KR-20260062479-A - Lactobacillus chocolate composition, and manufacturing methods thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides a lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition comprising chocolate, a lactic acid bacteria soft capsule comprising the same, and a method for manufacturing the same. Specifically, through a lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition comprising one or more selected from cocoa mass, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter, a liquid oil, a wax, a surfactant, and lactic acid bacteria, a lactic acid bacteria soft capsule comprising the same, and a method for manufacturing the same, the tempering process for the chocolate can be omitted and production costs reduced. Additionally, by improving the intestinal delivery function while maintaining the stability of the lactic acid bacteria, the storage stability of the lactic acid bacteria chocolate can be improved, and the convenience of consumption can be increased, thereby improving consumer satisfaction.

Inventors

• 권기철
• 강병욱
• 노광태
• 백지연
• 장주현
• 김인수
• 김병용

Assignees

• 종근당건강 주식회사

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20241029

Claims (18)

1. A lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition comprising one or more selected from cocoa mass, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter, liquid oil, wax, surfactant, and lactic acid bacteria.
2. In claim 1, A lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition characterized by comprising, based on the total weight, 5 to 70 weight% of one or more selected from cocoa mass, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter, 5 to 70 weight% of liquid oil, 1 to 10 weight% of wax, 0.1 to 5 weight% of surfactant, and 1 to 50 weight% of lactic acid bacteria.
3. In claim 1, The above composition is a lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition characterized by further including sugars.
4. In claim 3, A lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition characterized by containing 0.1 to 50 weight% of sugars relative to the total weight.
5. In claim 1, The above lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition is characterized by further including one or more of flavor oils, additives, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, nutritional components, and additives.
6. In claim 1, The above lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition is characterized by being obtained by preparing a mixture of auxiliary ingredients by mixing one or more selected from cocoa mass, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter, liquid oil, wax, and surfactant, heating and melting the mixture, cooling it, and then mixing in lactic acid bacteria.
7. In claim 6, The above lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition is i) perform the step of preparing the above auxiliary material mixture, heating and melting it, stirring and homogenizing it, and then cooling it, and ii) A lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition characterized by mixing the above lactic acid bacteria and then homogenizing them through a milling process.
8. A chocolate probiotic soft capsule comprising a coating containing a probiotic chocolate composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
9. In claim 8, A lactic acid bacteria soft capsule characterized by the above-mentioned coating being prepared from a coating composition comprising gelatin, a plasticizer, and water.
10. In claim 8, A lactic acid bacteria soft capsule characterized in that the contents of the above lactic acid bacteria soft capsule are solid or semi-solid.
11. a) a step of preparing a mixture of auxiliary materials comprising one or more selected from cocoa mass, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter, a liquid oil, a wax, and a surfactant; b) a step of heating and melting the above-mentioned auxiliary material mixture; c) a step of cooling the obtained molten auxiliary material mixture; and d) A method for preparing a lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition comprising the step of mixing lactic acid bacteria into the cooled auxiliary ingredient mixture obtained above.
12. In Paragraph 11, A method for preparing a lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition, characterized in that the above composition comprises, based on the total weight, 5 to 70 weight% of one or more selected from cocoa mass, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter, 5 to 70 weight% of liquid oil, 1 to 10 weight% of wax, 0.1 to 5 weight% of surfactant, and 1 to 50 weight% of lactic acid bacteria.
13. In claim 11, A method for preparing a lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition characterized by the above composition further including sugars.
14. In claim 11, Step b) above is performed at 70 to 80℃, and A method for preparing a lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition, characterized in that step c) above is performed at 30 to 40℃.
15. In claim 11, A method for preparing a lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition, characterized by performing a homogenization process immediately after step b) and immediately after step d).
16. A method for manufacturing a soft capsule of probiotics, comprising the step of manufacturing a soft capsule by injecting a probiotic chocolate composition prepared by a method according to any one of claims 11 to 15 into a coating.
17. A lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition prepared by a method according to any one of claims 11 to 15.
18. A lactic acid bacteria soft capsule comprising a lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition prepared by a method according to any one of claims 11 to 15.

Description

Lactobacillus chocolate composition and manufacturing methods thereof The present invention relates to a lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition and a method for manufacturing the same. Lactic acid bacteria are beneficial microorganisms that play a crucial role in gut health and are widely used as a key ingredient in probiotic products. They help maintain the balance of intestinal microorganisms, promote digestive health, and strengthen immunity. However, since lactic acid bacteria are sensitive to external conditions such as heat, humidity, and acidic environments, maintaining their survival rate when added to food is a critical challenge. Existing methods for manufacturing probiotic chocolate primarily involve adding probiotics to the chocolate. For example, Jekis filed a patent application for a method of manufacturing chocolate by adding 20% probiotic powder (Application No.: 10-2021-0077234), and the Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation of Dong-Eui University filed a patent application for a method of manufacturing chocolate balls that improve weakened immunity by adding 20% probiotic powder to chocolate (Application No.: 10-2021-0014018). Additionally, Jayeonmom filed a patent application for a method of enhancing heat resistance and water resistance by adding probiotic powder to the middle of the coating layer (Application No.: 10-2017-0071312). Existing chewable soft capsules relate to capsules and their manufacturing methods, in which the contents are in a solid or semi-solid form at room temperature and contain low-melting point additives to improve potability (Published Patent No. 2002-0000544). The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing gelatin capsule chocolate by filling a conventional soft gelatin capsule with liquid raw chocolate to maintain the original taste and aroma of chocolate while improving the convenience of consumption (Published Patent 10-2022-0023006). The present invention relates to a polymer system containing polyvinyl acetate and toffee gum containing 1% or more of chocolate, which has the characteristic of maintaining the chewiness of toffee even when mixed with chocolate. However, these existing methods have several limitations. First, the tempering process required for chocolate manufacturing consumes a significant amount of time and effort. Conventional probiotic chocolate products are manufactured by directly mixing probiotics into a chocolate matrix, and a tempering process is essential to stabilize the chocolate's crystal structure. This tempering process is a complex one involving repeated steps of heating and cooling the chocolate to a specific temperature; it requires specialized equipment and consumes considerable energy and time due to the repeated heating and cooling, resulting in relatively high production costs. Therefore, while the tempering process is essential for improving the chocolate's texture and increasing the survival rate of probiotics, it contributes to increased production costs. Second, existing probiotic chocolates lack sufficient review regarding the survival rate and intestinal delivery of probiotics. While probiotics play an important role in gut health, there is a lack of research on how well they survive within chocolate and reach the intestines. This hinders the functionality of probiotic chocolate. Third, existing probiotic chocolates lack convenience of consumption. Due to their low melting point, chocolate repeatedly melts and hardens easily during the summer, leading to defects in appearance and causing inconveniences such as getting on the hands during eating. These issues can lower consumer satisfaction. Fourth, soft capsules have the disadvantage of poor storage stability due to moisture within the coating. Additionally, chewable capsules contain more moisture, making it practically difficult to apply probiotics. Therefore, although probiotics play an important role in gut health, maintaining their viability within food matrices such as chocolate is a technically challenging task. Consequently, there is a need for chocolate products that improve ease of consumption while maintaining the stability of probiotics. Figure 1 is the result of evaluating the storage stability of a soft capsule containing a lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition according to the present invention. Figure 2 is the result of evaluating the stability of a soft capsule containing a lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition according to the present invention in artificial gastric juice. Figure 3 is the result of evaluating intestinal adhesion for a soft capsule containing a lactic acid bacteria chocolate composition according to the present invention. The advantages and features of the present invention and the methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described in detail below together with the accompanying drawings. The terms used in this specification are for describing embodiments and are not int