Description

CHOCOLATE CANDY AND CHIP CONTAINING FREEZE DRYING FRUIT, AND MANUFACTURING

METHOD THEREOF

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a chocolate candy or chip containing freeze-dried fruit, and a manufacturing method thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a chocolate candy or chip containing freeze-dried fruit in which the fruit content is maximized, and a method of manufacturing the same. Background Art

[2] A conventional fruit candy or fruit-tasting candy has been manufactured by using sugar, starch syrup, etc., as a main component, and by adding a small amount of food additives (such as synthetic flavors, synthetic colors, etc.), fruit extracts, etc. to obtain tastes, flavors, and colors of fruit. However, the sugar or starch syrup may cause obesity, diabetes or tooth-decay due to their high caloric values, and the food additives (such as synthetic flavors, synthetic colors, etc.) cause consumer fear due to their effects on health through absorption in the body. Accordingly, the conventional candies, such as a fruit candy and a fruit- tasting candy, have been considered as an unwelcome food for health.

[3] Meanwhile, various snack foods obtained by drying fruit have been developed up to the present. However, such dried fruit is easily broken, thereby generating powder. Also, the taste of the dried fruit may be reduced due to the removal of moisture.

[4]

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[5] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above^nentioned problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a chocolate candy or chip containing freeze-dried fruit, and a method of manufacturing the same, by coating chocolate on a freeze-dried fruit candy in which fruit content is maximized, fruit tissue is not easily broken, and original fruit taste is kept.

[6] By minimizing the content of saccharide, such as sugar, and maximizing the fruit content up to 40 to 45% in the chocolate candy or chip containing freeze-dried fruit manufactured according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce obesity,

diabetes, tooth-decay, etc. caused by saccharide. Also, since the content of food additives (such as synthetic flavors and synthetic colorsis minimized, it is possible to reduce consumers fears regarding them.

[7] Compared to a conventional dried-fruit chip, in the chocolate candy or chip containing freeze-dried fruit manufactured according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the candy or chip from becoming stale from moisture.

[8] The chocolate candy or chip containing freeze-dried fruit manufactured according to the present invention is not easily broken, thereby preventing the generation of powder.

[9] Also, the chocolate candy or chip containing freeze-dried fruit manufactured according to the present invention may have various shapes and sizes through use of a mold frame.

[10]

Technical Solution

[11] The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a chocolate candy or chip containing freeze-dried fruit, comprising the steps of: a preparation step in which fruit is washed to remove foreign substances, skin, stems, seeds, etc. of the fruit, and then is pureed by grinding; a stirring step in which the pureed fruit, and at least one of saccharide, stabilizer, and malic acid is fed into a stirrer, and are made into a fruit mixture by stirring; a freezing step, in which the fruit mixture is rapidly frozen at -4O ⁰ C or less; a drying step, in which the frozen fruit mixture is fed into a vacuum dryer at 10 torr or less, and is dried by increasing the temperature within the vacuum dryer; and a coating step, in which the dried fruit mixture is coated with chocolate, wherein the fruit mixture includes 0.3 to 1.3 parts by weight of stabilizer, based on 100 parts by weight thereof.

[12] If the stabilizer is included in a large amount of 1.0 to 1.3 parts by weight, a final product is manufactured as a candy having a hard structure, and if the stabilizer is included in a small amount of 0.3 to 0.5 parts by weight, a final product is manufactured as a chip having a crisp structure.

[13] In the stirring step, the fruit mixture preferably includes 40 to 45 parts by weight of pureed fruit, 30 parts by weight of cocoa butter, 8 to 10 parts by weight of glucose, 5 to 10 parts by weight of maltodextrin, 5.5 to 7.5 parts by weight of low-fructose, 3 to 5 parts by weight of sugar, 0.3 to 1.3 (candy: 1.0 to 1.3, and chip: 0.3 to 0.5) parts by weight of stabilizer, and 0.1 parts by weight of malic acid, based on 100 parts by weight thereof. Herein, the stabilizer preferably includes 10 to 25 parts by weight of

xanthan gum, 5 to 13 parts by weight of jellan gum, 15 to 32 parts by weight of arabic gum, 15 to 30 parts by weight of pectin, and 5 to 10 parts by weight of locus bean gum, based on 100 parts by weight thereof.

[14] Also, the present invention provides a chocolate candy or chip containing freeze- dried fruit, which is manufactured by the above described method. Mode for the Invention

[15] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the following examples are illustrative only, and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[16]

[17] Example

[18] 1. Preparation step

[19] Firstly, fruit is purchased as a material for a freeze-dried fruit candy or chip. In the present invention, generally edible fruits, such as strawberries, apples, pears, tangerines, watermelons and bananas, are used without any particular limitation.

[20] The purchased fruit is washed with running water to remove foreign substances, and then the skin, stems and seeds of the fruit are removed.

[21] The fruit is fed into a grinding device, such as a mixer, and is pureed by grinding.

[22]

[23] 2. Stirring step

[24] The pureed fruit is fed into a stirrer. For sterilization, the temperature within the stirrer is maintained at 8O ⁰ C. In order to maintain the temperature within the stirrer, a stirrer with double jackets is used.

[25] To the stirrer into which the pureed fruit is fed, saccharide, stabilizer, malic acid, etc. are further fed, followed by stirring.

[26] More specifically, 40 to 45 parts by weight of pureed fruit, 8 to 10 parts by weight of gluoose, 5 to 10 parts by weight of maltodextrin, 5.5 to 7.5 parts by weight of low- fructose, 3 to 5 parts by weight of sugar, 0.3 to 1.1 parts by weight of stabilizer, and 0.1 to 0.5 parts by weight of malic acid, based on 100 parts by weight of total components, are fed and stirred.

[27] The saccharide, such as gluaose, maltodextrin, low-fructose and sugar, is used to adjust the taste (such as a sweet taste, etc.) of the fruit candy or chip according to the present invention. The amount of glucose, maltodextrin, low-fructose or sugar is adjusted within the above described range according to the kind and sugar content of a raw material (fruit), and a required taste of the fruit candy or chip. Such saccharide

may be replaced by a sweetener with no calories, such as xylitol.

[28] The malic acid is used to adjust the sour taste of the fruit candy or chip according to the present invention. The amount of malic acid is adjusted within the above described range according to the kind and sugar content of the raw material (fruit), and a required taste of the fruit candy or chip.

[29] The stabilizer is used to adjust the strength of the fruit candy or chip according to the present invention, and to adjust the stability of the fruit candy or chip particles. Also, the stabilizer prevents the fruit candy or chip from becoming stale due to moisture absorption. If the stabilizer is added in a relatively large amount of 1.0 to 1.3 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of total components, a final product is manufactured as a hard candy. If the stabilizer is added in an amount of greater than 1.3 parts by weight, a final product may be too hard to eat. If the stabilizer is added in a relatively small amount of 0.3 to 0.5 parts by weight, a final product is manufactured as a crisp chip. If the stabilizer is added in an amount of less than 0.3 parts by weight, a final product may be easily broken, thereby generating powder.

[30] Preferably, based on 100 parts by weight of total stabilizer, 10 to 25 parts by weight of xanthan gum, 5 to 13 parts by weight of jellan gum, 15 to 32 parts by weight of arabic gum, 15 to 30 parts by weight of pectin, and 5 to 10 parts by weight of locus bean gum are mixed. The mixing ratio and addition amount of the stabilizer are adjusted within the above described range according to the kind of a raw material (fruit), and a required property of the fruit candy or chip.

[31] The pureed fruit, the saccharide, the stabilizer, the malic acid, etc. fed at the above mixing ratio are stirred in the stirrer for about 30 minutes.

[32] After the stirring, the fruit mixture is filled in a mold frame (for example, a mold frame made from polypropylene), and the fruit mixture together with the mold frame is fed into a freezing device.

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[34] 3. Freeze-drying step

[35] The fruit mixture filled in the mold frame is rapidly frozen within a freeze-drying device at -4O ⁰ C or less, and thus is placed in a frozen state. Snce the fruit mixture is rapidly frozen at -4O ⁰ C or less, it is possible to prevent the fruit's original color and flavor from being changed or lost during the freezing process, and to completely restore the fruit's color and flavor to their original states after drying.

[36] The fruit mixture frozen at -4O ⁰ C or less is dried within a freeze-drying device. The pressure within the freeze-drying device is maintained at 10 torr or less, so that the

moisture of the frozen fruit mixture can be sublimated from a solid state without entering a liquid state. When the pressure within the freeze-drying device is adjusted at 10 torr or less (sublimation temperature: 6O ⁰ C), the temperature within the freeze- drying device is required to be increased up to 6O ⁰ C, so that sublimation can oxur, thereby drying the frozen fruit mixture. Herein, if the temperature is rapidly increased, the moisture of the frozen fruit mixture is thawed, and thus the components may be swelled by moisture expansion. Therefore, it is preferable to gradually increase the temperature over about 12 hours.

[37] When the freeze-drying process is completed, the fruit mixture is taken out from the freeze-drying device, and separated from the mold frame to obtain a final fruit candy or chip. As described above, when the stabilizer is included in an amount of 1.0 to 1.3 wt%, the final product is made into a fruit candy, and when the stabilizer is included in an amount of 0.3 to 0.5 wt%, the final product is made into a fruit chip.

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[39] 4. Chocolate coating step

[40] Raw materials, such as sugar, whole milk powder, skimmed milk powder, cocoa butter, lactose and lecithin, were mixed at a composition ratio and amount as noted in Table 1 in a mixer at 60rpm under the same conditions as a conventional process. Then, the mixture was micronized to have an average particle size of 30 to 35/M by passing through a multi-stage roller. Next, the micronized material was fed into a conche and was subjected to a refining process at 6O ⁰ C. The resultant product was made into chocolate through tempering at 29 ⁰ C, forming, cooling and packaging in a conventional manner, and the chocolate was coated on the freeze-dried fruit candy or chip.

[41] A chocolate candy manufactured as described above is hard and thus may be melted in the mouth, and a chocolate chip is crisp, and thus may be crunched or melted in the mouth.

[42] Such a chocolate candy or chip can maintain fruit's original taste, flavor, and color, and also is easily soluble when ingested. In addition, the chocolate candy or chip is easily soluble in cool water and thus may be used as a substitute for fruit juice.

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