JPH0371854B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for producing a soybean beverage that eliminates the need for fiber removal.

Soybeans have long been an excellent source of macronutrients, especially protein,
recognized as a source. Soybeans are a promising viable plant resource that accounts for a large proportion of the world's protein needs. The wide-scale use of soybeans in beverage applications, where the dramatic increase in the world's population has placed emphasis on the supply of large quantities of high-quality protein, has been hampered by two fundamental problems: 1. Undesirable odors and aromas described as bean or paint smells caused by enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of unsaturated fats. When the sac structure is molted, enzymes and fat come into contact and an unpleasant odor suddenly develops.

2. Feeling like it's stuck in your throat when you swallow it. This is reported to result from the presence of fibrous material or the use of b-glycosidases to produce polyphenols.

The conventional method for producing soy milk is to soak the beans in water for 5 to 6 hours and then grind the beans in water to extract the protein. The resulting slurry is then filtered and the aqueous protein containing liquid is recovered, which may or may not be heat treated. Although this method is simple, the resulting beverage is not organoleptic and a significant proportion of protein is lost during the process.

Several methods exist in the prior art for removing fiber and improving flavor and protein yield. Bean odor is generally minimized by grinding the soybeans in hot water to inactivate the lipoxygenase enzyme. Fiber is generally removed by acid precipitation of the proteins and centrifugation of the curds to remove fiber. The protein curds are then resuspended by neutralization for the soymilk formulation.

US Pat. No. 2,078,962 to Miller discloses a method of soaking and grinding soybeans with water to produce a slurry. The slurry is then boiled, the desired food ingredients are added, and the slurry is then homogenized.

Miles, US Pat. No. 3,288,614, dehulls soybeans, produces a slurry of dehulled soybeans and water, and pressure cooks the slurry at temperatures ranging from 104.44°C to 121.11°C for a period of time ranging from instantaneous to up to 10 minutes. The present invention relates to a method for producing soymilk, which comprises the steps of: Various food ingredients are then added to the slurry to obtain the desired final composition, the slurry is homogenized, and the slurry is then spray dried. In particular, see Example 1 from column 2, line 28 to column 3, line 39.

Mustakas et al. US Patent
3639129 disperses fat-rich soybean flour in water to produce a slurry, mills the slurry to reduce the particle size of the flour particles in the slurry, homogenizes the milled slurry, and then atomizes the slurry. Discloses a method of drying.

Moustakas et al., U.S. Pat. It relates to the production of fat-rich cottonseed oil beverages by heating and cooling, adjusting the pH to about 7, and clarifying.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,018 to Hodel et al. discloses grinding soybeans at temperatures between 90° and 100°C in the presence of water to produce a dispersion of particles such that the majority of the particles have dimensions on the order of 100 to 500 microns. produce, heat the dispersion by injection of steam to a temperature of 120° to 160°C, and grind the dispersion to form protein and fat globules with dimensions on the order of 2 to 10 μm and the largest dimension substantially A method of making an aqueous soybean suspension is disclosed by producing a suspension containing no more than 40 to 300 microns of bag wall debris.

Hand, et al., describes soaking and dehulling soybeans, passing the beans through a mill in the presence of a sufficient amount of water to produce a slurry containing 16% solids; A method for producing soymilk is disclosed comprising the steps of homogenizing a slurry and subsequently spray drying.

A literature article by Johnson et al. states that boiling traditional soy milk at 99°C and pH 6.7 for about 60 minutes reduces trypsin inhibitor (TI) activity by more than 90% and improves nutritional value with steam. - Discloses a method for producing soymilk by injection cooking. The evaluation was continuous and direct steam-injection cooking facilitated higher temperatures (99°C to 154°C) than traditionally used for cooking soy milk.
At temperatures above about 120°C in steam-injection cooking, a constant temperature-dependent pattern in soymilk, solids and protein yields is characterized by an initial decrease, a subsequent rise to a maximum recovery value and a final decrease. It was observed that 154℃、PH
In 6.7, maximum recovery occurred at the same point with proper inactivation of TI. After centrifugation at 1050×G for 5 minutes, approximately 90% of the slurry and 86% of the soybean solids were
% and 90% of the protein was recovered. Under optimal conditions for steam-injection cooking, soymilk also possessed less than 8% residual TI activity and relatively little chemical browning. Using traditional cooking methods, approximately 72% of the slurry, 61% of the soybean solids and protein
73% is recovered.

The method according to the invention utilizes dehulled and cracked soybeans, which are soaked, rinsed and ground (wet grinding).
Subject to cooking and blending process. Next, sterilize the milk
Homogenize and finally aseptically package. The soymilk produced by this method has a pleasant aroma and a smooth texture. The taste and sensory characteristics are equal to or better than those of soymilk produced by other existing methods.

In accordance with the present invention, the improvement comprises: (a) soaking soybeans in 3 to 5 times their own weight in water; (b) rinsing and dehulling the soybeans; and (c) determining the bean size of the dehulled soybeans. (d) producing an aqueous soybean slurry containing 5-15% total solids; (e) reducing the alkalinity of the soybean slurry to a pH of 8.5-9.5 by adding an alkaline reagent thereto; and (f) heating the soybean slurry at a temperature of 30 to 45°C at a temperature of 95°C to 98°C.
Cook for minutes, during which time the pH of the slurry should be between 7.5 and 8.2.
(g) Reduce the soybean slurry to a pH of 7.0 to 7.4 using strong mineral acids.
and then adding the desired ingredients to the soybean slurry to formulate a soymilk beverage; (h) homogenizing the soymilk in two stages under homogenizing pressure, where the first stage homogenization The operating pressure is 2500~
We have now found a method for producing soymilk from soybeans, consisting of 3500 p.sig and a second stage homogenization pressure of 500 p.sig.

Further according to the invention, the soaking step is optional. Accordingly, the modification involves (a) dehulling soybeans, (b) reducing the bean size of the dehulled soybeans by milling, and (c) producing an aqueous soybean slurry containing between 5 and 15% total solids. (d) adjusting the alkalinity of the soybean slurry to a pH of 8.5-9.5 by adding an alkaline reagent thereto;
Cook for minutes, during which time the pH of the slurry should be between 7.5 and 8.2.
(f) Reduce the soybean slurry to a pH of 7.0 to 7.4 using strong mineral acids.
and then adding the desired ingredients to the soybean slurry to formulate a soymilk beverage; (g) homogenizing the soymilk in two stages under homogenizing pressure, where the first stage homogenization The operating pressure is 2500~
A method has also been discovered for producing soymilk from soybeans, comprising a pressure of 3500 p.sig and a second stage homogenization pressure of 500 p.sig.

The method of the invention further includes the step of aseptically packaging the soymilk or spray drying the homogenized soymilk to provide a soymilk beverage powder.

According to the invention, the soybean slurry is preferably
Neutralized with a strong mineral acid selected from the group consisting of HCl, H ₂ SO ₄ or H ₃ PO ₄ , with HCl being particularly preferred.
Also according to the invention, the alkalinity of the soybean slurry is preferably adjusted to 9.0 using an alkaline reagent selected from the group consisting of NaOH, KOH and Ca(OH) ₂ .
The pH is adjusted to .

In carrying out the preferred method of the invention, the soybeans are placed in 5 times their weight in water and optionally in the presence of an alkaline reagent such as _NaHCO3 .
Soak.

One objective of the present invention is to provide a simple method for producing soy milk beverages without adversely affecting protein properties. Therefore, the main objective of the present invention is to utilize more than 95% of the protein in raw soybeans.

Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a soy milk beverage that is flexible in that the starting material can be raw soybean, fat-rich flour or skimmed flour.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a finished organoleptic soy milk product in liquid form or one that can be easily reconstituted from a powder.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a low cost soymilk that has a taste and mouthfeel comparable to products currently on the market made from soybean isolate or other processes, which soybean milk is whole. produced on a commercial scale from soybeans.

More particularly, it is therefore an object of the present invention to (1) hydrate whole soybeans or dehulled soybeans, (2) grind the hydrated soybeans in hot water, and (3) prepare a soybean slurry. to an alkaline PH and then (4) blending the resulting soy milk product, homogenizing it, and aseptically packaging it to produce a pleasant-tasting soy milk beverage with essentially no throat hit. is to provide manufacturing.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing soymilk that uses simple process technology and requires relatively low capital investment.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and referring to the drawings.

Although the invention will be described with respect to a preferred process, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to that process. On the other hand, it is intended to embrace all alterations, modifications, and equivalents provided they fall within the nature and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

All types of soybeans can be used in the practice of this invention, such as Corosoy, Clark, Bragg, Ansoy, etc. Preferably, the soybeans are air washed to remove defective soybeans and foreign materials.

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown a schematic diagram of a preferred method of the invention. The purpose of the soaking step is to fully hydrate the soybeans to make the subsequent grinding step more effective and to leach out some of the oligosaccharides and sugars involved in the production of flatulence in humans. Bean hydration requires a bean to water ratio of 3-5:1. The typical composition of a soaking solution that should be discarded is 0.75% protein, 3.9% carbohydrates (2.6% soluble sugars,
raffinase, stachyose) and 1.4% ash. Rapid methods are preferred for bean hydration because of speed and inactivation of the lipoxygenase enzyme with unpleasant aroma. The soaking step can optionally be carried out in the presence of an alkaline reagent such as sodium bicarbonate.

The hydrated soybeans must then be rinsed with water before grinding. Although it is preferred to start with clean dehulled soybeans, whole soybeans can also be used in the soaking step using any suitable wet dehulling method.

The hydrated soybeans are then passed through an Alpine Coloplex mill with water to produce a slurry of 5-15% total solids. Preferably, the water temperature is 90°C. If it is desired to produce soymilk with a raw bean flavor, the water temperature for bean hydration and grinding should be at room temperature to avoid inactivating the lipoxygenase enzyme. The resulting slurry is then allowed to stand until the desired aroma develops. The remaining steps apply to both pleasant soymilk and soymilk.

The soybean slurry is then adjusted to pH 9.0 using an alkaline base such as NaOH, KOH or Ca(OH) _2.
Adjust to ±0.5, and then 30-45 at 95℃-98℃
Cook for a minute. A cooking temperature of 97°C for 45 minutes is shown. Due to the combination of alkaline PH and high temperature, the fiber becomes in a state similar to that after homogenization,
The soybean slurry does not have a choking sensation or powdery taste. It is important to keep the cooking temperature of the slurry below the rolling boiling point to minimize foaming. Furthermore, this step is also sufficient to inactivate the trypsin inhibitor. During the cooking stage, the pH drops from the initial 9.0 to the final 7.5 to 8.2. The decrease in PH can be hypothesized to be due to the development of certain protein globulins and/or the release of bound salts, which now act as buffering aids. The alkaline base used in the cooking step may also affect the final viscosity of the soymilk if other processing steps and formulations are the same.

Upon completion of _the alkaline cooking stage, the bean slurry is neutralized to a pH of _7.0-7.4 using a strong mineral acid such as HCl, _H2SO4 or _H3PO4 . The soybean slurry is then formulated into the final soymilk by adding sugar, salt, emulsifiers, colorants and flavors as desired. The soymilk is then fed, preferably in a two-stage apparatus.
Homogenize at 3000-4000p.sig. The homogenized liquid soy milk can then be packaged as desired or it can be spray dried to provide a soy milk beverage powder.

The alkaline cooking process may also involve loss of sulfur-containing amino acids and production of ricinoalanine, resulting in a substantial reduction in protein properties. Soymilk samples were prepared according to the method outlined, freeze-dried after an alkaline cooking step, and the protein properties were evaluated. The corrected PER was 1.78, indicating that the properties of the protein were comparable to that of the soybean isolate and that no adverse reactions with amino acids occurred.

To the extent noted, FIG. 1 is substantially similar to FIG. The two differ primarily in that the soak and rinse steps are omitted in Figure 2.

Example 1 In a jacketed kettle containing 0.25% _NaHCO3 , dehulled corosoi soybean pieces (34.25Kg) were added to 137Kg of 90-95C water. When the beans were left to hydrate in water for 75 minutes, they absorbed about 1.2 times their weight in water. The hydrated beans were then rinsed with tap water to remove any remaining surface dirt and discarded with the soaking solution. The soybeans were then immediately passed through an Alpin Coroplex pin mill (Alpin American Company; Nateitsuk, Mass.) with hot water.
Dilute the ground soybean slurry in a jacketed kettle to the desired 2% protein content;
The pH was then adjusted to 9.0 using NaOH. The temperature was increased to 97°C and the slurry was cooked for 45 minutes with good stirring. At the end of cooking, the PH dropped to about 7.8, which was then further adjusted to 7.2 with HCl.
Sugar (41.4Kg), salt (0.823Kg) and emulsifier were added and water replaced to give a 2% protein soy milk drink. The beverage was passed through a two-stage Manton-Gaulin homogenizer using 3000 psi and 500 psi for stages 1 and 2, respectively. The homogenized soy milk was pasteurized by UHT using a Spiratherm indirect tubular heat exchanger at 140°C for 5 seconds, and 250ml
It was packaged aseptically in ^Tetrabrik® packaging.

This soymilk did not have the soybean-like or raw aroma or odor commonly associated with soymilk. There was no feeling of burning in the throat or dryness that is usually associated with fibrous materials. Storage in ^Tetrabrik® at room and refrigerated temperatures showed excellent colloidal stability, with trace amounts of precipitation not seen until after 3 months. The beverage was rated as organoleptic and was found to have good aroma and mouthfeel.

Example 2 The invention will be better understood as it describes a commercial operation.

Soaking and Rinsing The desired amount of dehulled and split soybeans was weighed and lifted by forklift to the soaking tank stand. Two soaking tanks could be used on a rotating schedule. The soybeans were filled into one side of the soaking tank and rinsed twice with potable water. Preferably, the dip tank is equipped with a removable perforated plate at the bottom to facilitate drainage of the rinse water. After rinsing, hot water was filled into the tank and the beans were soaked for 75 minutes or until they were fully hydrated.
During the soaking period, fresh steam was injected into the tank and the temperature was maintained at approximately 90°C using an automatic thermostatic valve. The steam injection also provided gentle agitation to the bean bath.

The soaking process softened the bean fiber, removed bitter components from the bean, and effectively inhibited enzyme-catalyzed rancidity, resulting in a good-tasting product.
This moist heat treatment also degraded the biologically active components of soybean, trypsin inhibitors and hemagglutinin.

When fully hydrated, the amount of beans increased to about 2.7 times its original amount and had a bulk density of 623 grams per bean. After the beans are fully hydrated, drain the soaking water and soak the beans again with drinking water.
I rinsed it.

The fully hydrated soybeans were fed to an Alpine mill equipped with a Star Flow volumetric feeder located at the outlet of the soaking tank. star
Flow volume feeders utilize variable speed feed vanes in conjunction with static flow cones. The vanes sweep material from the periphery into and down the cone towards the center where it is discarded. Other volumetric feeders are also conceivable, such as vibrating pins, screw feeders or membrane slurry pumps.

Grinding and Wet Grinding The Alpin mill is an impact mill with one rotating and one stationary milling disc.
The Alpin Kiroplex Model 250Z and Model 400Z were used in one line operation and two line operations, respectively. Approximately 1 hour of milling was conducted per batch for both single-line and dual-line operations.

During the grinding process, approximately 4-8 ml of water per minute was fed through the spray ball into the soaking tank to facilitate the passage of the beans and to continuously flush out the ground bean paste inside the mill. The ground soybean slurry was then pumped into a cooker equipped with a positive exchange pump for further processing.

Cooking Cooking was carried out in a cooker equipped with a steam jacket. An amount of water was added to the bean slurry to obtain soy milk with a total solids content of 5%. Alkalinity was adjusted to PH9 using a 50 wt/w caustic solution. Steam was injected into the heating jacket and an automatic temperature control valve was used to maintain the temperature between 95°C and 98°C. Higher cooking temperatures would have caused excessive foaming. Constant stirring is necessary to promote heat exchange and keep the particles in suspension. The cooking process further reduces the size of the fibrous material after milling. The cooking process took approximately 45 minutes per batch.

Neutralization and Formulation After cooking, the soy milk was neutralized with a small amount of hydrochloric acid. An electronic PH meter with temperature compensation was used for this purpose. To complete the soymilk formulation, desired amounts of sugar, salt and emulsifier were added. The soy milk was then sent to the Thierry Barrel Unitherm UHT processing unit, where it was regulated by a leveling needle in the surge tank of the UHT unit.

UHT (Ultra High Temperature) Treatment and Homogenization The soymilk was heated to 140°C in two stages using a tubular heat exchanger and kept at 140°C for 4 seconds inside a support tube. The product was then cooled to 65.6° C. with cooling tower water and passed through a two-stage homogenization valve at a total homogenization pressure of 3000 p.sig to 4000 p.sig. This heat-shocked product was totally sterilized and retained its original taste and aroma. The product was then further cooled to room temperature (26.7°C) and sent to the packaging machine in a closed system. The operation of the UHT device was generally consistent with the Tetrabrik ^(R) packaging machine.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the preferred process of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a second schematic representation of the preferred process of the invention.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A method for producing soybean milk from soybeans, comprising: (a) soaking soybeans in water of 3 to 5 times their own weight; (b) rinsing and dehulling the soybeans; (c) reducing the bean size of the dehulled soybeans by milling; (d) producing an aqueous soybean slurry containing 5-15% total solids; and (e) reducing the alkalinity of the soybean slurry by adding an alkaline reagent thereto. (f) adjusting the pH of the soybean slurry to 30-45 at a temperature of 95°C-98°C;
Cook for minutes, during which time the pH of the slurry should be between 7.5 and 8.2.
(g) Reduce the soybean slurry to a pH of 7.0 to 7.4 using strong mineral acids.
and then adding the desired ingredients to the soybean slurry to formulate a soymilk beverage; (h) homogenizing the soymilk in two stages under homogenizing pressure, where the first stage homogenization The operating pressure is 2500~
3500p.sig and the second stage homogenization pressure is 500p.sig. 2 (i) Claim 1 further includes the step of aseptically packaging the soymilk.
The method described in section. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: (i) spray drying the homogenized soymilk to provide a soymilk beverage powder. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein in step ₍ g), the strong mineral acid is selected from the group _consisting of HCl, _H2SO4 or _H3PO4 . 5. The method of claim 4, wherein in step (g), the strong mineral acid is HCl. 6 In step (e), the pH of the soybean slurry is
The method of claim 1, wherein the pH is adjusted to 9.0 using an alkaline reagent selected from the group consisting of NaOH, KOH and Ca(OH) ₂ . 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the PH of the soybean slurry is adjusted to a PH of 9.0 using a 50% solution of NaOH. 8. The method of claim 6, wherein in step (f), the PH of the soybean slurry is lowered from a PH of 9 to a PH of 7.5 to 8.2. 9. Maintaining the cooking temperature of the slurry in step (f) below the rotary boiling point to minimize foaming;
A method according to claim 1. 10 In step (a) soybeans are
The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is immersed in twice as much water. 11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the soybeans are soaked in water at 90°C for 60 to 90 minutes. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein in step (d) the aqueous soybean slurry is produced at a temperature of 90°C. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein in step (a) the soybeans are soaked in the presence of an alkaline reagent. 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the alkaline reagent is sodium bicarbonate. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the soybeans are soaked in the presence of water vapor and the temperature is maintained at a temperature of 90°C. 16 Injecting steam in the cooking step (f) and maintaining the temperature between 95°C and 98°C, claim 1
The method described in section. 17. A method for producing soy milk from soybeans, comprising: (a) dehulling the soybeans, (b) reducing the bean size of the dehulled soybeans by grinding, and (c) producing an aqueous solution containing 5 to 15% total solids. producing a soybean slurry; (d) adjusting the alkalinity of the soybean slurry to a pH of 8.5 to 9.5 by adding an alkaline reagent thereto; 45
Cook for minutes, during which time the pH of the slurry should be between 7.5 and 8.2.
(f) Reduce the soybean slurry to a pH of 7.0 to 7.4 using strong mineral acids.
and then adding the desired ingredients to the soybean slurry to formulate a soymilk beverage; (g) homogenizing the soymilk in two stages under homogenizing pressure, where the first stage homogenization The operating pressure is 2500~
3500 p.sig and the second stage homogenization pressure is 500 p.sig. 18 (i) Claim 1 further includes the step of aseptically packaging the soymilk.
The method described in Section 7. 19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of: (i) spray drying the homogenized soymilk to provide a soymilk beverage powder. 20 In step (f), the strong mineral acid is HCl, H ₂ SO ₄
or H ₃ PO ₄ . 21. In step (f), the strong mineral acid is HCl;
The method according to claim 20. 22 In step (d), the pH of the soybean slurry is
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the pH is adjusted to 9.0 using an alkaline reagent selected from the group consisting of NaOH, KOH and Ca(OH) ₂ . 23. Adjusting the pH of the soybean slurry to a pH of 9.0 using a 50% solution of NaOH, Claim 2
The method described in Section 2. 24 In step (e), the cooking temperature of the slurry is
18. The method of claim 17, wherein foaming is kept below the rotary boiling point to minimize foaming. 25. The method according to claim 17, wherein the soybeans are soaked in water at 90°C for 60 to 90 minutes. 26. The method of claim 17, wherein in step (c) the aqueous soybean slurry is produced at a temperature of 90°C. 27 Injecting steam in the cooking step (e) and maintaining the temperature between 95°C and 98°C, Claim 1
The method described in Section 7.