JP6967304B2 - Granular puff and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a granular puff having a small particle size and a method for producing the same, which is a raw material for producing, for example, confectionery.

Puffs are widely used as raw materials for manufacturing confectionery and the like. These puffs can be extruded from the extruder die and immediately expanded, a method of further crushing the swelling produced by the direct puff to obtain the desired particle size, or extruding from the extruder die to form granular pellets. , These pellets are manufactured by a method such as a roasting puff that is fired and inflated.

As an example of the direct puff, for example, in Patent Document 1 below, a puff raw material containing starch is extruded from an extruder die to be expanded, crushed to a particle size of about 0.1 to 3 mm by a crusher, and further dried with hot air. A method for producing a granular starch composition is disclosed.

Further, in Patent Document 2 below, "a method for increasing the expansion rate of extruded food, (a) preparing an uncooked cereal dough mixture; (b) adding resistant starch to this cereal dough; (c). ) Add sufficient water to the cereal dough to a water content of 14-22 wt%; (d) at sufficient temperature and pressure in an extruder with an outlet die of predetermined form and size. A method comprising processing this cereal dough to make an extruded expanded dough; (e) drying the extruded dough to a final water content of about 3% or less; "is described.

Further, as an example of the roasted puff, in Patent Document 3 below, an extruder containing 15 to 25 parts by mass of water with respect to 100 parts by mass of the raw material for puff and a raw material for puff containing a starchy raw material containing rice flour is used. It is a discharge hole of a die portion attached to the tip of the extruder while being heated and kneaded so that the starchy raw material is pregelatinized, and the inner diameter thereof is 1.0 to 1.5 mm, and the total number thereof. by cleaving from said discharge Deana provided such that the unit 1.5-4.5 per cross-sectional area / cm ² of the barrel of the extruder and extruded, the average particle diameter of 1.5 to 2. A method for producing a puff, which comprises a pellet forming step of forming a 2 mm pellet and a swelling step of heating and inflating the pellet to obtain a puff having an average particle size of 1.8 to 2.8 mm is disclosed. Has been done.

Japanese Patent No. 5494900 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-46976 Japanese Patent No. 4173985

For example, when the chocolate layer to be coated on confectionery is molded by extrusion molding or the like, if the chocolate raw material contains a puff and the puff is to be molded without being crushed, the chocolate layer is formed into a size that allows it to pass through the holes of the extrusion die. I had to use a puff.
Conventionally, such a puff having a small particle size is once formed by a direct puff as described in Patent Document 1 or a roasted puff as described in Patent Document 3, and the puff is crushed. Had to be created.

However, a puff with a small particle size formed by crushing a puff has a fracture surface on its surface, so that it has poor fluidity, it is difficult to mix it uniformly with other raw materials, and it absorbs moisture during storage. There was a problem that it was easy to do.

On the other hand, it is also conceivable to reduce the discharge hole of the die attached to the tip of the extruder to reduce the particle size of the direct puff or the roasted puff. However, a puff having a remarkably small particle size is considered to have a poor crispness as a puff, and no attempt has been made to make a puff having such a particle size.

Further, when the present inventors actually tried to make a puff having such a small diameter, there was a problem that the nozzle was easily clogged due to the small inner diameter of the discharge hole, and stable production could not be performed.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a puff having a small particle size and excellent fluidity and hygroscopicity, and a method for producing the puff.

In order to achieve the above object, one of the present inventions is a granular puff containing grains, which is formed into granules and swells, and has a mesh size of 2.8 mm, 2.0 mm, 1.7 mm, and 1.4 mm. , 1.0 mm, 0.6 mm sieves are used, and the median diameter when sieved using a sieve having a large opening is in the range of 0.6 to 1.7 mm in the opening size, and the mesh is wide. The ratio of those that pass the sieve with an opening of 2.0 mm and turn on the sieve with 1.0 mm is 90% by mass or more as a whole, there is no fracture surface on the surface, and the bulk specific gravity is 83 to 205 g / 500 cc. It is intended to provide a granular puff characterized by.

According to the granular puff of the present invention, since the particle size is small, when it is mixed with other raw materials and molded by a method such as extrusion molding, it can be molded while maintaining the granularity without being crushed. In addition, although it is a small granular puff, it can give a crunchy texture peculiar to the puff. Furthermore, compared to puffs manufactured by crushing swellings, the surface has no fracture surface and has a relatively smooth surface structure, so that the fluidity and dispersibility when mixing other raw materials are improved. It becomes good and the manufacturing workability is improved. Further, since it has low hygroscopicity, it is excellent in storage stability, and can maintain a crispy feeling even when added to liquid foods such as soups and doughs containing water such as confectionery doughs. Further, since the granular puff of the present invention has a small spread of the particle size distribution, the above effect can be obtained more satisfactorily.

The granular puff of the present invention preferably has a granular puff mass after being left for 2 hours in an atmosphere of a temperature of 20 ° C. and a relative humidity of 86%, which is 105% or less when the granular puff mass before being left is 100%. This makes it possible to maintain the texture of the puff for a long period of time.

In the granular puff of the present invention, in addition to the above-mentioned flour, it is preferable that starch is contained in an amount of 5 to 50% by mass in terms of solid content with respect to the entire puff raw material. According to this, by containing starch in the raw material, the fluidity at the time of extrusion molding is increased and it becomes easy to extrude from a die having a small diameter, so that it becomes easy to manufacture a granular puff having a small diameter.

Further, in the granular puff of the present invention, the water content is preferably 0.1 to 12.0% by mass. According to this, it becomes easy to give a crunchy texture, and it is possible to improve the storage stability of the product.

Further, in the granular puff of the present invention, the average value of the maximum pressure at break per grain is preferably in the range of 1.6 to 5.6 N. According to this, even a granular puff having a small diameter can give a good crispy feeling.

Further, the other of the present invention is a raw material supply step of adding 8.0 to 40.0 parts by mass of water to 100 parts by mass of a puff raw material containing grain flour and supplying it to a twin-screw extruder. Through the pressure kneading step of pressurizing and kneading the raw materials in the twin-screw extruder and the discharge hole of the die mounted on the tip of the twin-screw extruder with an inner diameter of 0.3 to 0.9 mm, the die temperature is 40 to 190 ° C. The extrusion / cutting step of extruding the pressure-kneaded puff raw material at an extrusion pressure on the inner surface side of the die at 4.5 to 12.0 MPa and cutting to a predetermined length to obtain granular pellets, and the above-mentioned. The die's discharge hole includes a tapered portion whose diameter gradually shrinks in the discharge direction, and an inner diameter of 0.3 to 0.3 from the tip of the tapered portion, which includes a firing step of firing and expanding the granular pellets to obtain a granular puff. It has a reduced diameter portion that forms 0.9 mm and extends with a straight diameter, and the ratio A / B of the thickness A of the reduced diameter portion to the inner diameter B of the reduced diameter portion is 1.2 to 1.5. It provides a method for manufacturing a granular puff, which is characterized by forming a shape.

According to the method for manufacturing a granular puff of the present invention, a tapered portion whose diameter is gradually reduced in the discharge direction and a reduced diameter portion having an inner diameter of 0.3 to 0.9 mm and extending with a straight diameter from the tip of the tapered portion. By using a die having a discharge hole having a shape in which the ratio A / B of the thickness A of the reduced diameter portion to the inner diameter B of the reduced diameter portion is 1.2 to 1.5. The puff raw material can be extruded without clogging of the nozzle even with a small discharge hole of 0.3 to 0.9 mm, and the obtained granular pellets are fired and expanded to be specified in the present invention. Granular puffs with a small diameter can be produced with high productivity. Further, since the granular pellets are fired and expanded, a granular puff having a harder and crunchy texture can be obtained as compared with the direct production method. Further, as compared with the crushing method, it is not necessary to make the raw material into a sheet, crush it, or classify it, so that the productivity is high.

In the method for producing a granular puff of the present invention, the number of discharge holes per unit area in the region where the discharge holes are formed on the inner end surface of the die is preferably ^{4.6 to 19.1 pieces / cm 2.} .. According to this, it is possible to increase the productivity while maintaining the strength of the die.

Further, the relationship between the ratio S / W of the total opening area S of the nozzle holes to the area W of the region where the discharge holes are formed on the inner end surface of the die and the extrusion pressure P is shown by the following equation (1). It is preferably in the range.
0.135 ≦ P × S / W ≦ 0.408… (1)
According to this, the nozzle clogging is less likely to occur, and the productivity can be increased while maintaining the strength of the die.

Further, in the method for producing a granular puff of the present invention, it is preferable that the puff raw material contains, in addition to the flour, starch in an amount of 5 to 50% by mass in terms of solid content with respect to the entire puff raw material. According to this, by containing starch in the raw material, the fluidity at the time of extrusion molding is increased and it becomes easy to extrude from the discharge hole having a small diameter, so that it becomes easy to manufacture a granular puff having a small diameter.

Further, in the method for producing a granular puff of the present invention, it is preferable that the particle size of the puff raw material is adjusted so that 95% or more of the puff material passes through an 80 mesh sieve having an opening size of 177 μm. According to this, by using the puff raw material having the above particle size, the fluidity at the time of extrusion molding is increased and it becomes easy to extrude from the discharge hole having a small diameter, so that it becomes easy to manufacture a granular puff having a small diameter.

Further, in the method for producing a granular puff of the present invention, it is preferable that the shape of the discharge hole as seen from the discharge direction is a circular shape, an elliptical shape, or an oval shape. According to this, by making the shape of the discharge hole as described above, it is possible to easily extrude from the discharge hole having a small diameter, and it is possible to obtain a granular puff having a spherical shape or a shape close to the spherical shape. It is possible to improve the properties and the ease of mixing with other raw materials.

Further, in the method for producing a granular puff of the present invention, it is preferable to dry until the water content becomes 0.1 to 12.0% by mass in the firing step. According to this, it becomes easy to give a crunchy texture, and it is possible to improve the storage stability of the product.

According to the granular puff of the present invention, since the particle size is small, when it is mixed with other raw materials and molded by a method such as extrusion molding, it can be molded while maintaining the granularity without being crushed. Moreover, even a small granular puff can give a crunchy texture. Furthermore, compared to puffs manufactured by crushing swellings, the surface has no fracture surface and has a relatively smooth surface structure, so that the fluidity and dispersibility when mixing other raw materials are improved. It becomes good and the manufacturing workability is improved. Further, since it has low hygroscopicity, it is excellent in storage stability, and can maintain a crispy feeling even when added to liquid foods such as soups and doughs containing water such as confectionery doughs.

According to the method for producing a granular puff of the present invention, a granular puff having the above-mentioned effects can be obtained. Further, since the granular pellets are fired and expanded, a granular puff having a relatively hard and crunchy texture can be obtained. Further, since it is not necessary to make the raw material into a sheet, crush it, or classify it, the productivity is high.

It is a schematic diagram which shows one Embodiment of the extruder used for manufacturing the granular puff of this invention. It is a front view of the die attached to the extruder. It is a side view of the die attached to the extruder. It is sectional drawing of the discharge hole of the die. It is sectional drawing of the discharge hole of the conventional die. It is sectional drawing which shows the other example of the discharge hole of the die of the extruder used for manufacturing the granular puff of this invention. It is a figure which shows the puff of the comparative examples 1 and 2, A is a 1-fold magnified view, B is a 50-fold magnified view, and C is a 100-fold magnified view. It is a figure which shows the puff of Examples 1 and 2, A is the same size figure, B is a 50 times magnified view. It is a chart which showed the water content of the puff of Comparative Example 1, Example 1 and Example 2.

The granular puff of the present invention can be produced by a baking method. This "baking manufacturing method" is a manufacturing method in which a puff raw material is supplied to an extruder, heated and kneaded, and then cut while being discharged from a die discharge hole to produce pellets, and the pellets are expanded by firing or the like. Say that.

As the extruder used for manufacturing the granular puff of the present invention, an extruder having an extrusion screw inside a barrel having a raw material input port and a die having a discharge hole at the tip of the barrel can be used. In particular, a twin-screw extruder that can pressurize to a higher pressure while mixing raw materials is preferably used.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of an extruder used for producing the granular puff of the present invention.

First, the extruder used in the manufacturing method of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the extruder 10 has a cylindrical barrel 20, an extrusion screw 30 arranged in the barrel, and a tip of the barrel 20. It is mainly composed of a die 40 mounted on the die 40 and a cutter 50 mounted on the tip of the die 40. A plurality of discharge holes 41 are formed in the die 40.

A raw material supply port 21a, a water supply port 21b, and a steam introduction port 21c are formed on the upper portion of the peripheral wall of the barrel 20. Further, a heating heater 22 is arranged on the outer peripheral portion of the barrel 20, so that the temperature inside the barrel 20 is controlled by the heating heater 22.

The extrusion screw 30 is arranged in the barrel 20 and is rotatably arranged so as to extrude the raw material in the direction of the die 40 at the tip. Further, the other end of the extrusion screw 30 is connected to a motor 31 for rotationally driving the extrusion screw 30. Although not shown, in this embodiment, two extrusion screws 30 are arranged in parallel to form a twin-screw extruder.

A cutter 50 that cuts the puff 60 extruded from the discharge hole 41 to a predetermined length is mounted on the outer end surface of the die 40 where the discharge hole 41 opens. The cutter 50 is not particularly limited, and a conventionally known cutter device can be used. Further, the material of the cutter blade is not particularly limited, and a known stainless steel material or the like can be used.

The die 40 has a shape as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, for example. The die 40 has a disk shape as a whole, and a tapered protrusion 43 is formed in the center of an inner surface 42 arranged inside the extruder. Further, a plurality of mounting holes 44 are formed along the outer circumference of the disk shape, and the mounting holes 44 are mounted on the extruder via bolts inserted through the mounting holes 44.

Around the protrusion 43 of the inner surface 42, recesses 45 formed by being divided into three at equal intervals in the circumferential direction are provided, and a large number of discharge holes 41 are formed at predetermined intervals on the bottom surface of the recess 45. It is formed. In this embodiment, the bottom surface of the recess 45 forms the "region in which the discharge hole on the inner end surface of the die is formed" in the present invention.

A support shaft 47 is projected from the center of the outer surface 46 arranged outside the extruder of the die 40. A rotary cutter (not shown) is attached to the support shaft 47, which is slidably contacted with the outer surface of the discharge hole 45 to cut the extruded product to a predetermined length and granulate it.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the discharge hole 41 adopted in the die of the present invention. The discharge hole 41 has a diameter-expanded portion 47 extending from the inner surface 42 side in the discharge direction, a tapered portion 48 gradually reducing in diameter from the tip of the diameter-expanded portion 47 toward the discharge direction, and the tip of the tapered portion 48. It has a shape having an inner diameter of 0.3 to 0.9 mm and a reduced diameter portion 49 extending with a straight diameter.

In this embodiment, the enlarged diameter portion 47 has a shape extending with a straight diameter having a circular cross section, the tapered portion 48 has a conical shape, and the reduced diameter portion 49 has a shape extending with a straight diameter having a circular cross section.

The inner diameter of the discharge hole 41 of the die 40 is preferably 0.5 to 0.9 mm, more preferably 0.7 to 0.9 mm, and most preferably 0.8 to 0.9 mm. .. If the inner diameter of the discharge hole 41 is less than 0.3 mm, the discharge hole 41 tends to be clogged during long-term operation, which is not preferable. If the inner diameter exceeds 0.9 mm, the puff formed through the discharge hole 41 The diameter becomes large, and it becomes difficult to obtain the desired puff with a small particle size.

Further, it is preferable that the discharge hole 41 has a circular shape, an elliptical shape, or an oval shape when viewed from the discharge direction. By making the shape of the discharge hole as described above, it is possible to easily extrude from a small-diameter discharge hole, and a granular puff having a spherical shape or a shape close to it can be obtained. The ease of mixing with the raw material can be improved.

In the present invention, the inner diameter of the discharge hole 41 when the shape seen from the discharge direction is other than a circle is defined as the maximum diameter (in other words, the minor diameter) in the direction orthogonal to the major axis.

The feature of the die 40 of the present invention is that the ratio A / B of the thickness A and the inner diameter B of the reduced diameter portion 9 is 1.2 to 1.5. The ratio A / B of the thickness A of the reduced diameter portion 9 to the inner diameter B is more preferably 1.2 to 1.4, and further preferably 1.2 to 1.3. Since the ratio A / B of the thickness A of the reduced diameter portion 9 to the inner diameter B is 1.2 to 1.5, even if the discharge hole has a small diameter of 0.3 to 0.9 mm, the inner diameter is 0.3 to 0.9 mm. It can be extruded without clogging of the puff raw material, and a granular puff having a small diameter can be produced with high productivity.

The thickness (thickness of the bottom of the recess 45) T of the region where the discharge hole 41 of the die 40 is formed is preferably 7 to 10 times that of B, and 7 to 8 times that of B. More preferred. If the thickness T is 7 to 10 times that of B, the strength to withstand the extrusion pressure can be imparted.

Further, the number of discharge holes 41 per unit area in the region where the discharge holes 41 are formed on the inner end surface of the die 40 (the bottom surface of the recess 45 in this embodiment) is 4.6 to 19.1 pieces / cm ² . It is preferably 4.9 to 12.2 pieces / cm ² .
Further, the ratio S / W of the total opening area S of the nozzle hole 41 to the area W of the region (the bottom surface of the recess 45 in this embodiment) where the discharge hole 41 is formed on the inner end surface of the die 40 is S / W, and the extrusion pressure P. It is preferable that the relationship is in the range represented by the following formula (1).
0.135 ≦ P × S / W ≦ 0.408… (1)

The relationship between the area W of the region where the discharge hole 41 is formed on the inner end surface of the die 40, the total opening area S of the nozzle hole 41, and the extrusion pressure P is within the range represented by the above formula (1). , The discharge hole 41 can be extruded with an appropriate extrusion pressure without clogging.

Note that FIG. 5 shows an example of a discharge hole used in a conventional die for forming a granular puff. The discharge hole 51 has a tapered portion 52 and a reduced diameter portion 51. The ratio A / B of the thickness A of the reduced diameter portion 9 to the inner diameter B was 1.3 to 1.6. However, since there was no conventional die for forming granular puffs with an inner diameter of the discharge hole of 1 mm or less, if the inner diameter of the discharge hole is reduced to 1 mm or less in the same shape, the thickness A of the reduced diameter portion 9 A. The ratio A / B to the inner diameter B is 1.6 or more, and there is a problem that clogging occurs and stable production cannot be performed.

FIG. 6 shows another example of the discharge hole used in the die of the present invention. The discharge hole 41a is different from the discharge hole 41 in FIG. 4 in that the tapered portion 48a has a curved surface having an arc shape in a cross section cut along the axis. As described above, in the present invention, the tapered portion includes a shape having a curved surface such as an arc shape in cross section and gradually reducing the diameter.

The die for forming granular puffs can be used not only as a roasted puff but also as a die for direct puff forming in which a puff raw material is extruded from an extruder die and expanded to form granular pellets.

Next, an embodiment of the method for producing a granular puff of the present invention using the above extruder 10 will be described.

(Raw material supply process)
First, the granular puff raw material containing flour is supplied to the raw material supply port 21a of the extruder 10.

In addition to flour and flour, the raw materials for the granular puff of the present invention include starch, beans, vegetables, salts, malt extracts, swelling agents, sugar raw materials, protein raw materials, oil and fat raw materials, agricultural and marine products, amino acids, emulsifiers, etc. Spices, flavors, seasonings, vitamins, minerals, cellulose and the like can be used.

As the above-mentioned flour, for example, wheat, wheat bran, barley, rye, oat, rice, corn, soba, hie, foxtail millet, adlay, soybean and other flours of grains can be used, and these may be used alone or mixed. Can be used. The flour is preferably contained in an amount of 50 to 80% by mass, more preferably 60 to 75% by mass in terms of solid content with respect to the entire puff raw material.

Examples of the starch include raw starches such as potato starch, sweet potato starch, tapioca starch, cornstarch, waxy starch, rice starch, and wheat starch, and these raw starches are subjected to oxidation treatment, esterification treatment, etherification treatment, cross-linking treatment, and the like. One or more selected from processed starch or the like that has undergone pregelatinization treatment, wet heat treatment, or the like can be used. The starch is preferably contained in an amount of 5 to 50% by mass, more preferably 20 to 50% by mass, still more preferably 23 to 40% by mass in terms of solid content with respect to the entire puff raw material. By containing starch in the above range, the fluidity of the raw material at the time of extrusion molding is increased, and it becomes easy to extrude from a die having a small diameter, so that it becomes easy to manufacture a granular puff having a small diameter.

As the particle size of the raw material of the granular puff, it is preferable to use one prepared so that 95% or more of the material passes through an 80 mesh sieve having an opening size and an opening size of 177 μm. By using the puff raw material having the above-mentioned particle size, it is possible to easily extrude from the above-mentioned small-diameter discharge hole 41.

Further, if necessary, water is supplied from the water supply port 21b of the extruder 10, and steam is introduced from the steam introduction port 21c. The amount of water added as water or steam is preferably 8.0 to 40.0 parts by mass, more preferably 11.5 to 23.0 parts by mass, and 12.0 to 14 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the puff raw material. .0 parts by mass is more preferable. If the amount of water is less than 8.0 parts by mass, the puff tends to be scorched or the texture tends to be powdery, and if it exceeds 40.0 parts by mass, the swelling of the pellets during baking becomes insufficient. It is not preferable because it tends to stick to the cutter when cutting.

In the present invention, for example, the amount of water supplied from the water supply port 21b and the amount of water vapor introduced from the steam introduction port 21c can be appropriately set in order to adjust the temperature of the raw material in the extruder 10.

The puff raw material and water may be mixed in advance and then supplied to the supply port 21a of the extruder 10, and the puff raw material and water may be simultaneously supplied to the supply port 21a of the extruder 10 to supply the screw 30 of the extruder 10. You may try to mix inside

(Heat kneading process)
Next, the above-mentioned puff raw material containing water is kneaded and pressurized with an extrusion screw 30 to heat and knead. The heating is also performed by the heating heater 20 of the barrel 20. The temperature inside the barrel 20 serving as the heat-kneading portion is preferably set to 40 to 190 ° C, more preferably 60 to 130 ° C. If the temperature is less than 40 ° C., the puff raw material tends to be difficult to gelatinize, and if it exceeds 190 ° C., the puff raw material is saccharified and browned, and if it progresses, it tends to be charred or carbonized.

(Extrusion / cutting process)
Subsequently, the heat-kneaded puff raw material is extruded from the discharge hole 41 of the die 40 so as not to swell. As the extrusion conditions so as not to swell, the temperature on the inner surface side of the die 40 is preferably set to 40 to 190 ° C, more preferably 60 to 130 ° C. If it is less than 40 ° C, the density of the obtained pellets is high and it tends to be difficult to swell in the subsequent firing step, and if it exceeds 190 ° C, the obtained pellets expand too much and the puff obtained in the subsequent firing step is obtained. It tends to be brittle, which is not preferable. Further, the extrusion pressure in the discharge hole 41 is preferably set to 1.0 to 12.0 MPa, more preferably 4.5 to 10.0 MPa, and further preferably 4.8 to 9.5 MPa. If it is less than 1.0 MPa, it tends to be difficult to swell in the subsequent firing step, and if it exceeds 12.0 MPa, the obtained pellets tend to expand too much and the puff obtained in the subsequent firing step tends to be brittle. Not preferable. Since the temperature and pressure are factors that affect each other, they can be adjusted as appropriate by combining them.

Then, the obtained pellets are cut to a desired length with a cutter 50 to obtain granular pellets 60.

(Baking process)
Further, the obtained granular pellets 60 are calcined and expanded. The firing conditions are preferably 200 to 290 ° C, more preferably 220 to 270 ° C, preferably 10 to 120 seconds, and more preferably 20 to 50 seconds. If it is fired at less than 200 ° C and for less than 10 seconds, the water evaporation becomes insufficient and it tends to be difficult to swell. It tends to affect the quality such as, which is not preferable.

The equipment used for firing is not particularly limited, and for example, firing can be performed using an oven, a Schbank burner, a gas burner, a microwave oven, or the like.

Further, in the firing step, the granular pellet has a water content of preferably 0.1 to 12.0% by mass, more preferably 0.5 to 5.0% by mass, and further preferably 0.5 to 3.0% by mass. Dry to%. If the water content is less than 0.1% by mass, the obtained puff tends to be fragile, and if it exceeds 12.0% by mass, the obtained puff has a moist texture and the storage stability is deteriorated. There is a tendency.

The method for measuring the particle size distribution of the granular puff thus obtained will be described by using a sieve having a mesh size of 2.8 mm, 2.0 mm, 1.7 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.0 mm, and 0.6 mm. Use from a large sieve, place it on the receiver, put a puff into it, hold it with both hands, shake it in one direction with an amplitude of about 70 mm in one direction at a rate of about 60 reciprocations for 1 minute, and under the sieve, Next, it can be obtained as a ratio by sieving with a sieve having a large opening in the same manner and measuring the mass of the puff in each fraction.

In the present invention, for the granular puff after the firing step, a sieve having a mesh size of 2.8 mm, 2.0 mm, 1.7 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.0 mm, and 0.6 mm is used, and the mesh size is large. The median diameter when sieved by using from a sieve is preferably in the range of 0.6 to 1.7 mm, and more preferably in the range of 1.4 to 1.7 mm in terms of the opening size.

If the median diameter is larger than 1.7 mm in the mesh size of the sieve, it may be difficult to mix uniformly when mixing with other raw materials, or it may be crushed when molding by a method such as extrusion molding. Inconvenience is likely to occur. Further, when the median diameter is smaller than 0.6 mm in the opening size of the sieve, it becomes hard and the crispy feeling becomes poor, and inconveniences such as poor productivity and difficulty in manufacturing are likely to occur.

Further, in the present invention, regarding the granular puffs after the firing step, the ratio of those that pass a sieve having a mesh size of 2.0 mm and turn on a sieve having a mesh size of 0.6 mm is 90% by mass or more as a whole. preferable. Further, it is more preferable that the ratio of those having a mesh opening of 2.0 mm and turning on the sieve of 1.0 mm is 90% by mass or more, more preferably 95% by mass or more, and 99% by mass. % Or more is most preferable. According to this, since the spread of the particle size distribution is small, the above effect can be obtained better.

Further, the granular puff of the present invention has no fracture surface on the surface, no unevenness in appearance, and has a smooth surface structure. As a result, the fluidity and dispersibility when the other raw materials are mixed are improved, and the manufacturing workability is improved.

Further, the granular puff of the present invention preferably has a bulk specific gravity of 83 to 205 g / 500 cc, more preferably 150 to 205 g / 500 cc, and further preferably 160 to 180 g / 500 cc. If the bulk specific density is less than 83 g / 500 cc, the puff tends to absorb moisture easily, and if it exceeds 205 g / 500 cc, the texture as a puff tends to be too hard.

Here, the bulk specific gravity in the present specification refers to the weight per 500 cc of granular puff. An example of a specific measurement method is as follows.
(1) Put the granular puff into a 500 cc graduated cylinder and tap the bottom of the container against the table three times.
(2) When the upper surface of the added granular puff is less than the scale of 500 cc, add the granular puff up to the scale of 500 cc and rub the upper surface to confirm that the scale and the upper surface of the granular puff match.
(3) In this state, the weight of the granular puff is measured for each graduated cylinder, and the weight of the empty graduated cylinder is subtracted to obtain the weight of only the granular puff. Unit g / 500cc) is calculated.

Further, the granular puff of the present invention preferably has a water content of 0.5 to 5.0% by mass, more preferably 0.5 to 3.0% by mass. If the water content is less than 0.5% by mass, the puff tends to break easily, and if it exceeds 5.0% by mass, the texture becomes crispy and the storage stability of the product deteriorates. There is a tendency.

Here, the water content in the present specification can be measured by a known measuring method. For example, it can be measured by a method using an infrared moisture meter, or it can be measured by measuring the mass of the granular puff before and after heating and drying.

Further, the granular puff of the present invention has a granular puff mass of 106% or less when the granular puff mass before being left is 100% after being left for 2 hours in an atmosphere of a temperature of 20 ° C. and a relative humidity of 86%. It is more preferably 105% or less, and even more preferably 103% or less. If the mass of the granular puff after being left to stand exceeds 106%, the hygroscopicity becomes high, and the storage stability of the product deteriorates, which is not preferable.

Further, the granular puff of the present invention preferably has a water content increase of 0.02% by mass / day or less, and more preferably 0.015% / day or less when stored at room temperature. Here, normal temperature storage means that the product is stored indoors without adjusting the temperature or humidity.

Further, in the granular puff of the present invention, the average value of the maximum pressure at break per grain is preferably in the range of 1.6 to 5.6 N, and preferably in the range of 2.7 to 3.3 N. More preferred. Here, the maximum pressure at break per grain is the value measured by pressing one puff with a probe with a flat surface using a force gauge and measuring the maximum pressure (N) when the puff breaks. means. As the force gauge, for example, "ZTS-100N" (trade name, manufactured by Imada Co., Ltd.) can be used.

As shown in Examples described later, the granular puff of the present invention has a small particle size in which the median diameter is in the range of 0.6 to 1.7 mm in the opening size, but the particle size is large. It can be seen that the maximum pressure at break is relatively small, and even if the particle size is small, there is a crispy feeling.

The granular puff of the present invention thus obtained can impart a crispy or crispy texture peculiar to a puff even if the median diameter is as small as 0.6 to 1.7 mm in the opening size. In addition to snack foods, confectionery foods such as chocolate confectionery, nutritional foods such as protein bars and breakfast cereals, instant foods such as instant ingredients and soup ingredients, portable foods such as rice balls and nutrition bars that can be carried and eaten. It can be used for general favorite foods such as cereals and toppings, and seasoned foods. Further, since it has low hygroscopicity, it can maintain a crispy feeling even when added to liquid foods such as soups and doughs containing water such as confectionery doughs, and is therefore preferably used for these purposes.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples, but these examples do not limit the present invention in any way.

<1. Manufacture of granular puffs>
The puff raw materials having the formulations shown in Table 1 were supplied to the supply port of a twin-screw extruder (manufactured by WENGER). In addition, cold water was supplied to the supply port at the ratio shown in Table 2.

According to the conditions in Table 2, the puff raw material was heated and kneaded while adding steam to the inside of the screw, and extruded from the discharge hole of the die mounted on the tip of the twin-screw extruder to obtain granular pellets.

Then, according to the conditions in Table 2, the granular pellets were roasted at 250 ° C. for 30 seconds in Example 1 and 245 ° C. for 30 seconds in Example 2 using an oven (manufactured by Arakawa Seisakusho) and expanded to form a granular puff. Obtained.

<2. Evaluation of granular puff (1)>
Each measurement was carried out using the puffs of Examples 1 and 2 obtained above and the puffs of commercial products (Comparative Examples 1 and 2). The following puffs were used as commercially available puffs.
Comparative Example 1: Wheat flour is used as flour, and the dough is heat-gelatinized by a steamer, then rolled into a sheet, dried, crushed, and the pellets prepared by classification are expanded in an oven. Produced Puff Comparative Example 2: Using corn as flour, the dough was heat-gelatinized by a steamer, then rolled into a sheet, dried, crushed, and the pellets produced by classification were placed in an oven. Puff manufactured by inflating

(1) Measurement of particle size As the sieve, the sieves having mesh openings of 2.8 mm, 2.0 mm, 1.7 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.0 mm and 0.6 mm were used. It was used from a sieve with a large opening, placed on a receiver, a puff was put into it, held with both hands, and shaken in a horizontal plane with an amplitude of about 70 mm in one direction at a rate of about 60 reciprocations for 1 minute. Under the sieve, sieving is performed in the same manner using a sieve with the next largest opening, and the mass of the puff in each fraction is measured to obtain the fraction containing the median diameter. The range of is described as the average particle size. The results are shown in Table 3.

(2) Measurement of bulk specific gravity i) The puffs of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 and Examples 1 and 2 were put into a 500 cc graduated cylinder, and the bottom of the container was tapped on the table three times.
ii) When the upper surface of the charged granular puff was below the scale of 500 cc, the granular puff was added up to the scale of 500 cc, and the upper surface was rubbed to confirm that the scale and the upper surface of the granular puff matched.
iii) In this state, the weight of the granular puff is measured for each graduated cylinder, and the weight of the empty graduated cylinder is subtracted to obtain the weight of only the granular puff. g / 500cc) is calculated. The puff was taken out from the measuring cylinder and the bulk specific gravity (weight (g) of the puff per 500 cc, unit g / 500 cc) was measured. The results are shown in Table 3.

(3) Measurement of water content The water content was measured using an infrared moisture meter (model number: FD-600, manufactured by Kett Science Institute Headquarters (ketto)).

The results are shown in Table 3.

(4) Physical characteristics and texture As shown in FIG. 7, the puff of Comparative Example 1 had a smooth surface and large bubbles. Further, as shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C, fracture surfaces were observed. The texture was crispy and light.

As shown in FIG. 7, the puff of Comparative Example 2 had a smooth surface and large bubbles. Further, as shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C, fracture surfaces were observed. The texture was crunchy and a little heavy.

As shown in FIG. 8, the puff of Example 1 had a smooth surface and small bubbles. As shown in FIG. 8B, no fracture surface was seen. The texture was crunchy and slightly heavy.

As shown in FIG. 8, the puff of Example 2 had a smooth surface and small bubbles. As shown in FIG. 8B, no fracture surface was seen. The texture was crunchy and slightly heavy.

As described above, the granular puffs of Examples 1 and 2 had a small particle size, and were as small as the puffs of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 produced by the steaming pulverization method. Further, since the puffs of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were manufactured by the steaming pulverization method, a fracture surface was observed on the surface, but the granular puffs of Examples 1 and 2 did not have a fracture surface. Further, since the puffs of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 are manufactured by the steaming and crushing method, the productivity is low, but the granular puffs of Examples 1 and 2 can be made into a sheet or crushed as a raw material. It was highly productive because it did not require the trouble of classifying.

<3. Evaluation of granular puff (2)>
(1) Hygroscopic comparison test (exposure environment)
First, the water content of the puffs of Comparative Example 1 immediately after being taken out from the contained bag and the puffs of Examples 1 and 2 immediately after production were measured using an infrared moisture meter. 20 g of the puffs of Comparative Example 1 and Example 1 were left in a closed atmosphere at a temperature of 20 ° C. and a relative humidity of 86% for 2 hours in an exposed state, and then the water content was measured again.

In addition, the puff mass after standing was measured when the puff mass before leaving was 100% by mass. This difference in mass was estimated to be the amount of moisture absorbed in the atmosphere.

The results are shown in Table 4. The puff mass of Example 1 after being left to stand was 102% by mass, and that of Example 2 was 104% by mass, which was lower than the puff mass of 106% by mass of Comparative Example 1, which was a commercially available product manufactured by the steaming pulverization method. It turned out to be high enough in value.

In addition, sensory evaluation was performed by eating each granular puff before leaving and after leaving for 6 hours.

As for the puff of Comparative Example 1, the puff left for 6 hours had a different texture from the puff before leaving, and the commercial value was not maintained. In the puffs of Examples 1 and 2, the puffs left for 6 hours had almost no difference in texture as compared with the puffs before leaving, and the commercial value was sufficiently maintained.

(2) Moisture absorption comparison test (storage environment)
Similarly to the above, the water content of the puff of Comparative Example 1 immediately after being taken out from the PE bag whose mouth was band-tightened and the puff of Example 1 immediately after production were measured using an infrared moisture meter. Storage was done at room temperature.

The results are shown in Table 5 and FIG. From this result, it was found that the puffs of Examples 1 and 2 were less likely to absorb moisture than the puffs of Comparative Example 1 and could maintain the initial water content for a long period of time.

In addition, sensory evaluation was performed by eating each granular puff before leaving and after leaving for a certain period of time. The evaluation is 〇 ... There is almost no difference or some change compared to the one on the 0th day of manufacture, but the commercial value as a puff is maintained, × ... There is a considerable change compared to the 0th day of manufacture. , The product value as a puff is not maintained, and the average of 4 panelists is displayed.

The results are shown in Table 6. From this result, the puff of Comparative Example 1 was able to maintain the quality as a product until after 107 days, but after 132 days, it had a feeling of moisture and the quality was not maintained. It was found that the puffs 1 and 2 maintained their quality even after 563 days and 525 days, respectively.

(3) Water absorption test First, the water content of the puffs of Comparative Example 1 immediately after being taken out from the contained bag and the puffs of Examples 1 and 2 immediately after production were measured using an infrared moisture meter. In each case, 10 g of water was added to 1 g of the puff. After a lapse of a certain period of time, the sieve was opened with a mesh opening of 0.5 mm, drained, and the water content was measured again.

In addition, the puff mass after addition and draining was measured when the puff mass before water addition was 100% by mass.

In addition, sensory evaluation was performed by eating each granular puff after being left for a certain period of time. The sensory evaluation was performed on the shape and texture according to the following evaluation criteria.

(shape)
⊚: The original shape of the puff is maintained.
〇: It is swollen, but the shape of the puff is maintained.
Δ: It is swollen, and the shape of about half of the puff is maintained.
X: It is swollen, and the shape of about half of the puff is maintained.
(Texture)
◎: The texture of the original puff is almost maintained.
〇: Soft but the graininess of the puff is maintained.
Δ: It is soft and has almost no graininess of the puff.
×: The puff has no graininess and melts.
The results are shown in Table 7.

From this result, it was found that the puffs of Examples 1 and 2 were less likely to absorb water than the puffs of Comparative Example 1. Further, in the puffs of Examples 1 and 2, the graininess of the puff remained even after 10 minutes had passed after the addition of water.

From the above results, it was found that the puffs of Examples 1 and 2 tended to be less likely to absorb moisture than the puffs of Comparative Example 1, and could maintain the texture for a long period of time. While the puff of Comparative Example 1 is manufactured by the steaming and crushing method, the granular puffs of Examples 1 and 2 do not require the trouble of making the raw material into a sheet, crushing, or classifying, so that the productivity is high. It was expensive.

(3) Breaking strength test (Example 3)
By extruding from a discharge hole with an inner diameter of 0.8 mm and firing the obtained granular pellets with the formulation shown in Table 8 below, a puff having a median diameter of 1.4 to 1.7 mm (hereinafter referred to as a firing method) is used. The obtained puff is called "roasted puff").

(Comparative Example 3)
By extruding from a discharge hole having an inner diameter of 1.2 mm and firing the obtained granular pellets with the formulation shown in Table 8, a roasted puff having a median diameter of 1.7 to 2.0 mm was produced.

(Example 4)
By extruding from a discharge hole having an inner diameter of 0.8 mm and firing the obtained granular pellets with the formulations shown in Table 9 below, a roasted puff having a median diameter of 1.4 to 1.7 mm was produced.

(Comparative Example 4)
By extruding from a discharge hole having an inner diameter of 1.2 mm and firing the obtained granular pellets with the formulation shown in Table 9, a roasted puff having a median diameter of 1.7 to 2.0 mm was produced.

(Measurement of breaking strength)
When 10 puffs of Examples 3 and 4 and Comparative Examples 4 and 5 were indiscriminately selected and each puff was pressed with a probe having a flat surface using a force gauge, and the puff broke. Maximum pressure (N) was measured. The maximum pressure at break per grain was obtained by taking the average value of 10 grains. As a measuring device, an Imada force gauge "ZTS-100N" and a measuring stand "MX2" were used as a set. The measurement results are shown in Table 10 below.

As shown in Table 10, even when similar raw materials are used, the granular puffs of Examples 3 and 4 having a small median diameter have a smaller breaking pressure than the granular puffs of Comparative Examples 4 and 5 having a large median diameter. It can be seen that the crispy feeling is excellent.

<4. Test results based on the shape of the die discharge hole>
(Comparative Examples 5 and 6)
The conventional dies shown in FIG. 5 having the discharge hole diameters shown in Table 11 below were used, and whether or not they could be extruded was tested. The results are shown in Table 11. The raw material formulations of Comparative Examples 5 and 6 are shown in Table 9 above.

As shown in Table 11, Comparative Example 5 having a nozzle diameter of 1.0 mm and an A / B of 1.6 was not discharged. In Comparative Example 6 in which the nozzle was 1.3 mm and the A / B was 1.3, no clogging occurred.

(Examples 5, 6, Reference Examples 1, 2)
Using the dies of the present invention shown in FIG. 4 having the discharge hole diameters shown in Tables 12 and 13 below, it was tested whether or not the die could be extruded. The results are shown in Tables 12 and 13. The raw material composition of Example 5 is the same as that of 14 below, and the raw material composition of Example 6 and Reference Example 1 is the same as that of Table 15 below. The raw material composition of Reference Example 2 is shown in Table 16 below.

In Examples 5 and 6, granular pellets were extruded from Ax and Ruder, and the pellets were roasted into puffs, and the average particle size (median diameter) according to the opening size after roasting was measured.

Reference Examples 1 and 2 are direct puffs manufactured by extruding and inflating at the same time by a direct puff manufacturing method. The average particle size (median diameter) was also measured for the direct puffs obtained in Reference Examples 1 and 2.

As shown in Tables 12 and 13, in Examples 5 and 6 in which the A / B is adjusted to 1.3 to 1.4, and in Reference Examples 1 and 2, even if the nozzle diameter is 0.7 to 0.8 mm, the nozzle diameter is set to 0.7 to 0.8 mm. No clogging occurred.

As described above, the shape of the discharge hole of the die has a tapered portion whose diameter is gradually reduced in the discharge direction as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, and an inner diameter of 0.3 to 0.9 mm from the tip of the tapered portion. By having a reduced diameter portion extending with a straight diameter and having a shape in which the ratio A / B of the thickness A of the reduced diameter portion to the inner diameter B of the reduced diameter portion is 1.2 to 1.5. It can be seen that even if the nozzle diameter is 0.9 mm or less, extrusion is possible, whereby a granular puff having a particle size specified in the present invention can be produced.

10 Extruder 20 Barrel 21a, 21b, 21c Supply port 22 Heating heater 30 Extrusion screw 31 Motor 40 Die 41, 41a Discharge hole 47 Diameter expansion part 48, 48a Taper part 49 Diameter part 50 Cutter 60 Pellet A Diameter part thickness B Inner diameter of reduced diameter part

Claims (12)

In a granular puff containing grains, which is formed into granules and swells, a sieve having an opening of 2.8 mm, 2.0 mm, 1.7 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.0 mm, and 0.6 mm is used. The median diameter when sieved using a sieve with a large opening is in the range of 0.6 to 1.7 mm in the opening size, and passes through a sieve with a mesh opening of 2.0 mm and is 1.0 mm. A granular puff characterized in that the ratio of those that turn on the sieve is 90% by mass or more as a whole, there is no fracture surface on the surface, and the bulk specific gravity is 83 to 205 g / 500 cc. The granular puff according to claim 1, wherein the granular puff mass after being left for 2 hours in an atmosphere of a temperature of 20 ° C. and a relative humidity of 86% is 105% or less when the granular puff mass before being left is 100%. The granular puff according to claim 1 or 2, which contains starch in an amount of 5 to 50% by mass in terms of solid content with respect to the entire puff raw material in addition to the grain flour. The granular puff according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the water content is 0.1 to 12.0% by mass. The granular puff according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the average value of the maximum pressure at break per grain is in the range of 1.6 to 5.6 N. A raw material supply process in which 8.0 to 40.0 parts by mass of water is added to 100 parts by mass of a puff raw material containing grain powder and supplied to a twin-screw extruder, and the raw material is pressure-kneaded in the twin-screw extruder. Through the pressure kneading step and the discharge hole of the die mounted on the tip of the twin-screw extruder with an inner diameter of 0.3 to 0.9 mm, the die temperature is 40 to 190 ° C. and the extrusion pressure on the inner surface side of the die is increased. The pressure-kneaded puff raw material is extruded at 4.5 to 12.0 MPa, and the extruding / cutting step of cutting to a predetermined length to obtain granular pellets, and the granular pellets are calcined and expanded to be granulated. Including a firing step of obtaining a puff, the discharge hole of the die has a tapered portion whose diameter gradually shrinks in the discharge direction and an inner diameter of 0.3 to 0.9 mm from the tip of the tapered portion and extends with a straight diameter. A granular puff having a reduced diameter portion and having a shape in which the ratio A / B of the thickness A of the reduced diameter portion to the inner diameter B of the reduced diameter portion is 1.2 to 1.5. Manufacturing method. The method for manufacturing a granular puff according to claim 6, wherein the number C of the number of discharge holes per unit area in the region where the discharge holes are formed on the inner end surface of the die is 4.6 to 19.1 pieces / cm ^2. The relationship between the ratio S / W of the total opening area S of the nozzle holes to the area W of the region where the discharge holes are formed on the inner end surface of the die and the extrusion pressure P is within the range represented by the following formula (1). The method for producing a granular puff according to claim 6 or 7.
0.135 ≦ P × S / W ≦ 0.408… (1) The production of the granular puff according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the puff raw material contains, in addition to the flour, starch in an amount of 5 to 50% by mass in terms of solid content with respect to the entire puff raw material. Method. The production of the granular puff according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the particle size of the puff raw material is adjusted so that 95% or more of the puff material passes through an 80 mesh sieve having an opening size of 177 μm. Method. The method for manufacturing a granular puff according to any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the shape of the discharge hole when viewed from the discharge direction is circular, oval, or oval. The method for producing a granular puff according to any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein in the firing step, the product is dried until the water content reaches 0.1 to 12.0% by mass.

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