JPH06125710A - Cacao husk extract capable of improving concentration and its production and concentration-improved chocolate with the same applied thereto - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain at a low cost chocolate having excellent quality and improved in concentration by preparing an extract having aromatic cacao feel and capable of improving concentration by a specified means from cacao husks furnished with a specified treatment and by applying the extract to chocolate. CONSTITUTION:In producing cacao husk extract, using, as raw material, cacao husks prepared by eliminating cacao nibs from raw or half-roasted cacao beans, the cacao husks are ground where appropriate, roasted, and, if needed, further ground; the ground husks are extracted with a solvent, and the resulting extract in the solvent is put to solid/liquid separation. The resultant solution is concentrated and then filtered, thus obtaining the objective cacao husk extract with cacao flavor. The other objective chocolate with favorable aroma, modest sweetness and improved concentration can be obtained by adding this extract to chocolate.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cacao husk extract capable of realizing the flavor of natural cacao at low cost, and in particular, a cacao husk extract containing a flavor capable of improving the degree of concentration extracted from cacao. The present invention relates to a production method and chocolate which can improve the degree of concentration by applying such a cacao husk extract.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, attempts have been made to remove pigment from discarded cacao husks during chocolate production. However, in the conventional method of this type, extraction such as alcohol extraction is performed using a raw cacao husk, and a sufficient cacao feeling has not always been obtained. For example, according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-112965, it has been attempted to extract a cacao flavor component from cacao husk with a supercritical gas, but in this case also, raw cacao husk is used and roasted husk is Not regulated. Therefore, it is considered that the aroma of cacao is not sufficiently extracted.

It is known that the scent of cocoa is expressed by the Maillard reaction, but in the unroasted husk, the Maillard reaction does not proceed, so that the scent component is not generated. According to the experiments of the present inventors, as a result of actually extracting the fragrance component from the raw cacao husk, only the farthest from the good quality cacao flavor was obtained.

[0004] In the prior art, it was difficult to extract the aromatic flavor of cocoa that was better than that of cocoa husk, so there is no report or suggestion that such a flavor of cocoa can improve the degree of concentration. Not done at all.

[0005]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention prepares an extract from a cocoa husk which has been subjected to a predetermined treatment by a predetermined method, which has an aromatic cocoa sensation and can improve the concentration, and further, the extract It is an object of the present invention to provide a chocolate which has a low cost and an excellent quality when applied to, and which can improve the degree of concentration.

[0006]

According to the present invention, in producing a cacao husk extract, cacao husks separated from raw cacao beans or semi-roasted cacao beans by removing cacao nibs, for example, by subjecting them to winnower are separated. Using (shell) as a raw material, this cacao husk is appropriately crushed, roasted, the roasted cocoa husk is further crushed as needed, solvent is added to perform solvent extraction, and the solvent extract of cacao husk is subjected to solid-liquid separation. A method for producing a cocoa husk extract is provided, which comprises concentrating the solvent of the separated solution and filtering the solvent to obtain a cocoa husk extract containing a cocoa flavor that can improve the degree of concentration.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a cacao husk extract containing a cacao flavor capable of improving the concentration, which is obtained by solvent extraction from roasted cacao husk.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided chocolate which can improve the concentration, characterized by using a cacao husk extract obtained by solvent extraction from roasted cacao husk.

The roast is preferably 150-
It is suitable to carry out at 170 ° C. for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
This processing temperature is in a relatively high range as the processing temperature of cacao husk. Conventionally, when the cacao husk is roasted, it is usually performed at 120 ° C. for about 1 hour.

In the present invention, roasted cacao husk has an important meaning. In the case of non-roast, fishy odor and miscellaneous taste are generated, and in the case of over-roasted one, the flavor is inferior because it is charred. The optimum range is the aroma index, which is 7 to 10 times that of raw husk, and the allowable range is 4.5 to 15.0 times. Below this range, the rawness is not lost and no fragrant flavor is exhibited. Further, in the range above the above range, a strong burning odor is felt by over roasting. However, when the aroma index is used as an index in this way, adjustment may be necessary depending on the type of husk (production area, variety, etc.).

The aroma index is an index used for measuring the degree of deodorization of cocoa butter, and is obtained by subjecting a sample to steam distillation, measuring it with a predetermined amount, and measuring the absorbance in the ultraviolet. Is. A normal sample takes a value of about 20-40. For example, Rev.
Int. Choc. (RIC) 25 (1970) 10,
October, p. 352 can be referenced.

As the roaster used for roasting, either a gas or electric roaster or a far infrared roaster can be used without any problem. Further, in the present invention, the crushing step is added to the pre-stage of roasting, but this step is very important from the viewpoint of preventing unevenness of roasting.

The solvent used for solvent extraction is preferably selected from the group consisting of alcohol, water, and a water / alcohol mixture.

In the case of alcohol, most preferably 100
Use% alcohol. With 90% or more alcohol, the object of the present invention can be achieved without any problems.
If the alcohol concentration is too low, an amine odor tends to be produced. The optimum concentration of alcohol is 100%, but it is not practical in practical use due to cost problems. From the viewpoint of extraction efficiency, the closer to 100%, the better, but from the viewpoint of cost, the lower concentration is better. Considering both extraction efficiency and cost, 95% is optimal. Actually, in the range of 90 to 95%, water-soluble saccharides have been extracted, and problems such as the progress of the concentration process may occur. Further, at 90% or less, unpleasant odor such as amine odor begins to be extracted, and the total amount of aroma components begins to decrease.

The cocoa husk extract obtained by separating and concentrating after solvent extraction can be purified, if necessary, to further purify its aroma components. As the purification method, for example, activated carbon treatment, ion exchange treatment, vacuum distillation treatment, activated clay, purification method of chitin, etc. can be used, and the purification conditions in such treatment can be experimentally determined appropriately. .

In the above description, the case where the cacao nibs are removed from the cacao beans and the roasting is performed using the separated cacao husks is shown. However, even if the cacao beans are roasted first and then the cacao husks are separated, the same result is obtained. Of course, the effect can be obtained. However, in the actual operation,
It is more convenient to separate and roast the cacao husk first.

[0017]

In order to impart a chocolate flavor to conventional chocolate and foods using chocolate, not only cocoa products such as chocolate and cocoa but also flavors are often added. However, until now, synthetic fragrances have been the main focus.

The cacao husk is a part of the cacao bean hull and is conventionally discarded as a waste product in the chocolate production process. The present invention obtains an aroma component from such cacao husk. As mentioned above, several attempts have been made to extract a natural extract from cocoa, but when cocoa mass is used as a raw material, it is preferable in terms of flavor, but there is a problem in cost. It was Moreover, when husk was used as a raw material, the flavor was not sufficient.

In the present invention, also in terms of cost, it is suppressed to about half that in the case of using cacao mass. The cacao husk extract according to the present invention is for extracting only a fragrant scent without roasting the husk by extracting the aroma component sufficiently and then extracting the scent, without producing the husk's rawness and muddy odor. .

Further, it has become clear from the results of the study by the present inventors that the aroma component extracted according to the present invention can improve the degree of concentration. Therefore, by using this in chocolate, it is possible to reduce the cost. It is possible to obtain chocolate that has a good aroma and that can improve the concentration.

[0021]

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY According to the present invention, an extract having an aromatic cocoa sensation can be prepared from a cocoa husk which has been subjected to a roast treatment by solvent extraction, and the extract can be further applied to chocolate at low cost. Quality chocolate can be provided.

As a secondary effect, the effect of suppressing the sweetness of chocolate is realized. In fact, as a result of tasting the chocolate to which the cocoa husk extract of the present invention was added, the persistent sweetness of the chocolate was suppressed and a clean and crisp sweetness was brought out.

Furthermore, the flavor extracted from cocoa husk can improve the concentration, and therefore, the concentration of cocoa husk according to the present invention can be added to chocolate to improve the concentration and work efficiency. Chocolate can be provided.

[0024]

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

Example 1 1 kg of cacao husk was crushed to a size of 2 mm mesh pass, and then roasted in an electric oven at 160 ° C. for about 1 hour. Next, 3-fold amount of ethanol was added, and the mixture was subjected to stirring reflux extraction for 1 hour. Then, the mixture was concentrated and finally filtered to obtain 45 g of cocoa husk extract. The aroma index of this sample was 250-295.

Comparative Example 1 A cocoa husk extract was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the roast temperature was 120 ° C.

Comparative Example 2 A cocoa husk extract was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the roast temperature was 210 ° C.

Comparative Example 3 A cocoa nib extract was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that cocoa nibs were used as a raw material instead of cocoa husk and the roast temperature was 120 ° C.

Comparative Example 4 A cocoa nib extract was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that cocoa nibs were used as a raw material instead of cocoa husk and the roast temperature was 160 ° C.

Sensory test 1 Regarding the scent of cocoa husk extract or cocoa nib extract of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4,
A sensory test was conducted by 20 panelists. The results are shown in Table 1.
Shown in.

[0031]

[Table 1]

From the results shown in Table 1, it can be seen that the cocoa husk extract of Example 1 and the cocoa nib extract of Comparative Example 3 are organoleptically superior in terms of aroma.

Test Example 1 The scent of the cacao husk extract of Example 1 and the cacao husk extract of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Example 3
Comparative tests were carried out on panelists (20 university students) to improve the degree of concentration due to the scent of the cocoa nib extract of Nos. 4 to 4.

The degree of concentration is one of the important psychological effects for improving the efficiency of studying or performing various tasks. The degree of concentration, that is, the degree of concentration can be analyzed by measuring the electroencephalogram (α wave) of the panelist who is working. As shown in FIG. 1, the electroencephalogram is measured by measuring the weak electricity generated during the activity of the brain by the electrode attached to the head. When measuring the degree of concentration, the cross-correlation function of the waveform of the electroencephalogram (α wave) measured from the frontal lobe portion (the portion 1 shown in FIG. 1) and the occipital lobe portion (the portion 9 shown in FIG. 1). Is calculated and the time to the first peak is determined as τm (see FIG. 2). In FIG. 2, this τm
Becomes smaller as the degree of concentration increases.

After sniffing the scent of Example 1, the brain waves of the panelists were measured, and the results are shown in FIG. As is clear from FIG. 3, 4 when the scent of Example 1 according to the present invention was sniffed
In contrast to 0τm, τm when sniffing the scents of Comparative Examples 1 to 4
The value is large, and it can be seen that the concentration is improved when the scent of Example 1 is sniffed.

The two graphs shown on the left side of FIG. 3 are obtained by measuring the brain waves of a panelist who does not smell any scent to obtain τm, which is used as an index during non-concentration. The time of closing the eyes and the time of mental calculation as an index of concentration are respectively measured.

Even when compared with such an example, the τm of the panelist after sniffing the scent of Example 1 is extremely close to 39.5τm at the time of mental calculation, and the flavor obtained in Example 1 gives the panelist. It can be seen that the degree of concentration has improved.

Example 2 From the results of the sensory test 1 and the test example 1, 0.1% of the cacao husk extract of Example 1 which was organoleptically excellent and which could further improve the concentration was perfused, and the usual method was used. To produce chocolate.

Comparative Example 5 From the results of the sensory test 1 and the test example 1, 0.1% of the cocoa nib extract of Comparative Example 3, which is organoleptically excellent and the concentration degree is hardly improved, is scented and chocolate is prepared by a conventional method. Manufactured.

Comparative Example 6 Chocolate was produced by a conventional method without perfuming the cocoa husk extract or the cocoa nib extract.

Sensory test 2 The chocolates of Example 2, Comparative Example 5 and Comparative Example 6 were subjected to a sensory test (preference survey) for 100 panelists. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0042]

[Table 2]

From the results shown in Table 2, it was found that the use of the extract from husk produced a chocolate having a good scent, a good taste, and a sweetness lower than that of the extract using the extract from nib. I understand.

Test Example 2 Panels (150 female college students) using the chocolates obtained in Example 2, Comparative Example 5 and Comparative Example 6 as samples
We conducted a proofreading test for English words. The result is shown in FIG.

In the proofreading test, as shown in the example shown in Table 3, by displaying the correct English word on the left and calibrating the English word on the right, which is different from this by one character, every 1 minute immediately after the chocolate tasting. I recorded the number of responses to. In addition, the vertical axis in FIG. 4 shows the number of responses obtained by subtracting the number of responses when the chocolate is not tasted from the number of responses after tasting each chocolate, and the horizontal axis in the table shows the number of responses. Indicates the time.

As is clear from FIG. 4, the number of responses after tasting the chocolate of Example 2 started to increase gradually immediately after the tasting, and after 7 minutes, was 7 times that when the chocolate of Comparative Example 6 was tasted. It is clear that the number of responses is three times as high as that when the chocolate of Comparative Example 5 is tasted, and the work efficiency is remarkably improved.

[0047]

[Table 3]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an arrangement of electrodes attached to a head when measuring an electroencephalogram.

FIG. 2 is a characteristic diagram showing a waveform correlation function of an electroencephalogram.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing an improvement in concentration by measuring an electroencephalogram.

FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram showing a result of an English word proofreading test.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. When producing a cocoa husk extract, a cocoa husk obtained by removing cocoa nibs from raw cocoa beans or semi-roasted cocoa beans is used as a raw material, and the cocoa husk is appropriately crushed and roasted,
If necessary, further crush the roasted cacao husk,
Solvent extraction is performed by adding a solvent, the solvent extract of cacao husk is subjected to solid-liquid separation, the solvent of the separated solution is concentrated, and the cacao husk extract containing a cacao flavor that can improve the concentration by filtering this is obtained. A method for producing a cocoa husk extract, which comprises: 2. A solvent used for solvent extraction is alcohol,
The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is selected from the group consisting of water and a water / alcohol mixture. 3. The cacao husk roast temperature is 150-
The method according to claim 1, which is 170 ° C. 4. A cacao husk extract capable of improving concentration, which is obtained by solvent extraction from roasted cacao husk. 5. A chocolate characterized by using a cacao husk extract containing a cacao flavor which can improve the degree of concentration obtained by solvent extraction from roasted cacao husk.