Oil-in-water type emulsion composition, and method for producing said oil-in-water type emulsion composition

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide an emulsion composition that maintains emulsion stability even after high temperature process such as sterilization (heat resistance), shows a small change in particle size distribution between before and after heating, and maintains emulsion stability even under conditions where transformation of an oil phase component (for example, solidification or crystallization of the oil phase component due to temperature drop, or melting of the oil phase component due to temperature rise) occurs (temperature drop resistance), wherein the composition is easily handled during the production process. The object is solved by an oil-in-water emulsion composition containing solid particles, a predefined surfactant, an oil phase component, and an aqueous phase component, wherein the oil phase component includes a predefined oil component and the solid particles are distributed along the interface between the oil phase component and the aqueous phase component.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An oil-in-water emulsion composition comprising solid particles, an oil phase component, and an aqueous phase component,
 wherein the contact angle of the aqueous phase component to the solid particles is 90 degrees or less;   the contact angle of the oil phase component to the solid particles is 8 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less;   an average diameter of oil phase droplets in the emulsion composition is not more than 100 μm; and   the solid particles are distributed along the interface between the oil phase component and the aqueous phase component.   
     
     
         2 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the contact angle of the oil phase component to the solid particles is and 60 degrees or less. 
     
     
         3 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the solid particles do not contain starch as major solid particles. 
     
     
         4 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the solid particles have an L value of 31 or more, and the L value represents a color brightness. 
     
     
         5 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the average particle size of the solid particles is not less than 0.01 μm and not more than 10 μm. 
     
     
         6 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the average particle size of the solid particles distributed along the interface between the aqueous phase and the oil phase is not less than 0.01 μm and not more than 5 μm. 
     
     
         7 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein a change in a median diameter (D50) of droplets in the oil-in-water emulsion composition after heating at 121° C. from a median diameter (D50) of droplets in the oil-in-water emulsion composition before heating is not more than ±30% based on that the median diameter (D50) of droplets in the oil-in-water emulsion composition before heating is regarded as 100%. 
     
     
         8 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the oil phase of the emulsion composition contains at least one selected from a medium chain fatty acid, a pigment, and a flavor. 
     
     
         9 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the oil phase component comprises an edible oil or fat. 
     
     
         10 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition according to  claim 9 , wherein the edible oils and fats have a solid fat content at 10° C. of not less than 20% by mass. 
     
     
         11 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition according to  claim 9 , wherein the edible oils and fats have a slip melting point of 10° C. or higher. 
     
     
         12 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition according to  claim 9 , wherein the edible oils and fats include at least one selected from palm kernel oil, coconut oil, rice bran oil, cocoa butter, milk fat, beef tallow, lard, chicken fat, mutton tallow, hydrogenated coconut oil, and hydrogenated palm kernel oil. 
     
     
         13 . A method of producing the oil-in-water emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises the step Bl of dispersing the solid particles in the aqueous phase component to obtain an aqueous phase, and the step B2 of mixing the oil phase component with the aqueous phase obtained in the step B1 and agitating the resulting mixture. 
     
     
         14 . A method of producing the oil-in-water emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises the step B1′ of dispersing the solid particles in the oil phase component to obtain an oil phase, and the step B2′ of mixing the aqueous phase component with the oil phase obtained in the step B1′ and agitating the resulting mixture. 
     
     
         15 . A method of producing the oil-in-water emulsion composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises the step B1″ of dispersing the solid particles in the aqueous phase component and the oil phase component to obtain an aqueous phase and an oil phase, and the step B2″ of mixing the aqueous phase and the oil phase obtained in the step B1″ and agitating the resulting mixture. 
     
     
         16 . A food comprising the oil-in-water emulsion composition according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         17 . A pharmaceutical product comprising the oil-in-water emulsion composition according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         18 . A cosmetic comprising the oil-in-water emulsion composition according to  claim 1 .