WO2004017758A1

WO2004017758A1 - Apparatus for producing processed soybean product having individual soybean cells dispersed therein and process for producing the same

Info

Publication number: WO2004017758A1
Application number: PCT/JP2002/008439
Authority: WO
Inventors: Toru Akazawa
Original assignee: Yugengaisha Chima
Priority date: 2002-08-21
Filing date: 2002-08-21
Publication date: 2004-03-04
Also published as: JPWO2004017758A1; AU2002327145A1

Abstract

It is intended to provide an apparatus for efficiently producing a soybean product wherein individual soybean cells are dispersed while controlling the soybean smell to a level scarcely offensive for people taking the same. This apparatus comprises a water tank wherein the starting soybeans are immersed in water, a unit of pressurizing/heating whereby the soybeans having been immersed in water are heated under elevated pressure in the presence of water to give swollen soybeans, a unit of milling the soybeans whereby the swollen soybeans are milled to give a soybean slurry having soybean cell clusters dispersed therein, and a unit of enzymatically treating the soybean slurry to give a soybean puree having individual soybean cells dispersed therein. The soybean puree is usable as a liquid soybean food as such. By further providing a unit of drying the soybean puree, a powdery soybean product having individual soybean cells dispersed therein can be obtained.

Description

Specification

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for producing processed soybeans in which soybean single cells are dispersed.

The present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus for efficiently manufacturing processed soybeans in which soybean single cells are dispersed while suppressing soybean odor to a level that is hardly noticed when ingested by humans, and a method for manufacturing the same. . Background art

Soybeans, which are called miracle crops and contain proteins, carbohydrates and lipids in a well-balanced manner, and are also rich in isoflavones, lysine, lecithin, etc., which have attracted attention in recent years, are a food source for their unique taste / odor. The intended use as a cooking material was limited. Thus, the present inventors have succeeded in greatly expanding the possibility of using soybeans as food materials by the “processing method of soybeans using enzymes” described in International Patent Publication WO01 / 10242. I have.

In this method, raw soybeans are immersed in water for a predetermined time, and then heated in the presence of water. After cooling the heated soybeans, water and a pectinase produced by a microorganism of the genus Bacillus are added to the soybeans, and the resulting mixture is stirred and maintained for a predetermined time to carry out the enzyme treatment. After enzymatic treatment, purein-processed soybeans in which single cells of soybeans are dispersed can be obtained by inactivating pectinase. Also, if necessary, the pureed processed soybean can be dried to obtain a powdered processed soybean. The resulting powdery or puree processed soybeans have almost no damage to the cell wall and cell membrane, and are dispersed single soybean cells in which protein granules and fat globules are kept in a healthy state. It has the characteristic of almost no soy smell.

The above-described processing method provides an essential step for supplying processed soybeans in which soybean single cells are dispersed at a high quality. For stable supply of pureed processed soybeans on an industrial scale, it is essential to establish a consistent production system that takes into account production efficiency. In particular, it takes a long time to uniformly and sufficiently advance enzyme treatment of a large amount of raw material soybean, which is one of the causes of an increase in production cost. In addition, since the enzyme treatment using actinase produced by the microorganism of the genus Bacillus can be performed at a relatively high temperature of 60 ° C, the possibility of the occurrence of various bacteria during the treatment is low. However, if the processing time is too long, problems will arise in terms of quality control of the resulting processed soybeans. In addition, if a large amount of soybeans are heated and then cooled to a temperature suitable for enzyme treatment, the resulting processed soybeans may become discolored.

As described above, when a large amount of soybeans are to be treated by the above-mentioned method for processing soybeans, various problems to be solved have emerged. The inventor of the present invention has succeeded in producing processed soybeans in which soybean single cells are dispersed, and since then has effectively utilized the world's abundant soybean resources and has refused to ingest it due to its odor. With the goal of providing inexpensive processed soy foods that can be eaten as it is or without being concerned about the soy smell, or as it is contained in cooked foods. We worked on the development of an integrated processing soybean production system that can withstand production on a large scale, and here we have developed a processing soybean production apparatus that can significantly improve production efficiency and improved the production method. It is a thing. Disclosure of the invention

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to efficiently produce processed soybeans in which soybean single cells are dispersed while suppressing the soybean odor to a level that is hardly noticeable when ingested, in view of the above-mentioned problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a manufacturing apparatus that can perform the manufacturing.

That is, the production apparatus of the present invention comprises a container for immersing raw soybeans in water, a pressurizing heating means for heating raw soybeans immersed in water in the presence of water to obtain swollen soybeans, A soybean grain splitting means for splitting swollen soybeans and obtaining a soybean slurry in which soybean cell clusters are dispersed; Enzymatic treatment means for obtaining soybean puree to be dispersed.

The above-mentioned soybean grain dividing means makes the size of the soybean cell cluster within the range of 1 Z2 to 1 Z50, more preferably the range of lZ3 to l / 20 of each grain of the swollen soybean. It is preferable to split the swollen soybeans in such a manner.

Further, it is preferable to provide a cooling means between the pressurizing and heating means and the soybean grain dividing means for cooling the temperature of the swollen soybean in the pressurizing and heating means to a temperature at which the enzyme treatment is performed. It is particularly preferable that the cooling means include a thermostat that maintains the temperature of the swollen soybean at a temperature at which the enzyme treatment is performed. The introduction of such a cooling means is particularly effective in preventing discoloration of the finally obtained processed soybean.

The above-mentioned enzyme treatment means preferably includes a stirring means for stirring the soybean slurry during the enzyme treatment.

Further, it is preferable to provide a drying means for drying the obtained soybean puree to obtain a soybean powder in which soybean single cells are dispersed, and it is particularly preferable to use a spray dryer as the drying means.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing processed soybeans using an enzyme characterized by the following steps. That is, a step of immersing the raw soybean in water, a step of heating the raw soybean immersed in water under pressure in the presence of water to obtain a swollen soybean, dividing the obtained swollen soybean, and dispersing the soybean cell cluster. A step of adding an enzyme to a soybean slurry, performing an enzymatic treatment by holding the obtained mixture for a predetermined time while stirring, and dispersing soybean single cells by inactivating the enzyme. Obtaining a soybean puree.

In the above-mentioned method, it is particularly preferable to use a pectinase produced by a microorganism of the genus Bacillus as the enzyme. If necessary, a step of drying soybean puree to obtain soybean powder in which soybean single cells are dispersed may be added.

Further features of the present invention and the effects provided thereby will be understood from the best mode for carrying out the invention and the embodiments described below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an apparatus for producing processed soybeans according to the present invention. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, an apparatus for producing processed soybeans in which soybean single cells are dispersed according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

First, raw soybeans are washed with a washing unit 10 and then immersed for a predetermined time in an immersion unit 20 having a container 21 such as a water tank or a water storage tank filled with water. The immersion time is preferably, for example, about 18 hours at a water temperature of 18 to 20 ° C, and about 12 hours at a water temperature of 23 to 25 ° C. The size of the immersion tub 20 is not particularly limited, provided that the immersion tub 20 is capable of immersing about 2 to 3 times the weight of soybean that can be processed by one batch of the pressurized heat treatment unit 30 described later. Batch processing can be performed continuously. This step is performed to allow a sufficient amount of water to be absorbed into the individual cells of the soybean, and to facilitate and facilitate subsequent enzymatic treatment.

The soybeans sufficiently immersed in water are sent to a pressurized heat treatment unit 30 having a pressure vessel 31 such as an autoclave or a pressure cooker. By heating under pressure in the presence of water, S Pengjun soybeans can be obtained. This step enables sterilization and inactivation of lipoxygenase contained in soybeans. In addition, the heat denaturation of soy protein improves digestion and absorption by the human body. In addition, the intercellular material of soybeans softens, making it easier to perform the enzymatic treatment that is performed later. As the heating conditions under pressure, for example, it is preferable to perform the treatment at 120 ° C. for 15 to 25 minutes under pressure using a pressure cooker. After the treatment, it is preferable to gradually reduce the pressure to atmospheric pressure from the pressurized condition. Sudden decompression can destroy swollen soybeans. Also, the broth obtained by the pressurized heat treatment may be used for the next pressurized heat treatment without discarding.

In the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 1, a pressurized heat treatment unit 30 and a soybean The cooling unit 40 is provided between the cooling unit 40 and the split unit 50. The bottom of the pressure vessel 31 of the pressurized heat treatment unit 30 has a structure that can be opened. It's swelling. The pressurized heating unit 30 heats soybeans at a high temperature exceeding 100 ° C. However, if the swollen soybeans are maintained at a high temperature of around 100 ° C for a long time after the pressurized heat treatment, the final There is a possibility that discoloration may occur in the processed soybean that is obtained. Such discoloration should be avoided in terms of maintaining quality, and depending on the degree of discoloration, may be defective. Therefore, if the above configuration is adopted, the swollen soybeans are cooled from the processing temperature in the pressure heating unit 30 to a temperature suitable for enzyme treatment (for example, 60 ° C) in a short time, so that In addition, discoloration of processed soybeans can be prevented. As described above, it is preferable to cool the swollen soybean to a temperature suitable for the enzyme treatment by the quenching unit. However, if the soybean can be cooled to a temperature between about 85 ° C from the enzyme treatment temperature, a cooling unit 40 is provided. You can expect the effect of this. As the cooling unit, other than the above, a container capable of storing swollen soybeans and a simple configuration capable of circulating cooling water around the outer periphery of the container may be used.

Next, the swollen soybean is divided into a predetermined size by the soybean grain dividing unit 50, and a soybean slurry in which soybean cell clusters are dispersed is obtained. The most significant feature of the production apparatus of the present invention is that a soybean grain dividing unit 50 for dividing the swollen soybean is provided prior to the enzyme treatment. In other words, when reacting S Pengjun soybean with an enzyme, if the amount of soybean treated increases, it becomes difficult for the enzyme to spread uniformly to individual soybeans, and it is necessary for the enzyme to separate the soybean cells into single cells. Time is generally longer. Agitation of swollen soybeans during enzyme treatment is effective in accelerating the progress of enzyme treatment, but there is a limit to efficiency improvement by itself.

Therefore, the present inventor focused on the fact that the structure of swollen soybeans was much softer than that of raw soybeans, and even if swollen soybeans were divided into a certain size, soybean cells suffered damage. Is relatively small, resulting in little residual soybean odor in the final processed soybeans, in other words, almost no consumption of processed soybeans. We found that soybean odor can be suppressed to a level that is hardly noticeable. On the other hand, by dividing swollen soybeans, the contact area between the enzyme and the soybean cells can be increased in the enzyme treatment, so that there is an advantage that the time required for the subsequent enzyme treatment can be greatly reduced.

The term “split” in the present invention does not mean that soybean cells are ground by mechanically pulverizing raw soybeans or finely ground. By mechanically milling the raw soybeans, most of the soybean cells are damaged before the enzyme treatment, so that the soybeans that have been converted into single cells by the enzyme treatment are no longer healthy, When ingested, it becomes a processed soybean with a strong soy smell. In contrast, in the present invention, by dividing swollen soybeans into controlled sizes as described below, soybean odor is generated within a permissible range with damage to soybean cells accompanying the division. In addition, the area of contact between the swollen soybean and the enzyme is increased while preventing enzymatic treatment, so that subsequent enzyme treatment can be carried out efficiently.

In this specification, a small piece of swollen soybean divided by the soybean grain dividing unit is referred to as a “soybean cell cluster”. Because swollen soybeans are in a very soft state, some damage to soybean cells cannot be avoided at the outermost layer of the divided pieces of swollen soybeans, but the outermost layer extends from the outermost layer toward the inside. In the range, the soybean cells are still in a healthy state, and the soybean cells existing from the lowermost layer toward the inside of the divided swollen soybean pieces are converted into single cells by the subsequent enzyme treatment.

In the present invention, the size of the small pieces of swollen soybeans divided by the soybean grain splitting unit, that is, the size of the soybean cell clusters, is not noticed by the soybean odor when humans ingest the finally obtained processed soybeans. It may be determined so as not to be present, but preferably about 1 to 2/50 of each grain of swollen soybean, more preferably about 1/3 to 1/20, and particularly preferably 1Z3 to: It is recommended to divide it into L / 10 to stably prevent the generation of soybean odor. Soybeans vary in size depending on the type of place of production.For example, if 1 kg of soybeans is composed of 300 to 330 soybean grains, one soybean grain is approximately 3 g. Since there were approximately 2,000,000 soybean cells per gram of soybean as measured by the present inventors, one soybean (3 g) contained approximately 600,000 soybean cells. Soy cells will be present. Therefore, in the case of a soybean grain having such a cell number, the soybean cell cluster is preferably composed of an aggregate of 120,000 to 300,000 soybean cells, more preferably 300,000. It comprises an aggregate of 2 to 200,000 soybean cells, and particularly preferably an aggregate of 600,000 to 200,000 soybean cells.

When swollen soybeans are divided into such a size range, the damage to the swollen soybeans due to the division is relatively minor, and when the processed soybeans, which are the final products, are consumed by humans, the soybean odor is almost unpleasant. It is possible to maintain a stable level. On the other hand, by performing the enzyme treatment on the slurry in which the soybean cell clusters are dispersed, the time required for the enzyme treatment can be reduced to 2/3 to 1/10 compared with the case of directly performing the enzyme treatment on the swollen soybean. The soybean grain splitting unit is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of softly dividing swollen soybean into the above dimensions, and is not particularly limited.For example, a configuration in which swollen soybean is sent out by a pump and passed through a filter 51 having a predetermined opening. Or a mixer or a food processing gear pump designed to softly divide swollen soybeans into the above dimensions.

Next, the soybean slurry in which the soybean cell clusters 1 obtained as described above are dispersed is introduced into the enzyme treatment tank 61 of the enzyme treatment unit 60 and subjected to the enzyme treatment. In this enzyme treatment, actinase produced by a microorganism of the genus Bacillus in the presence of water is added to the soybean slurry in the enzyme treatment tank 61 by the enzyme supply means 62, and the resulting mixture is stirred with a stirring blade (not shown). ) For a predetermined time while stirring. There is no particular limitation on the supply amount of cutinase, but considering the effect of enzyme treatment and the balance of enzyme cost, it should be about 0.05 to 0.2 wt% with respect to the weight of soybean before the immersion step. Is preferred. The temperature of the enzyme treatment is preferably 60 ° C. This is because the enzyme activity of pectinase produced by the microorganism of the genus Bacillus is highest at 60 ° C. Actinase produced by microorganisms of the genus Bacillus is a protein that binds soybean cells to each other. Since it has a strong effect on the protein, protoctin, the soybean cell cluster can be made into a single cell without destroying the soybean cell wall.

It should be noted that the stirring during the enzyme treatment should not be so powerful as to break the soybean cells. For example, it is preferable to employ soft conditions such that the stirring blade is rotated at a speed of about 20 to 30 rotations Z in the mixture. Under these conditions, the isolated soybean single cells can be allowed to act uniformly on soybean cells while being loosened by stirring, which is suitable for smoothly performing enzyme treatment. . After performing the enzyme treatment for a predetermined period of time, the enzymatic action of actinase is deactivated by heat treatment, so that a soybean puree in which soybean single cells are dispersed can be obtained. In order to deactivate the enzymatic action, for example, the enzyme may be passed through a temperature range of about 90 to 100 ° C.

The soybean puree obtained in this way can be ingested as liquid processed soybeans, or can be cooked and consumed with other ingredients.If necessary, soybean puree can be dispersed by drying soybean puree. Powdered processed soybeans can be obtained. As a drying method, it is preferable to employ a flash drying method or a spray drying method, and it is particularly preferable to use a spray dryer.

The liquid and powdered soybeans obtained by the production apparatus of the present invention have almost no damage to cell walls and cell membranes, and soybean single cells in which protein granules and fat globules are kept in a healthy state are dispersed. It has been kept at a level where soy smell can hardly be perceived, so relatively thin flour-based foods such as spaghetti, macaroni, pizza dough, lonole bread, nouvaga buns, English muffins, etc. Processed meat foods such as meatballs, existing soy foods such as tofu and soy milk yogurt, foods containing soy protein, creams, miso, vegetable cheese, serials, biscuits, crackers, dressings, health foods, diet foods such as konjac jelly, Bean jam, pudding, cream, jam, rye, ice Reem, Shabe' door, it is possible to use to the confectionery. In addition, fruit juice, vegetable juice such as tomato juice and ginseng juice, coffee drink, soy milk, potage soup It can also be used for beverages such as soups such as pu miso soup.

(Example)

About 500 kg of the washed soybean material was soaked in a water tank 21 filled with water at about 25 ° C. for 12 hours. Next, 250 kg of the soybean immersed in water was introduced into the pressurized heating unit 30 together with a predetermined amount of water, and kept at about 120 ° C for 20 minutes under pressure to obtain swollen soybean. . After gradually releasing the pressure in the pressurizing and heating unit 30 to the atmospheric pressure, the lower part of the pressurizing and heating unit is opened to supply swollen soybeans to the cooling unit 40 at one time. It was kept quenched to a slightly higher temperature. Next, the swollen soybeans were divided by the soybean grain splitting unit 50 such that the size of the obtained soybean cell clusters was within the range of about 1/3 to 1 / \ 0 of each of the swollen soybean grains. In the present example, as a soybean grain splitting butt, swollen soybeans were sent out from the cooling unit by a pump, and passed through a filter 51 having a predetermined opening (about 2 mm opening) to be split. The soybean slurry in which the soybean cell clusters supplied from the soybean grain splitting unit 50 are dispersed is adjusted to a temperature (about 60 ° C) at which the enzyme treatment is performed in a heat exchanger (not shown). Then, it was supplied to the enzyme-treated unit 60. The enzyme treatment was performed at a treatment temperature of 60 ° C. by adding about 0.1 wt% of the enzyme to the soybean weight before the immersion step. In the present invention, in order to promote the enzyme treatment efficiently, the above-mentioned soybean grain splitting unit was introduced to produce a soybean slurry in which soybean cell clusters were dispersed, and then the enzyme treatment was carried out. The enzymatic treatment was completed in a short time (approximately 20 minutes) of about 1/10 compared to the case where the enzyme treatment was not performed. After the enzyme treatment, the soybean puree in which soybean single cells were dispersed was obtained by inactivating the enzyme by passing through a temperature range of about 90 ° C. In the present embodiment, in order to obtain a powdery processed soybean in which soybean single cells are dispersed by drying this soybean puree with a spray drier (not shown), the solid content concentration in the soybean puree is about 18 to 20%. % Was adjusted.

According to the light microscopic observation of the powdered soybean obtained by the above process, the soybean single cell has no damage to the cell wall and cell membrane, and has protein granules (protein body) and fat globules (lipit body) inside the cell. A collection of high-quality soy cells that are kept in a healthy state The probability of finding damaged soy cells is small enough, and the generation of soybean odor in the final product is not much different from that produced over a long period of time without using a soybean grain splitting kit It was confirmed that. Industrial applicability

As described above, according to the apparatus for producing processed soybeans of the present invention, processed soybeans in which soybean single cells whose soybean odor is suppressed to a level that is hardly noticeable when ingested by humans are dispersed on an industrial scale. It can be manufactured efficiently. In particular, prior to the enzymatic treatment, the swollen soybeans should be of a predetermined size, that is, the size of the soybean cell cluster obtained by the division should be within the range of 1/2 to 1/50 of each swollen soybean. If a soybean grain splitting unit is installed, preferably in the range of 1/3 to 1Z20, the time required for subsequent enzyme treatment should be shortened to reduce the production cost of processed soybeans. Can be. In addition, quality control when enzymatically treating large quantities of soybeans will be much easier than before. Further, when a cooling unit is provided for cooling the swollen soybean to the enzyme treatment temperature, discoloration of the finally obtained processed soybean can be prevented, and further improvement in production efficiency can be achieved.

As described above, the present invention relates to a consistent processed soybean production system capable of solving various problems assumed when a large amount of soybean is to be treated with an enzyme. People around the world who have refused to take advantage of the soybean resources because of their effective use of soybean odors can be eaten as it is or as a cooked product with other ingredients. It provides an effective means to achieve the goal of supplying processed soybeans at affordable prices.

Claims

The scope of the claims

1. A container for immersing raw soybeans in water,

Pressurizing and heating the raw soybean immersed in water in the presence of water under pressure to obtain a swollen soybean;

Soybean grain dividing means for dividing the swollen soybean to obtain a soybean slurry in which soybean cell clusters are dispersed;

An apparatus for producing processed soybeans, comprising: an enzyme treatment means for subjecting the soybean slurry to an enzyme treatment to obtain soybean puree in which soybean single cells are dispersed.

2. The soybean grain dividing means is characterized in that the swollen soybean is divided such that the size of the soybean cell cluster falls within the range of lZ2 to l / 50 of each grain of the swollen soybean. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

3. The soybean grain splitting means is characterized in that the swollen soybean is split such that the size of the soybean cell cluster is within the range of 1/3 to 1Z20 of each grain of the swollen soybean. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

4. A cooling means is provided between the pressurizing and heating means and the soybean grain dividing means, for cooling the temperature of the swollen soybean in the pressurizing and heating means to a temperature at which the enzyme treatment is performed. 2. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

5. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cooling means includes a thermostat for maintaining the temperature of the swollen soybean at a temperature at which the enzyme treatment is performed.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the enzyme treatment means includes a stirring means for stirring the soybean slurry during the enzyme treatment.

7. The production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the enzyme treatment means uses an enzyme produced by a microorganism of the genus Bacillus as the enzyme.

8. The production apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising drying means for drying the soybean puree to obtain soybean powder in which soybean single cells are dispersed.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the drying means is a spray drier.

10. Immersing the raw soybeans in water;

Heating the raw soybean immersed in water under pressure in the presence of water to obtain a swollen soybean;

Splitting the swollen soybeans to obtain a soybean slurry in which soybean cell clusters are dispersed;

Adding an enzyme to the soybean slurry, performing an enzyme treatment by holding the obtained mixture for a predetermined time while stirring,

Deactivating the enzyme to obtain a soybean puree in which soybean single cells are dispersed.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the enzyme is a cutinase produced by a microorganism of the genus Bacillus.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising a step of drying the soybean puree to obtain a soybean powder in which soybean single cells are dispersed.