JP-7854802-B2 - Preventing coagulation of nut milk

Inventors

• 藤岡 裕起

Assignees

• 天野エンザイム株式会社
• アマノ エンザイム ヨーロッパ リミテッド

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20200219

Priority Date

20190221

Claims (10)

1. Nut milk used as an additive to beverages or liquid foods, The aforementioned beverage or liquid food has a pH of 5 to 7 after the addition of nut milk. The nut milk in question is nut milk that has been treated with a protein deamidation enzyme (except in cases where it has been treated with peptidylarginine deiminase) .
2. The nut milk according to claim 1, wherein the raw material nuts are one or more nuts selected from almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, pistachios, walnuts, Brazil nuts, peanuts, coconuts, chestnuts, sesame seeds, and pine nuts.
3. The nut milk according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the nut protein concentration is 0.2% (w/v) to 10.0% (w/v).
4. The nut milk according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the dispersibility is improved by the aforementioned processing.
5. The nut milk according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the beverage or liquid food is selected from the group consisting of coffee, coffee beverages, tea, tea beverages, fruit juice, fruit juice beverages, sports drinks, nutritional supplements, soups, curries, cocoa, and chocolate beverages.
6. A nut milk according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which does not contain emulsifiers or thickening polysaccharides for preventing aggregation.
7. The nut milk according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the protein deamide enzyme is an enzyme derived from a microorganism of the genus Chryseobacterium.
8. The nut milk according to claim 7, wherein the microorganism of the genus Chryseobacterium is Chryseobacterium proteoricum.
9. A nut milk-containing beverage or liquid food obtained by adding the nut milk described in any one of claims 1 to 7 to a beverage or liquid food, having a pH of 5 to 7.
10. The beverage or liquid food according to claim 9, which is a beverage or liquid food selected from the group consisting of coffee beverages, coffee whiteners, tea beverages, fruit juices, sports drinks, nutritional supplements, soups, curries, cocoa beverages, and chocolate beverages.

Description

This invention relates to nut milk. More specifically, to nut milk with improved dispersibility (less prone to coagulation) and its uses. This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-029904, filed on February 21, 2019, the entire contents of which said patent application are incorporated by reference. Against the backdrop of allergy concerns, the rise of vegetarianism, and religious reasons, soy-derived proteins, which are plant-based, have become popular as an alternative ingredient to animal-derived milk protein sources, such as cow's milk. However, as their popularity has grown, it has become clear that soy can also cause allergies, and in recent years, there has been a surge in the development of plant-based protein sources to replace soy. In fact, proteins derived from grains such as peas, rice, and oats, as well as nut proteins such as almonds, cashews, and peanuts, are being commercialized one after another as substitutes for soy in foods and beverages, indicating a high need and demand for diversification of plant-based protein sources to replace soy in order to avoid allergies. On the other hand, when replacing milk protein sources with plant-derived protein sources, there are cases where a direct replacement is not possible due to differences in protein type, functionality, or the components that make up the aroma and taste. For example, it is known that adding nut milks such as almond milk or peanut milk as a substitute for cow's milk to acidic beverages such as coffee and tea causes coagulation. Normally, such coagulation does not occur with cow's milk and can be said to be a phenomenon unique to nut milks. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports (literature, etc.) that clearly explain the mechanism of protein aggregation that occurs when nut milk is added to acidic liquid foods, or how to address it. Although there has been some trial and error among consumers regarding countermeasures (for example, mixing nut milk and coffee after reducing the temperature difference, or pouring coffee slowly into nut milk), a fundamental solution has yet to be found. On the other hand, milk proteins exhibit unstable dispersion stability under acidic conditions near their isoelectric point, and it is known that acidic milk beverages are prone to precipitation and aggregation. To prevent this aggregation of milk proteins, polysaccharides such as pectin and carboxymethylcellulose are added (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). While the use of such dispersion stabilizers may also prevent the aggregation of nut proteins, the use of additives is essential. Furthermore, when polysaccharides are used, there is a possibility of side effects such as increased viscosity depending on the amount added. Regarding preventing the aggregation of milk proteins without adding additives, a coffee whitener treated with protein deamidation enzymes has been proposed (Patent Document 3). However, this coffee whitener is a product containing emulsifiers, and its use is limited to beverages such as coffee and tea that are typically used as whiteners. International Publication No. 2012/176852 brochurePatent No. 3885194International Publication No. 2011/108633 brochure Summary of experimental results (relationship between protein concentration in nut milk and coagulation/coagulation prevention effect).Summary of experimental results (relationship between liquid pH and flocculation/flocculation prevention effect).Summary of experimental results (anti-coagulation effect in various liquids). The results of Experiment 1 (anti-coagulation in coffee) are also included.Summary of experimental results (anti-coagulation effect of nut milks other than almond milk).Summary of experimental results (relationship between liquid temperature and coagulation/coagulation prevention effect).Summary of experimental results (examination of enzyme treatment conditions (amount of enzyme added, reaction temperature, reaction time)). 1. Nut Milk with Improved Dispersibility The first aspect of the present invention relates to nut milk with improved dispersibility (also called a nut protein-containing beverage). The nut milk of the present invention has been treated with a protein deamidation enzyme, and as a result of this treatment, its dispersibility has been improved. Because the nut milk of the present invention exhibits excellent dispersibility, it is less likely to aggregate when added to beverages such as coffee or tea, even without the use of additives to enhance dispersibility (e.g., emulsifiers, thickening polysaccharides (pectin, carboxymethylcellulose, etc.), salts). This characteristic makes it possible to use it in a variety of beverages and foods. Nut milks, such as almond milk, are plant-based milks made from nuts and are generally prepared through processes such as crushing de-nucleated nuts, soaking/dissolving, mixing/stirring, filtering, homogenization, and sterilization. The method for preparing