Processed protein product

A water leaching method for the manufacture of a processed, solid soya protein product, the method comprising:

• (a) leaching an initial mixture of soya bean meal (SBM) and water, wherein the SBM is milled SBM, flaked SBM, or SBM that has been disintegrated by one or more processes selected from cooking, maceration, acid pressure-cooking, alkaline pressure-cooking, and ultrasonic treatment, wherein the initial mixture has a dry matter content of between 8% and 20% by weight, for 0.15 to 6 hours at a temperature of 5 to 65° C. and a pH of 3.5 to 5.5 to obtain a leached mixture;
• (b) separating the leached mixture into a liquid extract and a first solid fraction and collecting the first solid fraction;
• (c) optionally, subjecting the liquid extract to further separation of solids to obtain a second solid fraction, and combining the second solid fraction with the first solid fraction to obtain a combined solid fraction;
• and
• (d) drying the first solid fraction or the combined solid fraction to a dry matter content of at least 90% by weight to obtain the processed, solid soya protein product;
• wherein the total weight of water spent in steps (a) to (d) of the method is ten times the weight of the SBM or less,
• wherein the processed, solid soya protein product comprises protein in an amount of 65-75% by weight of dry matter, has a protein to potassium weight ratio of about 65:1 or greater and a dry matter content of about 90% by weight or greater, has an isoflavone content of about 0.1% or greater, by weight of dry matter, a potassium content of 1.1% or less, by weight of dry matter, and a sodium content of 0.1% or less by weight of dry matter, and wherein about 65% by weight or greater of the indigestible oligosaccharide content of the SBM has been removed.