Inventors:
Donald G. Reu - Fort Madison IA
International Classification:
A23J 114
Abstract:
A treatment is disclosed for reducing the residual characteristic natural flavor present in commercial soy vegetable protein products as well as in mature soybean seeds. The mechanism by which this particular treatment works is that a nonionic surface active agent and a dihydric alcohol, in the presence of water, using heat and pressure are brought into contact with the residual flavor oil components which are present in soybeans and in soybean derived commercial vegetable protein products at which time a coupling action takes place between the lipophilic part of the molecule of the nonionic surface active agent and residual soy flavor oil causing it to be extracted and solubilized in the processing water present by the hydrophilic part of the molecule of the nonionic surface active agent. The dihydric alcohol acts as a wetting agent to permit easier penetration of the nonionic surface active agent into the vegetable protein in order to couple with the residual flavor oil and also to facilitate easier solubilization of the coupled product into the surrounding processing water. The coupled and solubilized soy flavor oils are then decanted off along with the processing water at the end of the pressure accelerated cooking cycle.