# US 2018/0020705 A1 · Process for improving the organoleptic and nutritional properties of legume meal and components and derivatives thereof

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- Number: US 2018/0020705 A1
- Document ID: US20180020705A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/546,733
- Filed: 2016-01-26
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2015-01-29
- Assignees: Ambiente E Nutrizione S.R.L.
- Applicants: Ambiente E Nutrizione S.R.L.
- Inventors: Massimo Vezzani
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180020705A1

## CPC

- A23L 11/31: {by heating without chemical treatment, e.g. steam treatment, cooking}
- A23B 7/0205: {by contact of the material with fluids, e.g. drying gas or extracting liquids}
- A23B 7/028: Thin layer-, drum- or roller-drying {or by contact with a hot surface}
- A23B 75/00: Preservation of pulses; Preservation of products from legumes
- A23L 5/21: {by heating without chemical treatment, e.g. steam treatment, cooking}
- A23P 10/40: free-flowing powder or instant powder, i.e. powder which is reconstituted rapidly when liquid is added (A23P10/20, A23P10/30 take precedence)
- A23V 2002/00: Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
- A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B)
- A23B: PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES
- A23P: SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS
- A23V: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION

## Abstract

Process for the production legume meal comprising the steps of: a) providing a wet heat treatment reactor comprising a cylindrical tubular body (1) with horizontal axis, having an opening (5, 6, 10) for the introduction of legume meal and water or an aqueous solution and having at least one discharge opening (7), a heating jacket (4) and a rotor (8) arranged inside the cylindrical tubular body; b) feeding a continuous flow of meal into the reactor, in which the rotor (8) is rotated at a speed greater than or equal to 150 rpm; c) feeding into the reactor, together with the flow of meal, a continuous flow of water or aqueous solution, which is dispersed into minute droplets; d) centrifuging the aforementioned flows against the inner wall of the reactor, thus forming a highly turbulent, dynamic, thin tubular fluid layer, while advancing in substantial contact with the inner wall of the reactor towards the discharge opening (7); e) discharging from the discharge opening (7) a continuous flow of a wet meal (moisture content 20-40%); f) providing a thermal dehydration and treatment reactor, comprising a cylindrical tubular body (101) with horizontal axis, having at least one inlet opening (105) and at least one discharge opening (107), a heating jacket (104) and a rotor (108) arranged inside the cylindrical tubular body (101) and comprising a shaft provided with elements (109) projecting radially therefrom; g) feeding the wet meal into the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor, the inner wall of the reactor being kept at a temperature of at least 100° C. and the rotor (108) being rotated at a speed of at least 150 rpm; h) centrifuging and causing the wet meal to advance inside the reactor by the action of the rotor (108); i) discharging from the discharge opening (107) of the reactor a continuous flow of legume meal having a moisture content of between 2% and 15%.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-15. (canceled)

### Claim 16

A process for the production of legume meal comprising the steps of:
a) providing a wet heat treatment reactor comprising a cylindrical tubular body with horizontal axis, having at least one opening for the introduction of a legume meal and water or an aqueous solution and having at least one discharge opening, a heating jacket for raising the temperature of said tubular body to a temperature of at least 80° C., and a rotor arranged inside the cylindrical tubular body and comprising a shaft provided with elements projecting radially therefrom;
b) feeding a continuous flow of said meal into said reactor, in which the rotor is rotated at a speed greater than or equal to 150 rpm;
c) feeding into said reactor, together with said flow of meal, a continuous flow of water or aqueous solution, which is dispersed into minute droplets;
d) centrifuging said flows against the inner wall of the reactor, thus forming a highly turbulent, dynamic, thin tubular fluid layer, in which the meal particles and the droplets of water or aqueous solution are kept mechanically in intimate contact by the radially projecting elements of said rotor, while advancing in substantial contact with said inner wall of the reactor toward the discharge opening;
e) discharging from the discharge opening a continuous flow of a wet meal (moisture content 20-40%);
f) providing a thermal dehydration and treatment reactor, comprising a cylindrical tubular body with horizontal axis, having at least one inlet opening and at least one discharge opening, a heating jacket for raising the temperature of said tubular body to a predetermined temperature, and a rotor arranged inside the cylindrical tubular body and comprising a shaft provided with elements projecting radially from said shaft;
g) feeding said wet meal into said thermal dehydration and treatment reactor through the at least one inlet opening, the inner wall of the reactor being kept at a temperature of at least 100° C. by means of said heating jacket and the rotor being rotated at a speed of at least 150 rpm;
h) centrifuging and causing said wet meal to advance inside the reactor by the action of said rotor;
i) discharging from the discharge opening of the reactor a continuous flow of legume meal having a moisture content of between 2% and 15%.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The process according to claim 16, wherein, in said step c), a continuous flow of steam is fed into the wet heat treatment reactor through said at least one opening.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The process according to claim 16, wherein, in said step g), a flow of a gas heated to a temperature of at least 100° C. is fed into the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor through said at least one inlet opening.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The process according to claim 16, wherein the temperature of the inner wall of said wet heat treatment reactor is kept at 100-250° C.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The process according to claim 16, wherein the rotational speed of the rotor of the wet heat treatment reactor is equal to 500-3000 rpm.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The process according to claim 16, wherein the temperature of the inner wall of the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor is kept at 120-280° C.

### Claim 22 (depends on 16)

The process according to claim 16, wherein the rotational speed of the rotor of the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor is equal to 300-1200 rpm.

### Claim 23 (depends on 18)

The process according to claim 18, wherein the temperature of the gas flow fed into the thermal treatment and dehydration reactor is between 120° C. and 250° C., and said gas is air.

### Claim 24 (depends on 16)

The process according to claim 16, wherein the water or the aqueous solution fed into the wet heat treatment reactor has a temperature of 30-110° C.

### Claim 25 (depends on 16)

The process according to claim 16, wherein the ratio between the flow rate of the water or aqueous solution fed into the wet heat treatment reactor and the flow rate of legume meal fed into the wet heat treatment reactor is comprised between 1:10 and 1:2.

### Claim 26 (depends on 16)

The process according to claim 16, wherein the ratio between the flow rate of the water or aqueous solution fed into the wet heat treatment reactor and the flow rate of legume meal fed into the wet heat treatment reactor is comprised between 1:4 and 1:2.5.

### Claim 27 (depends on 16)

The process according to claim 16, wherein said meal is obtained from legumes selected from the group comprising beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), peas (Pisum sativum L.), chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.), fava beans (Viciafaba L.), lentils (Lens culinaris L.), lupins (Lupinus), grass peas (Lathyrus sativus) and soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.).

### Claim 28 (depends on 16)

The process according to claim 16, wherein said aqueous solution contains one or more water-soluble compounds, selected from the group comprising salts, flavorings, water-soluble vitamins and natural antioxidants.

### Claim 29 (depends on 16)

A plant for carrying out the process according to claim 16, comprising:
a wet heat treatment reactor comprising a cylindrical tubular body with horizontal axis, having at least one opening for the introduction of a legume meal and water or an aqueous solution and at least one discharge opening, a heating jacket for raising the temperature of said tubular body to a temperature of at least 80° C., and a rotor arranged in the cylindrical tubular body and comprising a shaft provided with elements projecting radially therefrom; and
a thermal dehydration and treatment reactor, comprising a cylindrical tubular body with horizontal axis, having at least one inlet opening and at least one discharge opening, a heating jacket for raising the temperature of said tubular body to a predetermined temperature, and a rotor arranged in the cylindrical tubular body and comprising a shaft provided with elements projecting radially therefrom.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The plant according to claim 29, wherein said elements projecting radially from the shaft of said rotor of said wet heat treatment reactor, as well as said elements projecting radially from the shaft of said rotor of said thermal dehydration and treatment reactor are chosen from the group comprising rods, blades, V-blades and beaters.

### Claim 31 (depends on 29)

The plant according to claim 29, further comprising an injector device having a body of tubular shape, provided with an inlet opening for the wet meal exiting from said wet heat treatment reactor and an outlet opening, a bladed or screw rotor being rotatably supported in the tubular body, which rotor imparts to the wet meal an advancing thrust towards the outlet opening.