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EP-4736659-A1 - METHOD FOR PRODUCING PLANT-BASED MILK PRODUCTS SUCH AS TOFU AND CHEESE BY COAGULATION, TRANSGLUTAMINASE TREATMENT AND OPTIONAL FERMENTATION; PRODUCTS MADE BY THIS METHOD; AND USE OF COAGULATION SALTS AND TRANSGLUTAMINASE HEREIN

EP4736659A1EP 4736659 A1EP4736659 A1EP 4736659A1EP-4736659-A1

Abstract

This present application describes a method for producing plant-based milk products, specifically tofu or plant-based cheese, using legume milk. The process involves heating the legume milk, adding coagulation salts and transglutaminase to form a curd, and then filtering and pressing the curd to create the final product. The coagulation salts used are magnesium or calcium salts, and the method allows for variations in the concentration of these salts, as well as the inclusion of fermenting cultures. The resulting tofu or plant-based cheese product can be further processed to achieve different textures and flavors.

Inventors

  • HERNANDEZ MEDINA, Jocelyn
  • MAESSE, Alexander
  • TIETJEN, Markus

Assignees

  • KaTech Ingredient Solutions GmbH

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20241105

Claims (20)

  1. A method for producing plant-based milk products comprising the following steps: a. providing a legume milk comprising a plant protein isolate or plant protein concentrate, sugar, salt, oil or fat, and water; b. heating the legume milk to at least equal to or above 90° C and at maximum up to its boiling point; c1. adding a coagulation salt to the heated legume milk; d1. cooling the heated legume milk to equal to or below 55°C and adding a transglutaminase to the legume milk to form a curd; or c2. cooling the heated legume milk to equal to or below 55°C; d2. adding a coagulation salt and a transglutaminase to the legume milk to form a curd; e. filtering the curd; and f. pressing the filtered curd to form a tofu or plant-based cheese product; wherein the coagulation salt is a magnesium or calcium salt.
  2. The method of claim 1, wherein the coagulation salt is selected from the group consisting of calcium sulfate, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate or mixtures thereof, more preferably magnesium sulfate, magnesium chloride or mixtures thereof and most preferably magnesium sulfate.
  3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coagulation salt is added at a concentration of between 0.2 wt.-% to 5 wt.-%., preferably between 0.5 wt.-% to 4 wt.-%, more preferably between 0.8 wt.-% to 3 wt.-% and most preferably between 1 wt.-% to 2 wt.-%.
  4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the legume milk is homogenized in a high-speed mixing equipment before heating it.
  5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the legume milk is heated to 90°C, up to 95°C or to any temperature in between.
  6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sugar is selected from the group consisting of dextrose, maltodextrin, sucrose or mixtures thereof.
  7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the salt is sodium chloride.
  8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the components in step d1. or d2. are added when the temperature of the legume milk is equal to 40°C or lower, preferably between 20°C and 40°C, or more preferably 25°C.
  9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the curd formation in step d1. or d2. takes place at a temperature of between 40°C to 52°C.
  10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the time for the curd formation in step d1. or d2. is at least 15 minutes, preferably 15 minutes to 3 hours, more preferably 1.5 to 3 hours or most preferably 2 to 3 hours or 15 to 20 minutes.
  11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a fermenting culture is added to the legume milk before or in step d1. or d2.
  12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the obtained filtered and pressed curd is incubated at 40°C to 52°C for 1.5 to 3 hours if fermenting cultures are added or not or at 6°C for 12 to 24 hours if no fermenting cultures are added.
  13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plant protein isolate is selected from the group consisting of pea isolate, fava isolate, or mixtures thereof, preferably pea isolate, fava isolate or mixtures thereof or the plant protein concentrate is selected from the group consisting of fava concentrate, chickpea concentrate, hemp concentrate, or mixtures thereof.
  14. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the legume milk comprises 3 wt.-% to 6 wt.-% plant protein isolate.
  15. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the legume milk comprises 3 wt.% to 5 wt.-% fat or oil.
  16. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fat or oil is selected from the group consisting of rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, soy oil, coconut fat or combinations thereof, preferably from rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, coconut fat, or combinations thereof, and more preferably from sunflower oil, coconut fat or combinations thereof.
  17. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the legume milk further comprises components selected from the group consisting of soluble or insoluble fibers, starches, hydrocolloid or mixtures thereof.
  18. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the curd is filtered through a cheese cloth in step e).
  19. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein it further comprises washing the tofu or plant-based cheese product with brine, drying it and ripening it to obtain a ripened tofu or plant-based cheese product.
  20. A tofu or plant-based cheese product produced by the method of any of the preceding claims.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present application generally relates to a method for producing plant-based milk products such as tofu and cheese by coagulation, transglutaminase treatment and optional fermentation. Preferably, those products are soy-free and/or allergen-fee. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The concept of vegan cheese dates back to ancient civilizations, where inventive cooks explored plant-based alternatives. Early Buddhist monks in China and Japan crafted tofubased products that mirrored dairy textures. These endeavors marked the rudimentary beginnings of vegan cheese development. The rise of vegetarianism in the 19th century led to plant-based cheeses appearing in health food stores and cookbooks. Simultaneously, advancements in nutritional science fueled interest in vegan cheese alternatives. Veganism and vegetarianism surged in the mid-20th century due to ethical, health, and environmental concerns. Demand for non-dairy cheese alternatives grew, driving further exploration and innovation. The major challenge is the inherent nature of plant proteins, which differ significantly from milk proteins. To achieve the desired consistency and flavor, different solutions have been provided so far, often incorporating starch, coconut oil, and a range of flavors. An important step in the production of all the mentioned products is the coagulation of the proteins in the milk starting material, which can be induced by different methods. In traditional animal milk, the casein protein coagulation can be induced by enzymes from animal origin, such as rennet, or the addition of acids, such as hydrochloric acid and gluconic acid. Nowadays, alternatives to rennet such as plant-based enzymes or microbiological fermentation products are also available. As casein is not present in plant-based milks, different methods are required. For soymilk and/or tofu-production, coagulation salts such as magnesium chloride or calcium sulfate have been used. For plant-based cheeses cross-linking enzymes, such as transglutaminase have been used. DE102015000925A1 describes a method and apparatus for producing plant-based cheese varieties through fermentation and maturation. The process expands traditional tofu production with cheese-typical maturation processes to create tofu products with special herbal flavors and oil content. The document also details the production of new flavor variants through fermentation with cheese cultures, similar to hard cheese, soft cheese, and Camembert. The document describes a process for making vegan cheese using plant-based emulsions that are coagulated, pressed, and matured with cultures. The vegan cheese can be made to have different textures and flavors similar to traditional dairy cheeses like Gouda, Camembert, or Chester by varying the pressing pressure and maturing with specific cultures. The process includes heating soy milk with plant oils, emulsifying, coagulating with magnesium chloride or calcium sulfate, and fermenting with lactic acid cultures or cheese cultures. The cheese can be matured at higher temperatures to reduce maturation time. The document also details the equipment and technical procedures for producing the vegan cheese, including heating, emulsifying, coagulating, and cooling systems. US9011949B2 describes methods and compositions for creating cheese replicas using non-dairy milks and enzymatic curdling. The document focuses on producing cheese alternatives that mimic the properties of traditional cheese without using dairy. It involves creating an emulsion of proteins and fats, inducing it to form a gel through enzymatic cross-linking or thermal denaturing, and then processing it into a cheese-like product. The emulsion may contain minimal to no animal products, with enzymes like transglutaminase used to catalyze protein cross-linking. WO2022/117916 discloses a process for manufacturing non-dairy cheese using a homogenized emulsion of water, non-dairy protein, and vegetable fat. The process includes heat treatment, acidification, enzymatic treatment with cross-linking enzymes like transglutaminase, and pressing the curd without cutting to maintain a continuous gel network. This method results in a non-dairy cheese with a dense, elastic, and sliceable structure similar to dairy cheese, with higher hardness and less dry matter loss during whey drainage. The non-dairy cheese produced is suitable as a dairy-alternative product and addresses issues such as lactose intolerance, milk protein allergy, and environmental sustainability. WO2022/117919 describes a process for producing a non-dairy protein gel, which can be used to create plant-based cheese alternatives. The process involves mixing water with non-dairy protein raw materials, homogenizing the mixture, heat treatment, acidification, enzymatic modification, and solidification. The non-dairy protein can come from various sources like plants, insects, algae, or microbes. The final product is a non-dairy cheese with characteristic