JP5324943B2 - Method for producing granular food composition by fluidized bed granulation - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for producing a granular food composition in which a powdered food material is granulated by fluidized bed granulation, and a granular food composition produced by the method. Specifically, in a fluidized bed granulation of a powdered food material, a granular food composition comprising mixing the powdered food material and galactomannan, and spraying the mixture with a spray liquid containing galactomannan and granulating. The present invention relates to a method for producing a product and a granular food composition produced by the method.

  Due to increasing public health concerns, attempts to maintain health through daily food intake are attracting attention. In particular, the development of various powdery food materials containing in vivo functional components, particularly dietary fibers, is remarkable. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-334024 (Patent Document 1) describes a health food containing wheat powder and galactomannan. In this document, when suspending in wheat for the consumption of wheat leaf powder rich in dietary fiber, etc., there was a problem that the wheat leaf powder easily settled and looked bad. It is shown that the dispersibility of the wheat young leaf powder in water was improved.

  However, the powdery food material as described above generally has a problem that it is inconvenient when suspended in a liquid because it is likely to scatter and is poorly compatible with the liquid. In addition, powder materials generally have poor fluidity, and there is a problem that packaging such as packing in a stick is difficult. Therefore, in order to solve these problems, a powdery material is granulated into granules.

  When a powdery food material is molded (granulated) into granules, the food material itself often has poor adhesion, so hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, pullulan, starch, dextrin, guar gum The molding (granulation) is performed by adding a binder.

  In general, when these binders are used in a large amount, the binding force between the food material powders can be increased, and granules having good granulation properties (the amount of fine powder remaining without being granulated) can be obtained. However, as the proportion of the binder in the granule increases, the proportion of the in vivo functional component contained in one unit of granule decreases, so when trying to ingest the desired amount of the functional component, There is a problem that many granules must be ingested. Also, for health and preference reasons, it is preferred that the amount of binder is small. Furthermore, when a large amount of binder is blended, there is also a problem that the flavor of the food material is diluted (masking of flavor).

JP 2003-334024 A

  An object of this invention is to obtain the granular food composition which has the outstanding granulation property and fluidity | liquidity, and is maintaining the flavor peculiar to a food material favorably.

  In view of the above problems, the present inventors have conducted extensive research, and as a result, granulated powdered food material by fluidized bed granulation. At that time, galactomannan was mixed with the powdered food material, and this mixture was further mixed. It has been found that by spraying a spray solution containing galactomannan, a granular food composition excellent in granulation property, fluidity and flavor can be obtained.

  That is, the present invention is a method for producing a granular food composition by granulating a powdered food material by fluidized bed granulation, and preparing a mixture by mixing at least galactomannan with the powdered food material. And a granulated food composition obtained by the method, including spraying and granulating a spray liquid containing galactomannan on the mixture.

  According to the present invention, when granulating by fluidized bed granulation, by adding galactomannan to both the powder material and the spray liquid, granulation is good (the amount of fine powder remaining without granulation is small). A food composition can be obtained. The composition of the present invention has the properties that the granulation property is improved, the fluidity of the granules and the familiarity with water are good, and the composition is difficult to scatter. For this reason, the composition of the present invention can be easily packaged in a stick-type bag, and can be easily handled by consumers when drinking. In addition, the granular composition of the present invention maintains a good flavor of the food material.

  In the present invention, the food material means general food and drink, health food and the like. In the present invention, the powdered food material refers to a food material having a particle size of about 75 μm or less. Even if the food material itself is not in powder form, it can be used as the powdered food material in the present invention by making it a powder of 75 μm or less by various methods.

  The powdered food material in the present invention preferably contains dietary fiber. Dietary fiber is known to have main effects such as an increase in fecal weight, effects on various digestive organs, and effects on nutrient metabolism. Among these, many studies have been conducted especially in the fields related to protein metabolism, lipid metabolism, and carbohydrate metabolism. In recent years, research on physiological effects of dietary fiber on enteric bacteria has also attracted attention.

Dietary fiber is mainly plant fiber, and is generally contained in many parts such as plant leaves, buds, stems, flowers, berries, roots, ears, seeds and fruits.
Many powdered food materials containing dietary fiber are derived from green plants. The green plant powder is preferably a food material for producing so-called green juice. Examples thereof include ashitaba powder, wheat leaf powder, green tea powder, and kale powder. These may be used alone or as a mixture of two or more.

  Various production methods are known for Ashitaba powder. In the present invention, the production method is not limited, and any dried Ashitaba powder may be used. Ashitaba is a perennial plant belonging to the Apiaceae family, and is cultivated in Japan in the central part of Honshu and in the waters near the Pacific side of the Kanto region. Ashitaba is rich in coumarins, chalcones and other antioxidant vitamins, and is effective for arteriosclerosis, constipation, anemia and the like. The part to be used is not particularly limited, and all parts such as leaves, buds, stems and fruits can be used.

  Various methods for producing wheat young leaf powder are known. In the present invention, any method may be used as long as it is a dried wheat wheat leaf powder. Wheat young leaves refer to young leaves of barley, and specifically, young leaves such as barley, wheat, rye, oats, and wheat are exemplified. Wheat leaves are rich in vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, etc., such as adsorption of harmful substances, improvement of intestinal environment, suppression of cholesterol absorption, prevention of rapid increase in postprandial blood glucose level, activation of superoxide dismutase (SOD), etc. Has attracted attention as a material for health foods.

  Various manufacturing methods are known for green tea powder, but the manufacturing method is not limited in the present invention, and any powder of dried green tea leaves may be used. For example, powdered crude tea, powdered tea, matcha tea, powdered sencha, powdered bancha, powdered gyokuro etc. can be used alone or mixed (blended) it can. From the viewpoint of flavor and cost, sencha powder and matcha tea and blends thereof are particularly preferred.

  Various production methods are known for kale powder, but in the present invention, any dry kale powder may be used regardless of its production method. Kale is a perennial plant belonging to the Brassicaceae genus Brassica, originally an improved cabbage. The leaves are rich in vitamins and are effective in preventing gastritis and stomach ulcers, and improving liver function and constipation. Kale can be used without particular limitation as long as it belongs to the cruciferous kale. For example, various kales such as siberian kale, scotch kale, and collard can be used.

  The blending amount of the powdered food material in the granular food composition of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the effect of the present invention is achieved, but is usually 0.1 to 90 wt% with respect to the total weight of the granular food composition. From the viewpoint of the flavor of the food composition, it is preferably about 10 to 80% by weight, particularly preferably about 20 to 60% by weight.

  In the present invention, a granular food composition is produced by granulating a powdered food material. Various methods such as extrusion granulation, stirring granulation, fluidized bed granulation and the like are known as granulation methods for powdered food materials. In the present invention, fluidized bed granulation is used. Fluidized bed granulation is a method of granulating a raw material powder by flowing it with an air flow and spraying a liquid thereon. In fluidized bed granulation, a plurality of raw materials can be granulated relatively uniformly as granules having a uniform particle size. Further, since air is encapsulated in the granule at the time of granulation, there is an advantage that it becomes a granule which is easy to be squeezed or easily suspended in water.

  In the fluidized bed granulation of the present invention, the powdered food material, galactomannan and, if used, additives or auxiliary components are charged into the fluidized bed granulator, and these components are fluidized in the granulator by air flow. And mix. The mixed powder is sprayed with an aqueous solution of galactomannan. What is necessary is just to set suitably the temperature at the time of granulation, an air volume, spraying speed, etc.

The galactomannan used in the present invention is a polysaccharide in which galactose is bound to mannan, which is a high molecular compound of mannose, and is mainly contained in plant seeds. Galactomannan is a kind of water-soluble dietary fiber, is tasteless and colorless, dissolves in water, and exhibits viscosity when dissolved in water. In recent years, galactomannan has been studied for effects such as stool improvement, diarrhea improvement, intestinal bacterial flora improvement, cholesterol lipid improvement, mineral absorption promotion, and glucose metabolism improvement. Guar gum degradation product, which is a kind of galactomannan, is produced by decomposing and purifying plant seeds (guar beans) with an enzyme, and one galactose is branched with respect to two mannose main chains. Has a basic structure. The guar gum degradation product is a white, tasteless and colorless powder, and is commercially available, for example, under the trade name “Sunfiber ^R ” (manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.).

  Part of the galactomannan used in the granulation of the present invention is added to the spray liquid, and the rest is added as a powder mixed with other materials. The total amount of galactomannan contained in the granular food composition is not particularly limited and is usually 1 to 30% by weight, preferably 1 to 20% by weight, more preferably about 3 to 15% by weight. However, when considering the granulation property and good taste of the resulting granule, 4 to 9% by weight is preferable. The percentage of the total amount of galactomannan added in the spray liquid and the percentage added in powder form can be appropriately selected according to the type of powdered food material to be granulated. From the viewpoint of fluidity and flavor masking, it is preferable to add 0.5 to 3% by weight of galactomannan as a spray based on the weight of the granular food composition. The solvent used for the spray liquid is an aqueous solvent, such as water or hydrous ethanol. The concentration of galactomannan in the spray solution can be set as appropriate depending on the solubility of the galactomannan in the spray solution solvent, but it is necessary to spray the desired amount of galactomannan if the galactomannan concentration is too low. It is not economical because the amount of sprayed liquid increases and it takes time to dry the granules, and if the galactomannan concentration in the sprayed liquid is too high, the galactomannan is not sufficiently dissolved in the sprayed liquid Since problems can arise, the concentration of galactomannan in the spray liquid is typically 1.5-15 g / 100 ml, preferably 3-8 g / 100 ml.

  Galactomannan is viscous when dissolved in water. The galactomannan mixed with the powder material is thought to play a role of absorbing the water in the spray liquid and swells and binds the powders because of its property of being easily wetted by water. Moreover, it is thought that the binding between the powders sprayed with the spray liquid is further strengthened by including galactomannan in the spray liquid.

  The granules granulated as described above may be sieved through a No. 20 (mesh 840 μm) sieve or the like as necessary to adjust the particle size. In the granular food composition of the present invention, the proportion of fine powder passing through a sieve of No. 325 (aperture 45 μm) is preferably 20% by weight or less, more preferably 10% by weight or less. The granular food composition with the adjusted particle size may be individually packaged according to the purpose of use.

  When granulating powdered food materials, other known ingredients such as hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, pullulan, starch, dextrin, xylooligosaccharides and other additives commonly used in food An agent or an auxiliary component may be added. For example, as a sweetener, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, palatinit, maltitol, lactitol, arabinose, galactose, glucose, fructose, aspartame, sucralose, galactose, stevia, etc. Catechin, lycopene, lutein, astaxanthin, rutin and the like may be added. In addition, enzyme-treated rutin may be added as an antioxidant component.

  The xylooligosaccharide refers to an oligosaccharide in which several xyloses are linked by β-1,4 bonds using a homopolysaccharide xylan (hemicellulose) obtained from corn cob or cottonseed husk or the like as a raw material. Xylooligosaccharides are white and odorless crystalline powders having a slight sweetness. For example, trade names “Xylooligo 95P”, “Xylooligo 70” and the like are marketed by the present applicant. As the physiological action of xylooligosaccharide, intestinal regulating action including bifidobacteria growth activity is known, and in addition, colon cancer prevention effect, mineral absorption promotion effect (patent No. 3462535) and the like are known. . The content of the xylooligosaccharide in the granular food can be appropriately determined according to the desired effect, but as a guide, it is about 1 to 25% by weight with respect to the total solid content.

  Enzyme-treated rutin is obtained by glycosylation of rutin and a rutin analog by enzymatic treatment, and examples of the rutin analog include quercetin, isoquercitrin, morin, myricitrin, myricetin and the like. Enzyme-treated rutin can be obtained, for example, by the method described in JP-A-7-10898. Enzyme-treated rutin may contain pharmaceutically acceptable additives. The amount of enzyme-treated rutin to be incorporated into the granular food composition can be determined based on the daily intake per adult being 5 mg to 500 mg, preferably 10 mg to 300 mg. It is about 0.1 to 10% by weight based on the weight of the composition.

  Said component may be added by mixing with a foodstuff raw material as a powder according to the physical property of each component, or may be added by dissolving in a spray solution. In general, it is preferable to mix a component having low solubility in water as a powder into a food material.

  The granular food composition obtained by the present invention may be provided with an indication regarding the function. There are no particular restrictions on the method of displaying the function, but examples include food packaging, container surfaces, food instructions, food advertisements, and the like. Examples of the functions of the dietary fiber-containing food of the present invention include prevention or improvement of symptoms such as arteriosclerosis, anemia, gastritis, gastric ulcer, and constipation; improvement of liver function; suppression of harmful substance adsorption; improvement of intestinal environment; Effects: Suppression of cholesterol absorption; Prevention of rapid increase in postprandial blood glucose level; Activation of superoxide dismutase; Intestinal regulation including bifidobacteria growth activity; Prevention of colon cancer; Promotion of mineral absorption; Antioxidation and the like.

The granular food composition obtained by the present invention may be taken as it is, but it can also be taken orally by suspending it in water, milk beverage, soft drink, alcoholic beverage or the like.
The present invention will be described below based on examples, but these examples are not intended to limit the present invention.

Powdered food materials are barley young leaf powder, ashitaba powder, and green tea powder, and galactomannan (guar gum degradation product “Sunfiber ^R ” manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.), enzyme-treated rutin (quercetin glycoside “sanmerin” About 300 g of mixed powder with powder S "Saneigen FFI Co., Ltd.), maltitol, xylooligosaccharide (" Xylooligo 70 "manufactured by Suntory Ltd.) added in the proportions shown in Table 1, It put in the granulator (FD-LAB-1 Co., Ltd. product) and mixed until the product temperature became 40 degreeC. Next, a spray solution containing galactomannan and optionally xylo-oligosaccharide (same as added to the mixed powder) (samples 1-5 and 8-14 are galactomannan concentration 4 g / 100 ml, sample 6 is galactomannan concentration 2 g / 100 ml) Sample 7 and Comparative Sample 1 were prepared to a galactomannan concentration of 12 g / 100 ml) at a rate of 10-30 ml / min so that the galactomannan and xylo-oligosaccharides in the proportions shown in Table 1 were sprayed with respect to the total solid content. The product was granulated for 5 to 15 minutes while spraying with (product temperature: 35 ° C. to 40 ° C., supply air temperature: 65 ° C.). After drying for 10 to 20 minutes in the same apparatus, the granulated product was taken out and sieved with a No. 20 (mesh opening 840 μm) sieve to obtain granules.

  The proportion of fine powder was evaluated as an index of granulation. For the evaluation, using a sieve of No. 325 (aperture 45 μm), if the proportion of fine powder passing through the sieve is 10% by weight or less of the total amount, ○, if it is more than 10% by weight and 20% by weight or less, The case of exceeding 20% by weight was marked as x.

  Moreover, the flavor (intensity of taste) when the granules were suspended in water and drunk was evaluated by five subjects. The evaluation is based on 3 points: very weak flavor, 2 points: weak flavor, 1 point: slightly strong flavor, 0 point: strong flavor, and the average is 3 points or less 2 Excessive points were evaluated as x, 2 points or less, more than 1 point as Δ, and 1 point or less as 0 or more as ◯.

  The results are shown in Table 1.

  As shown in Table 1, a part of galactomannan was contained in the spray liquid, and the remainder was mixed with a powder material, whereby both granulation and flavor could be achieved. Galactomannan requires a certain amount of addition to bind the powder materials, and many of them can be added by powder mixing. It was possible to further improve the binding property. By the granulation method of the present invention, it was possible to obtain a granular composition in which the flavor of the food material was well maintained while maintaining high granulation properties. In addition, the granular food composition of the present invention was easier to suspend in water than the comparative sample, and the throat and texture were good compared to the comparative sample (the feeling of roughness was less). This is considered to be an effect resulting from the high granulation property of the composition of the present invention.

  The granule of sample number 9 obtained in Example 1 is applied to a stick-type bag (aluminum vapor deposition) 30 mm wide and 140 mm long using a stick automatic filling and packaging machine (manufactured by Sanko Kikai Co., Ltd.) at a rate of 180 bags / min. Then, 3.3 g per bag was filled and packaged in an environment of room temperature of about 20 ° C. and humidity of about 40% to obtain a hermetically sealed granular food composition. The package obtained in this way had little variation in weight, and did not cause the problem of poor sealing ("biting") due to the fine powder remaining in the sealed portion. This is considered to be an effect resulting from the high fluidity of the granules obtained by the method of the present invention.

Claims (12)

A method for producing a granular food composition by granulating a powdered food material by fluidized bed granulation,
Preparing a least galactomannan is mixed mixture powdery food material, and it is granulated by spraying a spray liquid containing a galactomannan to the mixture, only contains,
The said method whose compounding quantity of the galactomannan in a granular food composition is 1 to 30 weight% . The method according to claim 1, wherein the powdered food material is a powdered food material containing dietary fiber. The method according to claim 2, wherein the powdered food material is green plant powder. The method according to claim 3, wherein the green plant powder is Ashitaba powder, wheat young powder, green tea powder, kale powder, or a mixture thereof. Galactomannan is guar gum hydrolyzate A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4. Amount of galactomannan in the particulate food composition is from 4 to 9% by weight A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5. Amount of powdered food material in particulate food composition is 10 to 80 wt% A method according to any one of claims 1-6. The amount of galactomannan contained in the spray liquid is, based on the granular food composition, from 0.5 to 3% by weight A method according to any one of claims 1 to 7. Be powdered further mixed Xylooligosaccharide the food material, and xylo-oligosaccharides further / or the spray liquor comprising the inclusion method according to any one of claims 1-8. Further mixing the enzyme-treated rutin powdered food material, and / or allowing to further contain an enzyme modified rutin in a spray solution A method according to any one of claims 1-9. Granular food composition obtained by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10. The granular food composition according to claim 11, wherein when passed through a sieve having a mesh opening of 45 μm, the ratio of passing through the sieve is 20% by weight or less of the total amount.