, wherein the other powder raw material contains creaming powder.
[7] The method for producing cocoa-containing granules according to any one of [1] to [6] above, wherein the other powder raw material contains a crystal modifier.
[8] The method for producing cocoa-containing granules according to any one of [1] to [7] above, wherein the other powder raw material contains at least one selected from the group consisting of starch decomposition products and sweeteners.
[9] The method for producing cocoa-containing granules according to any one of [1] to [8], wherein the granulation is carried out by fluidized bed granulation.
[10] The method for improving the cold water dispersibility of cocoa powder according to the second aspect of the present invention is to prepare a powder mixture containing cocoa powder and creaming powder, and mix the powder mixture with an emulsifier in an aqueous solvent. It is characterized in that it is granulated using the obtained binder solution.
[11] In the method for suppressing whitening of cocoa powder according to the third aspect of the present invention, a powder mixture containing cocoa powder and creaming powder was prepared, and the powder mixture was mixed with an emulsifier in an aqueous solvent. It is characterized in that it is granulated using a binder solution.

According to the present invention, cocoa-containing granules having good dispersibility in cold water, difficult to whiten during long-term storage, and good storage stability can be obtained.

In the present invention and the present specification, the "powder composition for cocoa beverage" means a composition capable of preparing a cocoa beverage by dissolving or diluting it in a liquid such as water or milk.

In the present invention and the present specification, "powder" means a powder or granular material (composed of many solid particles having different size distributions, and some interaction acts between the individual particles). Further, "granule" is an aggregate of particles (granular granules) granulated from powder. The powder also includes granules.

In the present invention and the specification of the present application, "cold water" means water having a temperature of 10 ° C. or lower. Further, the powder is "cold water dispersibility" because the powder is dissolved or stably dispersed simply by adding the powder to cold water and manually stirring it with a spoon or the like. , Means that it does not settle. The fact that the powder is "soluble in cold water" means that the powder is simply poured into cold water and manually stirred with a spoon or the like, and the charged powder is dissolved and does not precipitate.

In the present invention and the present specification, "whitening" in cocoa powder is a phenomenon in which lipids (cocoa butter) in cocoa powder are coarsely crystallized (needle-shaped) and the surface is observed to be white, so-called blooming. Means a phenomenon. In the conventional powder composition for cocoa beverages prepared by simply mixing cocoa powder and other powder raw materials, the powder becomes white due to the blooming phenomenon when the storage period is extended. Whitening not only impairs the appearance, but also reduces the dispersibility of cold water.

The method for producing cocoa-containing granules according to the present invention (hereinafter, may be referred to as "the production method according to the present invention") prepares a powder mixture containing cocoa powder and other powder raw materials, and prepares the powder mixture. , It is characterized in that granulation is performed using a binder solution in which an emulsifier is mixed with an aqueous solvent. By integrating the cocoa powder with other powders into granules, the low water compatibility of the cocoa powder is diluted and the dispersibility in water is further improved. Further, by performing the granulation at the time of granulation using a binder solution in which an emulsifier is dissolved in an aqueous solvent, the dispersibility in cold water is particularly improved.

The binder solution used in the production method according to the present invention is an aqueous solvent in which an emulsifier is dissolved. The aqueous solvent may be any edible aqueous solvent, and water or various buffers can be used, and water is generally used. Further, the emulsifier is preferably one that is easily dissolved in water, and for example, an emulsifier for food can be appropriately selected and used from among hydrophilic emulsifiers. Examples of the hydrophilic emulsifier include polyglycerin fatty acid ester, glycerin fatty acid ester, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester, sucrose fatty acid ester, propylene glycol fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester, enzymatically decomposed lecithin, and organic acid monoglyceride. It can be selected and used. As the hydrophilic emulsifier to be dissolved in the binder solution, since it is more hydrophilic, among sucrose fatty acid ester, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester, glycerin fatty acid ester, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester, and enzymatically decomposed lecithin. It is preferable to use one or a combination of two or more of the above, and it is more preferable to use one or a combination of two or more of the sucrose fatty acid ester, the polyglycerin fatty acid ester, and the sorbitan fatty acid ester. It is more preferable to use at least one of the ester and the sucrose fatty acid ester, and it is more preferable to use one or more kinds of sucrose fatty acid esters, or one or more kinds of sucrose fatty acid esters and one or more kinds. It is particularly preferable to use in combination with the polyglycerin fatty acid ester of.

The fatty acid residues constituting the fatty acid esters such as sucrose fatty acid ester, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester, and glycerin fatty acid ester used as the hydrophilic emulsifier to be dissolved in the binder solution are edible hydrophilic emulsifiers. It is not limited to the above, and examples thereof include fatty acid residues of saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having 6 to 24 carbon atoms. Among them, one or more fatty acid esters selected from the group consisting of lauric acid esters and oleic acid esters are particularly preferable because the effect of improving the dispersibility of cold water is easily exhibited. Further, among emulsifiers of the same type, the larger the HLB, the higher the hydrophilicity tends to be. Therefore, the hydrophilic emulsifier used in the present invention preferably has an HLB value of 4.5 or more, more preferably 7 or more, further preferably 8 or more, and even more preferably 11 or more. .. In addition, since granulation is easier when the viscosity of the binder solution is not too high, the hydrophilic emulsifier used in the present invention is preferably one whose viscosity is not too high when dissolved in water.

The content of the hydrophilic emulsifier in the binder liquid is such that the viscosity is such that it can be used as a binder liquid, and the content in the granulated cocoa-containing granules does not impair the product quality such as taste. If so, it is not particularly limited. For example, the content of the hydrophilic emulsifier in the binder liquid can be 0.1 to 5% by mass, preferably 0.1 to 3% by mass, and more preferably 0.1 to 1% by mass. When two or more kinds of hydrophilic emulsifiers are used, the total content of the hydrophilic emulsifiers can be 0.1 to 5% by mass.

When the hydrophilic emulsifier in the binder solution is one or more types of sucrose fatty acid ester and one or more types of polyglycerin fatty acid ester, the total content of the sucrose fatty acid ester is polyglycerin fatty acid. It is preferably higher than the total content of the ester, and the total content of the sucrose fatty acid ester: the total content (mass ratio) of the polyglycerin fatty acid ester is preferably 5000: 1 to 100: 1, and 2500: 1 to 500. 1 is more preferable.

The content of the cocoa powder contained in the powder mixture is not particularly limited. For example, since the obtained cocoa-containing granules tend to contain a sufficient amount of cocoa powder, the content of the cocoa powder contained in the powder mixture is preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 15% by mass or more, and 20% by mass. % Or more is more preferable. Further, since it is easy to contain a powder raw material other than the cocoa powder in a sufficient amount for the effect of the present invention to be exhibited, the content of the cocoa powder contained in the powder mixture is preferably 80% by mass or less, and is 70. It is more preferably mass% or less, and further preferably 60 mass% or less.

In addition to the hydrophilic emulsifier, the binder solution may contain one or more of various water-soluble components as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Examples of the other water-soluble component include salts (minerals), pH adjusters, sweeteners, excipients and the like.

In the present invention, the powder raw material other than the cocoa powder contained in the powder mixture which is the raw material for granulation may be one kind or two or more kinds. The powder raw material other than the cocoa powder for forming granules integrated with the cocoa powder is not particularly limited as long as it is a powder. For example, in a conventional powder composition for cocoa beverages prepared by simply mixing cocoa powder and other powder raw materials, sweeteners, creaming powders, dairy raw materials, pH adjusters, minerals, and excipients used as powder raw materials. Agents, binders, fluidity improvers, fragrances, emulsifiers and the like can be used as appropriate.

In the production method according to the present invention, creaming powder is particularly preferable as another powder raw material to be mixed with cocoa powder because cocoa-containing granules having more excellent cold water dispersibility and a high effect of suppressing whitening can be produced. Here, the creaming powder is a dry powder of an oil-in-water emulsion containing a vegetable oil, a milk protein such as casein protein, and a powdered base material as a substitute for a cream added to a favorite beverage such as coffee or tea. It was done.

In the present invention, it is not clear why cocoa-containing granules having excellent cold water dispersibility and whitening inhibitory action can be obtained by integrally granulating cocoa powder and creaming powder, but coarse crystals of cocoa butter in cocoa powder. It is speculated that this is because the formation is suppressed by the creaming powder. When whitening is suppressed, it is possible to suppress the loss of cold water dispersibility. That is, the cocoa-containing granules obtained by integrally granulating the cocoa powder and the creaming powder do not whiten even after long-term storage, have good cold water dispersibility, and are excellent in long-term storage stability.

Creaming powder includes edible oils and fats such as palm oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, soybean oil, corn oil, cotton seed oil, rapeseed oil, milk fat, beef fat, and pork fat; starch hydrolysates such as sucrose, glucose, and corn syrup. Sugars; proteins such as casein sodium; dairy ingredients such as whole milk powder, non-dairy powdered milk, whey powder; other ingredients such as sodium secondary phosphate, sodium citrate, emulsifiers, etc. are selected according to the desired quality characteristics. It can be produced by dispersing it in water, homogenizing it, and drying it. The creaming powder used as a raw material for the creaming powder according to the present invention preferably contains at least vegetable oil, starch hydrolyzate such as corn syrup, and milk protein, and at least contains milk fat and milk protein. It may be a thing.

For creaming powder, for example, raw materials such as edible oils and fats are mixed in water, and then an oil-in-water emulsion (O / W emulsion) is prepared using an emulsifier such as a high-pressure homogenizer, and then water is removed. Can be manufactured by As a method for removing water, any method such as spray drying, spray freezing, freeze drying, freeze pulverization, and extrusion granulation method can be selected. The obtained creaming powder may be classified, granulated, crushed or the like, if necessary.

As the creaming powder integrally granulated with the cocoa powder in the present invention, cold water-soluble creaming powder is more preferable. By using the cold water-soluble creaming powder, the cold water-soluble and whitening-inhibiting action of the produced cocoa-containing granules can be made more excellent. As the cold water-soluble creaming powder, it can be appropriately selected and used from known creaming powders that have been devised in various ways to improve cold water solubility.

The content of the creaming powder contained in the powder mixture is not particularly limited. For example, in the obtained cocoa-containing granules, the effect of improving the dispersibility in cold water and suppressing whitening is likely to be exhibited. Therefore, the content of the creaming powder contained in the powder mixture is preferably 5 to 50% by mass, preferably 10 to 10% by mass. 40% by mass is more preferable.

The sweeteners contained in the powder mixture, which is a raw material for granulation, include sugars such as sugar, sucrose-type liquid sugar, oligosaccharides, and glucose-fructose liquid sugar; sugar alcohols such as erythritol, trehalose, and sorbitol; aspartame and acesulfame. High-sweetness sweeteners such as potassium, sucrose, and stevia can be mentioned. The sugar may be granulated sugar, white sugar or powdered sugar.

The milk raw materials contained in the powder mixture include whole milk powder, skim milk powder, whey powder, milk, low-fat milk, concentrated milk, skim concentrated milk, unsweetened milk, sweetened milk, and unsweetened skim, other than creaming powder. Examples thereof include condensed milk, skim milk, lactose, fresh cream, butter and the like. In addition, whole milk powder and skim milk powder are milk (whole fat milk) or skim milk, respectively, obtained by removing water by spray drying or the like, drying and powdering.

As the pH adjuster contained in the powder mixture, a sodium salt of an organic acid, a potassium salt of an organic acid, a sodium salt of an inorganic acid, a potassium salt of an inorganic acid, or the like can be used. Of these, citric acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, phosphoric acid, and sodium and potassium salts of carbonic acid are preferable.

Examples of the excipient contained in the powder mixture include starch, starch decomposition products, sugars, dietary fiber and the like. Examples of starch include edible starches such as tapioca starch, mochigome starch, rice starch, horse bell starch, wheat starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, satimo starch, and sago starch, and these starches are hydroxypropylated and acetylated. It may have been subjected to a processing treatment such as starch conversion or starch monoesterification or a cross-linking treatment. Examples of the starch decomposition product include powdered candy, starch syrup, dextrin, malt dextrin and the like. Examples of sugars include lactose, maltose, sucrose, trehalose, oligosaccharides and the like. Examples of dietary fiber include indigestible dextrin and cellulose.

Examples of the antioxidant contained in the powder mixture include vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin E (tocopherol), BHT (dibutylhydroxytoluene), BHA (butylhydroxyanisole), sodium erythorbic acid, propyl gallate, and sulfite. Examples thereof include sodium, sulfur dioxide, chlorogenic acid, and catechin.

Examples of the fluidity improver contained in the powder mixture include processing formulations such as fine silicon oxide and tricalcium phosphate.

Examples of the flavors contained in the powder mixture include milk flavors, cocoa flavors, cinnamon, caramel, chocolate, honey, and other flavors generally added to cocoa beverages and chocolate.

It is also preferable that the powder mixture contains a crystal modifier conventionally used for suppressing whitening of cocoa powder. Examples of the crystal modifier include sorbitan fatty acid ester and the like.

Granules containing cocoa can be obtained by granulating the powder mixture with the binder solution. For the granulation, known wet granulation methods such as fluidized bed granulation, rolling granulation, and extrusion granulation can be used, but there are sufficient voids inside the granules and the granulation is more wet with water. Since high granules can be obtained, it is preferable to perform fluidized bed granulation. The fluidized bed granulation can be carried out by a conventional method using a commercially available fluidized bed granulator.

The cocoa-containing granules produced by the production method according to the present invention may be used as they are as a powder composition for cocoa beverages, or may be mixed with other powders to form a powder composition for cocoa beverages. The powder composition for cocoa beverage thus obtained has good cold water dispersibility, whitening is suppressed, and is excellent in long-term storage stability.

Other powders for producing cocoa beverage powder compositions mixed with cocoa-containing granules include sweeteners, creaming powders, dairy ingredients, pH adjusters, minerals, excipients, binders, fluidity improvers. , Fragrances, emulsifiers and the like. As these powders, those listed above can be used as the powder raw materials used in the production method according to the present invention.

The powder composition for cocoa beverages containing cocoa-containing granules produced by the production method according to the present invention can be used by individually wrapping one drinking cup in a small pouch or the like, or by shaking it out of a container or taking it out with a spoon at the time of use. It is also possible to package several cups in a container such as a bottle and supply them as a product.

The individual wrapping type is a stick-shaped aluminum pouch, a one-potion cup, or the like filled with the contents of one cocoa beverage. The individually wrapped type has the advantages of being easy to handle and hygienic because one cup is hermetically packaged.

Next, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Examples and the like, but the present invention is not limited to the following Examples and the like. In the following examples and the like, "%" means "mass%" unless otherwise specified.

[Example 1]
The cocoa-containing granules were produced according to the formulations shown in Table 1, and their effects on cold water dispersibility and whitening were investigated.
In Table 1, the "crystal modifier" used was a sorbitan fatty acid ester. In addition, "others" in the table are sweeteners other than salt and sugar. A powder mixture prepared by mixing the component (A) in the table was prepared, and a binder solution prepared by dissolving the component (B) in the table in water so as to have the concentration shown in parentheses was used. Fluidized bed granulation was carried out under conditions such that the binder water content in the table (the ratio (%) of the binder solution to be added to the powder mixture). As the fluidized bed granulator, "FLO-1" (manufactured by Freund Sangyo Co., Ltd.) was used.

The obtained cocoa-containing granules were added to each cup of cocoa beverage (about 4.58 g in the case of test groups 1 and 2, about 10.5 g in the case of test groups 3 to 4, and about about 10.5 g in the case of test groups 5 to 6. 9.7 g, about 11.0 g in the case of Test Group 7,) was housed in a stick-shaped aluminum pouch, sealed, and stored at room temperature (under a 22 ° C. environment) for 10 months. For test groups 1 and 2, creaming powder B, dextrin, and a sweetener were further added to the produced cocoa-containing granules, and the mixture was mixed so as to have approximately the same composition as that of test group 3 (10.5 g). The powder compositions were also housed in stick-shaped aluminum pouches, sealed, and stored in the same manner. For the powder composition of each test group, before the start of storage (day 0) in an environment of room temperature (about 22 ° C) and the first week, the second week, the first month, the third month, and the fifth from the start of storage. Cold water dispersibility and color change were evaluated at months and 10 months.

The color change due to blooming of the powder composition in each test group was measured by measuring the color difference (L, a, b) using a color difference meter (SE6000, manufactured by Nippon Denshoku Industries Co., Ltd.). Whitening by blooming increases ^{L *.} The measurement results are shown in Table 2. In the table, "ΔL ^{* " indicates the difference from the L *} value on the 0th day of storage, and "-" means unmeasured.

As a result, the cocoa-containing granules of Test Group 3 to 7 integrally granulated with the creaming powder had a change in ^{L * over time as compared with the cocoa-containing granules of Test Group 1 granulated separately from the creaming powder.} It was small and whitening was suppressed. The cocoa-containing granules of Test Group 2 granulated together with the crystal modifier ^{had a smaller change in L *} over time than the cocoa-containing granules of Test Group 1, and whitening was suppressed. That is, the cocoa-containing granules of Test Groups 3 to 7 were suppressed from blooming as in the case of the cocoa-containing granules of Test Group 2 which were granulated together with the crystal modifier. In addition, the cocoa-containing granules in Test Group 3 to which the crystal modifier was not added had a smaller change in ^{L * over time than the cocoa-containing granules in Test Group 4 to which the crystal modifier was added.} From this, it was suggested that by integrally granulating with the creaming powder, the same excellent blooming suppressing effect can be obtained without using a crystal modifier.

The cold water dispersibility was evaluated as follows. First, the cocoa-containing granules of each test group were placed in a beaker and the weight (g) was measured (“measured quantity (g)” in Tables 3 and 4). Then, 180 mL of cold water at 5 ° C. or 150 mL of cold milk at 5 to 7 ° C. was injected into the beaker, and the mixture was stirred 25 times with a spatula to prepare a cocoa beverage. Then, after pouring each cocoa beverage into a mesh having a mesh opening of 355 μm, the water content of the mesh was wiped off, and the weight (g) of the solid (undispersed, lumpy powder mass) remaining on the mesh (Table 3). And in 4, "remaining undissolved amount (g)") was measured. In addition, the ratio of the amount of solids remaining on the mesh to the total amount of cocoa-containing granules used in the preparation of the cocoa beverage was defined as the dispersion ratio ([residual amount (g)] / [measured quantity (g)]). .. In addition, as a qualitative evaluation of cold water dispersibility, the proportion of dispersed granules is more than 85% and 100% or less as "excellent (○)", more than 70% and 85% or less as "good (△)", and 70% or less as "good (△)". Defective (x) ”. The measurement results are shown in Tables 3 and 4. In the table, "-" means unmeasured.

The cocoa-containing granules of all the test plots had good cold water dispersibility after production and before storage. The cold water dispersibility of the cocoa beverage consisting only of the cocoa-containing granules of Test Group 1 had already deteriorated even after storage for one week. The cocoa beverage composed of a powder composition in which creaming powder was mixed with the cocoa-containing granules of Test Group 1 had improved cold water dispersion stability as compared with the cocoa beverage without creaming powder.

On the other hand, the cocoa-containing granules in Test Groups 2 to 7 in which blooming was suppressed had better cold water dispersibility than the cocoa-containing granules in Test Group 1 after storage for 1 week. The cocoa-containing granules of Test Groups 3 to 6 also had good dispersibility in cold milk. From these results, it was found that the cold water dispersibility can be improved by integrally granulating the creaming powder and the cocoa powder.

[Example 2]
The cocoa-containing granules were produced according to the formulations shown in Table 5, and their effects on cold water dispersibility and whitening were investigated. As emulsifiers, sucrose fatty acid esters such as "L-1695", "S-1170", "S-570", "O-1570" (all manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.), and polyglycerin fatty acid esters. "L-10D", "SWA-10D" (all manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.), "Poem DO-100V" (manufactured by RIKEN Vitamin Co., Ltd.), "Poem P-10V", "Poem S" as sorbitan fatty acid ester -60V ”,“ Poem O-80V ”(all manufactured by RIKEN Vitamin Co., Ltd.),“ Emazole L-10V ”(manufactured by Kao Co., Ltd.),“ Poem W-60 ”(manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) as an organic acid monoglyceride , "Sunsoft No. 621B" (manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.) was used.

In Table 1, the "crystal modifier" used was a sorbitan fatty acid ester. In addition, "others" in the table are sweeteners other than salt and sugar. A powder mixture prepared by mixing the component (A) in the table was prepared, and a binder solution prepared by dissolving the component (B) in the table in water so as to have the concentration shown in parentheses was used. Fluidized bed granulation was carried out under conditions such that the binder water content in the table (the ratio (%) of the binder solution to be added to the powder mixture). As the fluidized bed granulator, "FLO-1" (manufactured by Freund Sangyo Co., Ltd.) was used.

The obtained cocoa-containing granules were housed in a stick-shaped aluminum pouch for each cup of cocoa beverage (10.5 g), sealed, and stored at 40 ° C. or room temperature (22 ° C. environment) for 2 weeks. Then, the powder composition of each test group was evaluated for cold water dispersibility and whiteness resistance.

The cold water dispersibility was evaluated as follows. First, the cocoa-containing granules of each test group were placed in a beaker, 180 mL of cold water at 5 ° C. or 150 mL of cold milk at 5 to 7 ° C. was injected into the beaker, and the mixture was stirred 25 times with a spatula to prepare a cocoa beverage. Then, after pouring each cocoa beverage into a mesh having a mesh opening of 355 μm, the water content of the mesh was wiped off, and the weight (g) of the solid (undispersed, lumpy powder mass) remaining on the mesh (Table 6). In ~ 9, "remaining undissolved amount (g)") was measured. The cold water dispersibility was evaluated as "good (〇)" when the amount of undissolved residue was less than 5.25 g (50%) and "poor (x)" when it was 5.25 g (50%) or more.

As a result, there was no difference in cold water dispersibility between the one stored at 40 ° C. for 2 weeks and the one stored at 22 ° C. for 2 weeks. In addition, the test group using the fatty acid ester in which the fatty acid is lauric acid or oleic acid as an emulsifier has better cold water dispersibility than the test group in which the fatty acid ester in which the fatty acid is stearic acid or palmitic acid is used as an emulsifier. there were.

The color difference (L, a, b) of the powder composition in each test group was measured using a color difference meter (SE6000, manufactured by Nippon Denshoku Industries Co., Ltd.). The measurement results are shown in Tables 6-9. In the table, "ΔL" indicates the difference between the L value at 22 ° C. for 2 weeks and the L value at 40 ° C. for 2 weeks. The larger ΔL, the easier it is for the color to change during storage.

Claims (11)

Prepare a powder mixture containing cocoa powder and other powder raw materials,
A method for producing cocoa-containing granules, which comprises granulating the powder mixture using a binder solution in which an emulsifier is mixed with an aqueous solvent. The method for producing a cocoa-containing granule according to claim 1, wherein the emulsifier contains one or more fatty acid esters selected from the group consisting of sucrose fatty acid ester, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, and sorbitan fatty acid ester. The method for producing cocoa-containing granules according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the emulsifier contains one or more fatty acid esters selected from the group consisting of lauric acid esters and oleic acid esters. The method for producing cocoa-containing granules according to claim 1, wherein the emulsifier contains a sucrose fatty acid ester. The method for producing cocoa-containing granules according to claim 1, wherein the emulsifier contains a sucrose fatty acid ester and a polyglycerin fatty acid ester. The method for producing cocoa-containing granules according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the other powder raw material contains creaming powder. The method for producing cocoa-containing granules according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the other powder raw material contains a crystal modifier. The method for producing cocoa-containing granules according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the other powder raw material contains at least one selected from the group consisting of starch decomposition products and sweeteners. The method for producing cocoa-containing granules according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the granulation is carried out by fluidized bed granulation. Prepare a powder mixture containing cocoa powder and creaming powder,
A method for improving the cold water dispersibility of a cocoa powder, which comprises granulating the powder mixture using a binder solution in which an emulsifier is mixed with an aqueous solvent. Prepare a powder mixture containing cocoa powder and creaming powder,
A method for suppressing whitening of cocoa powder, which comprises granulating the powder mixture using a binder solution in which an emulsifier is mixed with an aqueous solvent.