CA1211983A

CA1211983A - Soya based food product and method for preparing same

Info

Publication number: CA1211983A
Application number: CA000458514A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Norman J. Tabuteau; Dean M. Landie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-07-10
Filing date: 1984-07-10
Publication date: 1986-09-30
Also published as: GB2194877A; GB8620935D0

Abstract

SOYA BASED FOOD PRODUCT
AND METHOD FOR PREPARING SAME

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

This invention is directed to a method of preparing a soya-based product which has negligible bitter bean aftertaste and provides good over-run levels when used as a base in preparing an ice cream resembling product. The method of making the soya based product comprises: (a) heating soya beans with hulls briefly at about 180°F and then cooling the beans; (b) milling the soya beans with the hulls included into a fine flour;
(c) incorporating the soya flour into a large portion of water and boiling the mixture for about 30 minutes; (d) rapidly cooling the boiled mixture; and (e) screening the resultant product through a fine mesh screen to remove a majority of the crushed hulls from the mixture.

Description

~Z~L9~;3 SOYA BASED FOOD CONFECTION
A~D METHOD FOR PREPARI~G SAME

FIELD OF THE I~VENTION
- _ This invention is directed to a novel soya bean product. More particularly, this invention is directed to a method of preparing a soya product which has negligible bitter soya bean aftertaste. The flour is useful in the preparation of food confections such as artificial ice cream and milk.
BACKGROUND OF THE IMVE~TIO~
Food conf~ctioneries, such as milk, cream and hard and soft ice cr~am, based on milk obtained ~rom bovine mammals, have been popular with consumers in the western world for many years. However, over the years, the cost of such popular food confectionery items has increased significantly. Moreover, dairy derived cream or milk based food items have high cholesterol content, are calorie-rich, have a relakively short shelf life, and build up bacterial levels rapidly. Also, it has recently been establlshed that bovine milk based pro-ducts are not consumable or usable by about 75 percent of the population of the world because of allergies or an inability to digest the lactose present in bovine milk.

~2~

Because of the large number of disadvantages associated with dairy type milk and cream, and food confection items such as soft and hard ice cream based on such milk, extensive research and development activi-ties have taken place over the years ~o in effectreplace the cow as a resource and invent and develop ersatz milk and cream resembling products. In one direction, such research and development ac~ivities have explored the use of the soya bean as a base in various products. Such products are advantageous because they are nutritious, high in protein, relatiYely allergy free, relatively low in cost, and most impor~ant, free of cholesterol. A recently developed and market intro duced soya-based ice cream is sold under the trade mark TOFUTTI by L.M.Y. Enterprises, San Carlos, California.
TOFUTTI is described as being an all-natural soft~
frozen dessert made from tofu, pure honey and fruit flavourings. Tofu is an Orient originating cheese-like product made from soya beans. ~o artificial additives or preservatives are used. Moreover, the produc~ is 100 percent dairy free and thus contains no cholesterol or lactose. Notwithstanding its non-dairy origin, TOFUTTI
is described as being a substitute for rich dairy based ice cream because it has the rich creamy taste of ice cream and froæen yogurts but is higher in protein and lower in calories than either of those dairy products.

. ~ . .

A long standing shortcoming with soya bean based ood products i5 that such products have an unpleasant bitter aftertaste, which is not agreeable to consumers who have had longstanding exposure -to dairy-based products. An apo~idase enzyme present in soyabeans is believed to cause the disagreeable aftertaste.
Considerable research and effort has been conducted over the past twenty years or so, and particularly during the past few years, to discover a means of retaining all of the positive qualities of a soya bean based product, but eliminating or minimizing the unpleasant a~ertaste.
Another shortcoming with soya bean based dairy-type replacement products is that when the product is frozen into either soft or hard ice cream, it is dificult to build any "over-run" into the product.
~ormally, when an ice cre~m manufacturer maXes soft or hard ice cream from a dairy-based formulation, a sub stantial amount of air is incorporated into the product to give it lightness and palatability. The expansion in volume of ~he air holding product is known in the trade as "over-run". To date; substitute ice cream-like soya bean based formulations have displayed a stubborn resistance to permitting more than a small quantity of air to be held in the mixture as it is being frozen. As a consequence, over-run levels are small and the result-ing frozen product has a somewhat dense, heavy quality which is not entirely acceptable to consumers ~amiliar with dairy-based ice cream productsO Moreover, since the finished product is denser, the cost per unit weight of the frozen product is higher, and profit margins are reduced.
S _MMA.RY OF THE INVENTION
We have discovered a process for preparing a soya bean based product which has negligible disagree-able soya bean aftertaste. The soya product also provides a good over-run level w~en used to prepare an ice cream-type product.
The process of providing a soya product which has negligible disagreeable soya aftertaste comprises (a) heating soya beans with hulls briefly at about 180F
to remove any greenness and then cooling the beans; tb) milling the cooled ~oya beans including hulls into a fine flour; (c) incorporating the milled soya 10ur into a large portion of water and boiling the mixture for about 30 minutes; (d) rapidly cooling the boiled mix-ture; and (e) sifting the resultant product through a ine mesh screen to remove the majority of the crushed hull~ from the mixture.
In the described process, the milled soya product may be mixed with water in a range between about 14 lbs. of flour p~r 9 Imp. gallons of water to about 20 lbs~ of flour per 9 Imp. gallons of water prior to boiling. Preferably, the soya flour is mixed with water in a proportion o about 17 lbs. of 10ur per 9 Imp.

, ^~.

gallons of water. It is preferable to boil the mixture utilizing steam. The condensed steam adds several pounds of water to the overall mixture. It is advanta-geous to rapidly cool the mixture with crushed ice.
This ice when melted adds several more pounds of water to the mixture. The ice prevents scum forming on the surface if the whole bean is ground and boiled. Live st~am prevents fluid product solidifying and sticking to the walls of the cooking chamber.
To make a light and tasty soft or hard ice cream resembling product, depending on the degree of freezing, 32.5 lbso of the product obtained from the cooling and straining steps described above (represent-ing about 2.5 lbs. of flour and 30 lbs. of water) is mixed with 147 o~. of soya oil and 8 lbs. of honey or sugar in a blender, and converted to a soya-based ice cream type product in a conventional ice cream maker.
Various acceptable food flavourings can be added to provide desired f],avours. The ic cream product produced by this method yields a 50 to 75 percent by weight over run, which is comparable with over-run levels experienced with dairy-based ice cream products.
DETAILED DISCUSSION OF THE INVENTION

. . . ~
Because of wide variations in the character-istics and qualities of various soya beans, there are many difficulties involved in converting soya beans into flour for use as a con~istently performing base in food ~ - 5 -confections such as bread. One difficulty is that it is difficult to yrind the beans if they are slightly green.
The inventors have found that if the beans are first heated to about 180F in an oven for a brief period of time, for example, one to three minutes, and ~hen cooled, the beans can be ground with less difficulty.
Moreover, a more consistently performing product is obtained.
In addition to exploring methods for obtaining a consistent soya-based product, we have been experi-menting for many years with soya flour in an attempt to make an acceptable soya based non~dairy ice cream sub-stitute. Use of soya flours available on the market has been found to produce a product that has a disagreeble beany bitter aftertaste. Attempts to boil such soya 10ur3 tend to be unsatisfactory and unmanageable because the product tends to be thick and sticks to the sides and bottom of the pot, thereby providing an insulation layer which deters transmission of heat.
Tnstead of straight boiling by the application of external heat, the inventors have experimented with injecting steam into a mixture o soya flour and water in a vessel. This has been found to provide a better performing prodwct than one that is obtained by straight boiling. However, a potential disadvantage is that it has been found that when the steam is shut off, a heavy scum forms on the surface of the mixed product. In experimenting with ways to minimize or prevent the scum build-up, it has been discovered that the scum problem can be minimized by placing crushed ice in the mix and thereby rapidly reducing the temperature of the mixture.
After such treatment, the mixture is screened to remove the crushed hulls. It has also been found unexpectedly that boiling the mixture with steam for about 30 minutes tends to remove almost all of the heavy bitter after-taste.
In addition to the undesirable bitter bean aftertaste, one of the persistent difficulties with a soya-based ice cream imitation product is that it does not have an "o~er-run" of the level of a dairy-based formulation. The "over-run" is the extra volume of product which is obtained after the mixture is blended to absorb air ~much as in whipped cream). Over a period of years, the inventors have conducted literally hun-dreds of experiments in an effort to produce a soya-based product that would give a satisfactory "over-run"
in the range of about 50 to 75 percent. Many experi-ments have been made with numerous varieties and types of soya flour available on the market but in t~e large majority of cases, it has been found not possible to obtain any significant over-run. The result is that any imitation ice cream type product made from the soya base is heavy and dense.

We have found unexpectedly that with our novel method of treating soya beans and converting them into a soya flour type product, the resultant product can be used in the formulation of numerous soya-based food products such as soya based milk, and soft or hard ice cream, all of which have negligible disagreeable soya bean aftertaste. Ice cream formulations utilizing our soya product provide an over-run of the general level experienced with dairy-based ice creams~ With our pro-duct, 60 to 65 single cones per gallon can be ob~ainedcompared to 50 to 55 cones per gallon for soya based ice cream type products presently available on the market.
While we do not wish to be bound by any theories, the following comments are provided for the purpose of being of possible assistance in understanding the invention. Slightly green soya beans are not only difficult to grind but it appears that they may have components which are deleterious to the ability of the soya flour to produce a good tasting and easy handl.ing Eood product~ The presence or eect o these compo-nents appears to be minimized with proper controlled heating.
Accordingly, our novel process comprises heating soya beans with the hulls on in an oven at about 180F for about one to three minutes~ The beans are then cooled and ground into a soya 1Our in a standard flour mill. The resultant soya flour is then placed in a kettle with water. Typically, 14 to 20 lbs. (preer-ably about 17 lbs.) of soya flour are placed in a 30 5 gallon kettle together with about 9 Imp. gallons of water. The mixture is then boiled for about 30 minutes with steam from a steam hose or injectors inserted into the mixture. Some of the steam condenses in the mixture thereby raiæing the overall water content. After boil-ing for about 30 minutes, a sludge or scum comprisingmostly ground hulls (approximately 16 percent by weight) can be een to collect on the surface. Once the steam boiling procedure has been completed, about 30 lbs. of crushed ice are put into the kettle to rapidly c031 the mixture. The scum is almost completely dissipated by this step. The mixture is then screened through a 200 mesh screen to remove all 200 mil oversize product which is mostly crushed hulls.
We have discovered that the product which is obtained from this process can be used as a base in making soya based food confectionery items which have negligible soya bean aftertaste. The product, for example, can be used to make food confection items such as soya milk, soya yogurt, or a soya based ice cream type productO In addition to the elimination or minimization of the aftertaste, we have discovered that ; the product when used in a soya based ice cream .~ 3 formulation ha~ the capacity to incorporate and hold a good volume of air so that there is approximately a 50 to 75 percent over-run when the mixture is beaten with beaters or placed in a blender or an ice cream maker.
Because the described method of making soya flour from soya beans with hulls is labour întensive, the appllcants have investigated potentially acceptable sources of commercially available soya flours. We have, Gver the past three years, tested numerous types of soya flour but in each case, it was found that it was not possible to obtain satisfactory over-run levels. Re-cently, however, we have discovered that it is possible to obtain a com~nercially available so~a flour which performs well in the context of our invention. This product is available from Cargill Grain Company under the designation No. 200-70. It is a much more bland product than soya flours commonly available on the marXet. By experimentation, we have found that by placing 2-1/2 lbs. of No. 200-70 flour in 22 lbs. of cold water and then boiling the mixture for about 30 minutes, no appreciable scum ~orms. After cooling, the mixture was found to contain 6 lbs. of condensed steam.
The addition of 2 lbs. of crushed ice to quickly cool the mixture brought t~e tot~l weight of the mixture up ~o about 32-1/2 lbso One hundred and forty-seven (147) oz. of soya oil and 8 lbs. of honey were then added to the mixture~

This mixture was placed in a HobartTM blender for about 5 minutes and then poured into an Emery ThompsonTM ice cream ba~cher. An ice cream-type product was then produced. The resulting 5 Imp. gallons of mix was found to produce from 7-1/2 to 8 gallons of ice cream type product, thereby giving an over-run of about 50 to 60 percent.
A similar experiment to the one described above was conducted using 8 lbs~ of sugar and similar satisfactory results were obtained.
Various flavours such as vanilla, carob powder, maple, lemon, orange, almond, strawberry, rasp-berry, licorice, and carrot juice were tried in the formulation. All flavours were found to provide smooth, light, very good tasting ice cream type products.
It was also found that safflower oil or canola oil could be substituted for the soya oil and that satisfactory results could be obtained. By increasing the density of ~he rnix, it was found that the product can be used to produce rich creamy milkshakes and pie fillings.
The following are specific examples which demonstrate the performance of our discoveries.
Example I ~ Basic Soya Formulation Base Seventeen (17) lbs. of soya beans wi-th the hulls on were briefly heated (30 to 60 seconds) at about 180F in a standard peanut roaster. The beans were then quickly cooled and ground into a soya flour in a stan-dard carborundum mill. The resulting soya flour includ ing crushed hulls was incorporated into 9 Imp. gallons of water held in a 30 gallon kettle~ The mi~ture was boiled for about 30 minutes with steam from a steam hose. After this steam boiling step was completed, the mixture was then rapidly cooled with 30 lbs. of crushed ice. The resultant product was then passed through a 200 mesh screen to remove oversize particles including a large portion of the crushed hulls from the mixture.
This product was found to remain in solution very well, with negligible solids separation.
Example II_- Soya Based Milk Four (4) oz. o soya product, prepared according to Example 1, was incorpora~ed into about 10 lbs. of water. The resulting product was tasted and found to be a good tasting soya based milk type product, with negligible disagreeable soya bean aftertaste.
Example_III D Soya Based Ice Cream Two and one half (2.5) lbs. of soya based 1Our, made by Cargill Grain Company, and designa~ed as 200-70, was incorporated into about 22 lbs. of water.
This mixture was boiled for about 30 minutes using a steam from a steam hose. ~o scum formed but about 6 lbs. of water condensate increased the overall wa~er level. Subsequently) after boiling, about 2 lbs. of crushed ice was added to quickly cool the mixture. The melted ice brought the total water content up to about 30 lbs. This mixture, representing 30 lbs. of water and

2.5 lbs. of soya product, was blended with 147 oz. of soya oil and 8 lbs. of honey in a HobartTM blender.
Finally, a small amount of banana flavouring was added to the mixture. The entire mixture was fully blended in in the blender for about 5 minutes.
The blended mixture (representing about 5 ImpO
gallons) was then placed in an Emery ThompsonTM ice cream batcher. The mixture delivered 7.5 to 8.0 gallons of light, excellent tasting and appearing banana 1a-voured ice cream. The over-run was about 60 percent.
Indeed, the product tasted so rich and creamy that it was dificult to believe tha it was not dairy based or that it did not include eggs.
Example V
Two and one-half lbs~ of a soya isolate product available from Grain Companies Inc., Iowa, U.S.A., under the designation No. 700D was mixed with 30 lbs. of cold water.
Example IV
A test run similar to the one described in Example III above, but using 8 lbs. of sugar instead of honey, was performed. A good tasting ice cream was obtain~d~ This mixture was blended with 147 oz. of soya ~ ~ Ja~983~

oil and 8 lbs. of honey in a HobartTM blender for 5 minutes. The blended mixture was khen flavoured wit'n banana flavouring and placed in an Emery ThompsonTM
ice cream maker. The product was a good tasting, pleasant appearing, light ice cream type confection which included about 60 percent over-run.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure ! many alterations and modifica-tions are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereoE. Accordingly, the scope of the inverltion is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following clairns.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A process of providing a soya-based food product which has minimal soya bean aftertaste and is useful as a base for preparing soya based food confection products, comprising:
(a) heating soya beans, including the hulls, briefly at about 180°F;
(b) milling the treated soya beans into a soya flour including crushed hulls;
(c) incorporating the soya flour into a large portion of water and boiling the mixture for about 30 minutes;
(d) rapidly cooling the boiled mixture; and (e) screening the resultant product through a fine mesh screen to remove a majority of the crushed hulls from the mixture.

2. A process as defined in Claim 1 wherein the proportion by weight of soya flour to total weight of water is between about 20 oz. of flour per about 30.0 lbs. of water to about 60 oz. of flour per about 30.0 lbs. of water.

3. A process as defined in Claim 1 wherein the proportion by weight of soya flour to total weight of water is between about 32 oz. of flour per about 30.0 lbs. of water to about 48 oz. of flour per about 30.0 lbs. of water.

4. A process as defined in Claim 1 wherein the proportion by weight of soya flour to total weight of water is about 40 oz. of flour per about 30.0 lbs. of water.

5. A process as defined in Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the screen is a 200 mesh screen.

6. A process as defined in Claim 3 wherein the resulting product is mixed with about 147 oz. of edible vegetable oil and about 8 lbs. of honey or sugar, and a small amount of food flavouring to taste, in a blender for about five minutes, and is then placed in an ice cream maker to form a soya-based ice cream-type product.

7. A process as defined in Claim 4 wherein the resulting product is mixed with about 147 oz. of edible vegetable oil and about 8 lbs. of honey or sugar, and a small amount of food flavouring to taste, in a blender for about five minutes, and is then placed in an ice cream maker to form a soya-based ice cream-type product.

8. A process as defined in Claim 6 or 7 wherein the resulting ice cream product is prepared so that there is a 50 to 75 percent by volume over-run.

9. A process as defined in Claim 1, 3 or 4 wherein the soya beans are heated for about one to three minutes.

10. A process as defined in Claim 1, 3 or 4 wherein the soya flour-water mixture is boiled with steam for about 30 minutes.

11. A process as defined in Claim 6 wherein the vegetable oil is soya oil.

12. A process as defined in Claim 7 wherein the vegetable oil is soya oil.

13. A process of providing a soya-based food product which has minimal soya bean aftertaste and is useful as a base for preparing soya based food confection products, comprising:
(a) incorporating 40 oz. of No. 200-70 soya flour (available from Cargill Grain Company) into 30 lbs. of water and boiling the mixture for about 30 minutes:
(b) rapidly cooling the boiled mixture;
(c) mixing the resulting product with about 147 oz. of edible vegetable oil and about 8 lbs. of honey or sugar, together with a small amount of food flavouring to taste;
(d) blending the mixture obtained from step (c) in a blender for about 5 minutes; and (e) placing the blended mixture in an ice cream maker to form a soya-based ice cream type product.

14. A soya based imitation ice cream product comprising:
(a) a soya based product prepared according to the process of Claim 4;
(b) about 147 oz. of edible vegetable oil;
(c) about 8 lbs. of honey or sugar; and (d) food flavouring to taste.

15. A soya based imitation ice cream product comprising:
(a) 40 oz. of soya flour available under the trade mark No. 200-70, available from Cargill Grain Company, then mixed with about 30.0 lbs. of water, then boiled for about 30 minutes, and then cooled with ice;
(b) about 147 oz. of vegetable oil;
(c) about 8 lbs. of honey or sugar; and (d) food flavouring to taste.

16. A process as defined in Claim 13, 14 or 15 wherein the vegetable oil is soya oil.