Enhanced viscosity oat base and fermented oat base product

A process for producing oat base or oat drink of enhanced viscosity, comprising:

• a) Providing an oat base or drink optionally comprising a viscosity promoting agent;
• b) Providing native vegetable protein isolate and/or denaturated vegetable protein isolate;
• c) Combining the oat base or drink and vegetable protein isolate;
• d) Heating the combination of oat base and vegetable protein isolate to a temperature of 80° C. or higher and keeping it at this temperature for a time sufficient to form a combination of oat base or drink and heat-treated vegetable protein isolate;
• e) Bringing the combination of oat base or drink and heat-treated vegetable protein isolate to a temperature of from 35° C. to 65° C.;
• f) Adding a protein cross-linking amount of transglutaminase to the combination of oat base or drink and heat-treated vegetable protein isolate while keeping the mixture at said temperature of from 35° C. to 65° C. for a time required to increase viscosity by a factor of 2 or more, in particular of 5 or more to form a viscosity enhanced oat base;
• g) Inactivating transglutaminase by heating the viscosity enhanced oat base or drink to a temperature of 80° C. or more, in particular of 90° C. or more;
• and
• h) Cooling the viscosity enhanced oat base or drink to one of:
• room temperature or below if desired to be stored for a longer time or to a temperature suitable for further processing;
• with the proviso that protease activity is excluded from the process.