Production of defatted soybean products by supercritical fluid extraction
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
InventorsJohn P. Friedrich, Arthur C. Eldridge
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The raw grassy and bitter principles in soybeans are reduced to acceptable levels for purposes of human consumption without significant degradation of the nutritional properties. This result is achieved by a lipid extraction process in which raw soybean material is treated with carbon dioxide under carefully controlled supercritical conditions. Of particular importance are the moisture content of the bean material as well as the pressure, temperature, and contact time of the carbon dioxide extractant.
Claims12
A method for preparing a flavorful, defatted soybean protein product from raw soybean material comprising the steps of:
- a. contacting said soybean material at a moisture content above 6.5% dry weight basis with a carbon dioxide solvent under supercritical conditions such that the characteristic raw grassy flavor is reduced without a substantial reduction in the protein solubility, wherein said conditions include a pressure of at least 690 bar and a temperature of at least 81.degree. C., and thereby extracting the lipids from said soybean material;
- b. separating the lipid-containing carbon dioxide solvent resulting from step (a) from a substantially lipid-free soybean residue;
- and
- c. recovering said residue as a nutritious, organoleptically acceptable product characterized by a substantially reduced raw grassy flavor as compared to that of the raw soybean material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.