Method for preparing improved soybean products

Abstract

A method is provided for producing an improved soybean product for use in food applications. The process enables the efficient denaturation of undesirable soy enzymes and removal of oligosaccharides from soybeans, preferably whole soybeans, without the development of off-flavors. The general method comprises: (1) heating an aqueous solution of a water soluble calcium salt to at least about 65° C. to provide a heated salt solution; (2) mixing soybeans with the heated salt solution to form a mixture; (3) heating the mixture for a time and at a temperature effective for deactivating protease inhibitors and lipoxygenase and removing oligosaccharides from the soybeans; (4) removing the aqueous solution from the mixture after the heating step; and (5) collecting the improved soybean product. The improved soybean product may be further processed for use in various food applications.

1 - 30 . (canceled)  
   
   
       31 . An improved soybean product prepared from soybeans containing protease inhibitors and oligosaccharides wherein the improved soybean product has at least at least about 80 percent of the protease inhibitors deactivated and at least about 70 percent of oligosaccharides removed relative to the soybeans and wherein the improved soybean product has essentially no off-flavors.  
   
   
       32 . The improved soybean product of  claim 31 , wherein the improved soybean product is prepared by a method comprising: 
 (1) heating an aqueous solution of a water soluble calcium salt to at least about 65° C. to provide a heated salt solution;    (2) mixing the soybeans with the heated salt solution to form a mixture;    (3) heating the mixture for a time and at a temperature effective for deactivating protease inhibitors and lipoxygenase and removing oligosaccharides from the soybeans;    (4) removing the aqueous solution from the mixture after the heating step to provide improved soybean product; and    (5) collecting the improved soybean product.    
   
   
       33 . The improved soybean product of  claim 31 , wherein the improved soybean product is prepared by a method comprising: 
 (1) heating an aqueous solution containing a water soluble salt to provide a heated solution, wherein the water soluble salt is effective for deactivating protease inhibitors and lipoxygenase and removing oligosaccharides from the soybeans to a temperature effective to produce said deactivation and removal;    (2) mixing the soybeans with the heated solution to form a mixture, wherein the soybeans are dehulled, whole soybeans:    (3) heating the mixture to a temperature and for a time effective to deactivate protease inhibitors and remove oligosaccharides from the dehulled, whole soybeans;    (4) removing the aqueous solution from the mixture after heating step (3) to provide the improved whole soybean product; and    (5) collecting the improved whole soybean product.    
   
   
       34 . The improved soybean product of  claim 31 , wherein the improved soybean product is prepared by a method comprising: 
 (1) heating an aqueous solution of a water soluble calcium salt to a temperature of at least about 65° C. to provide heated solution, wherein the aqueous solution contains about 0.1 to about 1 percent of the water soluble salt;    (2) mixing the soybeans with the heated solution to form a mixture, wherein the ratio of the aqueous solution to soybeans is at least about 3:1 in the mixture, wherein the soybeans are dehulled, whole soybeans;    (3) heating the mixture at a temperature of about 90 to about 100° C. for about 30 to about 60 minutes to deactivate protease inhibitors and lipoxygenase and remove oligosaccharides from the soybeans;    (4) removing the aqueous solution from the mixture after heating step (3) to provide the improved soybean product; and    (5) collecting the improved soybean product.    
   
   
       35 . An improved soybean product prepared from dehulled, whole soybeans containing protease inhibitors and oligosaccharides wherein the improved soybean product has at least at least about 80 percent of the protease inhibitors deactivated and at least about 70 percent of oligosaccharides removed relative to the dehulled, whole soybeans and wherein the improved soybean product has essentially no off-flavors.  
   
   
       36 . The improved soybean product of  claim 35 , wherein at least about 90 percent of the protease inhibitors are deactivated and at least about 85 to about 99 percent of the oligosaccharides are removed.  
   
   
       37 . The improved soybean product of  claim 36 , wherein at least about 99 percent of the protease inhibitors are deactivated.  
   
   
       38 . The improved soybean product of  claim 35 , wherein the improved soybean product is prepared by a method comprising: 
 (1) heating an aqueous solution of a water soluble calcium salt to at least about 65° C. to provide a heated salt solution;    (2) mixing the dehulled, whole soybeans with the heated salt solution to form a mixture;    (3) heating the mixture for a time and at a temperature effective for deactivating protease inhibitors and lipoxygenase and removing oligosaccharides from the soybeans;    (4) removing the aqueous solution from the mixture after the heating step to provide improved soybean product; and    (5) collecting the improved soybean product.    
   
   
       39 . The improved soybean product of  claim 36 , wherein the improved soybean product is prepared by a method comprising: 
 (1) heating an aqueous solution of a water soluble calcium salt to at least about 65° C. to provide a heated salt solution;    (2) mixing the dehulled, whole soybeans with the heated salt solution to form a mixture;    (3) heating the mixture for a time and at a temperature effective for deactivating protease inhibitors and lipoxygenase and removing oligosaccharides from the soybeans;    (4) removing the aqueous solution from the mixture after the heating step to provide improved soybean product; and    (5) collecting the improved soybean product.    
   
   
       40 . The improved soybean product of  claim 38 , wherein the water soluble calcium salt is selected from the group consisting of calcium sulfate, calcium chloride, calcium carbonate, calcium lactate, calcium gluconate, calcium citrate, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       41 . The improved soybean product of  claim 39 , wherein the water soluble calcium salt is selected from the group consisting of calcium sulfate, calcium chloride, calcium carbonate, calcium lactate, calcium gluconate, calcium citrate, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       42 . The improved soybean product of  claim 35 , wherein the improved soybean product is prepared by a method comprising: 
 (1) heating an aqueous solution containing a water soluble salt to provide a heated solution, wherein the water soluble salt is effective for deactivating protease inhibitors and lipoxygenase and removing oligosaccharides from the soybeans to a temperature effective to produce said deactivation and removal;    (2) mixing the dehulled, whole soybeans soybeans with the heated solution to form a mixture:    (3) heating the mixture to a temperature and for a time effective to deactivate protease inhibitors and remove oligosaccharides from the dehulled, whole soybeans;    (4) removing the aqueous solution from the mixture after heating step (3) to provide the improved whole soybean product; and    (5) collecting the improved whole soybean product.    
   
   
       43 . The improved soybean product of  claim 36 , wherein the improved soybean product is prepared by a method comprising: 
 (1) heating an aqueous solution containing a water soluble salt to provide a heated solution, wherein the water soluble salt is effective for deactivating protease inhibitors and lipoxygenase and removing oligosaccharides from the soybeans to a temperature effective to produce said deactivation and removal;    (2) mixing the dehulled, whole soybeans soybeans with the heated solution to form a mixture:    (3) heating the mixture to a temperature and for a time effective to deactivate protease inhibitors and remove oligosaccharides from the dehulled, whole soybeans;    (4) removing the aqueous solution from the mixture after heating step (3) to provide the improved whole soybean product; and    (5) collecting the improved whole soybean product.    
   
   
       44 . The improved soybean product of  claim 42 , wherein the water soluble calcium salt is selected from the group consisting of calcium sulfate, calcium chloride, calcium carbonate, calcium lactate, calcium gluconate, calcium citrate, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       45 . The improved soybean product of  claim 43 , wherein the water soluble calcium salt is selected from the group consisting of calcium sulfate, calcium chloride, calcium carbonate, calcium lactate, calcium gluconate, calcium citrate, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       46 . The improved soybean product of  claim 35 , wherein the improved soybean product is prepared by a method comprising: 
 (1) heating an aqueous solution of a water soluble calcium salt to a temperature of about 65 to about 100° C. to provide heated solution, wherein the aqueous solution contains about 0.1 to about 1 percent of the water soluble salt;    (2) mixing the soybeans with the heated solution to form a mixture, wherein the ratio of the aqueous solution to soybeans is at least about 3:1 in the mixture;    (3) heating the mixture at a temperature of about 90 to about 100° C. for about 30 to about 60 minutes to deactivate protease inhibitors and lipoxygenase and remove oligosaccharides from the soybeans;    (4) removing the aqueous solution from the mixture after heating step (3) to provide the improved soybean product; and    (5) collecting the improved soybean product.    
   
   
       47 . The improved soybean product of  claim 36 , wherein the improved soybean product is prepared by a method comprising: 
 (1) heating an aqueous solution of a water soluble calcium salt to a temperature of about 65 to about 100° C. to provide heated solution, wherein the aqueous solution contains about 0.1 to about 1 percent of the water soluble salt;    (2) mixing the soybeans with the heated solution to form a mixture, wherein the ratio of the aqueous solution to soybeans is at least about 3:1 in the mixture;    (3) heating the mixture at a temperature of about 90 to about 100° C. for about 30 to about 60 minutes to deactivate protease inhibitors and lipoxygenase and remove oligosaccharides from the soybeans;    (4) removing the aqueous solution from the mixture after heating step (3) to provide the improved soybean product; and    (5) collecting the improved soybean product.    
   
   
       48 . The improved soybean product of  claim 46 , wherein the water soluble calcium salt is selected from the group consisting of calcium sulfate, calcium chloride, calcium carbonate, calcium lactate, calcium gluconate, calcium citrate, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       49 . The improved soybean product of  claim 47 , wherein the water soluble calcium salt is selected from the group consisting of calcium sulfate, calcium chloride, calcium carbonate, calcium lactate, calcium gluconate, calcium citrate, and mixtures thereof.