JP3216968B2 - Method for producing crystalline powdery erythritol composition - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is used for producing a crystalline powdery erythritol composition containing a food or a food additive.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Erythritol has a molecular weight of 122 and a melting point of 1.
It is a 4-carbon sugar alcohol that is a crystal or powder at 19 ° C., soluble in water, has good sweetness, and has a sweetness of about 80% of sugar. Erythritol, unlike other sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, is well absorbed from the small intestine, so it is unlikely to cause osmotic diarrhea in the large intestine, is non-cariogenic, and does not cause browning with amino acids and proteins It is a carbohydrate-based material with properties.
It is found in lichens, mushrooms, and other fruits, such as pears, grapes, watermelons, and melons, and is also included in fermented foods such as wine, sake, and soy sauce. It is an extremely safe material. Erythritol is well absorbed from the small intestine, but it is excreted in urine without any metabolism in the body, so its effective energy value is extremely low and its physiological energy value is maximal.
Reported as 0.3 Kcal / g (Journal of the Japanese Society of Clinical Nutrition 11 (2), 13-19,1
990). Good sweetness, non-cariogenic,
Utilizing its ultra-low energy properties, it is widely used in food applications such as beverages and confectionery, and has recently been used as a pharmaceutical additive.

Erythritol is known to be produced by a chemical synthesis method or a fermentation method using a certain yeast strain (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos.
The commercial production method of erythritol currently performed is performed by a fermentation method using glucose as a raw material, and a crystal powder as a final product is produced from an aqueous solution by a crystallization method. (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-325)
No. 70, JP-A-6-9455). However, erythritol itself has a sweetness as low as about 80% of sucrose and has a strong cooling sensation due to an endothermic effect when the crystals are dissolved. Therefore, from the aspect of palatability, there is a need to increase the degree of sweetness and soften the sense of cold. In addition, the recent diversification of user preferences has necessitated the provision of materials having a new taste, and the development of new materials based on erythritol has been desired. So far, the following erythritol compositions and methods for producing the same have been known as main ones.

(1) A composition comprising a high-intensity sweetener, sucrose and fructose described in JP-A-63-304964, JP-A-2-104259 and JP-A-4-287658. (2) JP-A-1-225458, JP-A-5-1375
No. 35, a liquid fluid composition containing erythritol microcrystals, which is produced by mixing a high-concentration aqueous solution containing erythritol with sugar or a sugar alcohol, and in some cases, a trace amount of agar . (3) JP-A-1-95741, JP-A-1-98457
, A composition in which a high-intensity sweetener is coated on the surface of erythritol crystal particles, described in JP-A-1-171455. (4) JP-A-1-148173, JP-A-1-17114
No. 41, a composition in which a high-intensity sweetener or a small amount of an additive for food or drink is contained and immobilized in crystals or between crystals. (5) A method for producing a crystalline composition containing a high-intensity sweetener uniformly by spray-drying an aqueous solution of a high-intensity sweetener using maltodextrin as a binder described in JP-A-4-335870. .

[0005] However, the composition described in (1)
It is a composition in which erythritol powder and other sweetener powder are simply mixed at a fixed ratio for the purpose of improving taste, etc., and there remains a problem in uniformity depending on the type and mixing ratio of the sweetener. The composition described in (2) is a liquid fluid composition and a method for producing the composition, which is different from the production method of the present invention, and the use is limited to fondant. (3)
The method described in (1) involves coating the surface of erythritol crystals with a sweetener having a high degree of sweetness, and has the disadvantage that the coating is easily peeled off when the crystals are rubbed. When peeled off, the composition cannot be distributed uniformly. In a composition in which the components vary, the taste is adversely affected. The composition produced by the method described in (4) is a composition in which a sweet component or the like is fixed in the crystal or between the crystals, and a stable composition can be obtained. It has the disadvantage of being extremely low. Further, since this composition is produced by a crystallization method, the influence on the cost due to the decrease in the recovery rate cannot be avoided, and it cannot be said that this is a preferable method. According to the method described in (5), there is an advantage that the uniformity and the recovery rate are kept high. However, since the method is a spray drying method, it is not preferable in terms of cost such as high running cost and equipment cost.

As described above, in the case of producing a crystalline powdered erythritol composition with a food component, a composition in which erythritol and the composition component are uniformly distributed in order to avoid adversely affecting the taste can be produced at low cost. A method that can be manufactured is desired. The mere mixing of the powder and the powder leaves a problem in uniformity. In particular, in the case of a high-intensity sweetener or the like, when the composition is unevenly distributed, a portion having a strong sweetness and a portion having a weak sweetness are generated, which is not preferable in taste. In addition, most of the known erythritol compositions are compositions with sweeteners, and reports of compositions with other food ingredients such as coloring agents and dietary fiber have been seen. Absent.

[0007]

An object of the present invention is to find a method for improving the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art, that is, a method for producing a highly uniform erythritol composition in a low-cost and simple manner. is there.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems As a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have found that this problem can be solved by using a kneading method. That is, the present invention relates to a method for producing a crystalline powdery erythritol composition uniformly containing food ingredients such as foods and food additives by a kneading method, and more specifically, to a high-purity erythritol aqueous solution containing a food or food. Erythritol- containing solution obtained by adding an additive, or a solution obtained by adding food or a food additive to a heated melt of a high-purity erythritol crystal or powder, and adding seed crystals as needed, kneading. A method for producing a crystalline powdery erythritol composition, which comprises pulverizing a solidified product obtained in some cases. In the present invention, when kneading the solution , depending on the temperature and the composition of the composition, erythritol crystals may be precipitated, but if the amount of precipitated crystals is small, it may be kneaded as it is. No problem.

Erythritol used in the present invention is usually produced by fermentation using erythritol-producing bacteria, but may be produced by other chemical synthesis methods or other methods. Can be used. The kneading machine does not require a special kneading device because the viscosity of the erythritol- containing solution to which food or food additives are added or the slurry liquid in which crystals are partially deposited is low. Any device may be used as long as it can keep the temperature and stir and mix. Single-screw and twin-screw extruders (extruders) are particularly suitable for the practice of the present invention because they can easily control the temperature and have a strong kneading force. In this case, if the production conditions are appropriate, the erythritol composition can be obtained as a crystalline powder from the outlet.

In producing the erythritol composition,
The high-purity erythritol used as a raw material has a purity per solid content of 90% or more, preferably 95% or more. Further, the glycerin content contained as an impurity is preferably 1% or less, more preferably 0.5% or less. If the glycerin content exceeds 1%, the composition is not preferred as a product such as sticky crystals and increased hygroscopicity. The high-purity erythritol may be in the form of crystals or powder, or may be in the form of an aqueous solution such as a chromatographic separation liquid. When erythritol in the form of crystals or powder is used, it is dissolved in water or hot water together with a food or food additive, concentrated to a predetermined aqueous solution concentration, and then kneaded.
When erythritol in the form of an aqueous solution is used, a food or a food additive is added thereto, and after heating and dissolving as necessary, the mixture is concentrated to a predetermined aqueous solution concentration and kneaded. The concentration of the erythritol-containing high concentration aqueous solution during kneading is usually 80
% By weight, preferably 90% by weight or more, more preferably 95% by weight or more. If it is less than 80%, crystallization may not proceed sufficiently depending on the components of the composition, and a preferable crystalline powder may not be obtained. Further, a composition produced by kneading the erythritol-containing high-concentration aqueous solution at a concentration of less than 90% may be wet in some cases and must be dried. The dryer does not require a special device, and a general hot-air dryer may be used. At the time of the main kneading, it is not always necessary to use an aqueous solution. If the amount is not large, a slurry liquid in which some crystals are precipitated may be used. In addition, in the present invention, foods and food additives are added to a melt obtained by heating and dissolving high-purity erythritol crystals or powder, and the mixture is uniformly dissolved. Thus, a crystalline powdery erythritol composition can be produced.

In the production of the composition, the seed crystal may not be added, but when the seed crystal is added, a small amount may be used, usually 0.1.
~ 5% is added. Erythritol alone may be used as the seed crystal, but usually, a seed crystal mixture having the same composition ratio as the obtained composition or the obtained composition is used as the seed crystal as it is. The temperature at the start of kneading is preferably from 80C to 150C, more preferably from 85C to 140C. If the temperature is lower than 80 ° C., a large number of erythritol crystals may precipitate at the start of kneading, and it becomes difficult to produce a uniform composition. On the other hand, if the temperature exceeds 150 ° C., coloring may be caused. When producing the present composition, foods and food additives can be added at any ratio, but usually 0.05 to 500 parts, preferably 0.05 to 500 parts per 100 parts of erythritol. 200 parts, particularly preferably 0.05 part to
100 parts are added. If the amount is less than 0.05 part, the effect of the food ingredient as the composition is difficult to exert, and if it exceeds 500 parts, the composition is difficult to crystallize. Generally, the amount of the high-intensity sweetener, the coloring agent, etc. is small, and the amount of the saccharides, sugar alcohols, dietary fiber, etc. is large. In addition, the food or food additive to be added is usually one kind, but if necessary, several kinds may be added at the same time.

The food or food additive used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a normal food or a food additive, but is generally used in a large amount such as sugars, sugar alcohols, and dietary fiber. What is performed is a solid or a crystalline powder at normal temperature and normal pressure. Specifically, as sugars,
Common sugars such as glucose, fructose, xylose, sucrose, maltose, lactose, lactulose, isomerized sugar, fructooligosaccharides, maltooligosaccharides, isomaltoligosaccharides, oligosaccharides such as galactooligosaccharides, coupling sugars and sugars such as palatinose Derivatives, sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, maltitol, xylitol, lactitol, mannitol, palatinit, and reduced starch saccharified products. And as high-sweetness sweeteners, non-saccharide natural sweeteners such as stevioside, glycyrrhizin, thaumatin, monellin, aspartame,
Amino acid-based sweeteners such as alitame, and synthetic sweeteners such as saccharin, cyclamate, acesulfame K, sucralose, and durutin. Examples of the acidulant include citric acid, malic acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid, lactic acid, gluconic acid, glucono delta lactone, and the like. As vitamins, vitamin A, β-carotene, vitamin B1,
B2, B6, B12, niacin, nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, vitamins C, D, E, pantothenic acid, biotin, folic acid, lipoic acid and the like. As a coloring agent,
Caramel, annatto pigment (alkali salt), red yeast rice pigment, cochineal pigment, gardenia pigment, safflower pigment, red cabbage pigment, madder pigment, alkanet pigment, cacao pigment, corn pigment, kolyang pigment, suo pigment, hibiscus pigment, beet red , Grape skin pigments, lac pigments, imocarotene, squirrel blue pigments, tamarind pigments, chicory pigments, laver pigments, purple corn pigments, purple yam pigments, etc., gum arabic, tragacanth gum, polydextrose, guar gum, guar gum hydrolyzate, It includes dietary fiber such as locust bean gum, pectin, curdlan, agar, chitin, chitosan, and flavors.

As shown in Test Examples 1 and 2, the crystalline powdered erythritol composition obtained according to the present invention can reduce the hygroscopicity of foods and food additives having hygroscopicity,
The sensation of erythritol can be alleviated. Also,
As shown in Test Example 3, the components in the composition are uniformly present, and the taste problem caused by the variation hardly occurs. Although the method of producing crystal powder by the kneading method itself is not a new method, the method of producing an erythritol composition of crystalline powder is a completely new method that has not been reported so far. The operation is simpler than conventional techniques such as crystallization and spray-drying, and a crystalline powdery composition can be produced at low cost.
This is a very industrially useful method, for example, a composition such as a coloring agent or dietary fiber can be produced.

[0014]

EXAMPLES Next, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the examples. Example 1 2 kg of erythritol crystals of 95% purity and 2 kg of granulated sugar
Was dissolved in 4 L of hot water and concentrated under reduced pressure at a bath temperature of 125 ° C to a concentration of 98.
%, A hot aqueous solution having a liquid temperature of 112 ° C. was transferred to a table-top batch kneader (Irie Shokai), and 200 g of a mixed seed (1: 1) of erythritol and sucrose was added, followed by stirring and kneading at 90 rpm. After kneading until the temperature reaches 60 ° C., transfer to a stainless steel tray and leave at room temperature overnight. The obtained solid was crushed with a crusher to obtain 3.86 kg of a crystalline powdery erythritol composition containing granulated sugar.

Example 2 5 kg of erythritol crystals having a purity of 94% and 50 g of stevioside powder were dissolved in 4 L of hot water and concentrated under reduced pressure at a bath temperature of 120 ° C. to obtain a hot aqueous solution having a concentration of 90% and a liquid temperature of 98 ° C. The mixture is transferred to a mixer (Aiko mixer, manufactured by Aikosha), 50 g of erythritol seed crystals are added, and the mixture is stirred and kneaded at 180 rpm. After the stirring and kneading were continued until the temperature dropped to room temperature, the obtained crystalline powder was dried with a hot air drier to obtain 4.93 kg of a crystalline powdery erythritol composition containing stevioside.

Example 3 4 kg of erythritol crystals having a purity of 98% and 1 kg of fructooligosaccharide powder (manufactured by Meiji Seika) were dissolved in 4 L of hot water, and the bath temperature was 125
Concentrate under reduced pressure at ℃ to obtain a hot aqueous solution with a concentration of 96% and a liquid temperature of 110 ℃. Transfer to a tabletop batch kneader and mix the same proportion of mixed seed crystals.
20 g is added and the mixture is stirred and kneaded at a speed of 90 rpm. temperature
After the stirring and kneading are continued until the temperature drops to 60 ° C., the mixture is transferred to a stainless steel tray and left overnight at room temperature. The obtained solid was pulverized to obtain 4.84 kg of a crystalline powdery erythritol composition containing fructooligosaccharide.

Example 4 3 kg of erythritol crystals having a purity of 98% and 2 kg of sorbitol powder having a purity of 97% were dissolved in 4 L of hot water and concentrated under reduced pressure at a bath temperature of 125 ° C. to give a hot aqueous solution having a concentration of 96% and a liquid temperature of 108 ° C. Is transferred to a table-top batch kneader, 150 g of mixed seed crystals in the same ratio is added, and the mixture is stirred and kneaded at a speed of 90 rpm. After the stirring and kneading are continued until the temperature drops to 60 ° C., the mixture is transferred to a stainless steel tray and left overnight. The obtained solid was pulverized to obtain 4.88 kg of a crystalline powdery erythritol composition containing sorbitol.

Example 5 2 kg of erythritol crystals having a purity of 98% and 2 kg of maltitol powder having a purity of 93.5% were dissolved in 4 L of hot water, concentrated under reduced pressure at a bath temperature of 125 ° C., and heated at a concentration of 96% and a liquid temperature of 108 ° C. An aqueous solution is obtained, transferred to a table-top batch kneader, and 200 g of mixed seed crystals in the same ratio is added, followed by stirring and kneading at a speed of 90 rpm. After the stirring and kneading are continued until the temperature drops to 60 ° C., the mixture is transferred to a stainless steel tray and left overnight. The obtained solidified product is pulverized, and maltitol-containing crystalline powdery erythritol composition 3.68 kg
I got

Example 6 4.75 kg of erythritol crystals having a purity of 98% and 0.25 kg of a food citric acid powder were dissolved in 4 L of hot water, concentrated under reduced pressure at a bath temperature of 125 ° C., and heated at a concentration of 96% and a liquid temperature of 106 ° C. An aqueous solution was obtained, transferred to a table-top batch kneader, and mixed seed crystals (50 g) of the same ratio were added to 9
The stirring and kneading are performed at a speed of 0 rpm. Stirring and kneading were continued until the temperature dropped to room temperature to obtain 4.73 kg of a crystalline powdery erythritol composition containing citric acid.

Example 7 4.6 kg of erythritol crystals having a purity of 98% and vitamin C 0.4
After dissolving kg in 4 L of hot water, the solution was concentrated under reduced pressure at a bath temperature of 105 ° C to a concentration of 9
A hot aqueous solution of 0% at a liquid temperature of 98 ° C. was obtained, transferred to a confectionery mixer, mixed with 150 g of mixed seed crystals at the same ratio, and stirred and kneaded at a speed of 180 rpm, and stirred and kneaded until the temperature dropped to room temperature. continue. The obtained crystalline powder was dried with a hot air drier to obtain 4.88 kg of a crystalline powdery erythritol composition containing vitamin C.

Example 8 5 kg of erythritol crystals having a purity of 98% and cocoa pigment powder 5
g in 4 L of hot water, and then concentrated under reduced pressure at a bath temperature of 105 ° C.
%, A hot aqueous solution with a liquid temperature of 90 ° C is transferred to a confectionery mixer,
50 g of erythritol seed crystals are added, and the mixture is stirred and kneaded at a speed of 180 rpm, and the stirring and kneading is continued until the temperature falls to room temperature. The obtained crystalline powder is dried with a hot air drier,
Crystalline powdered erythritol composition containing cocoa pigment
4.92 kg was obtained.

Example 9 5 kg of erythritol crystals of 98% purity, 50 g of stevioside powder and 5 g of cocoa pigment powder were dissolved in 4 L of hot water, and the bath temperature was 1
The solution is concentrated under reduced pressure at 05 ° C. to obtain a hot aqueous solution having a concentration of 90% and a liquid temperature of 98 ° C., transferred to a confectionery mixer, and kneaded with stirring at a speed of 180 rpm. The stirring and kneading are continued until the temperature falls to room temperature. The obtained crystalline powder was dried to obtain 4.89 kg of a crystalline powdery erythritol composition containing stevioside and a cocoa dye.

Example 10 4 kg of erythritol crystals having a purity of 98%, 1 kg of palatinit powder (manufactured by Mitsui Sugar), 0.1 kg of malic acid powder and vitamin B
After dissolving 50 g of mononitrate in 4 L of hot water, the solution was concentrated under reduced pressure at a bath temperature of 115 ° C. to obtain a hot aqueous solution having a concentration of 94% and a liquid temperature of 100 ° C., transferred to a confectionery mixer, and mixed seed crystals of erythritol and palatinit (4: 1) Add 150g and knead with stirring at a speed of 180rpm. After the stirring and kneading are continued until the temperature drops to 50 ° C., the mixture is transferred to a stainless steel tray and left overnight. The obtained solid is pulverized to obtain palatinit, malic acid, vitamin B1.
Crystalline powdered erythritol composition containing nitrate 4.88
kg gained.

Example 11 To a table-top batch kneader heated to 140 ° C., 2 kg of erythritol crystal having a purity of 98% was added and melted with stirring.
2 kg of polydextrose powder is added to the mixture, and the mixture is dissolved by heating while stirring. Immediately after the polydextrose is dissolved, the heating is stopped, 50 g of erythritol seed crystals are added, and kneading is performed at 90 rpm. Crystals gradually form, but the temperature is 8
The kneading was continued until the temperature dropped to 0 ° C., transferred to a stainless steel tray and left overnight, and the obtained solid was pulverized with a pulverizer to obtain 4.83 kg of a polydextrose-containing crystalline powdery erythritol composition. Was.

Test Example 1 The polydextrose-containing crystalline powdered erythritol composition prepared in Example 11 and, as a control, a simple mixture of erythritol crystal and polydextrose powder simply mixed (composition ratio is the same as in Example 11) The hygroscopicity test was performed by visually observing a sample stored for 10 days at a relative humidity of 80%. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0026]

[Table 1]

From Table 1, it can be seen that the kneaded composition prepared according to the present invention has a much lower hygroscopicity than the simple mixture, and the kneaded composition significantly reduces the hygroscopicity of polydextrose.

Test Example 2 A simple mixture in which erythritol composition containing granulated sugar prepared in Example 1 and erythritol crystal having a purity of 95% as control and granulated sugar crystal were simply mixed (composition ratio is the same as in Example 1) Was sprinkled on doughnuts, tasted by 10 panelists, and sensory evaluated the cooling sensation of the composition. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0029]

[Table 2]

As can be seen from Table 2, many panelists answered that the kneaded composition produced according to the present invention did not feel a cooling sensation as compared with the simple mixture. It can be seen that it is lowered.

Test Example 3 Samples (A to E) of citric acid-containing crystalline powdery erythritol composition containing citric acid produced in Example 6 were subjected to high performance liquid chromatography (column: Bio-Rad, Aminex HPX87H, migration). Phase: 0.01 N sulfuric acid, transfer rate: 0.6 ml / min, detector: RI), the content of each component was analyzed. The results are shown in Table 3, which showed that there was almost no variation and the uniformity was kept high.

[0032]

[Table 3]

[0033]

According to the present invention, a high-concentration aqueous solution or melt of erythritol containing food or food additives is converted into a crystalline powdery composition by a kneading method. Compared with the dry method, cost reduction including improvement in yield can be realized. Moreover, the obtained crystalline powdery erythritol composition was, as shown in Test Examples 1 and 2,
It can reduce the hygroscopicity of foods and food additives having hygroscopicity and can reduce the cooling sensation of erythritol, and the composition according to the present kneading method contains, as shown in Test Example 3, Since the contained components are uniformly present, a taste problem caused by the variation hardly occurs. Therefore, the crystalline powdery erythritol composition of the present invention is widely used as a new food material in the food industry.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-54-119055 (JP, A) JP-A-53-133667 (JP, A) JP-A-5-2948862 (JP, A) JP-A-1- 225458 (JP, A) JP-A-5-137535 (JP, A) JP-A-1-47348 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A23L 1/236 A23G 3 / 00

Claims (9)

(57) [Claims] 1. A solid concentrate obtained by adding a food or a food additive to high-purity erythritol having a purity of 90% or more.
A method for producing a crystalline powdery erythritol composition, characterized in that a seed crystal is added to a high-concentration aqueous solution containing erythritol having a degree of 96% or more and kneaded by adding a seed crystal as needed, and a solidified product obtained in some cases is pulverized. . 2. The method for producing a crystalline powdery erythritol composition according to claim 1, wherein the purity of the high-purity erythritol is 95% or more. 3. A melt obtained by adding a food or a food additive to a heated melt of a high-purity erythritol crystal or powder having a purity of 90% or more , and if necessary, adding a seed crystal and kneading, A method for producing a crystalline powdery erythritol composition, which comprises optionally pulverizing the obtained solid. 4. The method for producing a crystalline powdery erythritol composition according to claim 3, wherein the purity of the crystal or powder of high-purity erythritol is 95% or more. 5. The crystalline powdered erythritol according to claim 1, wherein the amount of the food or the food additive is 0.05 to 200 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of erythritol. A method for producing the composition. 6. The process for producing a crystalline powdery erythritol composition according to claim 5, wherein the amount of the food or food additive is 0.05 to 100 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of erythritol. Method. 7. The food or food additive is selected from the group consisting of sugars, oligosaccharides, sugar alcohols (excluding erythritol), high-intensity sweeteners, organic acids, vitamins, dietary fiber and colorants. The method for producing a crystalline powdery erythritol composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition is one or more. 8. The method for producing a crystalline powdery erythritol composition according to claim 1, wherein the temperature at the start of kneading is from 80 ° C. to 150 ° C. 9. The process for producing a crystalline powdery erythritol composition according to claim 8, wherein the temperature at the start of kneading is 85 ° C. to 140 ° C.