Production of liquid foods without off-flavors
OwnerRajendra P. Guptainventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a production of liquid food product from protein containing solid food, some enzymes may produce undesirable off-flavor volatiles. Grinding solid food in a liquid under pressure achieves inactivation of enzymes over a wider window of operating temperature than possible in ambient pressure. It also permits proper cooking operation to be performed simultaneously with the grinding. A grinder operated under pressure eliminates certain components and allows the use of come low cost components, such as for making soymilk from soybeans.
Claims15
In the production of a liquid food product from protein containing solid food, a method of inactivating an enzyme which may produce off-flavor volatiles, comprising steps of:
- maintaining a liquid and the protein containing solid food in a grinder under a pressure higher than ambient pressure;
- disintegrating in the grinder the protein containing solid food in the liquid under the pressure to produce slurry, and
- concomitantly heating, under the pressure, the solid food in the liquid and the resulting slurry above a predetermined temperature to inactivate the enzyme.
In the production of a liquid food product from protein containing solid food, a method of inactivating an enzyme which may produce off-flavor volatiles, comprising steps of:
- maintaining a liquid and the protein containing solid food in a grinder under a pressure higher than ambient pressure;
- disintegrating the solid food in the liquid under the pressure under oxygen-free environment, and concomitantly heating, under the pressure, the solid food in the liquid and resulting slurry above a predetermined temperature to inactivate the enzyme.
A process of continuously producing a liquid food product from protein containing solid food, the liquid food product having substantially no off-flavor volatiles, comprising steps of:
- maintaining water and the protein containing solid food in a grinder under a pressure higher than ambient pressure;
- disintegrating the solid food in water under the pressure to produce a slurry and simultaneously heating, under the pressure, the solid food in water and the slurry to a cooking temperature;
- holding the slurry for further cooking under a pressure for a preset duration of time at a preset temperature;
- vacuum deodorizing the cooked slurry, and
- extracting the liquid food product from the deodorized slurry.
A process of continuously producing a liquid food product from protein containing solid food, the liquid food product having substantially no off-flavor volatiles, comprising steps of:
- maintaining water and the protein containing solid food in a grinder under a pressure higher than ambient pressure;
- disintegrating the solid food in water under the pressure to produce a slurry and simultaneously heating, under the pressure, the solid food in water and the slurry to cooking temperature of about 100° C.;
- holding the slurry for further cooking under a pressure for a preset duration of time at a preset temperature;
- extracting the liquid food product from the cooked slurry;
- and
- vacuum deodorizing the liquid food product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.