JPH08322504A - Sweetener composition and production of sugar-coated material by using the composition - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To obtain a sweetener composition containing low-calorie non- cariogenic erythritol as a main component, capable of keeping the erythritol in the form of fine crystals uniformly dispersed in the composition even in a concentration range exceeding the solubility of erythritol and stably preservable over a long period. CONSTITUTION: This sweetener composition contains 35-65%(w/w) of erythritol as a main component, 0.03-0.7%(w/w) of a thickening stabilizer consisting of at least one kind of polysaccharide selected from carrageenan, agar, furcellaran, pectin, curdlan, gellan gum, xanthane gum, sodium alginate and tamarind gum and <=43 pts.wt. (based on 100 pts.wt. of erythritol) of a sugar other than erythritol. The sweetener composition is applied to the surface of a core material in a sugar-coating pan and dried to obtain a sugar-coated product. A sugar- coated material such as cake or medicine containing fine powder of erythritol, giving high refreshness and having improved palatability can be produced by using the composition.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sweetener composition and a method for producing a sugar coating product using the sweetener composition. More specifically, the present invention relates to a sweetener composition using low-calorie, non-cariogenic erythritol and the composition. The present invention relates to a method for producing a sugar coating product to be used. More specifically, containing microcrystals of erythritol,
The present invention relates to a method for producing a sugar-coated product containing a fluid sweetener composition having improved storage stability and microcrystals of erythritol, which has a high refreshing feeling and has an improved texture.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, too many sugars, especially sugar, have caused various adverse health effects such as obesity, diabetes and tooth decay in Japan. Therefore, attempts have been made to replace sugars and other sugars used in all foods and confectioneries with low-calorie, non-cariogenic sugar alcohols. Similar attempts have also been made for pharmaceutical products. Among the sugars used for such purpose, erythritol is particularly low in calories among sugar alcohols, and is set to 0 kcal / g with respect to 4 kcal / g of sugar. Further, the erythritol powder has a high heat of dissolution in water of -42.9 cal / g, and has a characteristic not found in other sugars that it gives a high refreshing feeling when placed in the mouth. However, despite having such characteristics, erythritol has a remarkably high crystallinity, so that its use is limited in the case of a product having a manufacturing process involving crystallization such as sugar coating. This is because when erythritol is used by a usual method using sugar or the like, fine crystals cannot be precipitated, the crystal size becomes large, and unfavorable physical properties and texture are caused. As described above, conventionally, the use range and target of erythritol have been significantly limited.

As an example of using erythritol in foods,
Japanese Patent Publication No. 56-18180 discloses a method for producing a low-calorie, non-cariogenic fondant using erythritol and saccharin. However, when actually prepared, large binocular crystalline erythritol is produced, and the texture is far from the smoothness of fondant produced using sugar. Further, in JP-A-1-225458, erythritol and other saccharides are used in a fixed amount ratio,
In addition, a method for preparing a fondant with a smooth mouthfeel by incorporating water in a fixed ratio has been proposed. Further, JP-A-5-137535 discloses a fondant-like microcrystalline sweetener composition in which agar or furceleran is mixed with a sweetener composition containing erythritol and sugar alcohol in a predetermined ratio.

Further, in the case of producing a low-calorie, non-cariogenic sugar-coated product, maltitol and lactitol, which are not as low in calories as erythritol but have low crystallinity and have physical properties relatively similar to those of sugar. Currently, sorbitol is used. For example, maltitol is disclosed in JP-A-61-249349 and JP-A-61-2.
No. 63915, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-90020, etc., Lactitol is proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-281748, Japanese Patent Application No. 6-70688, etc., and sorbitol is proposed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-63131. Has been done. However, regarding the sugar-coated product using erythritol, JP-A-7-23759 only discloses a product in which a core material is coated with a sugar-coated layer composed of erythritol and a reduced starch saccharified product.

[0005]

As described above, erythritol, which is a sugar alcohol of four-carbon sugar, has properties suitable for the needs of the times that it is low in calories and non-cariogenic. In addition, the crystalline powder has a very high refreshing sensation when put in the mouth, and has unique physical properties. However, if erythritol is used to form sugar coatings with low calorie and non-cariogenic properties on gums, chocolates, tablets such as tablets and pharmaceuticals, erythritol has low physical properties such as low solubility and high crystallinity. , Making sugar coating difficult. That is, erythritol is about 33% (w
Since it only dissolves / w), it needs to be used as a sugar-coated syrup in a water-rich state, but this requires a great deal of time and effort for drying in the subsequent step, which is extremely disadvantageous in the manufacture of sugar coating. Further, since erythritol has extremely good crystallinity, the crystals of erythritol precipitated during the drying step become large particles, and it is the current situation that a sugar-coated product having a smooth appearance and texture cannot be obtained. Therefore, in order to solve this problem, a method for preparing a erythritol solution having a higher concentration and a method for precipitating fine crystals have been demanded.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the present inventors have added a trace amount of a polysaccharide thickening stabilizer to a sweetener containing erythritol as a main component. By coexisting, even though a large amount of erythritol is blended, large crystals of erythritol do not precipitate, and only fine crystals precipitate, and a stable, substantially uniform composition with high concentration is dispersed. It was found that the state can be maintained. Furthermore, a sweetener composition containing erythritol and a polysaccharide thickening stabilizer is prepared, and the syrup is sprayed onto a core material previously supplied in a sugar-coated bread, and then dried to obtain a desired thickness. The present invention has been completed by finding that a sugar coating layer is formed on the surface of the core material by repeating the above process.

That is, the present invention according to claim 1 is based on 35-65% (w / w) of erythritol as a main component and carrageenan, agar, furceleran, pectin, curdlan, gellan gum, xanthan gum, sodium alginate and tamarind gum. 0.03 to 0.7% of at least one polysaccharide thickening stabilizer selected from the group consisting of
(W / w) and a sugar composition other than erythritol in a proportion of 43 parts by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of erythritol. The present invention according to claim 3 is a method for producing a sugar-coated product, which comprises supplying the sweetener composition according to claim 1 to the surface of a core material in a sugar-coated bread and drying it.

The present invention will be described in detail below. Erythritol used in the sweetener composition of the present invention is a known sugar alcohol, and for example, a commercially available product sold by Nikken Chemical Co., Ltd. can be used. The structure of erythritol is a sugar alcohol having 4 carbon atoms and a molecular weight of 1
It is a colorless and transparent crystal with a melting point of 119 ° C. and a sweetness of about 75 to 80% of sugar, and is non-coloring, non-digestive, and non-cariogenic. Also, although the sweetness is similar to sugar, it has the characteristic that aftertaste does not remain as compared with sugar. Commercially available products include those with a particle size similar to that of granulated sugar and those with a fine powder type, but in the present invention, any shape can be used as it is. In the sweetener composition of the present invention, erythritol is 35 to 65% (w / w), preferably 40 to 60.
% (W / w).

In addition to erythritol, various sugars can be used in the sweetener composition of the present invention depending on the purpose. For example, when a low-calorie or non-cariogenic product is intended, sugar alcohols such as maltitol, lactitol, xylitol, reduced starch syrup, reduced palatinose, and sorbitol, and polydextrose are suitable.
Needless to say, when a non-calorie product is intended, only thickening stabilizers of erythritol and polysaccharides are used. In addition, in the case of aiming at a cooling sensation or a refreshing sensation of erythritol or simply suppressing calories, not only the above sugar alcohols and polydextrose, but also glucose, fructose, sugar, starch syrup, palatinose, maltose, maltose. Various oligosaccharides such as triose, isomaltooligosaccharide, fructooligosaccharide, dextrin, corn starch and the like can be used. As described above, the above-mentioned saccharides can be used alone or in combination of two or more depending on the purpose.

When these sugars are used, it is preferable that the amount thereof be 43 parts by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of erythritol. The amount of these sugars used is 4
When it exceeds 3 parts by weight, crystallization of erythritol in the drying step becomes extremely slow, production efficiency is lowered, and the sugar coating layer becomes sticky, resulting in unfavorable physical properties of the product.

Next, the polysaccharide thickening stabilizer to be added to and blended with the sweetener composition of the present invention may be in the form of powder, solid or the like, and commercially available products may be used. Examples of thickening stabilizers for polysaccharides that can be used include those commonly used in the food field, and specifically, carrageenan, agar, furceleran, pectin, curdlan, gellan gum, xanthan gum, sodium alginate, tamarind gum and the like. There is. These have a gelling action, and can be used alone or in combination. In the present invention, together with these thickening stabilizers,
One or more thickeners such as gum arabic, locust bean gum, tara gum, pullulan, guar gum, and carboxymethyl cellulose may be used in an appropriate combination. In the sweetener composition of the present invention, when it is necessary to maintain the microcrystals of erythritol in a stable state for a longer period, among the above thickening stabilizers,
It is desirable to use either or both agar and furceleran. In the sweetener composition of the present invention, the thickening stabilizer is 0.03 to 0.7% (w / w), preferably 0.05 to 0.5%.
5% (w / w), more preferably 0.1-0.3% (w /
w) can be included.

In the present invention, in order to enhance the sweetness of the sweetener composition, or to improve or adjust the sweetness quality,
If necessary, high-intensity sweeteners such as aspartame, steviosides, saccharin sodium, acesulfame K, thaumatin, glycyrrhizin, and neohesperidin DC can be appropriately added alone or in combination. To improve the flavor and quality of the product, add flavors such as maltitol, sugar flavor, peppermint, and fruit flavors, and natural pigments such as caramel, beetlet, gardenia, safflower and yellow No. 4, red No. 2 It is also possible to appropriately add a synthetic dye such as.

Next, an example of a method for producing the sweetener composition of the present invention will be shown. To a sugar raw material containing erythritol and polydextrose at a solid content weight ratio of 100: 0 to 100: 43, a predetermined amount of water was added, heated, mixed and dissolved to obtain a solid content concentration of 35 to 65% (w / w). Prepare sugar solution. Then
A thickening stabilizer is added to this sugar solution in an amount of 0.03 to 0.7% (w / w), preferably 0.05 to 0.5% (w / w), and more preferably 0.05.
Add 1 to 0.3% (w / w), heat and dissolve uniformly, and then cool. Thereafter, if necessary, a small amount of erythritol is added as a crystal seed, and the mixture is stirred to precipitate fine crystals of erythritol, whereby the desired sweetener composition can be produced. The term "fine crystals" used in the present invention means crystals having a size of 70 µm or less and an average particle diameter of 30 to 40 µm. For the operations such as mixing and dissolution of raw materials used for producing the above-mentioned sweetener composition, equipment, etc., known methods, equipment, etc. may be used as they are without any special requirements.

Next, a method for producing a sugar-coated product using the above sweetener composition will be described. While the core material previously stored in the sugar-coated bread is rotated, the sweetener composition is supplied into the sugar-coated bread by dropping, spraying or the like. In this case, the sweetener composition may be at room temperature. Erythritol, which is the main component of the sweetener composition of the present invention, has a very small molecular weight as compared with sugar, the viscosity of the aqueous solution is low, and a part of the microcrystal may be dissolved by heating. Therefore, it is desirable to supply the sweetener composition at room temperature. here,
Examples of the core material include chocolate, tablet confectionery, chewing gum, candy (gummy candy, hard or soft candy, etc.), orally-administered drug (troche, etc.) containing a medicinal component. In this way, being able to supply the sweetener composition at room temperature means that it is not desirable to heat the product due to the characteristics of the product, such as chocolate, and tablets such as medicinal ingredients that may be deteriorated. It is advantageous for sugar coating. Next, the sugar-coated bread is dried while rotating. Drying is performed by, for example, applying a drying wind to a sugar-coated bread to dry the sugar-coated bread. The temperature of the air for drying is preferably 60 ° C. or lower, and the sweetener composition of the present invention is rapidly crystallized, so that the room temperature (10 to 10
A wind of 30 ° C is also sufficient.

In order to produce sugar coating, there are two steps, as described above, a step of supplying a syrup containing a sugar as a main ingredient and a step of drying and crystallization by blowing air. Is repeated until the thickness or weight is reached. The sugar-coated product produced in this manner was treated with carnauba wax,
A wax agent such as beeswax can also be added if necessary.

The method for producing a sugar-coated product is described in the above 2
In addition to the method consisting of steps, a method in which starch such as cornstarch is applied as a powder between the core material and the sugar coating layer to once form a thin starch layer and then the above step is carried out, Although a method of adding a step of applying fine powder of erythritol afterwards and repeating 3 steps (soft application), a method of combining these, or the like is known, any method can be applied to the present invention.

[0017]

EXAMPLES Next, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Example 1 Erythritol (manufactured by Nikken Chemical Co., Ltd.) 800 g, reduced starch syrup (trade name: S20, manufactured by Nikken Chemical Co., Ltd., 70% concentration product) 286 g, agar (manufactured by Yoneyama Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., first-class reagent) 4 Mix 0.6 g and 450 g of water to obtain 95
It melted by heating at ℃. Next, this melt was cooled to 40 ° C., and fine crystals of erythritol were deposited while stirring. As a result, a liquid sweetener composition in which fine crystals were uniformly dispersed was obtained.

Example 2 Erythritol (manufactured by Nikken Chemical Co., Ltd.) 100 g, Furceleran (trade name: Gelup J-1915, Sanei Gen FFI Co., Ltd.) 0.5 g, Stevioside (trade name: Stevia Sweet Nikken 95S) 0.5 g and water 100 g were mixed and heated at 95 ° C. to dissolve. Next, this melt was cooled to 20 ° C. with stirring, and a liquid sweetener composition in which fine crystals were uniformly dispersed was obtained.

Example 3 50 g of erythritol (manufactured by Niken Chemical Co., Ltd.), 10 g of polydextrose (trade name: Lites, manufactured by Pfizer, 70% concentration product), agar (manufactured by Yoneyama Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., first-class reagent) 0 Mix 0.05 g and 40 g water to give 9
It melt | dissolved by heating at 4 degreeC. Next, this melt was cooled to 20 ° C. with stirring, and a liquid sweetener composition in which fine crystals were uniformly dispersed was obtained.

Example 4 40 g of erythritol (manufactured by Nikken Chemicals Co., Ltd.), 2.1 g of polydextrose (trade name: Lites III, product of Pfizer, 70% concentration), reduced lactose powder (trade name: lactitol LC- 0, manufactured by Niken Chemical Co., Ltd.)
1.5g, fur cerelan (trade name: Gel Up J-1
915, manufactured by San-Ei Gen FFI Co., Ltd.) (0.5 g) and water (56.4 g) were mixed and heated at 95 ° C. to dissolve. Next, this melt was cooled to 20 ° C. with stirring, and a liquid sweetener composition in which fine crystals were uniformly dispersed was obtained.

Example 5 Erythritol (manufactured by Nikken Chemical Co., Ltd.) 35 g, powdered starch syrup (trade name: S-P, manufactured by Nikken Chemical Co., Ltd.) 1
0 g, fur cerelan (trade name: Gel Up J-191
5, Saneigen FFI Co., Ltd.) 0.2 g and water 55
After mixing g, it heated and melt | dissolved at 96 degreeC. Next, the melt was cooled to 40 ° C., about 0.5 g of erythritol fine powder was added as a crystal seed, and the mixture was cooled to 20 ° C. with stirring. As a result, a liquid sweetener composition in which fine crystals were uniformly dispersed was obtained. Was obtained.

Example 6 63 g of erythritol (manufactured by Nikken Chemicals Co., Ltd.), 3 g of sorbitol (trade name: Sorbitol FP, manufactured by Nikken Chemical Co., Ltd.), furceleran (trade name: Gel Up J-1)
915, manufactured by Saneigen FFI Co., Ltd.) 0.2 g and water 34 g were mixed and heated at 96 ° C. to dissolve. Next, the melt was cooled to 40 ° C., about 0.5 g of erythritol fine powder was added as a crystal seed, and the mixture was cooled to 20 ° C. with stirring. As a result, a liquid sweetener composition in which fine crystals were uniformly dispersed was obtained. Was obtained.

Example 7 50 g of erythritol (manufactured by Niken Chemical Co., Ltd.), 10 g of crystalline glucose (manufactured by Sanei Saccharification Co., Ltd.), 0.2 g of xanthan gum (trade name: San Ace, Saneigen FFI Co., Ltd.) and 40 g of water. Mix and heat at 96 ° C. to dissolve. The lysate is then cooled to 40 ° C. and about 0.
When 5 g of erythritol fine powder was added as a crystal seed and cooled to 20 ° C. with stirring, a liquid sweetener composition in which fine crystals were uniformly dispersed was obtained.

Example 8 360 g of erythritol (manufactured by Nikko Chemical Co., Ltd.), 44 g of polydextrose (trade name: Lites III, product of Pfizer Co., 70% concentration), reduced starch syrup (trade name: S20, Niken Chemical Co., Ltd.) 176g manufactured by Co., Ltd. with a concentration of 70%), 40g gum arabic (manufactured by Yoneyama Yakuhin Kogyo Co., Ltd.), Furceleran (trade name: Gel Up J-
1915, manufactured by San-Ei Gen FFI Co., Ltd.) and 329 g of water were mixed and heated at 94 ° C. to dissolve. Then
The melt was cooled to 40 ° C., 10 g of erythritol fine powder was added as a crystal seed, mixed, and further cooled. Two
When cooled to 0 ° C., a liquid sweetener composition (soft-applied formulation) in which fine crystals were uniformly dispersed was obtained. The microcrystal-containing sweetener composition was prepared over time (about 1 at 15 to 20 ° C.).
It was stable even after a month's storage.

Example 9 Erythritol (manufactured by Nikken Chemical Co., Ltd.) 500 g, polydextrose (trade name: Lites III, Pfizer Co., 70% concentration product) 75 g, gum arabic (manufactured by Yoneyama Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) 40 g, Fur Celeran (trade name: Gelup J-1915, Sanei Gen FFI Co., Ltd.) 4 g and water 226 g are mixed and heated at 95 ° C.,
Dissolved. Next, after cooling this melt to 40 ° C., 8 g of gardenia yellow pigment (trade name: Sun Yellow No. 3, manufactured by San-Ei Gen FFI Co., Ltd.) and 5 g of erythritol fine powder as a crystal seed were added and mixed, followed by cooling. did.
When cooled to 20 ° C., a liquid sweetener composition (hard coating composition) in which fine crystals were uniformly dispersed was obtained. The microcrystal-containing sweetener composition was stable over time (stored at 15 to 20 ° C. for about 3 months).

Example 10 Tablet confectionery (diameter 6 mm, weight) produced only by sugar by a conventional method
0.15g) Put 500g in a pan for sugar coating, 20R / M
It was rolled at (rpm), and 10 g of the sweetener composition prepared in Example 8 was sprayed on the tablet confectionery, which was dried by blowing air at 60 ° C. Next, 10 g of fine powder of erythritol was sprinkled on the tablet confectionery. This operation was repeated dozens of times (so-called soft application) to form a sugar coating layer. On top of that,
Spray with 10 g of the sweetener composition prepared in Example 9, 60
The operation of applying a wind at ℃ to dry was repeated ten times (so-called hard application) to generate fine crystals and form a very smooth sugar coating layer.

Example 11 2.5 g of lysozyme chloride, lactose (trade name: DCL-2
1. A troche produced by mixing 400 g of DMV) with 100 g of crystalline cellulose (trade name: Avicel 301, manufactured by Asahi Kasei Kogyo Co., Ltd.), adding 1.5 g of magnesium stearate as a lubricant, and tableting by a conventional method. Agent (diameter 6
mm, weight 0.14 g) 400 g as a core material was put in a pan for sugar coating, tumbled at 15 R / M, and 3.2 g of the sweetener composition prepared in Example 3 was sprayed on the troche, and the temperature was 20 ° C.
It was dried by applying wind. This operation was repeated several tens of times (so-called hard application) to form a sugar coating layer. The sugar-coated product obtained by this method is composed of fine crystals,
It was a lozenge with a very smooth texture. Further, wax was uniformly applied to the surface of the sugar-coated lozenge to obtain a troche tablet having gloss.

Example 12 Erythritol (manufactured by Nikken Chemical Co., Ltd.) 600 g, gum arabic (manufactured by Yoneyama Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) 40 g, Farceleran (trade name: Gelup J-1915, manufactured by Sanei Gen FFI Co., Ltd.) and Mix 358 g of water, and
It melt | dissolved by heating at 5 degreeC. Then, the melt was cooled to 20 ° C. to obtain a liquid sweetener composition in which fine crystals were uniformly dispersed. This sweetener composition is
It was stable even when stored at 0 to 15 ° C for 2 months.

Example 13 Tablet confectionery (diameter 6 mm, weight, produced only with sugar by a conventional method)
0.15g) Put 500g in a pan for sugar coating, 20R / M
Then, 15 g of the sweetener composition prepared in Example 12 was sprayed onto the tablet confectionery and dried by blowing air at 30 ° C.
The operations of spraying and drying were repeated 20 times to form a sugar coating layer. The obtained sugar-coated product had a very smooth texture with a stack of fine crystals.

Comparative Example 1 Erythritol (manufactured by Niken Chemical Co., Ltd.) 580 g, gum arabic (manufactured by Yoneyama Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) 40 g and water 38
0 g was mixed and heated at 95 ° C. to dissolve. Then, the melt was placed in a thermostat bath at 60 ° C. to keep it warm. On the other hand, tablets made from sugar only by a conventional method (diameter 6 mm, weight 0.1
5 g) 500 g was put in a sugar-coated bread, tumbled at 20 R / M, and the tablet confection was kept at 60 ° C. as the dissolution solution 15
g was sprayed and blown at 30 ° C. to dry. The operations of spraying and drying were repeated 20 times to form a sugar coating layer. It was found that large crystals were partially formed in the obtained sugar-coated product. When I ate it, I felt a little rough on my tongue. The surfaces of this sugar coating product and the sugar coating product of the present invention obtained in Example 13 were observed with a scanning electron microscope (JSM-5200, manufactured by JEOL Ltd.) (magnification: 350 times). As a result, as shown in FIG.
It was confirmed that the sugar-coated product of the present invention clearly formed finer and denser crystals.

Comparative Example 2 A sweetener composition was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that agar was not added, and the sweetener composition obtained in Example 1 was stored at 20 ° C. to stabilize with time. The sex was examined. As a result, after 7 days, the control sweetener composition to which agar was not added started to show an aqueous layer without crystals at the top, whereas the sweetener of the present invention obtained in Example 1 The composition did not separate at all.

Example 14 Four kinds of sweetener compositions of the present invention having the compositions shown in Table 1 were prepared, and they were placed in a test tube at a liquid volume of 80 mm at 20 ° C. It was stored and examined for stability over time. As a control, the sweetener compositions obtained by removing the thickening stabilizer from the respective sweetener compositions were also prepared and stored under the same conditions to compare the stability with the sweetener composition of the present invention. The results are shown in Table 2. As is apparent from Table 2, after 3 hours from the preparation, the control sweetener composition to which the thickening stabilizer was not added began to show an aqueous layer without crystals at the top, whereas It was found that the sweetener composition of the invention did not show such a phenomenon and was extremely stable. That is, the stability of the sweetener composition greatly differs depending on the presence or absence of the thickening stabilizer. In addition, although not shown, in the case where the thickening stabilizer was not added, large granulated sugar-like crystals were deposited near the separation surface. This means that, in addition to simply impairing the uniformity as a sweetener composition, when used in an application requiring microcrystals, a serious problem occurs in the texture and shape of the product.

[0033]

[Table 1]

[0034]

[Table 2]

Example 15 500 g of roasted soybeans prepared by roasting commercially available soybeans in a frying pan in an open flame were put in a pan for sugar coating and rolled at 20 R / M, and the sweetener obtained in Example 8 was added to the roasted soybeans. 10 g of the composition was sprayed and spread over the whole, 16 g of finely ground erythritol was added thereto, and the mixture was sufficiently rolled and dried. This spray,
After drying was repeated 15 times, it was allowed to stand overnight in a drying room at 35 ° C. and a humidity of 20% or less for drying. This gave a product with a cool texture and a pleasant texture.

Example 16 500 g of a commercially available chocolate baby (manufactured by Meiji Seika Co., Ltd.) was put in a sugar-coated bread and rolled at 20 R / M, and 10 g of the sweetener composition obtained in Example 8 was sprayed on the whole. Erythritol fine powder and cornstarch were premixed at a weight ratio of 75:25, and 10 g of powder for sugar coating for achromatization
, Sprinkled with the powder, rolled sufficiently, and dried. Do this operation 10
After repeating the operation once, it was left to stand overnight in a drying room at 30 ° C. and a humidity of 20% or less for drying. The next day, put it back in the sugar-coated bread,
The operation of rolling at 20 R / M, spraying with 10 g of the sweetener composition obtained in Example 9 and then blowing at room temperature for drying was repeated 12 times to produce fine crystals, which were very smooth. A sugar-coated chocolate with a pleasant texture was obtained.

[0037]

The sweetener composition of the present invention contains low-calorie, non-cariogenic erythritol as a main component, and evenly contains erythritol in the form of microcrystals even in a concentration range exceeding the solubility of erythritol. However, the sweetener composition is stable for a long period of time. Further, using this composition, it becomes possible to produce a sugar-coated product for confectionery or pharmaceuticals, which contains fine crystals of erythritol, has a high refreshing feeling, and has an improved texture.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 (a) is a micrograph of the surface of a sugar-coated product obtained in Example 13 observed (magnification: 350 times),
(B) is a micrograph of the surface of the sugar-coated product obtained in Comparative Example 1 observed (magnification: 350 times).

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. Erythritol is used as a main component in an amount of 35 to 6
5% (w / w) and 0.03 of a thickening stabilizer of at least one polysaccharide selected from the group consisting of carrageenan, agar, furceleran, pectin, curdlan, gellan gum, xanthan gum, sodium alginate and tamarind gum. ~ 0.7% (w / w) content and sugars other than erythritol to 100 parts by weight of erythritol 4
A sweetener composition containing 3 parts by weight or less. 2. Erythritol 40 to 6 as a main component
The sweetener composition according to claim 1, which contains 0% (w / w) and 0.05 to 0.5% (w / w) of agar and / or furceleran as a polysaccharide thickening stabilizer. 3. A method for producing a sugar-coated product, which comprises supplying the sweetener composition according to claim 1 or 2 to the surface of a core material in a sugar-coated bread and drying it. 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the sweetener composition is dropped or sprayed while rotating the core material. 5. The method according to claim 3, which is dried at a temperature of room temperature to 60 ° C. for crystallization. 6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the core material is any one of chocolate, tablet confectionery, chewing gum, candy and medicine.