HK1114538A - Novel candy and method of producing same - Google Patents

Description

Novel candy and its preparation method

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a novel candy and a method for producing the same, and more particularly, to a novel candy having a beautiful shape, a high commercial value, and a refreshing feeling of xylitol and a good taste, and a method for producing the same.

Background

In recent years, xylitol has been proposed as a material which is attracting attention in the field of confectionery because it is a crystalline sugar alcohol as well as a good taste, and because it is a clear feeling upon licking due to the heat of fusion of crystals, and because it has an effect of preventing tooth decay (for example, see patent document 1).

However, in the production of a candy containing xylitol, immediately after a seed crystal is put into a component such as xylitol in a molten state or immediately after fine crystals of xylitol are precipitated by stirring, crystallization of xylitol, that is, solidification of the candy in a molten state is irreversible and proceeds in a very short time, and therefore, the candy does not have fluidity and is not deteriorated in processability, and therefore, the candy cannot be industrially continuously mass-produced.

Since extremely strict temperature control is required to control the rapid crystallization of xylitol, it is practically very difficult to use a general industrial production facility for confectionery.

In order to avoid the problem of poor processability, the present inventors have proposed a method in which sorbitol is incorporated into xylitol to enable industrial mass production (see, for example, patent document 2).

That is, a method of melting a xylitol component containing sorbitol, cooling the resulting product to a temperature not higher than the melting point, precipitating crystals, and pouring the crystals into a mold to be cooled and solidified.

However, according to this method, after melting a xylitol component containing sorbitol, the resulting slurry is cooled to a temperature equal to or lower than the melting point to precipitate at least a part of xylitol crystals, and the resulting slurry has a high viscosity and is unstable although it has fluidity at first, and therefore, the workability is poor, and it is industrially difficult to control the temperature to ± 5 ℃ in order to maintain the workability, and there are the following problems: the slurry is poured into a mold, for example, to be deposited, and after cooling to room temperature, the crystallized xylitol obtained by solidification is not formed into a desired shape, and is deformed, so that a candy having a beautiful shape cannot be obtained continuously and industrially stably.

A known candy composition is melt-mixed and deposited in a mold, the following slurry is deposited on the candy composition, and then the known candy composition is melt-mixed and deposited thereon, and cooled to normal temperature to solidify, and a candy 1E and a candy 1F having a 3-layer structure are obtained by laminating xylitol crystal part 2E with a center by known candy part 3, the slurry being prepared as follows: sorbitol is added to xylitol as a main component, and after melt-mixing, at least a part of xylitol is crystallized. However, the xylitol crystal portions 2E and 2F of the conventional candies 1E and 1F obtained were deformed as shown in fig. 6 and 7, respectively, and thus, a candy having a beautiful shape could not be obtained.

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 9-47222

Patent document 2: japanese patent No. 3460187

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has as its object to solve the conventional problems and to provide a candy which is excellent in taste and which can be molded into a desired shape by crystallizing xylitol and has a beautiful shape while exerting the refreshing feeling of xylitol.

The object of the present invention 2 is to provide a method for industrially and easily producing a tasty candy having a beautiful shape and exerting the refreshing feeling of xylitol continuously.

The invention according to claim 1 for solving the above problems is a novel candy comprising xylitol as a main component, at least 1 component selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides, sugar alcohols obtained by reducing these monosaccharides or disaccharides, and a viscosity-reducing agent in a predetermined amount relative to xylitol as an essential component, and having a xylitol crystal moiety.

The 2 nd aspect of the present invention is the novel confectionery according to the 1 st aspect of the present invention, wherein the viscosity-reducing agent is a viscosity-reducing agent selected from edible fats and oils and/or edible emulsifiers.

The invention according to claim 3 is the novel confectionery according to claim 2, wherein the viscosity-reducing agent is an edible oil or fat having a melting point of 35 to 80 ℃.

The 4 th aspect of the present invention is the novel confectionery according to the 2 nd or 3 rd aspect of the present invention, wherein the HLB of the edible emulsifier is 0 to 8.

The 5 th aspect of the present invention is the novel confectionery according to any one of the 1 st to 4 th aspects of the present invention, which is characterized by containing the viscosity-lowering agent in an amount of 0.01 to 20 mass% based on xylitol as a main component.

The 6 th aspect of the present invention is the novel confectionery according to any one of the 1 st to 5 th aspects of the present invention, wherein the mixing molar ratio of the above-mentioned components to 1 mole of xylitol as the main component is 0.02 to 0.3.

The 7 th aspect of the present invention is the novel confectionery according to any one of the 1 st to 6 th aspects of the present invention, wherein the monosaccharide is at least one selected from glucose, fructose, erythrose and xylose, the disaccharide is at least 1 selected from sucrose, maltose, lactose and palatinose (also referred to as isomaltulose), and the sugar alcohol is at least one selected from sorbitol, erythritol, maltitol, reduced palatinose, lactitol and mannitol.

The 8 th aspect of the present invention is a process for producing a novel confectionery, characterized by melt-mixing at least one component selected from among monosaccharides, disaccharides and sugar alcohols obtained by reducing these and a viscosity-reducing agent as essential components in a predetermined amount relative to xylitol as a main component simultaneously or separately, allowing the viscosity-reducing agent to be present in the xylitol as the main component in a dispersed state, crystallizing at least a part of the xylitol to prepare a fluid slurry, depositing the fluid slurry in a mold, and cooling to normal temperature to solidify the fluid slurry, thereby producing a confectionery having a xylitol crystal part containing a crystal part and an amorphous part.

The 9 th aspect of the present invention is a method for producing a novel candy, characterized by melt-mixing a candy composition, for example, a known candy composition, depositing the mixture in a mold, depositing the following flowable slurry on the candy composition, and then cooling the slurry to normal temperature to solidify the slurry, thereby producing a candy having a 2-layer structure including a xylitol crystalline portion having a crystalline portion and an amorphous portion, the flowable slurry being produced by: melting and mixing at least one component selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides, and sugar alcohols obtained by reducing these and a viscosity-reducing agent as essential components in a predetermined amount with respect to xylitol as a main component, simultaneously or separately, allowing the viscosity-reducing agent to exist in a dispersed state in xylitol as a main component, and then crystallizing at least a part of the xylitol; alternatively, a candy having a 3-layer structure including a xylitol crystal part having a crystal part and an amorphous part is produced by melt-mixing a candy composition, for example, a known candy composition, and depositing the mixture in a mold, depositing the fluid slurry on the candy composition, melt-mixing a candy composition, for example, a known candy composition, and depositing the mixture thereon, cooling the mixture to room temperature, and solidifying the mixture.

The novel confectionery according to claim 1 of the present invention is characterized by comprising a xylitol crystal part containing xylitol as a main component, at least one component selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides, sugar alcohols obtained by reducing these monosaccharides or disaccharides, and a viscosity-reducing agent as an essential component in a predetermined amount relative to xylitol as a main component.

Since the viscosity reducing agent is blended, the viscosity of a slurry obtained by melting these components, cooling the resulting mixture to a temperature not higher than the melting point and precipitating at least a part of the xylitol crystals is reduced, and stable fluidity and excellent workability can be imparted.

The invention of claim 2 is the novel confectionery of claim 1, wherein the viscosity-reducing agent is selected from the group consisting of edible fats and oils and/or edible emulsifiers, and the viscosity-reducing agent can surely reduce the viscosity of the slurry to impart stable fluidity and excellent processability, and the viscosity-reducing agent is selected from the group consisting of edible fats and oils and/or edible emulsifiers, so that the confectionery is highly safe, easily available and inexpensive.

The invention of claim 3 is the novel confectionery of claim 2, wherein the viscosity-reducing agent is an edible oil or fat having a melting point of 35 to 80 ℃, and since xylitol has a melting point of 94 ℃, when an edible oil or fat having a melting point in the range of 35 to 80 ℃ is used as the viscosity-reducing agent, a more significant effect of reliably reducing the viscosity of the slurry and forming the crystallized xylitol into a desired shape is achieved.

The invention of claim 4 is the novel confectionery of claim 2 or 3, wherein the edible emulsifier has an HLB of 0 to 8, and has a remarkable effect that the edible emulsifier can be mixed with xylitol, the dispersibility of the edible emulsifier is improved, and the edible emulsifier can be easily dispersed in xylitol by a dispersing means such as stirring.

The invention according to claim 5 is the novel confectionery according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the viscosity-reducing agent is contained in an amount of 0.01 to 20 mass% based on the xylitol as the main component, thereby achieving more remarkable effects of surely reducing the viscosity of the slurry and imparting stable fluidity and excellent workability.

The 6 th aspect of the present invention is the novel confectionery according to any one of the 1 st to 5 th aspects of the present invention, wherein the mixing molar ratio of the saccharide to 1 mole of xylitol as the main component is 0.02 to 0.3, and a more significant effect of reliably suppressing rapid crystallization of xylitol is achieved.

The 7 th aspect of the present invention is the novel confectionery according to any one of the 1 st to 6 th aspects of the present invention, wherein the monosaccharide is at least one selected from glucose, fructose, erythrose and xylose, the disaccharide is at least 1 selected from sucrose, maltose, lactose and palatinose, and the sugar alcohol is at least one selected from sorbitol, erythritol, maltitol, reduced palatinose, lactitol and mannitol, whereby more remarkable effects of reliably suppressing sharp crystallization of xylitol, good handling properties, easy availability and low cost are achieved.

The 8 th aspect of the present invention is a process for producing a novel confectionery, characterized by comprising melt-mixing at least one component selected from among monosaccharides, disaccharides and sugar alcohols obtained by reducing these and a viscosity-reducing agent as essential components in a predetermined amount relative to xylitol as a main component simultaneously or separately, allowing the viscosity-reducing agent to be present in the xylitol as the main component in a dispersed state, crystallizing at least a part of the xylitol to form a fluid slurry, depositing the fluid slurry in a mold, cooling to room temperature, and solidifying the fluid slurry, thereby producing a confectionery having a xylitol crystal part including a crystal part and an amorphous part, and achieving the remarkable effect of enabling a novel confectionery having a beautiful shape, simultaneously exhibiting a refreshing feeling of xylitol, having a high commercial value, and having a good taste to be industrially continuously produced easily.

The invention of claim 9 is a method for producing a novel confectionery, characterized by melting and mixing a known confectionery composition, depositing the mixture in a mold, depositing the following flowable slurry on the confectionery composition, cooling the slurry to normal temperature, and solidifying the slurry to produce a confectionery having a 2-layer structure including a xylitol crystalline portion having a crystalline portion and an amorphous portion, the flowable slurry being produced by: melting and mixing at least one component selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides, and sugar alcohols obtained by reducing these and a viscosity-reducing agent as essential components in a predetermined amount with respect to xylitol as a main component, simultaneously or separately, allowing the viscosity-reducing agent to exist in a dispersed state in xylitol as a main component, and then crystallizing at least a part of the xylitol; alternatively, a known confectionery composition is melt-mixed and deposited in a mold, the fluid slurry is deposited on the confectionery composition, the known confectionery composition is melt-mixed and deposited thereon, and the mixture is cooled to room temperature to solidify the composition, thereby producing a confectionery having a 3-layer structure including a xylitol crystal part including a crystal part and an amorphous part, and the following remarkable effects are achieved: by the endothermic action of melting the lamellar xylitol crystal part at the time of licking in the oral cavity, it is possible to obtain particularly a refreshing feeling of xylitol which cannot be obtained by simply mixing xylitol in known candies, and at the same time, it is possible to simultaneously taste the delicacy of the laminated known candies, or it is possible to taste a delicacy which changes over a period of time such as when licking is started and after licking is started, and it is possible to industrially and continuously produce a novel candy having a beautiful shape and a high commercial value and a good taste.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional explanatory view schematically illustrating an example of the novel candy of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional explanatory view schematically illustrating another example of the novel candy of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional explanatory view schematically illustrating another example of the novel candy of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional explanatory view schematically illustrating another example of the novel candy of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional explanatory view schematically illustrating another example of the novel candy of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional explanatory view schematically illustrating an example of a conventional candy.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional explanatory view schematically illustrating another example of the conventional candy.

Description of the symbols in the figures

1. 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D novel candies of the present invention

1E, 1F conventional candies

2. 2E, 2F xylitol crystal part

3 known candy part

Detailed Description

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional explanatory view schematically illustrating an example of the novel candy of the present invention.

In fig. 1, 1 represents the novel confectionery of the present invention, 2 represents layered xylitol crystal portions containing xylitol as a main component, at least one component selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides and sugar alcohols obtained by reducing these monosaccharides or disaccharides and a viscosity-reducing agent in a predetermined amount relative to xylitol as a main component, and 3 represents layered known confectionery portions, and the layered xylitol crystal portions 2 are sandwiched between the corresponding 2 layered known confectionery portions 3.

The xylitol crystal part 2 is formed into a desired shape, and the novel candy 1 of the present invention has a beautiful shape with high commercial value.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional explanatory view schematically illustrating another example of the novel candy of the present invention.

In FIG. 2, 1A shows the novel confectionery of the present invention, 2 shows the layered xylitol crystal part shown in FIG. 1, 3 shows the layered known confectionery part shown in FIG. 1, and the layered xylitol crystal part 2 is laminated on the corresponding layered known confectionery part 3.

The layered xylitol crystal part 2 is formed into a desired shape, and the novel candy 1A of the present invention has a beautiful shape with high commercial value.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional explanatory view schematically illustrating another example of the novel candy of the present invention.

In FIG. 3, 1B represents the novel confectionery of the present invention, 2 represents the spherical xylitol crystal parts, and 3 represents the known confectionery part coated with the spherical xylitol crystal parts of 2.

The spherical xylitol crystal part 2 is formed into a desired shape, and the novel candy 1B of the present invention has a beautiful shape with high commercial value.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional explanatory view schematically illustrating another example of the novel candy of the present invention.

In FIG. 4, 1C shows the novel confectionery of the present invention, 2 shows a columnar xylitol crystal portion, and 3 shows a tubular known confectionery portion covering the outer periphery of the columnar xylitol crystal portion of 2.

The columnar xylitol crystal part 2 is formed into a desired shape, and the novel candy 1C of the present invention has a beautiful shape with high commercial value.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional explanatory view schematically illustrating another example of the novel candy of the present invention.

In FIG. 5, 1D shows the novel confectionery of the present invention, which is composed only of the oval xylitol crystal part 2.

The xylitol crystal part 2 having an elliptical shape is formed into a desired shape, and the novel candy 1D of the present invention has a beautiful shape with high commercial value.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional explanatory view schematically illustrating an example of a conventional candy.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional explanatory view schematically illustrating another example of the conventional candy.

In fig. 6 and 7, 1E and 1F show examples of conventional candies, respectively.

The present inventors have conducted extensive studies and as a result, have found that stable long-term fluidity and excellent workability can be imparted by mixing a predetermined amount of at least one component selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides and sugar alcohols obtained by reducing them, and a viscosity-reducing agent as essential components, melting these components, allowing the viscosity-reducing agent to exist in a dispersed state in xylitol as a main component, cooling the resulting mixture to a temperature of not higher than the melting point, and precipitating crystals of at least a part of the xylitol to obtain a slurry, and then adding the slurry to the xylitol as a main component.

The slurry is poured into a mold, for example, and deposited, and then cooled to room temperature to solidify, so that crystallized xylitol can be molded into a desired shape, and therefore, a novel candy having a beautiful shape and exhibiting a refreshing feeling of xylitol and having a high commercial value and a good taste can be obtained.

The sugar used in the present invention is preferably a monosaccharide, a disaccharide, or a sugar alcohol which can be uniformly mixed with xylitol as a main component during heating and has a small molecular weight.

The monosaccharide used in the present invention is a polyhydroxyaldehyde or polyhydroxyketone derivative having 3 or more carbon atoms, and specific examples thereof include glucose, fructose, erythrose, xylose, sorbose, galactose, and other isomerized sugars, and these sugars may be used alone or in a mixture of 2 or more.

The monosaccharide is preferably at least one selected from glucose, fructose, erythrose, and xylose because it has a high crystallization control effect, is easy to handle, is easily available, and is inexpensive.

The disaccharide used in the present invention is a polyhydroxyaldehyde or polyhydroxyketone derivative in which 2 monosaccharides are bonded, and specific examples thereof include sucrose, maltose, lactose, palatinose, and other isomerized sugars, and these sugars may be used alone or in a mixture of 2 or more.

As the disaccharide, at least 1 selected from the group consisting of sucrose (glucose) in which glucose and fructose are bonded, maltose, lactose, and palatinose is preferably used because of high crystallization control effect, good workability, easy availability, and low cost.

The trisaccharide or oligosaccharide may be used, but the amount of the trisaccharide or oligosaccharide used is limited because the sugar solution has a large molecular weight and a high viscosity during heating, and the effect of lowering the crystallization temperature is small.

The sugar alcohol used in the present invention is a chain polyol obtained by reducing (hydrogenating) an aldehyde or ketone carbonyl group of a saccharide, and specific examples thereof include sorbitol, erythritol, mannitol, galactitol, maltitol, reduced palatinose, lactitol and the like, and these sugar alcohols may be used alone or in a mixture of 2 or more. Sugar alcohols are also effective because of their high controllability of crystallization.

Xylitol is also a sugar alcohol obtained by reducing xylose, which is a monosaccharide, and is used in the present invention because it has advantages such as retaining the same sweet taste as granulated sugar, being difficult to increase the blood glucose level during eating, being difficult to cause tooth decay, and the like. Sugar alcohols generally have the same advantages.

Sugar alcohols are effective in the present invention, which are produced from monosaccharides such as sorbitol produced by a reduction reaction of glucose, mannitol which is an isomer, erythritol produced by a reduction reaction of erythrose, and the like. Reduced maltose (maltitol) obtained by reducing maltose, reduced palatinose obtained by reducing palatinose, lactitol obtained by reducing lactose, and the like are also effective in the present invention.

In the present invention, if the mixing molar ratio of the above-mentioned component to 1 mole of xylitol as the main component exceeds 0.5, the crystallinity of xylitol is significantly impaired, the crystallization time increases, the degree of crystallization is poor, and the refreshing feeling is lowered, and it is preferable to make the mixing molar ratio as small as 0.02 to 0.3 as possible. If the amount is less than 0.02, crystallization control may become difficult, and if it exceeds 0.3, the advantage of the increase is hardly obtained. When the content is 0.02 to 0.3, rapid crystallization of xylitol can be reliably suppressed.

Next, the viscosity-lowering agent used in the present invention will be described.

At least one component selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides, and sugar alcohols obtained by reducing these saccharides in a predetermined amount relative to xylitol as a main component is blended with the viscosity-reducing agent used in the present invention as an essential component.

The viscosity reducing agent used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is reduced in viscosity and can impart stable long-term fluidity and excellent workability, and it is preferable that these components are melted so that the viscosity reducing agent is present in a dispersed state in xylitol as a main component, and then cooled to a temperature of not more than the melting point to precipitate at least a part of xylitol crystals, thereby obtaining a slurry. Xylitol is in a liquid state when melted, but is mixed in a dispersed state in the molten xylitol. Further, it is needless to say that a safe material is selected as the food additive.

The viscosity reducing agent selected from at least one of edible fats and oils and edible emulsifiers can surely reduce the viscosity of the slurry, can impart stable fluidity and excellent workability, and is highly safe, easily available, and inexpensive, and therefore can be preferably used.

Specific examples of the edible oils and fats used in the present invention include vegetable oils and fats such as soybean oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil, sesame oil, rice bran oil, olive oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, corn oil (corn oil), rapeseed oil, cocoa oil, linseed oil, castor oil, etc., animal oils and fats such as beef tallow, lard, mutton tallow, horse tallow, fish oil, milk fat, whale oil, etc., and hydrogenated oils obtained by hydrogenating these edible oils and fats. These edible fats and oils may be used alone or in combination of 2 or more.

Specific examples of the edible emulsifier used in the present invention include sucrose fatty acid esters, glycerin fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, lecithin, and the like. These edible emulsifiers may be used alone or in a mixture of 2 or more.

The viscosity-reducing agent used in the present invention may be used in combination with the edible oil or fat and the edible emulsifier.

When edible oils and fats having a melting point of 35 to 80 ℃ are used as the viscosity reducing agent used in the present invention, xylitol having a melting point of 94 ℃ can be used preferably because the viscosity of the resulting slurry can be reliably reduced and stable long-term fluidity and excellent workability can be provided.

The edible oil and fat can surely reduce the viscosity of the slurry when the melting point is 80 ℃ or lower, but the use of hydrogenated oil having a melting point of 35 to 40 ℃ is more preferable because it can produce a confectionery having good mouth-dissolving properties.

The edible emulsifier used in the present invention has an HLB of 0 to 8, and is preferably used because it can be mixed with xylitol, has improved dispersibility, can be easily dispersed in xylitol by a dispersing means such as stirring, can surely reduce the viscosity of the resulting slurry, and can impart stable long-term fluidity and excellent processability.

If the HLB of the edible emulsifier is higher than 8 and becomes hydrophilic, the edible emulsifier may dissolve in the water-soluble component (sugar), and the viscosity reducing effect of the slurry may not be obtained.

When the edible emulsifier is used alone, the edible emulsifier having HLB of 3 to 8 is preferably used because dispersibility in xylitol is improved and handling by a dispersing means such as stirring is facilitated.

In the present invention, when the viscosity reducing agent is contained in an amount of 0.01 to 20 mass%, preferably 1 to 10 mass%, more preferably 0.5 to 5 mass% based on the xylitol as the main component, the viscosity of the slurry can be reliably reduced, and stable fluidity and excellent workability can be provided.

When the content of the viscosity-reducing agent is less than 0.01% by mass, it is difficult to reliably reduce the viscosity of the slurry, and when it exceeds 20% by mass, an odor of the edible saccharide or the edible emulsifier is generated, which is not preferable because the odor affects the taste.

The monosaccharides, disaccharides, sugar alcohols, xylitol, viscosity-lowering agents, and the like used in the present invention are food products and food additives, respectively, and the specifications such as properties thereof are specified according to "specification standards for food products, additives, and the like" published in japan, japan. These are commercially available as solid or liquid (aqueous solution), and any of them can be used.

The xylitol and the components other than the above-mentioned components and the viscosity-reducing agent are not particularly limited as long as they are used in the production of usual candies, for example, sour ingredients, flavors, colorants, fruit juices, dairy products, various medicinal ingredients, and the like, and they should be controlled within a range not affecting the crystallization of xylitol.

The method for producing the novel confectionery of the present invention is not particularly limited, and the following methods may be mentioned.

(1) Heating and melting the above components, adding a viscosity reducing agent to the molten component to allow the viscosity reducing agent to exist in a dispersed state in xylitol as a main component, promoting crystallization of xylitol and the like to form a fluid slurry, and then performing a predetermined molding and cooling to solidify; alternatively, a viscosity reducing agent is added to a component in a molten state, the viscosity reducing agent is allowed to exist in a dispersed state in xylitol as a main component, fine crystals are precipitated by stirring, crystallization of xylitol or the like is promoted, and a fluid slurry is prepared, followed by predetermined molding and cooling solidification.

(2) Heating and melting the above components containing the viscosity reducing agent to allow the viscosity reducing agent to be present in a dispersed state in xylitol as a main component, maintaining the obtained melt at a temperature at which the melting point of xylitol or less and the fluidity thereof can be maintained, crystallizing at least a part of xylitol to form a fluid slurry, molding the fluid slurry into a desired shape, and cooling the obtained molded body to room temperature.

In order to produce the novel confectionery of the present invention by the method of the above (2), the respective components containing the viscosity-reducing agent are first melted, and the viscosity-reducing agent is dispersed in xylitol as the main component. In this case, xylitol and a saccharide in powder form may be mixed and heated to be melted, and then the remaining other components may be added and mixed, or xylitol in powder form may be mixed with a saccharide in aqueous solution form and an appropriate amount of water to be heated and dissolved, and then further heated and concentrated under reduced pressure to evaporate water, and then the other components may be added and mixed thereto, whereby the respective components may be uniformly mixed and melted.

Then, the composition in a molten state is cooled to a temperature not higher than the melting point of xylitol, and at least a part of the contained xylitol is crystallized to prepare a fluid slurry having excellent workability. The temperature at which crystals are precipitated varies depending on the kind of the saccharide and the ratio of the saccharide to the xylitol content, and is preferably in the range of approximately 60 to 85 ℃. The novel confectionery of the present invention is obtained by crystallizing at least a part of xylitol contained therein to form a fluid slurry having excellent processability, and then maintaining the temperature at about 60 to 85 ℃ to maintain the proportion of the crystalline portion within a certain range, thereby maintaining the fluid property capable of being freely molded into any shape for a long period of time. When a predetermined molding is performed using the fluid slurry and the molded product is cooled to room temperature, the molded product is rapidly solidified.

The method for molding the novel confectionery of the present invention is not particularly limited, and a method of molding the confectionery by pouring the confectionery into a mold is very preferable because the confectionery can maintain sufficient fluidity by heat-holding in a state where at least a part of xylitol contained therein is crystallized to form a fluid slurry having excellent workability. As another molding method, for example, a die extrusion molding after the inflow molding may be adopted.

Examples

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples and comparative examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples as long as the invention is not in any way limited thereto.

(example 1)

A commercially available crystalline Xylitol (trade name "Xylitol C", manufactured by Culter Food Science Co., Ltd.) 285g and sorbitol (trade name "Sorbit W-Powder", manufactured by Tokyo chemical Co., Ltd.) 15g were Powder-mixed and heated to 120 ℃ to be melted.

To this solution, 0.9g of sucrose fatty acid ester (trade name "S-370", HLB3, manufactured by mitsubishi chemical co., ltd.) was added as a viscosity reducing agent, so that the sucrose fatty acid ester was present in a dispersed state in xylitol as a main component.

The sugar melt was cooled to 90 ℃ and 15g of powdered Xylitol (trade name: Xylitol CM, manufactured by Culter Food Science) was added thereto, followed by sufficient stirring to precipitate crystals of Xylitol, thereby obtaining a fluid slurry.

After the fluid slurry was kept at 90 ℃ and stirred for 15 minutes, the viscosity was measured. The viscosity was measured using a viscometer VT-04(Rion corporation). The measurement results are shown in table 1.

The flowable state of the flowable slurry can be maintained for a long period of time.

The fluid slurry was poured into a silicone rubber mold, cooled and solidified at 20 ℃ for 5 minutes, and then taken out of the mold to obtain the novel confectionery of the present invention.

The xylitol crystal part of the novel candy of the present invention thus obtained is formed into a desired shape, has a beautiful shape, exerts the refreshing feeling of xylitol, and has a high commercial value and a good taste.

(example 2)

The novel confectionery of the present invention was obtained in the same manner as in example 1 except that 0.9g of a polyglycerin fatty acid ester (trade name "Ryoto polymer ester-60D", HLB ═ 5, manufactured by mitsubishi chemical corporation) was used as a viscosity reducing agent, and the viscosity was measured, and the measurement results are shown in table 1. The flowable state of the obtained flowable slurry can be maintained for a long period of time.

The xylitol crystal part of the novel candy of the present invention thus obtained is formed into a desired shape, has a beautiful shape, exerts the refreshing feeling of xylitol, and has a high commercial value and a good taste.

(example 3)

The novel confectionery of the present invention was obtained in the same manner as in example 1 except that 0.9g of a monoglyceride (trade name "emiuji HRO", HLB ═ 4, manufactured by Riken Vitamin co., ltd.) was used as a viscosity reducing agent, and the viscosity was measured, and the measurement results are shown in table 1. The flowable state of the obtained flowable slurry can be maintained for a long period of time. The xylitol crystal part of the novel candy of the present invention thus obtained is formed into a desired shape, has a beautiful shape, exerts the refreshing feeling of xylitol, and has a high commercial value and a good taste.

(example 4)

The novel confectionery of the present invention was obtained in the same manner as in example 1 except that 0.5g of sucrose fatty acid ester (trade name "S-370", HLB3, manufactured by mitsubishi chemical corporation) and 0.4g of sucrose fatty acid ester (trade name "S-770", HLB 7, manufactured by mitsubishi chemical corporation) were mixed and used as a viscosity reducing agent, and the viscosity was measured, and the measurement results are shown in table 1. The flowable state of the obtained flowable slurry can be maintained for a long period of time.

The xylitol crystal part of the novel candy of the present invention thus obtained is formed into a desired shape, has a beautiful shape, exerts the refreshing feeling of xylitol, and has a high commercial value and a good taste.

(example 5)

The novel confectionery of the present invention was obtained in the same manner as in example 1 except that 0.9g of Econa LS (H) (edible oil, manufactured by Kao corporation, melting point 42 ℃ C.) was used as the viscosity reducing agent, and the viscosity was measured, and the measurement results are shown in Table 1. The flowable state of the obtained flowable slurry can be maintained for a long period of time.

The xylitol crystal part of the novel candy of the present invention thus obtained is formed into a desired shape, has a beautiful shape, exerts the refreshing feeling of xylitol, and has a high commercial value and a good taste.

(example 6)

The same procedure as in example 1 was repeated except that 0.5g of sucrose fatty acid ester (trade name "S-370", HLB3, Mitsubishi chemical corporation) and 0.4g of Econa LS (H) (melting point 42 ℃ C., manufactured by Kao corporation) were mixed and used as a viscosity reducing agent, and the viscosity was measured, and the measurement results were shown in Table 1, thereby obtaining the novel confectionery of the present invention. The flowable state of the obtained flowable slurry can be maintained for a long period of time.

The xylitol crystal part of the novel candy of the present invention thus obtained is formed into a desired shape, has a beautiful shape, exerts the refreshing feeling of xylitol, and has a high commercial value and a good taste.

(example 7)

240g of xylitol and 60g of sorbitol used in example 1 were powder-mixed and melted by heating to 120 ℃.

To the solution was added 0.9g of sucrose fatty acid ester (trade name "S-370", HLB3, manufactured by mitsubishi chemical co., ltd.) as a viscosity reducing agent.

The sugar melt was cooled to 80 ℃ and 15g of powdered Xylitol (trade name: Xylitol CM, manufactured by Culter Food Science Co., Ltd.) was added thereto, followed by sufficient stirring to precipitate crystals of Xylitol, thereby obtaining a fluid slurry.

After the fluid slurry was kept at 80 ℃ and stirred for 15 minutes, the viscosity was measured. The viscosity was measured using a viscometer VT-04(Rion corporation). The measurement results are shown in table 2.

The flowable state of the flowable slurry can be maintained for a long period of time.

The fluid slurry was poured into a silicone rubber mold, cooled and solidified at 20 ℃ for 5 minutes, and then taken out of the mold to obtain the novel confectionery of the present invention.

The xylitol crystal part of the novel candy of the present invention thus obtained is formed into a desired shape, has a beautiful shape, exerts the refreshing feeling of xylitol, and has a high commercial value and a good taste.

(example 8)

The novel confectionery of the present invention was obtained in the same manner as in example 7 except that 0.9g of a polyglycerin fatty acid ester (trade name "Ryoto polymer ester-60D", HLB ═ 5, manufactured by mitsubishi chemical corporation) was used as a viscosity reducing agent, and the viscosity was measured, and the measurement results are shown in table 2. The flowable state of the obtained flowable slurry can be maintained for a long period of time.

The xylitol crystal part of the novel candy of the present invention thus obtained is formed into a desired shape, has a beautiful shape, exerts the refreshing feeling of xylitol, and has a high commercial value and a good taste.

(example 9)

The novel confectionery of the present invention was obtained in the same manner as in example 7, except that 0.9g of a monoglyceride (trade name "emiuuji HRO", HLB ═ 4, manufactured by Riken Vitamin co., ltd.) was used as the viscosity reducing agent, and the viscosity was measured, and the measurement results are shown in table 2. The flowable state of the obtained flowable slurry can be maintained for a long period of time. The xylitol crystal part of the novel candy of the present invention thus obtained is formed into a desired shape, has a beautiful shape, exerts the refreshing feeling of xylitol, and has a high commercial value and a good taste.

Comparative example 1

The viscosity was measured in the same manner as in example 1, except that no viscosity-lowering agent was added, and the measurement results are shown in table 1. A candy was obtained in the same manner as in example 1, but it was difficult to obtain a candy in an in-flow manner because the candy became a state of no fluidity due to crystallization after the viscosity measurement.

Comparative example 2

The viscosity was measured in the same manner as in example 7, except that no viscosity-lowering agent was added, and the measurement results are shown in table 2. A candy was obtained in the same manner as in example 7, but it was difficult to obtain a candy in an in-flow manner because the candy became non-fluid due to crystallization after the viscosity measurement.

TABLE 1

	Viscosity (cP)
		Example 1	1500
Example 2	1800
		Example 3	2100
Example 4	1800
		Example 5	2400
Example 6	2000
		Comparative example 1	6000

TABLE 2

	Viscosity (cP)
		Example 7	7000
Example 8	6000
		Example 9	7000
Comparative example 2	11000

The novel confectionery of the present invention is a confectionery which contains a viscosity-reducing agent, and therefore, the viscosity-reducing agent is melted to cause the viscosity-reducing agent to exist in a dispersed state in xylitol as a main component, and then the resultant is cooled to a temperature not higher than the melting point to precipitate at least a part of xylitol crystals to obtain a slurry, and the viscosity of the slurry thus obtained is reduced to provide stable fluidity and excellent workability, and the crystallized xylitol obtained by, for example, flowing the slurry into a mold to deposit the crystals and cooling the crystals to a normal temperature to solidify the crystals can be molded into a desired shape, thereby providing a beautiful shape and exerting the refreshing feeling of xylitol, and having a high commercial value.

Further, the production method of the present invention achieves the remarkable effect that a candy having a beautiful shape and simultaneously exhibiting a refreshing feeling of xylitol and having a high commercial value and a good taste can be easily and continuously produced industrially, and therefore, the industrial value is high.

Claims (9)

1. A novel confectionery comprising xylitol as a main component, at least one component selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides and sugar alcohols obtained by reducing these monosaccharides or disaccharides and a viscosity-reducing agent in a predetermined amount relative to xylitol as a main component, and further comprising a xylitol crystal part.

2. The novel confectionery according to claim 1, wherein said viscosity-reducing agent is a viscosity-reducing agent selected from the group consisting of edible fats and oils and/or edible emulsifiers.

3. The novel confectionery according to claim 2, wherein the viscosity-reducing agent is an edible oil or fat having a melting point of 35 to 80 ℃.

4. The novel confectionery according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the edible emulsifier has an HLB of 0 to 8.

5. The novel confectionery according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which contains 0.01 to 20 mass% of the viscosity-reducing agent with respect to xylitol as a main component.

6. The novel confectionery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the mixing molar ratio of the components to 1 mole of xylitol as a main component is 0.02 to 0.3.

7. The novel confectionery according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the monosaccharide is at least one selected from glucose, fructose, erythritol and xylose, the disaccharide is at least 1 selected from sucrose, maltose, lactose and palatinose, and the sugar alcohol is at least one selected from sorbitol, erythritol, maltitol, reduced palatinose, lactitol and mannitol.

8. A process for producing a novel confectionery, characterized by comprising the steps of melt-mixing, as essential components, at least one component selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides, disaccharides and sugar alcohols obtained by reducing these monosaccharides and disaccharides, in a prescribed amount relative to xylitol as the main component, simultaneously or separately, allowing the viscosity-reducing agent to be present in the xylitol as the main component in a dispersed state, crystallizing at least a part of the xylitol to form a fluid slurry, depositing the fluid slurry in a mold, cooling to normal temperature, and solidifying the fluid slurry, thereby producing a confectionery having a xylitol crystal part comprising a crystal part and an amorphous part.

9. A process for producing a novel confectionery, which comprises melt-mixing a confectionery composition, depositing the mixture in a mold, depositing on the confectionery composition a flowable slurry comprising a crystalline portion and an amorphous portion of xylitol and having a 2-layer structure, and cooling the slurry to room temperature to solidify the slurry, wherein the flowable slurry is prepared by: melting and mixing at least one component selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides, and sugar alcohols obtained by reducing these and a viscosity-reducing agent as essential components in a predetermined amount with respect to xylitol as a main component, simultaneously or separately, allowing the viscosity-reducing agent to exist in a dispersed state in xylitol as a main component, and then crystallizing at least a part of the xylitol; alternatively, a candy having a 3-layer structure comprising a xylitol crystal part having a crystal part and an amorphous part is produced by melt-mixing a candy composition, depositing the mixture in a mold, depositing the fluid slurry on the candy composition, melt-mixing the candy composition thereon, depositing the mixture, and cooling the mixture to normal temperature to solidify the mixture.