JP3046763B2 - Irregular hexahedral low-calorie sweetener and method for producing the same - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to an irregular hexahedral low-calorie sweetener and a method for producing the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to an irregular hexahedral low-calorie sweetener that can be widely used as a general sweetener or as a sweetener for taste drinks such as coffee, tea, and caffe ale, and a method for producing the same. The malformed hexahedral low-calorie sweetener of the present invention can be used for people with restricted calorie intake (eg, overt or non-overt diabetic patients, hyperlipidemia-related patients, workers in occupations requiring a diet). Can be widely used. Furthermore, since the irregular hexahedral low-calorie sweetener of the present invention is non-tacky, it is also suitable for oral hygiene (for example, prevention of tooth decay).

[0002]

Heretofore, low-calorie sweeteners have not been provided as molded articles at all, and have been provided at most only in granules or powders. That is, conventional low-calorie sweeteners have been used in the form of sachets. Therefore, when a low-calorie sweetener is used in a hotel, a restaurant, a coffee shop, or the like, the user has to use a low-calorie sweetener in a package. For example, 400-
Non-insulin-dependent diabetics, said to reach 6 million, were forced to use such sachets every time they drank coffee. Such a package form is strongly reminiscent of oral pharmaceuticals. Therefore,
The user (especially the diabetic patient as described above) always associates an oral drug when using a low-calorie sweetener, and therefore, the user has a feeling of discomfort and discomfort.

[0003] In order to eliminate such discomfort and discomfort, molded articles of low-calorie sweeteners have been proposed. For example, JP-B-6-83680 discloses a method for producing a molded article of a low-calorie sweetener by compression-molding erythritol. This production method is a method in which a powder or granules of erythritol having a water content of 0.5 to 5% by weight is compression-molded and dried; the pressing conditions during molding are 20 kg / cm ² , and the drying conditions are 80 ° C. At 10
Time. The obtained molded body is 10 × 10 × 10 mm
Cube (a regular hexahedron; that is, a simple sugar cube form)
It is.

[0004] The method for producing such a regular hexahedron molded article is very simple and uniform, so that the production efficiency is high. On the other hand, the following defects are observed in the obtained regular hexahedron molded body: (1) When the molded bodies are accommodated in a container, the molded bodies are closely packed without gaps. Therefore, it is very difficult to take it out of the container at the time of use. (2) The surfaces of the molded articles may adhere to each other due to the influence of the composition of the molded article, the binder during molding, temperature, humidity, and the like. As a result, the quality of the sweetener may not be stable.

[0005] As described above, there is a demand for a low-calorie sweetener molded product that has a stable quality without being stuck during storage and that is easy to take out at the time of use, and a simple production method thereof.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and has as its object to have a stable quality and to be free from sticking during storage. An object of the present invention is to provide a molded product of a low-calorie sweetener that can be easily taken out at the time of use and a simple production method thereof.

[0007]

As a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have found that a low-calorie sweetener having an irregular hexahedral shape obtained by shaping and drying a slurry of erythritol having a specific water content. However, they have found that the above objects have been achieved, and have completed the present invention.

[0008] The irregular hexahedral low-calorie sweetener of the present invention comprises:
Forming a slurry containing erythritol,
Drying the excipient.

In a preferred embodiment, the slurry has a water content of 0.99 to 16.7% by weight.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the slurry contains at least one selected from the group consisting of an extract of Arhat fruit, a licorice extract, and a stevia extract (stebioside or rebaudioside).

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the slurry contains a dye and / or a fragrance.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In the present specification, the “illegal hexahedron” includes all hexahedrons except for a regular hexahedron (cube). FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a preferred example of the irregular hexahedral low-calorie sweetener of the present invention. The irregular hexahedral low-calorie sweetener 1 is a hexahedron having surfaces 1a, 1a, surfaces 1b, 1b, and surfaces 1c, 1c. Each side 1
The widths of the upper and lower ends of a, 1b, and 1c are not the same as the width of the central portion, and have a so-called ladder shape, a ladder shape, or a barrel shape. Each face 1a, 1b and 1
The shape of c may be the same or different. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of another preferred example of the irregular hexahedral low-calorie sweetener of the present invention. The irregular hexahedral low-calorie sweetener 2 comprises surfaces 2a, 2a, 2b, 2b, and 2c, 2c, 2 having a so-called ladder, ladder or barrel shape.
c, and each vertex of each surface has a rounded shape.

Erythritol used in the present invention is a kind of tetrose alcohol having a molecular weight of 122. With a melting point of 119 ° C, the sweetness is about 70-80% of sucrose. In nature, it is found in lichens, algae, fungi and the like. Since erythritol is non-metabolizable, it is preferred as a low calorie sweetener. Since erythritol is water-soluble and non-brown, it has excellent handleability and appearance of the product. Furthermore, erythritol is originally non-tacky and is therefore also suitable for oral hygiene (eg, prevention of tooth decay).

A preferred example of the production method of the present invention using such erythritol as a raw material will be described below.

First, a slurry containing erythritol is prepared. The method for preparing the slurry is not particularly limited. For example, erythritol and water may be directly mixed, or erythritol and a binder composed of an erythritol aqueous solution may be mixed. When an erythritol aqueous solution is used as a binder, its concentration is preferably more than 0 and not more than 20% by weight. By using an erythritol aqueous solution in this concentration range as a binder, a slurry having excellent moldability can be prepared.

The above-mentioned mixing is preferably carried out while heating. Further, after the mixing, it is preferable to knead the mixture under heating for a predetermined time. The heating temperature is preferably 50-70.
C. and the kneading time are preferably 5 to 10 minutes.

The water content of the obtained slurry is preferably 0.99 to 16.7% by weight (that is, 1 to 20 parts by weight of water relative to 100 parts by weight of erythritol), and more preferably 0.99 to 9% by weight. 9% by weight (i.e., 1 to 10 parts by weight of water for 100 parts by weight of erythritol), most preferably 5.66 to 9.9% by weight (i.e., 6 to 10 parts by weight of water for 100 parts by weight of erythritol) It is.
When the water content of erythritol is less than 0.99% by weight, it is difficult to prepare a slurry, and thus it is difficult to mold. If the water content of erythritol exceeds 16.7% by weight, the viscosity of the slurry becomes too low and molding is difficult.

[0018] The slurry may preferably contain a natural sweetener (eg, an extract of Lohan Guo, licorice extract, stevia extract (stevioside or rebaudioside)). These natural sweeteners can be used alone or in combination. The content of the natural sweetener is not particularly limited, but is practically appropriate up to about three times the sweetness of sucrose. Specifically, the natural sweetener may be preferably contained in the molded product in an amount of 0.01 to 2% by weight.

The slurry may preferably contain a fragrance and / or a pigment. Flavors include, but are not limited to, fruit flavors such as apricot, orange, and blueberry, and herbal flavors such as cinnamon. Examples of the pigment include, but are not limited to, natural pigments such as anthocyanin pigments, flavonoid pigments, and betacyanine pigments. These flavors and pigments are added in any amounts that can be used in the sugar industry.

Next, the slurry is shaped. Examples of the shaping method include a method of extruding a slurry, a method of pouring the slurry into a mold, and a method of passing the slurry between rolls.

The extrusion is usually carried out at room temperature. Extrusion conditions (eg, screw rotation speed, die cross-sectional shape)
Is a molded body (ie, irregular hexahedral low calorie sweetener)
However, the use of a die or the like having an irregular square cross section is also suitable.

In the method of pouring the slurry into the mold, the size, material and shape of the mold are not particularly limited. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing a preferred example of a mold. The formwork 30 has an appropriate thickness 31 and has a box shape having an opening 32 of a desired size at the top. FIG. 4 shows FIG.
It is principal part sectional drawing of the mold shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, preferably, a protrusion 34 having a desired cross-sectional shape (for example, a triangle having a height of 3 mm) is provided on the bottom 33 of the mold 30.

A practically preferred example of the method of pouring the slurry into the mold is as follows: a stainless steel mold (length 30 cm, width 60 cm, depth 2c) as shown in FIG.
m), and the surface of the poured slurry is leveled evenly using a rubber roller to obtain a thickness of 1 mm.
A plate-like shaped object of 7 to 18 mm is obtained. By providing a convex portion as shown in FIG. 4 in accordance with the desired shape of the molded body, a groove corresponding to the desired shape of the molded body is formed in the molded article, so that cutting is facilitated. After pouring the slurry into the mold, pressing may be performed as necessary.

Next, the excipient is dried. The drying method is not particularly limited, and a normal drying method can be applied. The drying temperature is preferably 40-80 ° C, more preferably 50-7.
0 ° C. The drying time is preferably 6 to 10 hours, more preferably 7 to 9 hours.

If necessary, the shaped article is cut. The cutting of the shaped object may be performed before or after drying the shaped object. Cutting of the shaped object is performed, for example, in the following procedure: (1) When shaping by extrusion molding, the extruded shaped object is cut into a predetermined length. The method for cutting the shaped object is not particularly limited. The predetermined length can vary depending on the desired shape of the compact. (2) A method of cutting a shaped article when the slurry is poured into a mold and shaped is described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a Thomson punching machine. When the slurry is poured into a mold and shaped, a Thomson punching machine 51 as shown in FIG. 5 is arranged above and below the shaped object, and cut by pressing.
Depending on the desired shape of the molded article, a Thomson punching machine having a punching blade of a desired shape can be appropriately combined. Preferably, at the time of cutting, the sponge 52 may be arranged between the punching blades of the Thomson punching machine. By disposing the sponge between the punching blades, abnormal cracking during cutting can be significantly prevented.

As described above, an irregular hexahedral low-calorie sweetener can be obtained. The malformed hexahedral low-calorie sweetener can be chamfered and rounded as needed. The chamfering is performed using, for example, a commercially available shaking device (manufactured by Magellar, Inc., sieve machine).

Hereinafter, the operation will be described.

According to the present invention, an irregular hexahedral low-calorie sweetener is formed by shaping, drying and cutting a slurry containing erythritol. As a result, the fine crystals or fine powder of erythritol contained in the slurry are welded and solidified when the slurry is dried. Therefore, it is very easy to perform compression molding with high pressure,
A shaped article of a special shape with sufficient hardness (ie, a malformed hexahedral low-calorie sweetener) is obtained.

The irregular hexahedral low-calorie sweetener of the present invention comprises:
Due to the peculiar shape, the compacts are not densely filled without gaps when housed in the container. That is, since at least a part of the outer peripheral portion of at least one surface of the hexahedron is bent or curved inward, a gap is formed between the molded bodies. This gap can function as a buffer region for preventing a sudden change in the state (for example, temperature, humidity) of the molded body. In addition, the contact area between the compacts is reduced by the voids, so that the possibility of the compacts being fixed to each other due to the influence of the composition of the compacts, the binder at the time of molding, temperature, humidity and the like is extremely small. As a result, the irregular hexahedral low-calorie sweetener of the present invention has extremely stable quality and is very easy to take out when used.

Furthermore, in the irregular hexahedral low-calorie sweetener of the present invention, as described above, voids are formed between the molded bodies when housed in a container. The voids allow the compact to be filled into the container in a random state. Such a random filling state is preferable as an aesthetic appearance, and can improve the consumer's willingness to purchase. Therefore, the irregular hexahedral low-calorie sweetener of the present invention is commercially superior.

[0031]

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Examples, but the present invention is not limited to these Examples.

(Example 1) Erythritol 3k was placed in a jacket-heated stainless steel kneader having a capacity of 10 liters.
g and 15 ml of arhat extract were added, and 300 ml of a 10% erythritol aqueous solution was further added. The mixture was heated to 60 ° C while kneading, and further kneaded at 60 ° C for 10 minutes to obtain a slurry. 17mm of convex part of 3mm in height
The obtained slurry was poured into a stainless steel mold frame (depth 2 cm, length 30 cm, width 60 cm) provided at the bottom in a lattice shape at intervals of 18 mm. The surface of the poured slurry was evened using a rubber roller to obtain a plate-like shaped material having a thickness of 17 to 18 mm. The plate-shaped imprint was dried in a box-type hot-air dryer at a temperature of 60 ° C. for 8 hours to obtain a dry imprint having lattice grooves. Two Thomson die-cutting machines were arranged above and below the dried shaped article, and the dried shaped article was cut by pressing it to obtain an irregular hexahedron shaped body as shown in FIG. Further, this molded body was shaken for 1 minute using a commercially available shaking apparatus (manufactured by Magellar Co., Ltd., a sieve machine) to obtain an irregular hexahedron molded body as shown in FIG.

(Example 2) A slurry was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that Arkan extract was not added. Extrusion was performed at room temperature using a die having a 16- to 18-mm square irregular cross-sectional shape. This extruded shaped product was cut at an interval of 16 to 18 mm, and further dried in a box type hot air drier at a temperature of 60 ° C. for 8 hours to obtain a molded article of an irregular hexahedron as shown in FIG. Further, this molded body was shaken for 1 minute using a commercially available shaking apparatus (manufactured by Magellar Co., Ltd., a sieve machine) to obtain an irregular hexahedron molded body as shown in FIG.

Example 3 A slurry was prepared from a mixture of 3 kg of erythritol and 30 g of water. The following procedure was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1 to form an irregular hexahedron molded body as shown in FIG. 1, and the moldability of this slurry was evaluated. Table 1 shows the evaluation results.

(Examples 4 to 14) Erythritol 3 kg
The moldability was evaluated in the same manner as in Example 3 except that a slurry was prepared using the amounts of water shown in Table 1 with respect to the above.
Table 1 shows the evaluation results.

Comparative Example 1 Moldability was evaluated in the same manner as in Example 3 except that sugar was used instead of erythritol. Table 1 shows the evaluation results.

Comparative Examples 2 to 12 Moldability was evaluated in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1 except that a slurry was prepared using the amount of water shown in Table 1 with respect to 3 kg of sugar. Table 1 shows the evaluation results.

[0038]

[Table 1]

As is clear from Table 1, the production method of the present invention using the slurry containing erythritol has much better moldability than the production method using sugar.

[0040]

According to the present invention, since a slurry containing erythritol is shaped and dried, there is no danger of sticking during storage, stable quality, and a low-calorie sweetener which is easy to take out when used. And a simple production method thereof.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a preferred example of a malformed hexahedral low-calorie sweetener of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of another preferred example of the irregular hexahedral low-calorie sweetener of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing a preferred example of a mold used in the manufacturing method of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a main part of the mold of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an example of a Thomson punching machine for cutting a shaped object in the production method of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 unauthorized hexahedral low calorie sweetener 1a, 1b, 1c side 2 illegal hexahedral low calorie sweetener 2a, 2b, 2c side

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI // A61K 31/045 ADN A61K 31/045 ADN 35/78 ADP 35/78 ADPW (56) References JP-A-64-34261 ( JP, A) JP-A-57-174069 (JP, A) JP-B-6-83680 (JP, B2) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A23L 1/236, 1/22

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A method for producing a sweetener having a low calorie and irregular hexahedral shape , wherein a step of shaping a slurry containing erythritol, a step of drying the shaped article , comprising a step of cutting the shaped product, the method encounters
Here, the irregular hexahedron shape is at least one of the hexahedrons.
At least a part of the outer periphery of one surface is bent inward or bay
The way you are singing . 2. The slurry according to claim 1, wherein said slurry has a water content of 0.99-1.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the amount is 6.7% by weight. 3. The slurry according to claim 1, wherein the slurry contains at least one selected from the group consisting of an extract of Arhat fruit, a licorice extract, and a stevia extract (stevioside or rebaudioside). The described method. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the slurry contains a pigment and / or a fragrance. 5. An irregular hexahedral low-calorie sweetener produced by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.