Method for processing a plant-based substrate for a food product

Abstract

Provided herein are methods and materials for processing plant substrates, and compositions containing processed plant substrates, particularly methods and materials for processing legume plants to produce coffee-like products (e.g., solid, soluble, instant granules, beverage powders, and liquid extracts and concentrates) made without coffee beans, and compositions containing processed legume plants.

Description

Cross-references to related applications

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Application No. 63 / 541,641, filed on September 29, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0002] This document relates to methods and materials for processing and using plant substrates (e.g., legumes or plant seeds), and to compositions containing processed plant substrates (e.g., food products). Background Technology

[0003] Roasting can enhance the sensory qualities (e.g., aroma, flavor, and / or appearance) of certain food products and their components. A classic example is green coffee beans, which develop coffee's characteristic aroma and flavor through a number of chemical processes during roasting, including the Maillard reaction, in which amino acids in proteins react with reducing sugars to form aroma and flavor compounds; Strecker degradation, in which carbonyl groups react with amino acids to produce valuable flavor and aroma, resulting in aldehydes or ketones; and caramelization, which consumes the remaining sugars in the coffee beans to produce dark brown, flavor-producing compounds.

[0004] It appears that many seeds, beans, or other plant materials can also benefit from roasting applications to produce foods and beverages suitable as coffee substitutes or other plant-based food products. For example, legumes are rich in nutrients and readily available. Diets rich in legumes, such as chickpeas, offer a variety of health benefits. Legumes are considered a healthy dietary choice due to their high content of carbohydrates, protein, energy, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Food products derived from chickpeas have been found to constitute a major dietary source of high-quality protein. See also Langyan et al. Front Nutr ., 8:772573, 2022. It has been found that proteins in these plant-based materials not only contribute to nutrition but also to food quality, texture, aroma, and flavor. See Rasheed et al., Molecules , 25(4):873, 2020.

[0005] Chickpeas and other legumes (such as lentils, split-pod peas, and pinto beans) as well as their fruits and seeds (such as grape seeds and date pits) are not only rich in protein. They also contain complex starches, insoluble dietary fibers (such as lignin (and / or lignocellulose)) and / or soluble fibers (such as raffinose in chickpeas). For example, chickpea shells contain a significant amount of insoluble fiber and are typically removed during the processing of most chickpea food products. Like many legumes, grape seeds contain lignin, a complex network of cross-linked polymers. The strong bonds holding the polymers together make lignin difficult to break down. See also Sanderson. Nature , 474:S12-S14, 2011.

[0006] Despite their desirable nutritional content, many legumes and fruit seeds (e.g., grape seeds, cranberry seeds, blueberry seeds, raspberry seeds, strawberry seeds, blackberry seeds, pomegranate seeds, date pits, fenugreek seeds, etc.) are not readily considered candidates for roasting applications (such as coffee bean roasting). For example, legumes (such as chickpeas) and fruit seeds (such as grape seeds) have traditionally been overlooked as candidates for coffee beverage alternatives, unlike carob, chicory, sprouted barley, or rye, which are widely used in coffee substitute applications. Legumes and fruit seeds are also not widely used in alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages. Furthermore, besides their distinctive bean flavor (which some consumers find unappealing), legumes tend to thicken or cloud soups or other liquid foods due to their starchy properties and tendency to gel over time.

[0007] Components such as chickpeas, lentils, split-pod peas, grape seeds, pinto beans, and date kernels are rarely used in roasting applications, such as in coffee beverage imitations, due to their low roastability, extractability, and grindability. This is primarily due to their basic composition, as described above, being high in protein and both insoluble and soluble fiber. For example, chickpeas contain an average of about 24% protein. In contrast, green coffee beans contain about 8.5% to 12% protein, making them easier to roast, grind, and extract.

[0008] The relatively high protein content and abundant starch in many legumes and seeds (such as chickpeas, date pits, and grape seeds) produce dense, pebble-like particles when dried or roasted, making the breakdown and processing of such legumes and seeds challenging. Roasting these materials does not make them more brittle or easily broken. On the contrary, in some cases, roasting or other processing can make them even more resistant to breakdown by grinding or other mechanical processing. The sugars, starches, and proteins in beans or seeds form bonded complexes, making it difficult to obtain roasting precursor molecules, such as sugars and amino acids. For example, roasted chickpeas or grape seeds are resistant to grinding or pulverizing into a paste for downstream food applications.

[0009] Therefore, many commodity ingredients, such as legumes and fruit and vegetable seeds, have long been needed, despite their desirable usability and nutritional characteristics, but which cannot be used as roasted and extractable products. There has also long been a need to improve the processability and sensory quality of products that otherwise possess fewer desirable characteristics, enabling these improved products to be applied to new categories of food and beverages. Summary of the Invention

[0010] This document provides solutions to the technical challenges specific to food products derived from plant-based matrices, particularly legumes and seeds, as well as other fibrous, lignocellulosic, and / or proteinaceous matrices. For example, valuable new food products can be generated from frequently overlooked food ingredients through the use of specific treatments (e.g., pH adjustment and acid hydrolysis, enzymatic degradation, roasting, or combinations thereof). For instance, this document provides methods for producing coffee-like products (e.g., coffee solids and coffee liquids) without coffee beans, as well as methods for producing coffee-like products from legumes such as chickpeas.

[0011] As described herein, this document provides methods for processing fibrous, lignocellulosic, and / or proteinaceous plant matrices (such as legumes and plant seeds) and products made according to these methods. The methods described herein generally involve the treatment (e.g., pre- or post-calcination treatment) of legumes, plant seeds, or other fibrous, lignocellulosic, and / or proteinaceous plant matrices to improve calcinability, extractability, and / or filterability. The methods provided herein can, for example, reduce undesirable fiber-protein aggregations, which can exist as viscous gel-like substances or precipitates that precipitate from solution, and can increase the availability of sugars, peptides, and free amino acids to facilitate downstream reactions (e.g., Maillard reactions), which can affect the taste, aroma, and color of plant matrix-based products.

[0012] The method presented in this paper for processing plant materials (e.g., legume and other plant seeds) successfully overcomes technical challenges and increases the "calcinability" and "extractability" of such plant materials. Therefore, the method presented in this paper addresses many problems present with commercial ingredients that cannot be used as calcinable and extractable products. The method presented in this paper also addresses the long-standing need for process improvements to increase the breakability of lignocellulosic, proteinaceous plant matrices, and thus their grindability, without causing liquefaction, where the integrity and structure of calcined particles are lost during the decomposition of fibrous proteinaceous plant materials. Liquefaction renders ingredients unroastable and unsuitable for applications such as coffee or chocolate, where it is important to maintain the structure of individual beans, peas, and / or seeds, for example, for further processing such as roasting and grinding (milling).

[0013] Materials that are relatively easy to grind (high grindability) also tend to be more prone to breakage (high fracturability), while tough and abrasion-resistant materials (low grindability) may also tend to have low fracturability, making them less likely to crack or break under mechanical stress. This is often the case with plant-based matrices (such as legumes, as well as fruit and vegetable seeds), but the methods presented in this article can mitigate these problems.

[0014] In a first aspect, this document is characterized by a method for preparing a milled plant matrix from fibrous, lignocellulosic, and / or proteinaceous plant materials for use in consumable foods or beverages. The method may include, or substantially comprises, treating the plant material with an acidic aqueous solution until the plant material reaches a pH of about 1 to about 5, thereby producing acid-treated plant material; calcining the acid-treated plant material to produce calcined acid-treated plant material; and milling the calcined acid-treated plant material to produce a milled plant matrix.

[0015] In some embodiments, a method for preparing a milled plant matrix from fibrous, lignocellulose, and / or proteinaceous plant materials comprises, or substantially comprises, treating the plant material with an acidic aqueous solution until the plant material reaches a pH of about 3 to about 7, thereby producing acid-treated plant material; calcining the acid-treated plant material to produce calcined acid-treated plant material; and milling the calcined acid-treated plant material to produce a milled plant matrix. In some embodiments, the plant material is treated with an acidic aqueous solution until the plant material reaches a pH of about 4 to about 7.

[0016] Plant materials may include legumes. Legumes may include chickpeas, lentils, peas, black beans, or cranberry beans. Plant materials may also include fruit seeds or vegetable seeds. Fruit seeds or vegetable seeds may include date pits or grape seeds. In some embodiments, plant materials include legumes, fruit seeds, vegetable seeds, or combinations thereof.

[0017] The acid may include phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, or sulfuric acid. In some embodiments, the acid comprises phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, or a combination thereof. The method may include treating the plant material until a pH between about 2 and about 3 is reached. In some embodiments, the method includes treating the plant material until a pH between about 4 and about 7 is reached.

[0018] The method may include treating plant material at a temperature of about 40°C to about 90°C. The method may include treating the plant material for about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes. The acid may be phosphoric acid, and the method may include incubating the plant material with phosphoric acid at a temperature of about 60°C to about 90°C until a pH of 2 to 3 is reached. In some embodiments, the acid is phosphoric acid, and the method includes incubating, soaking, spraying, or combining the plant material with phosphoric acid at a temperature of about 60°C to about 90°C until a pH of about 4 to about 7 is reached.

[0019] The method may include calcining the acid-treated plant material at a temperature of about 165°C to about 250°C. The method may also include grinding the calcined acid-treated plant material to an average particle size of about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm.

[0020] The method may also include extracting the ground plant matrix with an aqueous solution to produce an extract. The method may include extracting the ground plant matrix with water at a temperature of about 60°C to about 195°C. In some embodiments, the method may include extracting the ground plant matrix with water at a temperature of about 60°C to about 85°C. In some embodiments, the method includes extracting the ground plant matrix with water at temperatures of about 60°C to about 85°C, about 85°C to about 100°C, about 100°C to about 120°C, about 120°C to about 175°C, or about 175°C to about 195°C. In some embodiments, the extraction is carried out at 1 bar or under pressure above atmospheric pressure (such as between about 1 to about 3 bar, about 3 to about 5 bar, about 5 to about 8 bar, about 8 to about 10 bar, about 10 to about 12 bar, or about 12 to about 15 bar). Extraction equipment and procedures used for extracting conventional coffee are suitable for extracting the coffee products of the present invention. (See Wang, X.,&Lim, L. (2021). Modeling study of coffeeextraction at different temperature and grind size conditions to better understand the cold and hot brewing process. Journal of Food Process Engineering44(3); Córdoba, N., Fernandez-Alduenda, M., Moreno, FL, & Ruiz, Y. (2020). Coffee extraction: A review of parameters and their influence on thephysicochemical characteristics and flavor of coffee brews. Trends in Food Science and Technology 96, 45-60; Zhang, L., Wang, X., Manickavasagan, A., & Lim, L. (2022). Extraction and Physicochemical Characteristics of HighPressure-assisted Cold Brew Coffee. Future Foods 5(1):100113).

[0021] The method may also include cooling the extract. The method may also include filtering the extract. The method may also include concentrating the extract to form a concentrate. The method may also include concentrating the extract by removing at least a portion of the water. A portion of the water may be removed by evaporation, freezing, and / or thawing of the extract. In some embodiments, the method further includes drying the concentrate to form a solid concentrate (e.g., a powder concentrate, pellet concentrate, or granule concentrate). The method may also include drying the concentrate to form a powder concentrate. Drying may include spray drying, freeze drying, or dehydration. In some embodiments, drying includes spray drying, freeze drying, air drying, dehydration, or heat drying. In some embodiments, the solid concentrate is a soluble powder concentrate, soluble pellet concentrate, or soluble granule concentrate with a moisture content of about 1% w / w to about 10% w / w. The powder concentrate may include a soluble powder with a moisture content of about 1% w / w to about 10% w / w. The soluble powder may be water-soluble. In some embodiments, the solid concentrate (e.g., soluble powder concentrate, soluble pellet concentrate, or soluble granule concentrate) is water-soluble.

[0022] On the other hand, this document features a composition comprising, substantially comprising, or consisting of a milled plant matrix prepared using the methods described herein. This composition may be a consumable food or beverage.

[0023] On the other hand, this document is characterized by a composition containing, substantially consisting of, or consisting of an extract prepared using the methods described herein.

[0024] On the other hand, this document is characterized by a composition containing, substantially consisting of, or consisting of a concentrate prepared using the methods described herein.

[0025] On another aspect, this document is characterized by a method for preparing a milled plant matrix from fibrous, lignocellulosic, and / or proteinaceous plant materials for use in consumable foods or beverages. The method may include, or substantially comprises, contacting the plant material with an enzyme solution containing one or more enzymes under agitation (e.g., stirring) for about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes to produce enzymatically treated plant material; calcining the enzymatically treated plant material to produce calcined enzymatically treated plant material; and milling the calcined enzymatically treated plant material to produce a milled plant matrix.

[0026] One or more enzymes (e.g., one, two, three, four or more enzymes) in the enzyme solution may be present at a concentration of about 1% w / w or less, and the enzyme solution may be aqueous. One or more enzymes in the enzyme solution may be present at a concentration between about 0.1% w / w and about 1% w / w, and the enzyme solution may be aqueous.

[0027] Calcination can be carried out at a temperature of about 165°C to about 250°C. One or more enzymes may include glycoases, proteases, amylases, pectins, cellulases, hemicellulases, xylanases, ligninases, or tanninases. In some embodiments, one or more enzymes are selected from glycoases, proteases, and pectins. In some embodiments, one or more enzymes are glycoases. In some embodiments, one or more enzymes are glycoases and proteases. In some embodiments, one or more enzymes are glycoases, proteases, and pectins.

[0028] The method may further include extracting the milled plant matrix with an aqueous solution to produce an extract. The method may include extracting the milled plant matrix with water at a temperature of about 60°C to about 85°C. The method may further include cooling the extract. The method may further include filtering the extract.

[0029] The method may further include contacting plant material with one or more chemical solutions, each containing an acid or a base, wherein the plant material is contacted with one or more chemical solutions prior to contact with an enzyme solution containing one or more enzymes. The method may also include contacting enzymatically treated plant material with one or more chemical solutions containing an acid or a base, wherein the enzymatically treated plant material is contacted with one or more chemical solutions prior to calcination, after calcination, before milling, and / or after milling. The one or more chemical solutions may contain an acid, including phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, or sulfuric acid, or may contain a base, including sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, alkali, sodium carbonate, calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, or potassium bicarbonate. The plant material may be contacted with the base under agitation (e.g., stirring) for about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes until the plant material reaches a pH between about 8 and about 10. In some embodiments, the plant material is contacted with an alkali containing sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide under agitation for about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes until the plant material reaches a pH between about 8 and about 10. Enzymatically treated materials may be contacted with an alkali for about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes under agitation (e.g., stirring) until the enzymatically treated plant material reaches a pH between about 8 and about 10. In some embodiments, the enzymatically treated materials may be contacted with an alkali containing sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide for about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes under agitation until the enzymatically treated plant material reaches a pH between about 8 and about 10. Plant materials may be contacted with an acid for about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes under agitation (e.g., stirring) until the plant material reaches a pH between about 1 and about 4. In some embodiments, plant materials may be contacted with an acid containing phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, or sulfuric acid for about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes under agitation until the plant material reaches a pH between about 1 and about 4. Enzymatically treated plant materials may be contacted with an acid for about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes under agitation (e.g., stirring) until the plant material reaches a pH between about 1 and about 4. In some embodiments, the enzymatically treated plant material may be contacted with an acid containing phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, or sulfuric acid for about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes under stirring, until the plant material reaches a pH between about 1 and about 4. The method may also include contacting the plant material with a chemical solution under stirring (e.g., agitation) for about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes, wherein the chemical solution contains an acid including phosphoric acid or a base including sodium hydroxide, wherein the contact with the chemical solution occurs before or after contact with an enzyme solution, and wherein the enzyme solution contains about 1% w / w or less of one or more enzymes, including pectinase, cellulase, hemicellulase, xylanase, or tannic acidase. The plant material may contain legumes or fruit seeds, including chickpeas, lentils, peas, black beans, or cranberry beans, and fruit seeds including date pits or grape seeds.In some embodiments, the plant material contains legumes (such as chickpeas, lentils, peas, black beans, cranberry beans, or combinations thereof) and / or fruit seeds (such as date pits and / or grape seeds). The method may include grinding the roasted, enzymatically treated plant material to an average particle size of about 0.1 mm to about 0.5 mm.

[0030] On the other hand, this document features a composition comprising a ground plant material matrix prepared using the methods described herein. The composition may be a consumable food or beverage. In some embodiments, the consumable food or beverage is a substitute for at least one of the following coffee or chocolate products: ground coffee, water-soluble coffee granules, ready-to-drink coffee beverages, coffee concentrate, cocoa-based chocolate, chocolate syrup, or cocoa-based chocolate beverages.

[0031] On the other hand, this document is characterized by a method for preparing a consumable food or beverage concentrate from plant material. For example, in some embodiments, this document provides a method for preparing a coffee substitute concentrate from plant material (e.g., legumes and / or fruit seeds). The method may include or substantially consist of: contacting the plant material with an aqueous solution containing an acid to form pretreated (e.g., acid-treated) plant material with a pH between about 1 and about 5, or contacting the plant material with an alkali to form pretreated (e.g., alkali-treated) plant material with a pH between about 8 and about 10; contacting the pretreated plant material (e.g., acid- or alkali-treated plant material) with an enzyme solution containing one or more enzymes under agitation (e.g., stirring) for 15 to 120 minutes to produce enzymatically treated plant material; calcining the enzymatically treated plant material to produce calcined plant material; grinding the calcined pretreated plant material to produce a ground plant matrix with an average particle size of about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm; extracting the ground plant matrix with water to produce an extract; and concentrating the extract by removing at least a portion of the water to form a concentrate.

[0032] In some embodiments, the methods provided herein comprise or substantially consist of: contacting plant material (e.g., legumes, fruit seeds, or combinations thereof) with an aqueous solution containing an acid to form acid-treated plant material (e.g., acid-treated legumes, acid-treated fruit seeds, or combinations thereof) with a pH between about 4 and about 7; calcining the acid-treated plant material to produce calcined acid-treated plant material (e.g., calcined acid-treated legumes, calcined acid-treated fruit seeds, or combinations thereof); grinding the calcined acid-treated plant material to produce a ground plant matrix (e.g., ground legume matrix, ground fruit seed matrix, or combinations thereof) with an average particle size of about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm; extracting the ground plant matrix with water to produce an extract (e.g., legume extract, fruit seed extract, or combinations thereof); and concentrating the extract by removing at least a portion of the water to form a concentrate (e.g., legume concentrate, fruit seed concentrate, or combinations thereof).

[0033] The methods described above may further include adding caffeine, one or more acids, and / or one or more flavoring agents to the extract (e.g., legume extracts, fruit and seed extracts, or combinations thereof). The methods may include removing water from the extract by evaporation, freezing, and / or thawing. The one or more acids added to the extract may include malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, succinic acid, phosphoric acid, or any combination thereof. The one or more flavoring agents added to the extract may include volatile organic compounds, essential oils, plant extracts, or oleoresins.

[0034] In some embodiments, the above method may further include the step of mixing a legume extract or fruit seed extract (e.g., a first extract) with another extract (e.g., a second extract) to form a combined extract, wherein the preparation of the other extract includes contacting another legume and / or another fruit seed with an aqueous solution containing an acid to form another acid-treated legume or another acid-treated fruit seed with a pH between about 4 and about 7, different from the pH of the acid-treated legume or acid-treated fruit seed. The method may include removing the extract water by evaporation, freezing, and / or thawing of the other extract.

[0035] In some embodiments, the acid-treated legumes or acid-treated fruit seeds (e.g., a first acid-treated legume or a first acid-treated fruit seed) have a pH between about 4 and about 5.5, and the additional acid-treated legumes or additional acid-treated fruit seeds (e.g., a second acid-treated legume or a second acid-treated fruit seed) have a pH between about 5.5 and about 7.0. The acid-treated legumes or acid-treated fruit seeds may be the same as the additional acid-treated legumes or additional acid-treated fruit seeds. In some embodiments, the acid-treated legumes or acid-treated fruit seeds are different from the additional acid-treated legumes or additional acid-treated fruit seeds.

[0036] The above method may further include adding caffeine, one or more acids, and / or one or more flavoring agents to an additional extract or a combination of extracts. The one or more acids added to the additional extract or the combination of extracts may include malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, succinic acid, phosphoric acid, or any combination thereof. The one or more flavoring agents added to the additional extract or the combination of extracts may include volatile organic compounds, essential oils, plant extracts, or oleoresins.

[0037] On the other hand, this document is characterized by a method for producing soluble plant-based particles, soluble plant-based pellets, or soluble plant-based powders for use in consumable foods or beverages. In some embodiments, this document is characterized by a method for producing soluble plant-based powders for use in consumable foods or beverages. In some embodiments, the method may include or substantially consist of: (a) treating a plurality of plant seeds, beans, or peas with: (i) one or more chemical solutions, each containing water and an acid or base, and / or (ii) one or more enzyme solutions, each containing water and one or more enzymes, thereby producing a plurality of treated plant seeds, a plurality of treated beans, or a plurality of treated peas; (b) roasting the treated plant seeds, treated beans, or treated peas, thereby producing roasted treated plant seeds, roasted treated beans, or roasted treated peas; (c) grinding the roasted treated plant seeds, roasted treated beans, or roasted treated peas, thereby producing a plant seed grinder, bean grinder, or pea grinder containing particles with an average particle size of about 0.10 mm to about 5 mm; (d) Extracting plant seed mills, bean mills, or pea mills in water at a temperature of about 60°C to about 85°C to produce plant seed extracts, bean extracts, or pea extracts; (e) Concentrating the plant seed extracts, bean extracts, or pea extracts by removing at least a portion of the water through evaporation, freezing, or thawing to form plant seed concentrates, bean concentrates, or pea concentrates; and (f) Drying the plant seed concentrates, bean concentrates, or pea concentrates to produce soluble plant-based particles, soluble plant-based pellets, or soluble plant-based powders.

[0038] Plant seed concentrates, bean concentrates, or pea concentrates can be dried to a moisture content between about 1% w / w and about 10% w / w. Plant seed concentrates, bean concentrates, or pea concentrates can be dried by spray drying, freeze drying, or dehydration using an autoclave, vacuum autoclave, rising film evaporator, falling film evaporator, scraped film evaporator, dehydrator, or freeze concentrator. Soluble plant-based granules, soluble plant-based pellets, or soluble plant-based powders can be water-soluble. The acid may contain phosphoric acid, and the soluble granules may have an average particle size of about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm.

[0039] In some embodiments, the method may include or substantially consist of: (a) treating a plurality of plant seeds, beans, or peas with one or more chemical solutions and / or one or more enzyme solutions, each solution comprising an aqueous solution containing an acid or base, and each enzyme solution comprising an aqueous solution containing one or more enzymes, thereby producing a plurality of treated plant seeds, beans, or peas; (b) roasting the treated plant seeds, beans, or peas, thereby producing roasted plant seeds, beans, or peas; (c) grinding the roasted plant seeds, beans, or peas, thereby producing a ground paste containing particles with an average particle size of about 0.10 mm to about 5 mm; (d) extracting the ground paste in water at a temperature of about 60°C to about 85°C to produce an extract; (e) concentrating the extract to form a concentrate by removing at least a portion of the water through evaporation, freezing, or thawing; and (f) drying the concentrate, thereby producing a soluble plant-based powder.

[0040] Plant seeds, beans, or peas may contain legumes or fruit or vegetable seeds, including chickpeas, lentils, peas, black beans, or cranberry beans, and fruit or vegetable seeds including date pits or grape seeds. The concentrate can be dried to a moisture content between about 1% w / w and about 10% w / w. The concentrate can be dried by spray drying, freeze drying, or dehydration using an autoclave, vacuum autoclave, rising film evaporator, falling film evaporator, scraped film evaporator, dehydrator, or freeze concentrator. Soluble plant-based powders may be water-soluble.

[0041] On the other hand, this document is characterized by an imitation of coffee beans or coffee grounds, wherein the imitation comprises a solid matrix comprising acid-hydrolyzed and roasted plant material (e.g., any of the grains, legumes or legume seeds, fruit seeds, or combinations thereof described herein). The imitation of coffee grounds may have an average particle size of about 0.10 mm to about 5 mm. The imitation of coffee beans may have an average particle size of about 4 mm to about 10 mm. The solid matrix may be acid-hydrolyzed using phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, or combinations thereof.

[0042] On the other hand, this document features a coffee granule simulant comprising an aqueous extract of acid-hydrolyzed and roasted chickpeas dried into granule form. The chickpeas can be dried by spray drying, freeze drying, or dehydration using an autoclave, vacuum autoclave, rising film evaporator, falling film evaporator, scraped film evaporator, dehydrator, or freeze concentrator. The dried granules can be water-soluble.

[0043] On the other hand, this document is characterized by a coffee beverage imitation containing an aqueous extract of acid-hydrolyzed and roasted chickpeas, caffeine, and / or flavoring agents.

[0044] Coffee beverage imitations may also contain sugar or sugar substitutes.

[0045] In some embodiments, the sugar or sugar substitute comprises sucrose, fructose, sugar alcohols, allulose, stevia, monk fruit, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, derivatives of the above substances, or any combination thereof. Coffee beverage imitations may also contain milk, dairy solids, milk substitutes, or non-dairy solids.

[0046] On the other hand, this document is characterized by a coffee imitation in the form of an aqueous extract, wherein the coffee imitation comprises acid-hydrolyzed and roasted legumes, and wherein the acid comprises phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid.

[0047] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. While similar or equivalent methods and materials to those described herein may be used in the practice of this invention, suitable methods and materials are described below. All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In case of conflict, this specification (including definitions) shall prevail. Furthermore, these materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.

[0048] Details of one or more embodiments of the present invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the specification, the drawings, and the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0049] Figure 1A and Figure 1B This is a graph showing the TA.XT fracture force test of chickpeas with and without acid pretreatment. Figure 1A This is a graph plotting the hardness of roasted chickpeas without acid pretreatment. The TA.XT force reaches its maximum and cannot break the chickpeas. In contrast, Figure 1B This is a graph plotting the hardness profile of roasted chickpeas pretreated with acid hydrolysis. TA.XT successfully broke the chickpeas into multiple pieces, indicating that pretreatment using their pH adjusted improved their breakability.

[0050] Figure 2 This is a table displaying data on pH adjustment and enzyme treatment of grape seeds.

[0051] Figure 3 This is a representative chromatogram of a hydrolyzed, deeply roasted "coffee" sample.

[0052] Figure 4A , Figure 4B and Figure 4C This is a representative chromatogram of a roasted chickpea "coffee" sample produced by hydrolyzing chickpeas with phosphoric acid and then roasting them.

[0053] Figure 5 This is a representative chromatogram of a moderately roasted chickpea "coffee" sample that has been acid-hydrolyzed with phosphoric acid and then roasted.

[0054] Figure 6 This is a heatmap of the peak areas of a selected group of volatile organic compounds found in chickpeas "coffee" roasted to deep and medium roast levels, and in chickpeas "coffee" pretreated with phosphoric acid before roasting to deep and medium roast levels. In the original graph, dark gray rectangles represent compounds with larger peak areas, and light gray rectangles represent compounds with smaller peak areas. The first three columns of rectangles represent the peak areas of unhydrolyzed, deeply roasted chickpeas; the second group of three columns represents the peak areas of acid-hydrolyzed, deeply roasted chickpeas; the third group of three columns represents acid-hydrolyzed, moderately roasted chickpeas; and the last group of three columns represents unhydrolyzed, moderately roasted chickpeas. Euclidian distance measurements and Ward clustering were also used, and the top and left branches of the heatmap indicate sample proximity through analysis.

[0055] Figure 7 This is a graph showing sensory panel ratings of the flavor characteristics of unhydrolyzed, medium-roasted chickpea cold-brew “coffee”, hydrolyzed, medium-roasted chickpea cold-brew “coffee”, and commercial black, unsweetened traditional cold-brew coffee.

[0056] Figure 8 This is a graph showing the total sugar (% w / w dry basis) measured in chickpeas that have been acid-hydrolyzed with phosphoric acid to pH 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, or 6.5.

[0057] Figure 9 This is a graph showing the increase (% w / w dry basis) of total sugars in chickpeas that have been acid-hydrolyzed with phosphoric acid to pH 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, or 6.0 compared to untreated chickpeas.

[0058] Figure 10 This is a graph showing the relative concentrations of pyrazine compounds found in acid-hydrolyzed chickpeas as a function of pH.

[0059] Figure 11 This is a graph showing the relative concentrations of furan compounds found in acid-hydrolyzed chickpeas as a function of pH.

[0060] Figure 12 This is a graph showing the relative concentrations of diketone compounds found in acid-hydrolyzed chickpeas as a function of pH.

[0061] Figure 13 This is a graph showing the relative concentrations of pyrrole compounds found in acid-hydrolyzed chickpeas as a function of pH.

[0062] Figure 14 This is a graph showing the relative concentrations of pyridine compounds found in acid-hydrolyzed chickpeas as a function of pH.

[0063] Figure 15 This is a graph showing the relative concentrations of alcohol compounds found in acid-hydrolyzed chickpeas as a function of pH.

[0064] Figure 16 This is a graph showing the relative concentrations of sulfur compounds found in acid-hydrolyzed chickpeas as a function of pH.

[0065] Figure 17 This is a graph showing the relative concentrations of ester compounds found in acid-hydrolyzed chickpeas as a function of pH.

[0066] Figure 18 This is a graph showing the relative concentrations of thiol compounds found in acid-hydrolyzed chickpeas as a function of pH.

[0067] Figure 19 This is a graph showing the relative concentrations of aldehyde compounds found in acid-hydrolyzed chickpeas as a function of pH. Detailed Implementation

[0068] This document provides compositions for consumable food or beverage products, such as chocolate products (e.g., solid and liquid), coffee products (e.g., solid and liquid), and nut butter products (e.g., solid, liquid, and paste).

[0069] In some embodiments, this document describes compositions for coffee-like products (e.g., solid and liquid) and methods for producing coffee-like products. Generally, these products may be referred to as "coffee-like products," "coffee substitutes," or "coffee imitations." Coffee imitations may be solid. Coffee imitations may be imitations of coffee granules. Coffee imitations may be imitations of ground coffee. Coffee imitations may include solid matrices. Solid matrices may include processed or unprocessed grains or grain products, legumes or legume seeds, oilseeds or seeds, fruits or fruit products, roots, tubers or root or tuber products, sugar processing byproducts, or other plant byproducts. Solid matrices may include chickpeas, for example, to produce "chickpea coffee." Examples of coffee solids include legumes, grounds, and granules (e.g., granules used in instant or blended coffee). Therefore, this document provides imitations of these solids, which may be referred to as “coffee beans” or “coffee bean imitations,” “coffee grounds” or “coffee grounds imitations,” “coffee granules” or “coffee granule imitations,” “coffee bean imitations” or “coffee grounds imitations,” or “coffee soluble granules, pellets, or powder imitations.”

[0070] Examples of coffee liquids (e.g., solutions, suspensions, or emulsions) include coffee beverages (e.g., ready-to-drink beverages), coffee extracts, or coffee concentrates. Solutions, suspensions, or emulsions can be ready-to-drink beverages. Solutions, suspensions, or emulsions can be coffee concentrates. Therefore, this document provides imitations of these liquids, which may be referred to as "coffee beverages," "coffee beverage imitations," "coffee extracts," "coffee concentrates," or "coffee concentrate imitations," respectively. It should be understood that although in solid form, coffee granule imitations, coffee pellet imitations, or coffee powder imitations are dehydrated forms of coffee beverage imitations or coffee concentrate imitations. The coffee products described herein may have the characteristics of conventionally produced coffee, including taste, aroma, mouthfeel, and appearance, and are intended to be consumed and enjoyed in the same manner as conventional coffee. Coffee products made according to the present invention may be solutions, suspensions, or emulsions.

[0071] In some embodiments, this document provides chocolate-like products (e.g., solid and liquid) and methods for making chocolate-like products. Generally, these products may be referred to as "chocolate-like products" or "chocolate imitations." Examples of chocolate include chocolate beans, molded bar chocolates, counting bar chocolates, straight bar chocolates, boxed chocolates, cocoa powder chocolates, novelty chocolates, tumbled chocolates, coated chocolates, spirits, and beverages. Therefore, this document provides imitations of these, which may be referred to as "cocoa beans," "cocoa bean imitations," or "chocolate bean imitations," "chocolate bars," or "chocolate bar imitations"; or "chocolate coatings" or "chocolate coating imitations." The chocolate-like products described herein may have the characteristics of conventionally produced dark chocolate, white chocolate, or milk chocolate, including taste, aroma, texture, and appearance, and are intended to be eaten and enjoyed in the same manner as conventional chocolate.

[0072] In some implementations, this document provides nut butter products (e.g., solid, liquid, and paste) and methods for making nut butter products. These products may generally be referred to as "nut butter products" or "nut butter imitations." Examples of nut butters include peanut butter, almond butter, hazelnut butter, acorn butter, cashew butter, macadamia nut butter, pecan butter, pistachio butter, walnut butter, other nut butters, coatings, and spreads. Therefore, this document provides imitations of these, which may be referred to as "nut butter spreads" or "nut butter imitations," "nut butter coatings" or "nut butter coating imitations," or "spread imitations," respectively. The nut butter products described herein may have the characteristics of conventionally produced nut butter, including taste, aroma, texture, and appearance, and are intended to be consumed and enjoyed in the same manner as conventional nut butter.

[0073] This document also provides materials and methods for processing legumes, fruits, and vegetable seeds and / or other lignocellulosic, proteinaceous plant materials to produce ingredients that can be used in consumable food and beverage products (e.g., as fillers, as blends with conventional coffee or chocolate products, and / or as substitutes for one or more conventional ingredients). In some cases, for example, the processed plant materials produced by the methods provided herein can be used in coffee substitute beverages, chocolate substitute products, soluble powders, pellets or granules, blends of coffee and chocolate beverages, plant and fruit extracts, beverage concentrates, fat-based spreads, and alternative plant-based foods. Generally, the methods provided herein may include treating legumes or fruit or vegetable seeds with one or more treatments before or after further processing by roasting and / or grinding to facilitate further processing and produce a ground product with desired sensory characteristics. For example, the methods provided herein may include one or more processing steps (e.g., any of the treatments described herein), one or more roasting steps, and one or more grinding steps. Processing steps may occur before and / or after roasting steps. Processing steps may occur before and / or after grinding steps. Grinding steps may occur before and / or after roasting steps. The methods presented in this paper for processing plant materials (e.g., seeds of leguminous plants and other plants) successfully overcome technical challenges and increase the "calcinability" and "extractability" of such plant materials.

[0074] As used herein, the terms “traditional” and “reference” coffee refer to coffee products produced using standard coffee-making processes, including the cultivation, drying, and grinding of coffee beans. “Traditional-produced coffee” is coffee produced using standard coffee-making processes.

[0075] Traditional coffee is a complex mixture at the chemical level. This chemical character is unique to coffee and, as expected, differs from the chemical characteristics of other foods. This document presents coffee simulants made without coffee but using other plant substrates, particularly legumes such as chickpeas, which do not possess the same chemical complexity as traditional coffee. For example, even during roasting, chickpeas are not perceived to have the aroma and flavor characteristics of roasted coffee beans, but rather possess their own "bean" sensory properties. Most consumers would not perceive the aroma of roasted chickpeas to be very similar to the distinctly strong aroma of traditional coffee. Surprisingly, the simulants disclosed herein can possess the aroma, flavor, and deep brown color of coffee without sharing the chemical complexity of traditional coffee, and can be perceived in this way. Equally surprising is that by adjusting the conditions of processing the plant substrate (such as legumes), such as by pretreatment via acid hydrolysis at various pH levels, the production (or reduction) of certain important classes of volatile compounds can be promoted. As a result, coffee-like products can be produced by enhancing or reducing certain key aromatic compound classes, previously shown to be the cause of coffee's distinctive aroma, without replicating the complex mixture of compounds found in traditional coffee. These classes include pyrazines, furans, esters, pyrroles, aldehydes, ketones, and sulfur compounds. Therefore, manipulating treatments (e.g., chemical and / or enzymatic treatments) and roasting conditions during the processing of these plant matrices can enhance the flavor and / or aroma of the coffee imitations disclosed herein.

[0076] Equally surprising is the ability to further enhance coffee-like characteristics by combining two or more processing batches, each processed under different pH and / or roasting conditions according to the methods described herein, to increase or decrease the presence of certain volatile compounds. Thus, a first coffee-like extract produced according to a set of pH and roasting conditions can be combined with a second coffee-like extract produced according to a second set of pH and roasting conditions. Surprisingly, certain classes of volatile organic compounds favor lower pH (e.g., higher concentrations of aldehydes when chickpeas are hydrolyzed at pH 4.5), while others favor lower acidity pH (e.g., higher concentrations of pyrazines when chickpeas are hydrolyzed at pH 6). Batches produced under different hydrolysis and roasting conditions can be combined to produce finished coffee-like products containing higher concentrations of desired volatile compounds, known in the literature to be contributors to the strong aroma and flavor of traditional coffee.

[0077] Further surprising is the observation of an increase in total sugars (including reducing sugars involved in the Maillard reaction) by adjusting the acid hydrolysis conditions of the plant substrate (such as chickpeas). Similarly, surprisingly, even though the source plant substrate (such as chickpeas) may have its own chemical characteristics and may contain compounds not found in conventional coffee, it does not produce the characteristic “bean” aroma or flavor expected of typical roasted legumes once processed according to the methods disclosed herein. Therefore, this document provides not merely a coffee imitation of existing conventional coffee products, but a coffee that can provide a similar sensory experience with a different chemical composition.

[0078] As used in this article, the terms "traditional" and "reference" chocolate refer to chocolate products produced using standard chocolate-making processes, including the cultivation, drying, grinding, and tempering of chocolate beans. "Traditional-produced chocolate" is chocolate produced using standard chocolate-making processes.

[0079] Traditional chocolate is a complex mixture at the chemical level. In some respects, this document offers imitations of chocolate that are less complex than traditional chocolate. Surprisingly, the imitations disclosed herein do not require the complexity of traditional chocolate to be perceived in this way. Therefore, on the other hand, this document offers chocolate imitations that are not merely imitations of existing products, but rather provide a similar sensory experience with a different chemical composition.

[0080] As used herein, the terms "traditional" and "reference" nut butter refer to nut butter products produced using standard nut butter making processes, including the cultivation, processing, drying, roasting, cooling, blanching, and grinding of tree nuts. "Traditionally produced nut butter" is nut butter produced using standard nut butter making processes.

[0081] Traditional nut butters are complex mixtures at the chemical level. In some respects, this document offers nut butter imitations that are less complex than traditional nut butters. Surprisingly, the imitations disclosed herein do not require the complexity of traditional nut butters (such as peanut butter or hazelnut butter) to be perceived in this way. Therefore, on the other hand, this document offers nut butter imitations that are not merely imitations of existing products, but rather provide a similar sensory experience with a different chemical composition.

[0082] As used herein, “fibrous plant matrix” or “plant matrix” refers to plant-based material having a fiber content, including soluble and insoluble fibers (e.g., fibers that are not readily soluble in water), and constituting a dry matter content greater than about 5% w / w. Many legumes and their fruits and seeds are rich in fiber, having a fiber content greater than about 5% w / w on a dry basis (e.g., about 5% w / w to about 10% w / w, about 10% w / w to about 15% w / w, about 15% w / w to about 20% w / w, about 20% w / w to about 25% w / w, about 25% w / w to about 30% w / w, about 30% w / w to about 35% w / w, about 35% w / w to about 40%, about 40% w / w to about 45%, about 45% w / w to about 50% w / w, or even greater than about 50% w / w). Leguminous plants (such as chickpeas, cowpeas, broad beans, guar beans, lentils, green peas, and pigeon peas) contain fiber including pectin, cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose. See Khan et al. Sarhad J. Agric. , 23(3):763-766, 2007. For example, chickpeas have a fibrous outer shell rich in lignin, and the pods are rich in soluble fiber called raffinose. Details about the high fiber content of chickpeas can be found, for example, in Vasquez-Banda et al., Emirates J Food Agr ., 35(1):17-22, 2023. The fiber in grape seeds also includes pectin, cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose, with cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose typically integrated into a network called lignocellulose. Details regarding the fiber content of grape seeds can be found, for example, in Alba et al., J Sci Food Agr ., 99(9):4189-4199, 2019.

[0083] As used herein, the term "lignocellulose" refers to components found in plant-based materials, primarily composed of three types of carbon-based polymers: cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Detailed descriptions of lignocellulose and its properties can be found, for example, in Sanderson... Nature , 474:S12-S14, 2011.

[0084] When broken down, lignocellulose-based plant materials can produce useful components needed in food products. Cellulose, for example, is a polymer of glucose. Hemicellulose is a polymer of various sizes incorporated with a range of different sugars, while lignin has a polymer backbone made of phenolic groups, which is a cyclic carbonaceous structure. The glucose polymer chains in cellulose are largely insoluble and reside within crystalline microfibrils, making it difficult for sugars to reach. These cellulose microfibrils attach to hemicellulose, which contains a variety of sugars, further complicating the conversion to single products such as ethanol. Surrounding all of these is lignin, which protects both cellulose and hemicellulose. Lignin is a complex substance of polymers that are cross-linked together by strong bonds that make it difficult to break down lignin. As detailed above, grape seeds and other berry seeds, as well as chickpeas and other legumes, are known examples of edible plant substrates rich in lignocellulose.

[0085] As used herein, the term "high-protein plant" or "protein-rich plant material" refers to plant seeds, fruit seeds, grains, and legumes, including whole, ground, processed, crushed, graded, or broken plant seeds, fruit seeds, grains, and legumes, containing an average protein composition of at least about 5% w / w protein on a dry basis. Many legumes and fruit seeds are rich in protein, having a protein content greater than about 5% w / w on a dry basis (e.g., about 5% w / w to about 10% w / w, about 10% w / w to about 15% w / w, about 15% w / w to about 20% w / w, about 20% w / w to about 25% w / w, about 25% w / w to about 30% w / w, about 30% w / w to about 35% w / w, about 35% w / w to about 40% w / w, or about 45% w / w to about 55% w / w). For example, chickpeas contain about 24% protein by weight. Grape seeds contain approximately 11% w / w protein. Lentils contain approximately 26% w / w protein. Split-pod peas contain approximately 10% w / w protein. Date kernels contain approximately 6% w / w to approximately 15% w / w protein on a dry basis. The protein content of specific high-protein plants or protein-rich plant materials may vary depending on growing conditions, moisture content, batch-to-batch variability, and other factors. Roasting or other processing of high-protein plants or protein-rich plant materials may reduce total protein but increase the amount of digestible protein and starch in the form of amino acids, peptides, and reducing sugars or monosaccharides (such as dextrose, fructose, galactose, maltose, glucose) or non-reducing sugars (such as sucrose).

[0086] The term "roastability" typically refers to the physical ease with which a product can be roasted (e.g., whether the product has the appropriate size for roasting), but it can also be used to describe products or conditions that favor better roasting results. See, for example, Jiang, "Flavor testing and more from the food technology side of peanutbreeding," available online at peanutgrower.com / feature / flavor-testing-and-more-from-the-food-technology-side-of-peanut-breeding / , and Hendrix et al., "Effect of kernel characteristics on color and flavor development during peanutroasting: Two years of data," Meeting Abstract, Vol. 49, 2017, available online at atars.usda.gov / research / publications / publication / ?seqNo115=340222. An increase in the positive, desired aspects of a product after roasting can be described as having higher "roastability."

[0087] Therefore, as used herein, the term "calcinability" can be associated with the amount and concentration of volatile organic compounds produced by the Maillard reaction, Strecker degradation, and caramelization reactions that occur during calcination. See, Sucan and Weerasinghe, "Process and Reaction Flavors: An Overview," Am Chem Soc , 2005. In some cases, the calcinability of a product is a measure of the material's L value (on a colorimeter), where a higher L value indicates a higher level of compounds associated with browning reactions (e.g., Maillard reaction, Strecker degradation, and / or caramelization). Therefore, a higher L value can be used as an analytical indicator of the higher calcinability of the treated components.

[0088] As used herein, the term “fragility” (also known as “friability”) refers to the ease with which a component breaks under applied force, as measured by TA.XT. The fragility (friability) of plant materials has been found to be a good predictor of their milling / grinding characteristics in downstream processing. Details regarding friability as a predictor of milling in maize kernels can be found, for example, by Mestres et al. Cereal Chem., 72(6):652-657, 1995.

[0089] As used herein, the term "liquefaction" refers to the breakdown of complex carbohydrates, lignin, and / or proteins present in legumes, fruits, vegetables, seeds, and even woody materials. These components are broken down into their micronutrient components in order to improve bioavailability and processability.

[0090] These components contain starch and other polysaccharides, which are converted into glucose and other monosaccharides through processes called acid hydrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis. This is achieved by mixing plant material with water and then mechanically breaking it down to produce a liquid or semi-liquid mixture. The mixture is then cooked, acid-treated, and / or enzymatically treated to break down the large amount of nutrients into their components. The final liquefied product can be used for further downstream processing (e.g., fermentation) or as a ready-to-drink beverage. This technology is used in a wide range of industries, from biofuel production to the production of milk alternatives such as oat milk. Details about liquefaction can be found, for example, in Deswal et al. Food Bioprocess Technology , 7:610-618, 2014.

[0091] In some cases, this document addresses the decomposition of fibrous, proteinaceous plant material without causing liquefaction as described above, which disrupts the integrity of individual units of plant material such as chickpeas, lentils, peas, beans, grape seeds, or date pits. While liquefaction is a common and useful process when it is necessary to completely decompose solid plant material into a liquid substance (such as in the production of oat milk from oat grains), it breaks down the structure of the components and renders them unusable in most roasting processes.

[0092] As used herein, the term "extractability" of a material refers to its ability to dissolve (e.g., after calcination) in such a manner that the extract contains a high amount of total dissolved solids, a low amount of insoluble solids, and a low amount of sedimentation while maintaining the highest possible yield. See, for example, Sankar, "Extraction Processes," Conventional and Advanced Food Processing Technologies First edition, edited by Suvendu Bhattacharya, JohnWiley & Sons, Ltd., pp. 129-158, 2015.

[0093] As used herein, “sedimentation” in extracts refers to the process by which solid particles and substances settle to the bottom of a liquid extract, forming a sediment layer. In beverages, beverage extracts, and / or extract concentrates, for example, sedimentation may be caused by agglomerated particles. As used herein, “agglomeration” refers to the process by which small particles clump together or aggregate to form larger aggregates or clusters. The association of fiber, starch, and / or protein molecules into larger aggregate structures is often insoluble and can be visible as a gel or sediment during the extraction process. Agglomeration can affect the transparency and appearance of the final product. Sedimentation: The settling of agglomerated particles in a liquid due to gravity can be a consumer acceptability issue. Furthermore, sedimentation can reduce the stability of the product over time. If the sediment contains putrefactive organisms or undergoes undesirable chemical reactions, it can also accelerate product degradation, thereby shortening shelf life.

[0094] The unavailability of "roasting precursors" (e.g., sugars, peptides, and free amino acids) from legumes and other plant seeds, which can be used in downstream reactions (such as the Maillard reaction, Strecker degradation, or caramelization) that influence the taste, aroma, and color of a product, results in limited amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are crucial for roasted products. Among the thousands of compounds in roasted coffee, a small number of compounds and categories have been identified as major contributors to coffee aroma and flavor. See Cannon, Robert & Trinnaman, Laurence & Grainger, Brian & Trail, Amy. (2010). The Key Odorants of Coffee from Various Geographical Locations. Flavors innoncarbonated beverages. 1036. 77-90. 10.1021 / bk-2010-1036.ch006, which attributes 26 compounds with corresponding odors and / or flavors (such as "nutty roasted coffee" odors / flavors) to trimethylpyrazine and "chocolate" odors / flavors to 2-methylbutanal. (Ibid., page 82)In fact, previous studies have indicated that, for coffee, although the volatile components of espresso, for example, are very complex, only a few compounds are responsible for the characteristic aroma of coffee, such as aldehydes, ketones, furans, furans, sulfur compounds, and pyrazines. See Angeloni S, Mustafa AM, Abouelenein D, Alessandroni L, Acquaticci L, Nzekoue FK, Petrelli R, Sagratini G, Vittori S, Torregiani E et al., Characterization of the Aroma Profile and Main Key Odorants of Espresso Coffee. Molecules. 2021; 26(13):3856. doi.org / 10.3390 / molecules26133856.

[0095] As used herein, the term "about" when referring to the amount of an ingredient or compound means ±10% of that amount. As used herein, the term "about" when referring to a measured characteristic of the compositions provided herein means ±20% of the reported value. As used herein, the term "about" when referring to the conditions under which the compositions provided herein are prepared means ±20% of that value.

[0096] Legumes (especially starchy legumes like chickpeas) are not as aromatic as roasted coffee or cocoa beans, but rather possess relatively mild flavor and aroma characteristics. Furthermore, the physical structure of many legumes is unsuitable for releasing aroma compounds during roasting. This may be because reaction precursors typically involved in flavor-generating reactions are bound, integrated, or physically incorporated into the complex starches and proteins found in legumes and other plant seeds, and therefore, these precursors cannot be used as agents in Maillard reactions, Strecker degradation, or caramelization reactions. Additionally, the high protein and fiber content of legumes and fruits or vegetable seeds can cause problems when processing these plant matrices through extraction, grinding, and / or refining.

[0097] For example, starch is often insoluble in water or oil. When extracted, these large molecules will not enter the solution, which can lead to several problems. For instance, liquid products derived from such extracts may contain insoluble substances, which can cause turbidity and precipitation, both of which are unattractive to consumers when the product should be clear. As described above, sedimentation can also lead to product instability. Furthermore, high levels of insoluble fibers in the solution can make common physical filtration methods, such as cartridge filtration and membrane filtration, virtually impossible. As these large molecules accumulate in the filter media to form dense, cushion-like fibrous material, they can clog and block the filter, preventing the extracted solution from being filtered by conventional methods.

[0098] Proteins can cause similar problems. Proteins (such as complex starches) tend to be large molecules, and they also tend to have positive or negative charges. When a large amount of protein is present in an extract, the proteins can bind together to form even larger and more complex molecules. When proteins bind to themselves and other charged molecules, they can become so large that they lose their solubility—a phenomenon called flocculation. As used herein, the term “flocculation” refers to the phenomenon where protein molecules bind to themselves and other charged molecules to form a substance with reduced solubility in aqueous solutions, which leads to precipitation as some of the dissolved protein precipitates out of the solution and moves towards the bottom of the mixture by gravity. Details about flocculation (as it relates to biofuel production) can be found, for example, in Burke et al. Biomass and Bioenergy , 35(1):391-401, 2011.

[0099] Another issue is that the fibers and proteins found in fibrous, proteinaceous plant matrices are difficult to physically break down in mechanical particle reduction processes such as grinding. Common grinders struggle to disrupt the compact, dense structure of fibrous, proteinaceous plant matrices, which may become even more difficult to grind than less difficult after the matrix has been calcined. Therefore, such matrices are unsuitable as ingredients in applications requiring particle size reduction. In many food applications, the particle size of the matrix needs to be reduced to a fineness undetectable to the human tongue and / or easily incorporated into food and beverage products, such as powdered beverage mixtures dissolved in water, milk, or other liquids without grit or discernible particles.

[0100] The methods and materials presented herein can be used to achieve the crushing or grinding and / or reduction of seed / bean particle size to improve the extractability of desired food components and / or enhance the roasting quality of fibrous, lignocellulose, and / or proteinaceous plant matrices (such as legumes and other seeds). As described herein, roasting precursors required for Maillard reactions, Strecker degradation, and caramelization can be generated by hydrolyzing starch into smaller sugars and / or denaturing proteins into amino acids and peptides. When these hydrolyzed components are roasted, the free precursors can react with each other to produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are important for providing sensory qualities to roasted food products such as coffee or coffee substitutes, chocolate or chocolate substitutes, powdered beverages, beverage concentrates, and nut or nut substitute spreads. Furthermore, because starch and proteins may be decomposed and also react, there may be significantly less or even no residual components to cause turbidity, filter clogging, or sedimentation problems.

[0101] The methods presented herein can be used to reduce the amount of starch in legume and plant seed samples, as demonstrated by the finding that more sugars are available in processed samples. Furthermore, the breakdown of fiber and protein has been shown to prevent agglomeration during extraction, thus enabling efficient extraction of components. While various potential causes exist, such agglomeration or aggregation in food products, such as beverage extracts, is highly undesirable because it often results in solid substances that cannot be used or processed in beverage or other food applications. Such agglomerated or aggregated gels or solids can form precipitates or deposit-like layers within extracts or other solutions, which can interfere with or clog evaporators, spray dryers, or other food processing equipment.

[0102] This problem can be exacerbated in food applications such as coffee or coffee-alternative beverages, where roasted materials result in concentrated forms, as the extract must be able to concentrate while still maintaining a relatively low viscosity suitable for the beverage. Similar to the protein flocculation problem discussed above, agglomeration during the processing of fibrous, proteinaceous materials in the food manufacturing industry continues to pose a challenge.

[0103] Any suitable plant material may be used in the methods provided herein. Plant material may be, for example, in its raw form or in a dried and / or roasted form, and may be in whole seed form or may have been physically broken into smaller pieces prior to processing according to the methods provided herein. Many plant materials (whether in their raw state or in their dried and / or roasted form) may be difficult to grind or otherwise process for downstream applications. In some cases, plant material may be derived from legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, or split-pod peas. In some cases, plant material may include fruit and / or vegetable seeds such as grape seeds or date pits. In some cases, the methods provided herein may be used to treat and process one or more food stream waste products, such as one or more processed or unprocessed, fermented or germinated grains or grain products, legumes or legume seeds, oilseeds or seeds, fruits or fruit products, roots, taproots, tubers or root or tuber products, sugar processing byproducts, or other plant byproducts.

[0104] Non-limiting examples of legumes include the legume family (Fabaceae). (Leguminosae) ( Leguminosae (Fabaceae)) Members include, but are not limited to, lentils, chickpeas, split-pod peas, green peas, yellow peas, peanuts, red beans, black beans, pinto beans, and cranberry beans.

[0105] Non-limiting examples of grains or grain products that can be used in the methods provided herein include atella, barley distillation byproducts, barley, barley grains, brown rice, brewer's grains, and barnyard grass. Echinochloa crusgalli Grains, corn gluten feed, corn distillers grains, corn gluten powder, corn ears, and sorghum (sorghum) Eleusine coracana Grains, foxtail millet (millet ( Setaria italica Grains, fonio (fonio millet) Digitaria exilis Corn kernels, corn bran or corn shavings, corn fodder, corn cobs, corn stalks, corn germ powder or corn germ, malt stalks, corn kernels, millet hulls, oat hulls or milled oat feed, oats, pearl millet (pearl millet) Pennisetum glaucum Grains, millet (millet ( Panicum miliaceum Grains, quinoa (quinoa ( Chenopodium quinoa )), red oats (oats ( Avena sativa Rice grains, rice protein concentrate, rice bran or other rice by-products, brown rice (paddy rice), rice husks, rye grains or by-products, sorghum by-products, sorghum grains, teff (teff ( Eragrostis TEF Grains, black wheat, Venezuelan grass (Paspalum distichum) Paspalum fasciculatum Wheat (common), wheat germ, wheat bran, wheat grains, wheat distillers grains, wheat flour, wheat middlings, feed powder, and / or combinations thereof. Grains or grain products include germinated and / or fermented forms (e.g., germinated barley, germinated rye).

[0106] Non-limiting examples of leguminous plants or leguminous seeds that can be used in the methods provided herein include African locust bean (Pygnum pikemanii). Parkia biglobosa )or Par kia filicoidea ), African yam beans ( Sphenostylis stenocarpa ), Bambara peanuts (ground beans, cowpeas) Vigna subterranea Crop residues and straw, black mung beans (black jujubes ( Vigna mungo ), Bambara peanut (ground cowpea) pods, shells and bran, blue lupin (narrow-leaved lupin ( Lupinus angustifolius Seeds, Bambara peanut (ground bean) seeds, butterfly pea (butterfly pea ( Clitoria ternatea ), carob (sweet peas) Ceratonia siliqua ), common soybean (pig's bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris )), Centra ( Centrosema molle Arrowhead pea (saves the wilderness pea) Vicia sativa )), chickpeas (chickpeas ( Cicer arietinum )), cowpeas (crush cowpeas ( Vigna unguiculata Seeds, cranberry beans (Borlotti), broad beans (Borlotti) Vicia faba )), field bean (hyacinth bean ( Lablab purpureus )) 、Grass pea (Jiashan pea ( Lathyrus sativus )), guar beans (guar beans ( Cyamopsis tetragonoloba Forage, seeds and coarse meal, guanacaste (elephant ear bean) Enter olobium cyclocarpum ), hairy vetch (long-haired wild vetch ()), hairy vetch () Vicia villosa )), horse beans (hard-skinned beans ( Macrotyloma uniflorum ), Jack beans (sword beans) Canavalia ensiformis Hyacinth vines (hyacinth bean ( Lablab purpureus ), Lima beans (cotton beans ( Phaseolus lunatus )), Soldier Bean (Soldier Bean ( Lens culinaris ), aconite leaf bean (aconite leaf cowpea ( Vigna aconitifolia )), mung beans (mung beans ( Vigna radiata )), Narben (French wild pea ( Vicia Narbonne Peas (green), peas (yellow), pea by-products, peanut seeds, pea protein concentrate, peanut skins, pea seeds, pigeon peas (pigeon peas) Cajanus cajari Seeds, peanut fodder, sesbania (sesbania ( Sesbania two-thorned Peanut shells, purple wild peas (dark purple wild peas) Bengal vetch ), peanut powder, rain tree (rain tree ( Albizia saman )), red beans (red adzuki beans ( Umbrella vine Sesbania (Indian sesbania) Sesbania sesame )), soybean seeds, soybeans (common), sword beans (sword beans ( Canavalia gladiata ), soybean forage, Syrian lentil (Heterolentil) Stuffed prosopis ), soybean flour, tamarind (tamarind ( Tamarind ), Tamaruga mead tree (Tamaruga mead tree ( Prosopis tamarugo ), Li Dou (spicy mulberry) Mucuna pruriens )), white beans, white lupine (white lupine ( White lupine Seeds, winged beans (winged beans ( Psophocarpus four-lobed )), yellow lupine (yellow lupine ( Yellow lupine Seeds and combinations thereof. In some cases, the plant material used in the methods provided herein may include chickpeas.

[0107] Non-limiting examples of oilseed plants or seeds that can be used in the methods provided herein include almonds and by-products, argan trees (Argan trees) Argania spinosa ), Brazilian palm (Beautiful Adaliv palm ( Attalea beautiful Borneo avocado (narrow-winged salsa double ( )), Borneo avocado ( Shorea stenoptera Oilseed meal, palm (peach palm ( Bactria gas station ), genus *Capsella* (Capsella linteus) Camelina sativa Seeds and oilseed meal, cotton (common), cashews (cashews ( Western cashew Nuts and by-products, castor beans (castor beans ( Castor oil Seeds, oilseeds and by-products, cotton stalks and cotton crop residues, Sri Lankan ironwood (ironwood ( Iron table Cottonseed hulls, cottonseed meal, coconut meal and coconut by-products, sea cabbage (sea cabbage ( Abyssinian Crambe )), Ivory Palm (Feather Palm ( Attalea the priest Seeds and oilseed meal, Egyptian ginger palm (Dum palm ( Theban Hyphaene )), dragon head (Georgian flat-stalked grass ( Iberian Lallemantia Flax stalks and flax crop byproducts, grape seeds and grape seed oil meal, hemp, Jatropha curcas (Jatropha curcas genus ( Jatropha sp. Kernel powder and other Jatropha curcas products, Jojoba plant (oil wax tree ( Simmondsia chinensis ), Kapok (Gymnocalycium mihanovichii) Ceiba pentandra ), red hemp (hemp hibiscus ( Hibiscus hemp ), Kalanja tree (Chinese scholar tree ( Millettia pinnata )), Jiushu (oil soapberry wood ( Schleichera oily Flaxseed powder, loofah (Tianxiang loofah ( Egyptian loofah ), flaxseed, macadamia nuts (macadamia nuts ( Macadamia nut Moringa (Moringa ( Moringa oleifera )), Mafu oil tree (long-leaved Mafu oil tree ( Madhuca longifolia Mustard oil meal and mustard bran, corn germ meal and corn germ, neem tree (neem) Azadirachta indica )), Little Sunflower Seeds (Little Sunflower Seeds ( Abyssinian Guizotia Oil palm leaves and crop residues, olive oil cake and by-products, oil palm kernels, palm kernel powder, peanut seeds, palm oil mill wastewater, peanut shells, palm pressing fiber, and pinto peanuts (vine peanuts) Peanuts ), peanut fodder, poppy (poppy ( Poppy sleeping pill Peanut shells, squash, pumpkin, gourd and other Cucurbita species, peanut meal, rapeseed fodder, rapeseed hulls, rapeseed meal, rapeseed, rubber (Brazilian rubber tree ( Brazilian rubber tree )), safflower (safflower ( We are playing cards dyer Seeds and oilseed meal, Sal tree (Saṃyutta var. ... Shorea robustaSeeds and oilseed meal, soybean meal, soybean seed, Amazon rainforest palm (oil palm ( Oenocarpus bataua Sunflower (common), sesame (Sesamumindicum) seeds and oilseed meal, sunflower forage and crop residues, sunflower hulls and sunflower sieves, sunflower oilseed meal, sunflower seeds, soybean (common), soybean forage, soybean hulls, tung tree (tung oil tree) Aleurites fordii Tomato seed cake, walnuts (walnuts ( Royal walnut )), watermelon (watermelon ( Citrullus woolly Seeds and oilseed meal, and combinations thereof.

[0108] Non-limiting examples of fruits or fruit products that can be used in the methods provided herein include apple pomace and selected apples, bananas (common), banana peels, banana fruits, banana leaves and pseudostems, breadfruit (breadfruit tree ( Artocarpus poultry )), bread nuts (bread nuts ( Brosimum alicastrum Cashews (cashews ()) Cashew western Nuts and by-products, citrus pomace (fresh), citrus fruits, citrus seed powder, citrus molasses, dried citrus pulp, medicated watermelon (medicated watermelon ( Citrullus colocynthis Date syrup, date leaves and stems, date fruits, grape pomace, guava (guava ( Psidium guajava ), grape seeds and / or grape seed oil meal, jackfruit (jackfruit ( Artocarpus heterophyllus Indian mangosteen (Indian gamboge) Garcinia indica ), loofah (Tianxiang loofah ( Egyptian loofah )), Mango (mango( Mangosteen )) Fruits and by-products, Moringa (Moringa ( Moringa oleifera )), melon (melon ( Cucumber melon Olive oil cakes and by-products, papaya (carpa papaya) Papaya Fruits, leaves and by-products, pineapple by-products, pineapple leaves, squash, pumpkin, gourd and other Cucurbita species, *Cypripedium guibaense* (monkey pot tree) Lecythis pisonis )), Spanish lime (honeyberry ( Melicoccus bijugatus ), Amazon rainforest palm (oil palm ()), Oenocarpus bataua Tomato fruit, tomato pomace, tomato skins and seeds, tomato leaves and crop residues, tomato seed cake, walnuts (walnuts) Juglans regia )), watermelon (watermelon ( Citrullus lanatus )) fodder and fruit, watermelon (watermelon ( Citrullus lanatus Grape seeds and oilseed meal, and combinations thereof. In some cases, the plant material used in the methods provided herein may include grape seeds.

[0109] Non-limiting examples of roots, tubers, or root or tuber products that can be used in the methods provided herein include arrowroot (arrowroot (arrowroot...) Maranta arundinacea Beetroot molasses, canna lily (canna lily ( Canna indica )), carrots (wild carrots) Daucus carota )), cassava leaves and leaf clusters, cassava peel, cassava residue and other cassava by-products, cassava roots, chicory and chicory roots (chicory ( Cichorium intybus )), yam (sweet potato ( Dioscorea esculenta )), dandelion (medicinal dandelion) Taraxacum officinale Ethiopian banana (thick-stemmed elephant leg banana) Ensete ventricosum )) corms and pseudostems, feed beet roots, Jerusalem artichoke (Jerusalem artichoke) (Jerusalem artichoke) Helianthus tuberosus Dark green leaves and yellow body taro (thousand-year taro) Xanthosoma sagittifolium )), potatoes (potatoes) Solarium tuberosum By-products, potatoes (potatoes) Solarium tuberosum Tubers, sugar beet pulp (dehydrated), sugar beet pulp (pressed or wet), sugar beet root, sugar beet head, sweet potato (sweet potato ( Ipomoea batatas By-products, sweet potatoes (sweet potatoes ( Ipomoea batatas ))Forage, sweet potato (sweet potato ( Ipomoea batatas )) tubers, taro (taro ( Colocasia esculenta )), large sweet potato (round yam) Dioscorea rotundata )), Ginseng and yam (Ginseng and yam ( Dioscorea alata ), white-spotted giant arum (warty stem arum ( Amorphophallus campanulatus )), Yacon (Yacinth Fruit ( Smallanthus sonchifolius )), sweet potato (sweet potato ( Dioscorea cayenensis This document covers the use of edible plant parts other than the roots or tubers of a plant. For example, the edible parts of a chicory plant include the roots, stems, and leaves, all of which are considered for use in the methods provided herein.

[0110] Non-limiting examples of sugar processing byproducts that can be used in the methods provided herein include beet molasses, sugar, molasses, sugar beet pulp (pressed or wet), bagasse, sugarcane straw, whole plant, sugarcane juice, sugarcane molasses, sugarcane press mud, sugarcane tops, and mixtures thereof.

[0111] Non-limiting examples of other plant materials that can be used in the provided methods include carob (sweet bean ( Ceratonia siliqua )), citrus molasses, jujube molasses, date leaves and stems, date kernels, Ethiopian bananas (thick-stemmed elephant leg bananas) Ensete ventricosum Bulbs and pseudostems, leaf protein concentrate and herb juice, Mexican marigold (marigold) Tagetes erecta), mushrooms and waste mushroom substrate, molasses / urea blocks, potatoes (potatoes ( Solarium tuberosum Tubers, pyrethrum marc, spent hops, straw, sugarcane juice, sugarcane molasses, sugarcane press mud, distiller's grains, wood, xylose or xylose molasses, and combinations thereof.

[0112] Typically, the methods provided herein involve treating plant material (e.g., any of the plant materials described herein, such as legume or other plant seeds (e.g., fruit or vegetable seeds)) with one or more chemical agents to lower the pH and induce acid hydrolysis, and / or with one or more enzymes capable of breaking down components of the plant material (e.g., proteins and / or fibers). In some embodiments, following such treatment, the plant material may be processed by roasting, grinding, and / or any other suitable steps.

[0113] As used herein, “hydrolysis” refers to a chemical reaction in which a compound is broken down or cleaved into smaller components by adding water under acidic or alkaline conditions. The term also refers to enzymatic hydrolysis, whereby a compound is broken down into smaller components by adding an enzyme solution containing enzymes such as proteases or glycoses. These enzymes break down carbohydrates and proteins into smaller units, such as less complex starches or sugars, peptides, and / or amino acids. Under acidic conditions, functional groups in carbohydrates and proteins are protonated, and then water binds to these functional groups, cleaving them from the macromolecule. In proteins, amino acids are cleaved, while in carbohydrates, sugars are cleaved. Both acid hydrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis release sugars from starches and amino acids from proteins.

[0114] In some cases, plant materials (e.g., any of the plant materials described herein, such as legume seeds or other plant seeds) may be treated with one or more chemical reagents. Any suitable chemical reagent may be used. Non-limiting examples of suitable chemical reagents include one or more acids (e.g., sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, lactic acid, citric acid, malic acid, acetic acid, fumaric acid, tartaric acid, nitric acid, and glucono-δ-lactone), caustic agents (e.g., bases such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, alkali, sodium carbonate, calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, and potassium bicarbonate), one or more oxidizing agents (e.g., hydrogen peroxide), and / or iodine. One or more additional components may be included in the reaction. In some cases, for example, one or more sugars, amino acids, transition / catalytic metals, and / or salts may be included in the reaction mixture comprising plant materials and chemical reagents.

[0115] In some cases, plant materials (e.g., any of the plant materials described herein, such as legume seeds or other plant seeds) may be treated with one or more chemical agents (e.g., one, two, three, four, five or more chemical agents). For example, for neutral or slightly acidic plant materials (such as many legumes and chickpeas (with a pH of about 6.5 to 6.9)), phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, or hydrochloric acid may be used. In some embodiments, a combination of two or more of lactic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, and gluconic acid-δ-lactone may be used. In some embodiments, for tannic acid-based plant materials (such as grape seeds), a caustic alkali including sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide may be used. In some embodiments, a combination of one, two or more of softer alkaline agents (such as sodium carbonate, calcium carbonate, and potassium bicarbonate) may be used.

[0116] When treating plant material with chemical reagents as described herein, any suitable reaction conditions can be used. For example, an acid solution can be combined with the plant material in an amount sufficient to completely cover it, such that as much plant material as possible comes into contact with the solution. In some cases, a solution of water and an acid (e.g., phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, or sulfuric acid) may be used, wherein the solution contains about 30% to about 99% of the acid (e.g., about 30% to about 40%, about 35% to about 45%, about 40% to about 50%, about 45% to about 55%, about 50% to about 60%, about 55% to about 65%, about 60% to about 70%, about 65% to about 75%, about 70% to about 80%, about 75% to about 85%, about 80% to about 90%, about 85% to about 95%, about 90% to about 99%, about 30%, about 35%, about 40%, about 45%, about 50%, about 55%, about 60%, about 65%, about 70%, about 75%, about 80%, about 85%, about 90%, about 95%, or about 99% of the acid). In some cases, the acid solution may be heated to about 50°C to about 100°C before or simultaneously with the combination of the acid solution and the plant material (e.g., about 50°C to about 60°C, about 55°C to about 65°C, about 60°C to about 70°C, about 65°C to about 75°C, about 70°C to about 80°C, about 75°C to about 85°C, about 80°C to about 90°C, about 85°C to about 95°C, about 90°C to about 100°C, about 95°C to about 100°C, about 60°C, about 65°C, about 70°C, about 75°C, about 80°C, about 85°C, about 90°C, about 95°C, or about 100°C).

[0117] Once combined, the plant material and one or more chemical reagents can be incubated / contacted (e.g., mixed or unmixed) for any suitable duration. For example, the plant material can be incubated / contacted with one or more chemical reagents for about 10 minutes to about 3 hours (e.g., about 10 to 15 minutes, about 10 to 20 minutes, about 15 to 20 minutes, about 15 to 25 minutes, about 20 to 30 minutes, about 30 to 45 minutes, about 30 to 60 minutes, about 45 to 60 minutes, about 45 to 90 minutes, about 60 to 90 minutes, about 60 to 120 minutes, about 90 to 120 minutes, about 90 to 180 minutes, about 120 to 180 minutes, about 15 minutes, about 20 minutes, about 30 minutes, about 45 minutes, about 60 minutes, about 75 minutes, about 90 minutes, about 105 minutes, or about 120 minutes). In some cases, the plant material and one or more chemical reagents can be incubated or contacted until the desired pH is reached. For example, plant material may be incubated or contacted with one or more chemical reagents until the pH of the material is about 1 to about 5 (e.g., about pH 1 to about pH 2, pH 2 to about pH 3, about pH 3 to about pH 4, about pH 4 to about pH 5, about pH 2, about pH 3, about pH 4, or about pH 5). In some embodiments, plant material may be incubated or contacted with one or more chemical reagents until the pH of the material is about 1 to about 11 (e.g., about pH 2.5 to about pH 3.5, about pH 3 to about pH 4, about pH 3.5 to about pH 4.5, pH 4 to about pH 5, about pH 4.5 to about pH 5.5, about pH 5 to about pH 6, about pH 5.5 to about pH 6.5, about pH 6 to about pH 7, about pH 6.5 to about pH 7.5, about pH 7 to about pH 11). In some implementations, plant material may be incubated or contacted with one or more chemical reagents until the pH of the material is about 1, about 1.5, about 2, about 2.5, about 3, about 3.5, about 4, about 4.5, about 5, about 5.5, about 6, about 6.5, about 7 or about 7.5.

[0118] After the plant material has been treated for a suitable duration or until the desired pH is reached, the material can be further processed in any suitable manner (e.g., chemically treated plant material). For example, liquid solutions can be removed from the plant material (e.g., chemically treated plant material), which can then be calcined to a suitable temperature, ground to a suitable particle size, and / or extracted. In some cases, for example, chemically treated plant materials can be calcined to about 165°C to about 250°C (e.g., about 165°C to about 170°C, about 170°C to about 175°C, about 175°C to about 180°C, about 180°C to about 185°C, about 185°C to about 190°C, about 190°C to about 195°C, about 195°C to about 200°C, about 200°C to about 205°C, about 205°C to about 210°C, about 210°C to about 215°C, about 215°C to about 220°C, about 220°C to about 225°C, about 165°C to about 175°C, about 170°C to about 180°C, about 175°C to about 185°C, about 180°C to about 190°C, about 185°C to about 195°C, about 190°C). Temperatures of approximately 200°C, approximately 195°C to approximately 205°C, approximately 200°C to approximately 210°C, approximately 205°C to approximately 215°C, approximately 210°C to approximately 220°C, approximately 215°C to approximately 225°C, approximately 220°C to approximately 230°C, approximately 225°C to approximately 235°C, approximately 230°C to approximately 240°C, approximately 235°C to approximately 245°C, approximately 240°C to approximately 250°C, approximately 185°C to approximately 200°C, approximately 200°C to approximately 225°C, approximately 225°C to approximately 250°C, approximately 165°C, approximately 170°C, approximately 175°C, approximately 180°C, approximately 185°C, approximately 190°C, approximately 195°C, approximately 200°C, approximately 205°C, approximately 210°C, approximately 215°C, approximately 220°C, approximately 225°C, or approximately 250°C. In some cases, pretreated plant materials (e.g., chemically treated plant materials) can be roasted to temperatures of approximately 165°C to 175°C, approximately 170°C to 180°C, approximately 175°C to 185°C, approximately 180°C to 190°C, approximately 185°C to 195°C, approximately 190°C to 200°C, approximately 195°C to 205°C, approximately 200°C to 210°C, approximately 205°C to 215°C, approximately 210°C to 220°C, approximately 215°C to 225°C, approximately 220°C to 230°C, approximately 225°C to 235°C, approximately 230°C to 240°C, approximately 235°C to 245°C, or approximately 240°C to 250°C. Any suitable type of roaster can be used (e.g., electric coffee roaster, convection / conduction roaster, drum roaster, tangential roaster, or impact oven roaster).

[0119] In some cases, chemically treated and optionally roasted plant materials can be ground to any suitable particle size. For example, chemically treated and optionally roasted plant materials can be ground to an average particle size of about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm (e.g., about 0.1 mm to about 0.25 mm, about 0.15 mm to about 0.30 mm, about 0.25 mm to about 0.5 mm, about 0.4 mm to about 0.6 mm, about 0.5 mm to about 1 mm, about 0.75 mm to about 1.25 mm, about 1 mm to about 2 mm, about 1.5 mm to about 2.5 mm, about 2 mm to about 3 mm, about 2.5 mm to about 3.5 mm, about 3 mm to about 4 mm, about 3.5 mm to about 4.5 mm, or about 4 mm to about 5 mm). Any suitable equipment can be used to grind plant materials (e.g., wet mill, crusher mill, disc mill, espresso mill, stone mill, jet mill, blade mill, or hammer mill).

[0120] In some cases, plant material (e.g., seeds of legumes or other plants) may be treated with one or more enzymes (e.g., one or more enzymes that can break down the components of the plant material into smaller fragments). For example, one or more enzymes may be used to break down lignin, cellulose, and / or proteins in the plant material into dimers or monomers of protein and carbohydrate units (e.g., peptides and / or amino acids for proteins and monosaccharides for carbohydrates, such as dextrose, fructose, galactose, or sucrose). Any suitable enzyme may be used. Non-limiting examples of suitable enzymes include glycoases (e.g., amylase, α-amylase, β-amylase, lactase, sucrase, isomaltase, pectinase, cellulase, hemicellulase, xylanase, and / or tannic acidase), proteases (e.g., bromelain, alkaline protease, papain, and / or actinidin), and ligninases. In some cases, the plant material may be ground before treatment with one or more enzymes.

[0121] In some embodiments, plant material (e.g., seeds of leguminous plants or other plants) is treated with one or more enzymes (e.g., one, two, three, four, five, or more enzymes). In some embodiments, plant material may be treated with one enzyme (e.g., any of the enzymes described herein, such as glycoses, proteases, or pectinsases). In some embodiments, plant material may be treated with two or more enzymes (e.g., any two of the enzymes described herein, such as glycoses and proteases). In some embodiments, plant material may be treated with three or more enzymes (e.g., any three of the enzymes described herein, such as glycoses, proteases, and pectinsases).

[0122] Enzyme treatment can be performed under any suitable conditions. Enzyme treatment can be repeated with the same or different enzymes. For example, the first enzyme treatment can be performed with one or more enzymes or enzyme groups (e.g., two or more enzymes), and then the second enzyme treatment can be performed with the same or different enzymes or enzyme groups.

[0123] In some cases, one or more enzymatic treatments can be combined with one or more chemical treatments using acids or bases in a process. For example, chemical treatment of fruit seeds (such as date pits) or fruit seeds may involve treatment with a caustic agent (such as NaOH), followed by one or more enzymatic treatments with one or more enzymes (such as glycosylases). For example, treatment of legumes (such as chickpeas) may include an initial treatment with an acidic solution to promote acid hydrolysis, followed by one or more enzymatic treatments to break down starch using one or more glycosylases, and then a second enzymatic treatment to break down proteins using one or more proteases. Caustic, acidic, or enzymatic treatments may be carried out sequentially, one after another, before or after calcination treatment of the material, or before milling treatment of the material. In some cases, plant-based materials are treated with glycosylases after acid hydrolysis. For example, plant-based materials may be treated with glycosylases, α-amylases, and / or β-amylases, alone and / or in combination. α-Amylases are known to hydrolyze internal α-1,4-glycosidic bonds within starch and glycogen to produce maltose, maltotriose, and dextrin. β-amylase acts on the non-reducing ends of starch and glycogen, breaking the α-1,4-glycosidic bonds at the ends to produce maltose.

[0124] In some cases, treatment with α-amylase and / or β-amylase may be followed by enzymatic treatment with lactase, sucrase, and / or isomaltase; these enzymes decompose the products generated by enzymatic treatment of plant material with α-amylase and β-amylase. In some other cases, plant-based material may be treated with proteases after acid hydrolysis. Proteases include, but are not limited to, bromelain, alkaline protease, papain, and kiwifruit enzyme. In still other cases, combinations of glycosylases and proteases may be used simultaneously or sequentially. In some cases, caustic alkali treatment with alkali may be followed by acid treatment of plant-based material (including, but not limited to, fruit or vegetable seeds, such as grape seeds or date pits). In some cases, caustic alkali treatment of plant-based material (e.g., any of the plant-based materials described herein) may be followed by acid treatment of plant-based material (including, but not limited to, legumes (such as chickpeas, lentils, peas, beans) or fruit or vegetable seeds (such as grape seeds or date pits)) followed by enzymatic treatment with enzymes (including glycosylases and / or proteases).

[0125] After treatment with one or more enzymes, the plant material can be further processed in any suitable manner. In some cases, for example, the enzyme solution can be removed from the plant material, and the enzyme-pretreated plant material (e.g., enzyme-treated plant material) can then be calcined to a suitable temperature, ground to a suitable particle size, and / or extracted.

[0126] In some cases, for example, the enzymatically treated plant material can be calcined to about 165°C to about 250°C (e.g., about 165°C to about 170°C, about 170°C to about 175°C, about 175°C to about 180°C, about 180°C to about 185°C, about 185°C to about 190°C, about 190°C to about 195°C, about 195°C to about 200°C, about 200°C to about 205°C, about 205°C to about 210°C, about 210°C to about 215°C, about 215°C to about 220°C, about 220°C to about 225°C, about 165°C to about 175°C, about 170°C to about 180°C, about 175°C to about 185°C, about 180°C to about 190°C, about 185°C to about 195°C, about 190°C to about 190°C). Temperatures of approximately 200°C, approximately 195°C to approximately 205°C, approximately 200°C to approximately 210°C, approximately 205°C to approximately 215°C, approximately 210°C to approximately 220°C, approximately 215°C to approximately 225°C, approximately 220°C to approximately 230°C, approximately 225°C to approximately 235°C, approximately 230°C to approximately 240°C, approximately 235°C to approximately 245°C, approximately 240°C to approximately 250°C, approximately 185°C to approximately 200°C, approximately 200°C to approximately 225°C, approximately 225°C to approximately 250°C, approximately 165°C, approximately 170°C, approximately 175°C, approximately 180°C, approximately 185°C, approximately 190°C, approximately 195°C, approximately 200°C, approximately 205°C, approximately 210°C, approximately 215°C, approximately 220°C, approximately 225°C, or approximately 250°C. In some cases, enzymatically treated plant materials can be calcined to approximately 185°C to approximately 225°C, approximately 185°C to approximately 195°C, approximately 190°C to approximately 200°C, approximately 195°C to approximately 205°C, approximately 200°C to approximately 210°C, approximately 205°C to approximately 215°C, approximately 210°C to approximately 220°C, approximately 215°C to approximately 225°C, approximately 185°C to approximately 190°C, approximately 190°C to approximately 195°C, approximately 195°C to approximately 2... Temperatures of approximately 00°C, approximately 200°C to approximately 205°C, approximately 205°C to approximately 210°C, approximately 210°C to approximately 215°C, approximately 215°C to approximately 220°C, approximately 220°C to approximately 225°C, approximately 185°C to approximately 200°C, approximately 200°C to approximately 225°C, approximately 180°C, approximately 185°C, approximately 190°C, approximately 195°C, approximately 200°C, approximately 205°C, approximately 210°C, approximately 215°C, approximately 220°C, or approximately 225°C can be used. Any suitable type of roaster can be used (e.g., electric coffee roaster, convection / conduction roaster, drum roaster, tangential roaster, or impact oven roaster).

[0127] In some cases, enzymatically and / or chemically treated and optionally calcined plant materials can be ground to any suitable particle size. For example, enzymatically and / or chemically treated and optionally calcined plant materials can be ground to an average particle size of about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm (e.g., about 0.1 mm to about 0.25 mm, about 0.15 mm to about 0.30 mm, about 0.25 mm to about 0.5 mm, about 0.4 mm to about 0.6 mm, about 0.5 mm to about 1 mm, about 0.75 mm to about 1.25 mm, about 1 mm to about 2 mm, about 1.5 mm to about 2.5 mm, about 2 mm to about 3 mm, about 2.5 mm to about 3.5 mm, about 3 mm to about 4 mm, about 3.5 mm to about 4.5 mm, or about 4 mm to about 5 mm). Any suitable equipment can be used to grind the plant materials (e.g., wet mill, crusher mill, disc mill, espresso mill, stone mill, jet mill, blade mill, or hammer mill).

[0128] In some cases, chemical treatment may involve contacting the plant material with an acid, followed by an alkaline treatment, and then enzymatic treatment with one or more enzymes (including, but not limited to, glycosylases and / or proteases). In some cases, the plant-based material may be treated with an acid solution before or after calcination and / or before or after grinding the material into powder. In some cases, the plant material may be treated with one or more enzymes before extraction. In some cases, the plant-based material may be treated with an acid, followed by calcination and grinding, and then treated with one or more enzymes (such as one or more glycosylases and / or one or more proteases) during extraction in water. In some cases, the plant-based material may be treated with an acid or alkali, followed by calcination, and then treated with one or more enzymes (including one or more carbohydrates and / or proteases) before grinding the material.

[0129] In some cases, plant-based materials (such as, but not limited to, fruit seeds (e.g., grape seeds or jujube seeds)) may be enzymatically treated with one or more enzymes (such as tanninase) followed by caustic treatment with an alkali. In other cases, plant-based materials (such as materials containing lignocellulose, lignin, hemicellulose, and / or cellulose, such as fruit seeds, berry seeds, jujube pits, and grape seeds) may be treated with one or more enzymes (such as cellulase, ligninase, and / or hemicellulase) prior to acid or caustic alkali treatment.

[0130] In some cases, plant-based materials may be treated with cellulase, ligninase, and / or hemicellulase, followed by or before enzymatic treatment with one or more enzymes (such as glycosylases and / or proteases), wherein the plant-based materials are not treated with caustic alkali or acid prior to calcination. In some cases, plant-based materials may be treated with one or more enzymes (such as cellulase, ligninase, and / or hemicellulase) after calcination.

[0131] In some cases, plant-based materials may be treated with one or more enzymes (such as cellulase, ligninase, and / or hemicellulase) after milling. For example, milled plant material (e.g., milled plant matrix) may be treated with a solution containing about 0.1% to about 1% of an enzyme (e.g., about 0.3% or about 0.5% enzyme) at a seed:enzyme weight ratio of about 100:1. In some cases, the plant material may be incubated or contacted with the enzyme solution for about 15 minutes to about 60 minutes (e.g., about 15 minutes to about 30 minutes, about 20 minutes to about 30 minutes, about 30 minutes to about 45 minutes, about 40 minutes to about 50 minutes, about 45 minutes to about 60 minutes, about 15 minutes, about 20 minutes, about 25 minutes, about 30 minutes, about 30 minutes, about 35 minutes, about 40 minutes, or about 45 minutes). In some cases, plant material can be incubated or contacted with enzyme solutions at temperatures of about 30°C to about 80°C (e.g., about 30°C to about 40°C, about 35°C to about 45°C, about 40°C to about 50°C, about 45°C to about 55°C, about 50°C to about 60°C, about 55°C to about 65°C, about 60°C to about 70°C, about 65°C to about 75°C, about 70°C to about 80°C, about 35°C, about 40°C, about 45°C, about 50°C, about 55°C, about 60°C, about 65°C, about 70°C, about 75°C, or about 80°C). In some cases, plant material may be incubated or contacted with enzyme solutions at a pH of about 7 to about 9 (e.g., about 7 to about 7.5, about 7.25 to about 7.75, about 7.5 to about 8, about 7.75 to about 8.25, about 8 to about 8.5, about 8.25 to about 8.75, about 8.5 to about 9, about 8.75 to about 9.25, about 7, about 7.25, about 7.5, about 7.75, about 8, about 8.25, about 8.5, about 8.75 or about 9).

[0132] Ground plant material particles (e.g., ground plant matrix (e.g., either the ground plant material particles or the ground plant matrix described above)) can be used in consumable food and beverage products. In some cases, ground plant material particles can be used in consumable food and beverage products such as coffee substitute beverages made from acid-hydrolyzed and roasted chickpeas that have been ground and extracted in water.

[0133] In some cases, the ground plant material particles can be extracted, and the extract can be used in consumable food and beverage products. In other cases, the ground plant material particles (e.g., ground plant matrix) can be extracted in an aqueous solution (e.g., water), and the extract can be used in consumable food and beverage products.

[0134] In some embodiments, treated (e.g., chemically and / or enzymatically treated), calcined, and milled plant materials (e.g., treated, calcined, and milled plant matrices) can be combined with water for an appropriate duration to form an extract. In some embodiments, treated (e.g., chemically and / or enzymatically treated), calcined, and milled plant materials (e.g., treated, calcined, and milled plant matrices) are mixed with water at any suitable temperature (e.g., about 50°C to about 195°C, about 50°C to about 175°C, about 50°C to about 150°C, about 50°C to about 125°C, about 50°C to about 100°C, about 50°C to about 75°C, about 50°C to about 60°C, about 60°C to about 195°C). Approximately 60°C to approximately 175°C, approximately 60°C to approximately 150°C, approximately 60°C to approximately 125°C, approximately 60°C to approximately 100°C, approximately 60°C to approximately 85°C, approximately 60°C to approximately 75°C, approximately 70°C to approximately 195°C, approximately 70°C to approximately 175°C, approximately 70°C to approximately 150°C, approximately 70°C to approximately 125°C, approximately 70°C to approximately 100°C, approximately 70°C to approximately 90°C, approximately 80°C to approximately 195°C, approximately 80°C to approximately 175°C, approximately 80°C to approximately 150°C At approximately ℃, about 80℃ to about 125℃, about 80℃ to about 100℃, about 80℃ to about 90℃, about 100℃ to about 195℃, about 100℃ to about 175℃, about 100℃ to about 150℃, about 100℃ to about 125℃, about 125℃ to about 195℃, about 125℃ to about 175℃, about 125℃ to about 150℃, about 150℃ to about 195℃, about 150℃ to about 175℃, or about 175℃ to about 195℃ (e.g., at...). The recirculating pot is combined with appropriate time lengths (e.g., about 5 minutes to about 60 minutes, about 5 minutes to about 45 minutes, about 5 minutes to about 20 minutes, about 10 minutes to about 45 minutes, about 10 minutes to about 60 minutes, about 10 minutes to about 20 minutes, about 20 minutes to about 60 minutes, about 20 minutes to about 30 minutes, about 20 minutes to about 45 minutes, about 30 minutes to about 60 minutes, about 30 minutes to about 45 minutes, or about 45 minutes to about 60 minutes).In some embodiments, the calcined and milled plant material (e.g., calcined and milled plant matrix) can be mixed with water at any suitable temperature (e.g., about 50°C to about 175°C, about 50°C to about 150°C, about 50°C to about 125°C, about 50°C to about 100°C, about 50°C to about 75°C, about 50°C to about 60°C, about 60°C to about 175°C, about 60°C to about 150°C, about 60°C to about 125°C, about 60°C to about 100°C, about 60°C to about 85°C, about 60°C to about 75°C, about 70°C to about 175°C, about 70°C to about 150°C, about 70°C to about 125°C, about 70°C to about 100°C, about 70°C to about 90°C, about 80°C to about 175°C, about 80°C to about 150°C, about 80°C to about 125°C). At approximately 5°C to approximately 80°C to approximately 100°C, approximately 80°C to approximately 90°C, approximately 100°C to approximately 175°C, approximately 100°C to approximately 150°C, approximately 100°C to approximately 125°C, approximately 125°C to approximately 175°C, approximately 125°C to approximately 150°C, approximately 150°C to approximately 175°C, (e.g., in a recirculating tank) combined with appropriate time lengths (e.g., approximately 5 minutes to approximately 60 minutes, approximately 5 minutes to approximately 45 minutes, approximately 5 minutes to approximately 20 minutes, approximately 10 minutes to approximately 45 minutes, approximately 10 minutes to approximately 60 minutes, approximately 10 minutes to approximately 20 minutes, approximately 20 minutes to approximately 60 minutes, approximately 20 minutes to approximately 30 minutes, approximately 20 minutes to approximately 45 minutes, approximately 30 minutes to approximately 60 minutes, approximately 30 minutes to approximately 45 minutes, or approximately 45 minutes to approximately 60 minutes).

[0135] The ground plant material (e.g., the ground plant material particles or ground plant matrix, including treated and / or calcined plant matrix) and water can be combined in any suitable relative amounts. For example, the ground plant material can be in the form of about 3% w / w to about 50% w / w (e.g., about 3% w / w to about 5% w / w, about 3% w / w to about 10% w / w, about 5% w / w to about 10% w / w, about 5% w / w to about 15% w / w, about 10% w / w to about 20% w / w, about 15% w / w to about 25% w / w, about 20% w / w to about 30% w / w, about 25% w / w to about 35% w / w, about 30% w / w to about 40% w / w, about 35% w / w to about 45% w / w, about 40% w / w to about 50% w / w, about 3% w / w, about 5% w / w, about 10% w / w, about 15% w / w, about 20% w / w, about 25% w / w, about 30% w / w, about 35%). (w / w, approximately 40% w / w, approximately 45% w / w or approximately 50% w / w) abrasive: water and water combination.

[0136] After extraction, the extract can be cooled and / or filtered, and then combined with other ingredients to produce food or beverage products. In some cases, for example, the extract can be combined with caffeine, acids, and / or flavorings or tasters to produce beverages suitable as coffee substitutes.

[0137] After extraction, the extract can be cooled, filtered, concentrated, and / or dried, and then combined with other ingredients to produce a food or beverage product. In some cases, for example, the extract can be combined with caffeine, acids, and flavoring agents to produce a beverage suitable as a coffee substitute. In some cases, the extract can be further processed, such as by concentrating it into a liquid concentrate or a soluble powder form. In some cases, the extract can be concentrated by evaporation and then spray-dried to produce soluble solids (e.g., any of the solids described herein).

[0138] As used herein, “concentration” refers to the process of removing water from an extract by evaporation or freezing and thawing to increase the overall solids percentage of the extract. This can be achieved, for example, by processing the extract in a heated vessel, vacuum vessel, rising film evaporator, falling film evaporator, scraped film evaporator, or freeze concentrator. The term “concentrate” as a noun generally refers to the liquid produced when an extract (e.g., any of the extracts described herein) has been processed to remove at least a portion, some, or most of the solvent matrix (including aqueous solutions such as water, alcohol, or other organic solvent matrices). “Concentrate” is also referred to herein as “liquid concentrate.”

[0139] In some cases, liquid concentrates may be dried to form solid concentrates. As used herein, the term "solid concentrate" as a noun refers to the solid produced when an extract (e.g., any of the extracts described herein) or a liquid concentrate (e.g., any of the liquid concentrates described herein) has been dried (whether by spray drying, freeze drying, air drying, heat drying, or any other drying method) such that most or all of the solvent matrix of the extract or liquid concentrate has been removed. Solid concentrates may be in the form of granules, pellets, or powder.

[0140] In some respects, this document provides powder concentrates, granular concentrates, or pellet concentrates. In some cases, most of the water can be removed from a liquid concentrate to produce soluble granules, soluble pellets, or soluble powders with a moisture content between about 1% and 10% (e.g., for beverage applications such as instant coffee powder "crystals"; ready-to-drink coffee beverages containing caffeine, flavorings, sugar or sugar substitutes and / or milk or milk substitutes; milk powder; hot cocoa blends; or flavored beverage powders) and readily soluble in water, milk, or other beverage liquid bases, whether hot or cold.

[0141] Drying concentrates (e.g., liquid concentrates) into solids (e.g., powders, granules, or pellets) can be carried out by any suitable drying method, including but not limited to spray drying, freeze drying, and dehydration. In some cases, one or more additional ingredients (such as maltodextrin or gum arabic, flow agents, anti-caking agents (such as tricalcium phosphate), powdered or microcrystalline cellulose, or magnesium stearate) can be added to soluble powders. Powders can be secondary-formed by grinding (e.g., powder milling) to reduce the average particle size of the granules or pellets and converting them into powder.

[0142] Ground plant material particles can be used in consumable food and beverage products. In some cases, ground plant material particles can be extracted, and the extracts can be used in consumable food and beverage products. For example, enzyme-treated, roasted, and ground plant materials can be combined with water at any suitable temperature (e.g., about 50°C to about 100°C, about 50°C to about 75°C, about 60°C to about 85°C, about 70°C to about 90°C, about 75°C to about 100°C, or about 80°C to about 100°C) (e.g., in a recirculating pot) for an appropriate time length (e.g., about 5 minutes to about 60 minutes, about 5 minutes to about 45 minutes, about 10 minutes to about 20 minutes, about 20 minutes to about 30 minutes, about 30 minutes to about 45 minutes, or about 45 minutes to about 60 minutes). Ground plant materials and water can be combined in any suitable relative amount. For example, the ground plant material can be in the form of about 3% w / w to about 50% w / w (e.g., about 3% w / w to about 5% w / w, about 3% w / w to about 10% w / w, about 5% w / w to about 10% w / w, about 5% w / w to about 15% w / w, about 10% w / w to about 20% w / w, about 15% w / w to about 25% w / w, about 20% w / w to about 30% w / w, about 25% w / w to about 35% w / w, about 30% w / w to about 40% w / w, about 35% w / w to about 45% w / w, about 40% w / w to about 50% w / w, about 3% w / w, about 5% w / w, about 10% w / w, about 15% w / w, about 20% w / w, about 25% w / w, about 30% w / w, about 35%). (w / w, approximately 40% w / w, approximately 45% w / w or approximately 50% w / w) abrasive: water and water combination.

[0143] After extraction, the extract can be cooled, filtered, concentrated, and / or dried, and then combined with other ingredients to produce food or beverage products. In some cases, for example, the extract can be combined with caffeine, acids, and flavoring agents to produce beverages suitable as coffee substitutes.

[0144] This document also provides a composition comprising a milled plant matrix prepared using the methods described herein (e.g., any of the milled plant matrices prepared using the methods described herein). In some cases, the composition provided herein comprises an extract prepared using the methods described herein (e.g., any of the extracts prepared using the methods described herein). In some cases, the composition provided herein comprises a concentrate prepared using the methods described herein (e.g., any of the concentrates prepared using the methods described herein).

[0145] The compositions described herein can be consumable food or beverages. For example, the compositions described herein can be coffee imitations, such as coffee granule imitations, coffee grinder imitations, or coffee beverage imitations.

[0146] In some embodiments, the coffee beverage imitation also includes one or more of caffeine, flavoring agents, sugar or sugar substitutes, milk, dairy solids, milk substitutes, and non-dairy solids. Non-limiting examples of sugars or sugar substitutes include sucrose, fructose, sugar alcohols, allulose, stevia, monk fruit, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, derivatives of the above substances, or combinations thereof. Dairy solids can include milk solids, whey solids, casein, lactose, or combinations thereof. Milk solids include the non-aqueous components of milk (e.g., carbohydrates such as lactose, fats, and proteins such as casein and whey). Whey is a liquid byproduct obtained during cheese production. Whey solids include the non-aqueous components of whey, such as proteins, lactose, and minerals. Casein is a protein found in milk. Lactose is a carbohydrate found in milk. Milk substitutes include liquid substitutes for animal milk (e.g., cow, goat, or sheep milk). Milk substitutes can be non-dairy or plant-based, such as milk based on soy, coconut, almond, oat, cashew, peanut, flax, or hemp. Non-dairy solids include solids made from plant-derived oils (such as coconut oil, palm oil, or soybean oil), emulsifiers, thickeners, and / or stabilizers.

[0147] Exemplary Implementation Implementation Scheme 1 is a method for preparing a milled plant matrix for use in consumable food or beverage from fibrous, lignocellulose, and / or proteinaceous plant materials, wherein the method comprises: treating the plant materials with an acidic aqueous solution until the plant materials reach a pH of 1 to 5 to produce acid-treated plant materials; calcining the acid-treated plant materials to produce calcined acid-treated plant materials; and milling the calcined acid-treated plant materials to produce the milled plant matrix.

[0148] Implementation scheme 2 is the method as described in implementation scheme 1, wherein the plant material comprises legumes.

[0149] Implementation scheme 3 is the method as described in implementation scheme 2, wherein the legume includes chickpeas, lentils, peas, black beans, or cranberry beans.

[0150] Implementation scheme 4 is the method as described in implementation scheme 1, wherein the plant material comprises fruit seeds or vegetable seeds.

[0151] Implementation scheme 5 is the method as described in implementation scheme 4, wherein the fruit seeds or vegetable seeds include date pits or grape seeds.

[0152] Implementation scheme 6 is a method as described in any one of implementation schemes 1 to 5, wherein the acid comprises phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid.

[0153] Implementation scheme 7 is a method as described in any one of implementation schemes 1 to 6, which includes treating the plant material until a pH of about 2 to about 3 is reached.

[0154] Embodiment 8 is a method as described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 7, which includes treating the plant material at a temperature of about 40°C to about 90°C.

[0155] Implementation scheme 9 is a method as described in any one of implementation schemes 1 to 8, which includes treating the plant material for about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes.

[0156] Embodiment 10 is a method as described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 9, wherein the acid is phosphoric acid, and wherein the method comprises incubating the plant material with the phosphoric acid at a temperature of about 60°C to about 90°C until a pH of 2 to 3 is reached.

[0157] Embodiment 11 is a method as described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 10, comprising roasting the acid-treated plant material at a temperature of about 165°C to about 250°C.

[0158] Embodiment 12 is a method as described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 11, comprising grinding the roasted acid-treated plant material to an average particle size of about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm.

[0159] Embodiment 13 is a method as described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 12, further comprising extracting the ground plant matrix with an aqueous solution to produce an extract.

[0160] Implementation scheme 14 is the method as described in implementation scheme 13, wherein the method includes extracting the ground plant matrix with water at a temperature of about 60°C to about 85°C.

[0161] Implementation scheme 15 is the method as described in implementation scheme 13 or implementation scheme 14, which further includes cooling the extract.

[0162] Implementation scheme 16 is a method as described in any one of implementation schemes 13 to 15, which further includes filtering the extract.

[0163] Implementation scheme 17 is a method as described in any one of implementation schemes 13 to 16, which further includes concentrating the extract to form a concentrate.

[0164] Implementation scheme 18 is the method as described in implementation scheme 17, wherein the method includes concentrating the extract by removing at least a portion of the water.

[0165] Implementation scheme 19 is the method as described in implementation scheme 18, wherein a portion of the water is removed by evaporation, freezing and / or thawing of the extract.

[0166] Embodiment 20 is a method as described in any one of embodiments 17 to 19, which further includes drying the concentrate to form a powder concentrate.

[0167] Implementation scheme 21 is the method as described in implementation scheme 20, wherein the drying includes spray drying, freeze drying or dehydration.

[0168] Embodiment 22 is the method as described in Embodiment 20 or Embodiment 21, wherein the powder concentrate comprises a soluble powder with a moisture content of about 1% w / w to about 10% w / w.

[0169] Implementation scheme 23 is the method as described in implementation scheme 22, wherein the soluble powder is water-soluble.

[0170] Embodiment 24 is a composition comprising a ground plant matrix prepared using the method described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 23.

[0171] Embodiment 25 is a composition as described in Embodiment 24, wherein the composition is a consumable food or beverage.

[0172] Embodiment 26 is a composition comprising an extract prepared using the method described in any one of Embodiments 13 to 16.

[0173] Embodiment 27 is a composition comprising a concentrate prepared using any one of Embodiments 17 to 23.

[0174] Implementation Scheme 28 is a method for preparing a milled plant matrix for use in consumable food or beverage from fibrous, lignocellulosic, and / or proteinaceous plant materials, wherein the method comprises: contacting the plant material with an enzyme solution containing one or more enzymes under agitation (e.g., stirring) for 15 to 120 minutes to produce enzymatically treated plant material; calcining the enzymatically treated plant material to produce calcined enzymatically treated plant material; and milling the calcined enzymatically treated plant material to produce the milled plant matrix.

[0175] Embodiment 29 is the method as described in Embodiment 28, wherein the one or more enzymes in the enzyme solution are present at a concentration of about 1% w / w or less, and wherein the enzyme solution is aqueous. Embodiment 30 is the method as described in Embodiment 28, wherein the one or more enzymes in the enzyme solution are present at a concentration of about 0.1% to about 1% w / w, and wherein the enzyme solution is aqueous.

[0176] Embodiment 31 is the method as described in any one of Embodiments 28 to 30, wherein the calcination is carried out at a temperature of about 165°C to about 250°C.

[0177] Embodiment 32 is a method as described in any one of Embodiments 28 to 31, wherein the one or more enzymes comprise glycosylase, protease, amylase, pectinase, cellulase, hemicellulase, xylanase, ligninase, or tannic acidase.

[0178] Implementation scheme 33 is a method as described in any one of implementation schemes 28 to 32, which further includes extracting the ground plant matrix with an aqueous solution to produce an extract.

[0179] Implementation scheme 34 is the method as described in implementation scheme 33, wherein the method includes extracting the ground plant matrix with water at a temperature of about 60°C to about 85°C.

[0180] Implementation scheme 35 is the method as described in implementation scheme 33 or 34, which further includes cooling the extract.

[0181] Implementation scheme 36 is the method as described in any one of implementation schemes 33 to 35, which further includes filtering the extract.

[0182] Embodiment 37 is a method as described in any one of embodiments 28 to 36, further comprising contacting the plant material with one or more chemical solutions, each chemical solution containing an acid or a base, wherein the plant material is contacted with the one or more chemical solutions prior to contacting the plant material with the enzyme solution containing one or more enzymes.

[0183] Embodiment 38 is a method as described in any one of Embodiments 28 to 36, further comprising contacting the enzymatically treated plant material with one or more chemical solutions containing an acid or a base, wherein the enzymatically treated plant material is contacted with the one or more chemical solutions before, after, before, and / or after calcination.

[0184] Implementation scheme 39 is the method as described in implementation scheme 37 or implementation scheme 38, wherein the one or more chemical solutions comprise an acid, the acid comprising phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid, or comprise a base, the base comprising sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, alkaline solution, sodium carbonate, calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide or potassium bicarbonate.

[0185] Embodiment 40 is a method as described in any one of Embodiments 37 to 39, wherein the plant material is contacted with an alkali under agitation (e.g., stirring) for 15 to 120 minutes until the plant material reaches a pH of about 8 to about 10.

[0186] Embodiment 41 is a method as described in any one of Embodiments 37 to 39, wherein the enzymatically treated material is contacted with an alkali under agitation (e.g., stirring) for 15 to 120 minutes until the enzymatically treated plant material reaches a pH of about 8 to about 10.

[0187] Embodiment 42 is a method as described in any one of Embodiments 37 to 39, wherein the plant material is contacted with an acid under agitation (e.g., stirring) for 15 to 120 minutes until the plant material reaches a pH of about 1 to about 4.

[0188] Embodiment 43 is a method as described in any one of Embodiments 37 to 39, wherein the enzymatically treated plant material is contacted with an acid under agitation (e.g., stirring) for 15 to 120 minutes until the plant material reaches a pH of about 1 to about 4.

[0189] Embodiment 44 is the method as described in Embodiment 28, further comprising contacting the plant material with a chemical solution under agitation (e.g., stirring) for 15 to 120 minutes, wherein the chemical solution contains an acid containing phosphoric acid or a base containing sodium hydroxide, wherein contact with the chemical solution occurs before or after contact with the enzyme solution, and wherein the enzyme solution contains about 1% w / w or less of one or more enzymes, including pectinase, cellulase, hemicellulase, xylanase, or tannic acidase.

[0190] Implementation scheme 45 is the method as described in implementation scheme 44, wherein the plant material comprises legumes or fruit seeds, the legumes comprising chickpeas, lentils, peas, black beans or cranberry beans, and the fruit seeds comprising date pits or grape seeds.

[0191] Embodiment 46 is the method as described in Embodiment 44, which includes grinding the roasted enzymatically treated plant material to an average particle size of about 0.1 mm to about 0.5 mm.

[0192] Embodiment 47 is a composition comprising a milled plant material matrix prepared using the method described in any one of Embodiments 28 to 46.

[0193] Embodiment 48 is a composition as described in Embodiment 47, wherein the composition is a consumable food or beverage.

[0194] Implementation Scheme 49 is a method for preparing a concentrate from plant material for use in consumable food or beverage, wherein the method comprises: contacting the plant material with an aqueous solution containing an acid to form pretreated plant material with a pH between about 1 and about 5, or contacting the plant material with an alkali to form pretreated plant material with a pH between about 8 and about 10; contacting the pretreated plant material with an enzyme solution containing one or more enzymes under agitation (e.g., stirring) for 15 to 120 minutes to produce enzymatically treated plant material; calcining the enzymatically treated plant material to produce calcined plant material; grinding the calcined pretreated plant material to produce a ground plant matrix with an average particle size of about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm; extracting the ground plant matrix with water to produce an extract; and concentrating the extract by removing at least a portion of the water to form a concentrate.

[0195] Implementation scheme 50 is the method as described in implementation scheme 49, which further includes adding caffeine, one or more acids and / or one or more flavoring agents to the extract.

[0196] Implementation scheme 51 is the method as described in implementation scheme 49 or implementation scheme 50, wherein the extract water is removed by evaporation, freezing and / or thawing of the extract.

[0197] Implementation scheme 52 is the method as described in implementation scheme 50 or implementation scheme 51, wherein the one or more acids added to the extract comprise malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, succinic acid, phosphoric acid, or any combination thereof.

[0198] Embodiment 53 is the method as described in Embodiment 50 or Embodiment 51, wherein the one or more flavoring agents added to the extract comprise volatile organic compounds, essential oils, plant extracts, or oleoresins.

[0199] Embodiment 54 is a method for preparing a soluble plant-based powder for use in consumable food or beverages, wherein the method comprises: (a) treating a plurality of plant seeds, beans, or peas with one or more chemical solutions and / or one or more enzyme solutions, each solution comprising an aqueous solution containing an acid or base, and each enzyme solution comprising an aqueous solution containing one or more enzymes, thereby producing a plurality of treated plant seeds, beans, or peas; (b) roasting the treated plant seeds, beans, or peas, thereby producing roasted plant seeds, beans, or peas; (c) grinding the roasted plant seeds, beans, or peas, thereby producing a ground paste comprising particles with an average particle size of about 0.10 mm to about 5 mm; (d) extracting the ground paste in water at a temperature of about 60°C to about 85°C to produce an extract; (e) concentrating the extract by removing at least a portion of the water by evaporation, freezing, or thawing to form a concentrate; and (f) drying the concentrate, thereby producing a soluble plant-based powder.

[0200] Implementation scheme 55 is the method as described in implementation scheme 54, wherein the plant seeds, beans or peas include legumes or fruit or vegetable seeds, the legumes include chickpeas, lentils, peas, black beans or cranberry beans, and the fruit or vegetable seeds include date pits or grape seeds.

[0201] Implementation scheme 56 is the method as described in implementation scheme 54 or implementation scheme 55, wherein the concentrate is dried to a moisture content between about 1% w / w and about 10% w / w.

[0202] Embodiment 57 is a method as described in any one of Embodiments 54 to 56, wherein the concentrate is dried by spray drying, freeze drying or dehydration using an autoclave, vacuum autoclave, rising film evaporator, falling film evaporator, scraped film evaporator, dehydrator or freeze concentrator.

[0203] Implementation scheme 58 is the method as described in any one of implementation schemes 54 to 57, wherein the soluble plant-based powder is water-soluble.

[0204] The present invention will be further described in the following embodiments, which do not limit the scope of the invention as described in the claims.

[0205] Example Methods for measuring suspended solids and dissolved solids Turbidimetry is used to measure the turbidity of suspended solids. Turbidity units (NTUs) are commonly used to classify the turbidity of solutions or liquids. NTUs provide a measure of suspended solids in a liquid and are often used to define, for example, the quality and purity of drinking water. The method involves passing light through a sample. The light bounces off solids suspended in the sample, and the measure of the scattered light is converted into an electronic signal related to the concentration of the suspended solids.

[0206] Used to measure the Brix degree and refractive index of dissolved solids: Brix is ​​a measure of the amount of dissolved solids in a liquid and is typically measured via refractive index or specific gravity. One Brix represents one gram of pure sucrose dissolved in 100 grams of solution, and is expressed as a percentage by mass of the solution. Since there is usually more solid than sucrose in a solution, Brix serves as an approximation of the amount of dissolved solids. Other monosaccharides (e.g., glucose / dextrose, fructose, and other monosaccharides) are included in Brix measurements in relation to the methods described herein. Refractive index is most commonly used as a rapid method for measuring dissolved solids. The refractive index method involves passing light through a sample. The degree of change in the rotation of the plane of light is related to the percentage of sugar dissolved in the liquid. This figure is directly reflected as the Brix in the sample.

[0207] Example 1 - Evaluation of the hydrolysis of leguminous plants and their roastability, extractability and crushability hydrolysis To hydrolyze legumes (e.g., chickpeas), sufficient acid, caustic soda, and / or enzymes must be added to hydrolyze the starch and denature the proteins without completely liquefying the legume, so that the chickpea structure can be preserved and observed after the hydrolysis process. For this purpose, solutions of water and chickpeas were prepared. Sulfuric acid was added until the pH reached 2 while the pH was continuously measured. To determine the appropriate temperature and time for hydrolysis, the amount of acid was maintained at a constant weight % concentration, and hydrolysis was carried out at three different temperatures (60°C, 75°C, and 90°C) for a fixed duration (30 minutes). The chickpeas were then roasted in a drum roaster to a bean temperature of 215°C, and the roasted chickpeas were extracted in a recirculating pan. The extract was cooled, and the Brix content and NTU were measured.

[0208] Table 1. Insoluble solids as a function of processing temperature

[0209] As shown in Table 1, temperature affects the pretreatment of chickpeas with sulfuric acid (e.g., acid treatment). Specifically, acid hydrolysis improves with increasing treatment temperature, as indicated by a decrease in the amount of insoluble solids as indicated by lower NTU. A slight decrease in the Brix value as a function of temperature is also observed. Therefore, a significant difference in the amount of insoluble solids observed in chickpeas treated at 60°C and 75°C is observed, while the amount of soluble solids remains approximately the same. The difference in insoluble solids observed between 75°C and 90°C becomes negligible.

[0210] The next parameter tested was time. To ensure efficiency while still improving roastability and extractability, the temperature, amount, and type of acid were kept constant, but the hydrolysis reaction was carried out for different durations (30 minutes, 60 minutes, or 90 minutes). The chickpeas were then roasted in a drum roaster to a bean temperature of 215°C, and the roasted chickpeas were extracted in a recirculating pan. The individual structure of the chickpeas was preserved and observed after hydrolysis and again after roasting. No liquefaction of the chickpeas was observed. The extracts were cooled, and Brix content and NTU were measured.

[0211] Table 2. Insoluble solids as a function of processing time

[0212] As shown in Table 2, treatment showed a consistent improvement with increasing treatment time. As reflected by the NTU values, the insoluble solids present in the extract decreased consistently with increasing hydrolysis time. As a function of time, the level of dissolved solids, as reflected by the Brix value, initially increased but then decreased.

[0213] After identifying the hydrolysis parameters, the efficiency of different acids was evaluated. Phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, and sulfuric acid were tested to determine which acid was most effective in denaturing proteins and hydrolyzing starch. In these studies, the reaction temperature was kept constant, but the type of acid varied. Hydrolysis was performed using different amounts of acid (and an acid-free control) to achieve the same final pH of the chickpeas. The chickpeas were then roasted in a drum roaster to a bean temperature of 215°C. The individual structure of the chickpeas was preserved and observed after hydrolysis and again after roasting. No liquefaction of the chickpeas was observed. The roasted chickpeas were extracted in a recirculating pan. The extract was cooled and the Brix content and NTU were measured.

[0214] As shown in Table 3, all three acids showed improvement over untreated chickpeas because a significant reduction in insoluble solids was observed in the final extract when chickpeas were treated with acids. Phosphoric acid and hydrochloric acid showed the most significant results. Since phosphoric acid is generally less corrosive than hydrochloric acid, it may be more suitable for these applications.

[0215] Table 3. Insoluble solids measured after treatment with different acids

[0216] calcinability When components that have undergone pH adjustment and / or enzymatic treatment are roasted in the same manner (i.e., with the same roasting time and temperature) and evaluated using the LAB color scale, the L values, indicating the level of roasting, are significantly lower compared to components that have not undergone pH adjustment and / or enzymatic treatment. The LAB color space is a color model designed to approximate human vision and perception. It consists of three components: L represents the lightness of the color, A represents the green-red axis, and B represents the blue-yellow axis. L values, ranging from 0 to 100, represent the perceived lightness of a color. A value of 0 represents black, while a value of 100 represents white. The L value measures how dark or light a color appears, regardless of its chromaticity characteristics. This makes it a valuable tool in color analysis and color correction, as it allows for precise adjustment of color lightness while maintaining a constant perceived hue and saturation. The L-values ​​of chickpeas were determined using a Nix Colorimeter Pro 2 (a device designed for color measurement and analysis) after roasting to internal temperatures of 160°C, 180°C, 200°C, or 215°C and then grinding using a Baratza ESP grinder. Two (2) grams of ground and roasted chickpeas were placed on a disposable sample container. Three color values ​​were obtained for each roast. Only the L-value (LAB scale value) was considered, as the L-value is generally used to indicate the degree of roasting. A decrease in the L-value indicates an increase in compounds that cause browning reactions (e.g., Maillard reaction, Strecker degradation, and / or caramelization) and is also an analytical indicator of the higher roastability of the treated component.

[0217] Table 4. L-value of acid-treated chickpeas compared to untreated chickpeas

[0218] As shown in Table 4, a significant color difference exists between acid-treated and untreated chickpeas (both of which were roasted). Specifically, acid-treated chickpeas were observed to have a significantly lower L value when both were heated to the same roasting temperature. This was observed when the beans were tested at 160°C, 180°C, 200°C, and 215°C. Therefore, for a given roasting temperature, acid-treated chickpeas have a significantly lower L value than their untreated counterparts, thus confirming an improvement in roastability.

[0219] Extractability Pretreatment processes (e.g., acid treatment) improve the extractability of chickpeas, as evidenced by the higher percentage of solids obtained in hydrolyzed chickpeas compared to untreated control chickpeas. In these studies, ground roasted chickpeas were extracted in water in a recirculating pan, with the mill placed on top of a false bottom. Extraction was carried out at 85°C for ten minutes. Water was pumped to the top as it permeated through the milled chickpea bed. When analyzing the yield, the volume of water entering was considered relative to the volume of extract exiting.

[0220] As shown in Table 5, acid-hydrolyzed chickpeas treated with phosphoric acid absorbed less water during extraction, resulting in a significantly higher extract yield when the same extraction method was used. Furthermore, higher Brix values ​​and lower NTU were observed. These results indicate a higher quality extract with higher soluble solids and therefore greater extractability. When the components were extracted in hot water, the NTU (indicating turbidity) was significantly lower, and a reduction in precipitation was also observed.

[0221] Table 5. Extractability of acid-treated and untreated chickpeas

[0222] Tables 6A and 6B expand upon the findings presented in Table 5 to evaluate other legumes. In addition to chickpeas discussed above, and as shown in Tables 6A and 6B, other legumes (specifically, lentils, split-pod peas, black beans, and cranberry beans) were used in extractability experiments. It was found that the same acid treatment resulted in improved extractability and calcinability when applied to other legumes. For example, treatment of these legumes with phosphoric acid prior to calcination generally resulted in increased Brix, decreased NTU, and decreased L value, indicating increased soluble solids and decreased insoluble solids, while producing a deeper calcination when the same calcination and extraction techniques were used as with the untreated counterparts.

[0223] Table 6A. Extractability of acid-treated and untreated legumes

[0224] Table 6B: Extractability of acid-treated and untreated legumes

[0225] Fragility The crushability (or breaking force) of milled roasted legumes is determined using a texture analyzer commonly known as TA.XT. When milling roasted ingredients, the first step is to break the ingredients, and the millability of a roasted ingredient is typically correlated with its crushability. As used herein, crushability (also known as brittleness) refers to how easily an ingredient breaks under applied force, as measured by TA.XT. The degree to which a roasted ingredient is milled is related to its ease of breaking. Furthermore, it has now been found that this observed correlation between millability and crushability can be extrapolated to indicate how a product will respond to food processing operations such as milling, which break down food products into smaller pieces for ease of manufacture. Crumbleability is typically tested by placing the ingredient on a test platform. The TA.XT's flat-moving instrument probe is mechanically lowered onto the material on the test platform. The machine is designed to measure the force applied as the probe moves downward. When the probe reaches the material on the platform, it encounters resistance, thus requiring a greater force to continue moving downward. If the material is extremely hard, the probe will experience high levels of resistance and will apply increasing amounts of force until the machine reaches its maximum and the test ends. Once the material breaks, the force required to continue lowering the probe to the platform height decreases. The probe typically experiences a high level of resistance at the start of the test, requiring a sudden drop in force as the material being tested breaks into fragments. This is known as the "initial breaking force." However, as the probe continues to move down toward the platform and applies force on smaller fragments of material, a higher peak force is generated, which then drops significantly as the material fragments break into increasingly smaller pieces. Once the probe hits the platform, the test ends. If the material is very brittle (i.e., easily broken), the instrument probe will experience multiple breakage events.

[0226] Chickpeas, after drying or roasting, typically have a dense and hard starch structure, making them difficult to grind / break down. When untreated chickpeas (e.g., by acid hydrolysis) are roasted until they reach an internal temperature of 209°C, they become extremely dense and hard. In fact, the TA.XT instrument cannot break untreated roasted chickpeas in a standard breaking force test. The instrument is overloaded due to the hardness of the chickpeas and cannot display measurement results. Figure 1A This indicates that grinding chickpeas for processing into food products (such as coffee-flavored beverages) is particularly challenging. However, when chickpeas were subjected to an acid hydrolysis test at 75°C with 0.175% phosphoric acid for 30 minutes, followed by dehydration until they reached a moisture content of 12%, and then roasted to the internal chickpea temperature of 209°C for the same amount of time as control (untreated) chickpeas, these chickpeas were much more brittle. When fracture force tests were performed on pre-treated (e.g., acid-treated) and roasted chickpeas, TA.XT successfully broke the chickpeas through multiple fracture events. Representative figures are in Figure 1B The results are presented graphically. These results indicate that acid hydrolysis treatment improves the processability of chickpeas by increasing their crushability.

[0227] Example 2 - Enzyme Treatment of Lignocellulose Plant Substrates Grape seeds, with their fibrous structure and relatively high lignin (lignocellulose) content, are typically difficult to break down using conventional food processing methods. Further research was conducted to test the efficacy of enzymatic decomposition as a pretreatment for grape seeds. As discussed below in the research on grape seed processing, lignin swelling at higher pH and the combination of caustic alkali treatment with enzymatic treatment showed higher grindability for each enzyme treatment tested, compared to the control and compared to pH treatment alone. Various treatments of grape seeds from white wine grapes, followed by grinding in a stone mixer, as described below, demonstrated that the currently described treatment method significantly improved process efficiency because the grape seeds were more brittle and easier to grind without causing liquefaction, thus preserving the structure of the grape seeds to make them suitable for roasting and grinding.

[0228] The Hegman gauge (fineness meter) can be used to measure the average particle size of wet materials such as roasted and ground wet seeds, grape seed extract, seeds that have been added with fat or liquid and then wet-milled into a paste, seeds that have been dry-milled and then added with fat or liquid, grape seed fillers, berry seed fillers, control chocolate products, chocolate with fillers, or any other chocolate products. To prepare the grape seed sample used in this study, an aliquot was diluted 1:1 with a neutral oil (e.g., sunflower oil) to break up any agglomerates. The fineness meter has a grooved base with grooves that have a height calibrated according to particle diameter. An aliquot of the diluted material is poured into the grooves. Moving from the larger end to the smaller end (i.e., from the deeper groove to the shallower groove), the fineness meter is pressed at a small angle with a steel flat edge (scraper). Upon reaching the end of the gauge, a pattern is observed in the grooves. Specifically, stripes indicate a particle size greater than the groove depth at that point. The location of the groove where the stripes initially form indicates the high end of the distribution, and the point where 50%–75% of the surface stripes are observed indicates the average particle size. Therefore, in addition to average particle size, fineness gauges also provide an indication of particle size distribution.

[0229] Additional measurements were taken to determine if there were any indications that the grape seeds were breaking down further into smaller fragments. These measurements were obtained using a Zahn cup (ASTM D4212), a metric frequently used in the dairy industry to measure the viscosity of materials. Specifically, the Zahn cup measures the time it takes for a material to flow through a standard hole drilled through it. The shorter the time it takes for the material to flow through the cup, the less viscous the material. Conversely, if the material takes longer to flow through the cup, it is more viscous.

[0230] In this study, grape seeds were coarsely ground in a spice grinder until the seed particles were approximately 0.2 mm–0.5 mm in size. The product was then mixed with water and... Figure 2 The treatment was performed for 30 minutes. The treated product was poured into a tray and dehydrated at 60°C for 24 hours, then calcined in a benchtop calciner at 160°C for 30 minutes. The product from the calciner was then added to a stone mixer (Cocoatown) and mixed with molten palm oil at 40°C–50°C at a seed:fat ratio of 40:60, and milled for 16 hours under maximum stone pressure. Particle size was measured at 16 hours of milling using a Hegman milling meter. Measurements were repeated to provide the average particle size for each sample, which was reported in [the relevant document / document]. Figure 2 In all treatments, enhanced seed breakability was observed, as indicated by lower grain size compared to the control.

[0231] In addition, the viscosity of enzyme-treated slurries was measured at 40°C using a Zahn cup. When evaluating various slurries from the mixer after particle size measurements, the control slurry for seeds and fats had slightly larger particles that could not freely pass through the Zahn cup, and it became clogged midway through the measurement. The pH-treated sample flowed freely through the cup in 10.71 seconds. Values ​​higher than the pH-adjusted treatment (without enzyme treatment) indicate that the sample took longer to pass through the cup, suggesting more interaction between the seed material and the fat medium, and therefore a more viscous product. Some enzyme-treated samples showed increased viscosity compared to the pH-treated samples, indicating more interaction between the seeds and the fat medium. It is possible that the reduced particle size results in an increased surface area of ​​the seed particles, leading to more fat being adsorbed onto the particle surface due to the nature of the liquid milling process, resulting in less free-flowing fat and a thicker viscosity. However, in some cases, the increased viscosity may be due to additional particle interactions between the fat medium and seed decomposition products, as samples with smaller particles do not always show increased slurry viscosity. For example, pectinase treatment of seeds resulted in better seed breakdown and a 20% increase in seed size reduction, but Zahn cup measurements showed lower values ​​than the pH treatment alone. This indicates that pectinase may cause larger molecules to break down into smaller structural units compared to other enzymes tested. Several cellulases, xylanases, and hemicellulases showed enhanced interactions with lipid mediators compared to pH treatment alone. Figure 2 The treatment using the two rightmost columns (in bold) is highly effective in obtaining products that are easier to grind. Therefore, these studies suggest that the combination of pH treatment and enzymatic treatment can enhance the functionality of food ingredients that are often more challenging to use in food and beverage production.

[0232] Example 3 - Chickpea Coffee Alternative Beverage Produced by Phosphoric Acid Treatment Use the following steps to obtain a replica of the chickpea coffee beverage.

[0233] 1) Prepare a solution containing water and 0.1% w / w-0.6% w / w 65% phosphoric acid solution and heat it to 85°C.

[0234] 2) Add chickpeas to the phosphoric acid solution to create a 50% chickpea, 50% acid solution mixture. Gently stir to ensure all chickpeas are in contact with the acid solution. Continue stirring for 15 to 60 minutes.

[0235] 3) After 15 to 60 minutes, drain the syrup and place the chickpeas in the electric coffee roaster.

[0236] 4) Roast the chickpeas to 185℃-225℃ to obtain roasted chickpeas that retain individual structures suitable for grinding in the next step.

[0237] 5) Grind the pretreated (e.g., acid-treated) and roasted chickpeas to a particle size of about 0.250 mm to about 5 mm.

[0238] 6) Extract the ground particles for 5 to 45 minutes with water at 60°C to 85°C via a recirculating pan at 4% w / w-36% w / w grind: water.

[0239] 7) Cool the extract to 10°C and filter it through 25-micron filter paper.

[0240] 8) Dilute the extract with water and add up to about 1% w / w caffeine, one or more acids (e.g., citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid and / or phosphoric acid) and / or one or more flavoring agents (e.g., volatile organic compounds, essential oils, plant extracts and / or oleoresins) to obtain a final beverage that can be used as a coffee substitute.

[0241] Example 4 - Chickpea Coffee Alternative Beverages Prepared Using Different Acids, Temperatures, and Time Lengths Using sulfuric or hydrochloric acid pretreatment of chickpeas at different temperatures, the following steps are used to produce a chickpea coffee beverage authentic.

[0242] Sulfuric acid-treated chickpeas 1) Prepare a solution containing water and 0.1% w / w-1% w / w 99% sulfuric acid solution and heat it to 60℃-90℃.

[0243] 2) Add chickpeas to the sulfuric acid solution to produce a 50% chickpea, 50% sulfuric acid solution mixture, and gently stir the mixture to ensure all legumes are in contact with the acid solution. Continue stirring for 15 to 60 minutes.

[0244] 3) After 15 to 60 minutes, drain the syrup and place the chickpeas in the electric coffee roaster.

[0245] 4) Roast the chickpeas to 185°C to 225°C to obtain pretreated and roasted chickpeas in which the integrity of the chickpeas is preserved and suitable for grinding in the next step.

[0246] 5) Grind the pretreated and roasted chickpeas to produce particles with a size of about 0.250 mm to about 5 mm.

[0247] 6) Extract the ground particles for 5 to 45 minutes with water at 60°C to 85°C via a recirculating pan at 4% w / w-36% w / w grind: water.

[0248] 7) Cool the extract to 10°C and filter it through 25-micron filter paper.

[0249] 8) Dilute the extract and add caffeine, one or more acids (e.g., citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid and / or phosphoric acid) and / or one or more flavoring agents (e.g., volatile organic compounds, essential oils, plant extracts and / or oleoresins) to obtain a final beverage that can be used as a coffee substitute.

[0250] Several additional batches were prepared with slight variations in reaction conditions (e.g., percentage of acid solution added, type of acid used, temperature, and / or time). These formulations also produced successful results.

[0251] Chickpeas treated with hydrochloric acid 1) Prepare a solution containing water and 0.1% w / w-0.6% w / w 37% hydrochloric acid and heat it to 60℃-90℃.

[0252] 2) Add chickpeas to the hydrochloric acid solution to create a 50% chickpea, 50% hydrochloric acid mixture, and gently stir the mixture to ensure all legumes are in contact with the acid solution. Continue stirring for 15 to 60 minutes.

[0253] 3) After 15 to 60 minutes, drain the syrup and place the chickpeas in the electric coffee roaster.

[0254] 4) Roast the chickpeas to 185°C to 225°C to obtain pretreated and roasted chickpeas in which the integrity of the chickpeas is preserved and suitable for grinding in the next step.

[0255] 5) Grind the pretreated and roasted chickpeas to a particle size of about 0.250 mm to about 5 mm.

[0256] 6) Extract the milled material with water at 60°C-85°C for 5 to 45 minutes via a recirculating pot at 4% w / w-36% w / w milled material: water.

[0257] 7) Cool the extract to 10°C and filter it through 25-micron filter paper.

[0258] 8) Dilute the extract and add caffeine, one or more acids (e.g., citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid and / or phosphoric acid) and / or one or more flavoring agents (e.g., volatile organic compounds, essential oils, plant extracts and / or oleoresins) to obtain a final beverage that can be used as a coffee substitute.

[0259] Example 5 - Seed material processing (pH alteration as a solution) Grape seeds are processed according to the following procedure to produce roasted grape seeds suitable for grinding without causing liquefaction. The integrity of the grape seed structure is preserved, making the seeds suitable for roasting and grinding.

[0260] 1) Clean whole seeds using equipment such as a destoner, hulling table, suction channel, sieving table, optical sorter, sieve, or a combination thereof to remove chaff, broken material, and other products of agricultural origin (e.g., stones, bark, stems, and sticks). The target impurities at the end of the cleaning process are less than 0.5% w / w. To determine impurities, visually inspect one kilogram sample of clean, whole seeds and manually sort to remove chaff, broken material, and other products not removed during the cleaning process. This produces two manually sorted samples, which are weighed. Impurities are reported as a percentage of the clean sample (approximately 0.1%–10% impurities, approximately 90%–99.9% clean seeds).

[0261] 2) Cleaned whole seeds were treated in water at elevated temperatures (e.g., 75°C to 100°C) with agitation in a chemical solution comprising one or more caustic agents (e.g., alkalis such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, alkaline solution, sodium carbonate, calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, and / or potassium bicarbonate), one or more oxidizing agents (e.g., hydrogen peroxide and / or iodine), and optional reactive components (e.g., one or more sugars, amino acids, transition / catalyst metals, and / or salts) for 30 to 120 minutes to achieve a pH of 8–10. An increase in pH was observed as a function of temperature and the duration of agitation of the seeds in the caustic alkaline solution; treatment of whole seeds in the caustic alkaline solution at the higher end of the 75°C to 100°C temperature range and / or for the higher end of the 30 to 120 minute time range resulted in a pH at the higher end of the pH 8–10 range. In some cases, in conjunction with the above-mentioned chemical solution treatment (before or after the chemical solution treatment), whole seeds were also enzymatically treated with a solution containing one or more enzymes (such as pectinase, cellulase, hemicellulase, xylanase, and / or tanninase) under agitation for 30 to 120 minutes. Enzymes were observed to facilitate the breakdown of the tough, lignin-heavy fibrous material in grape seeds or other fruit seeds.

[0262] 3) Sift the seeds and dry the two resulting streams separately, and / or use a vacuum to remove the liquid, then evaporate more moisture from the slurry. The target moisture content after drying is 2% w / w to 10% w / w (e.g., about 6% w / w). When the slurry itself is vacuumed, the target moisture content is less than 25% w / w (e.g., about 20% w / w). Measure the moisture content using a moisture balance based on the loss on drying method. Weigh the wet sample on the balance, place it in an oven, and heat until the drying period is over (until the sample reaches equilibrium), then weigh it again on the balance. The weight loss is the moisture content of the sample.

[0263] 4) Calcination of the seeds and solids from step 3 at 140°C–200°C (e.g., 150°C–175°C) for approximately 20 minutes to approximately 120 minutes (e.g., approximately 15 minutes to 60 minutes or approximately 45 minutes) using convection, conduction, or a combination of both. Upon completion of calcination, the seeds are observed to have turned dark brown and developed coffee-like sensory aromas. The dark brown color is particularly pronounced when calcining seeds for which the pH was adjusted to the higher end of the pH range of 8–10 in step 2. Moisture content is again measured using a moisture balance method based on loss on drying, as described in step 3. The target moisture content after calcination is less than 2% w / w.

[0264] 5) The seeds and other solids from the roasting step are ground into a refined paste with a particle size of 350 µm or smaller (e.g., 150 µm or smaller) using a mill (e.g., wet mill, crusher mill, disc mill, espresso mill, stone mill, or jet mill), and optionally sieved to remove unwanted material. For example, sieving with a sieve or mesh after milling allows the removal of any larger particles or foreign material (e.g., leaf or stem portions) that inadvertently passed through the earlier seed material processing steps. In some wet milling embodiments, fats or liquid oils (e.g., vegetable fats, such as cocoa butter or cocoa butter equivalents) are added to the pre-ground roasted seeds in an amount of 30%–60%, and the combination is then ground into a paste by wet milling on a stone mill (e.g., stone mixer), colloid mill, blade mill, or corundum mill.

[0265] Example 6 - Seed Material Processing (Reaction Agents During Soaking / Roasting) Grape seeds are processed according to the following procedure to produce roasted grape seeds suitable for grinding without causing liquefaction. The integrity of the grape seed structure is preserved, making the seeds suitable for roasting and grinding.

[0266] 1) Clean whole seeds using equipment such as a destoner, hulling table, suction channel, sieving table, optical sorter, sieve, or a combination thereof to remove chaff, broken material, and other products of agricultural origin (e.g., stones, bark, stems, and sticks). The target impurities at the end of the cleaning process are less than 0.5% w / w. To measure impurities, visually inspect one kilogram sample of clean, whole seeds and manually sort to remove chaff, broken material, and other products not removed during the cleaning process. This produces two manually sorted samples, which are weighed. Impurities are reported as a percentage of the clean sample (approximately 0.1%–10% impurities, approximately 90%–99.9% clean seeds).

[0267] 2) Seeds are sprayed and mixed with a chemical solution comprising one or more caustic agents (e.g., alkalis such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, alkaline solution, sodium carbonate, calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide and / or potassium bicarbonate), one or more oxidizing agents (e.g., hydrogen peroxide and / or iodine), and optionally additional reactive components (e.g., sugars, amino acids, transition / catalyst metals and / or salts) at elevated temperatures (e.g., 60°C to 150°C) with agitation to disperse and coat each seed until a pH of 5.5 to 10.5 is achieved. For example, seeds are soaked in the solution until pH 8.5. The increase in pH is observed to be a function of temperature and the length of time the seeds are agitated with the caustic alkali solution; treatment of whole seeds in the caustic alkali solution at temperatures at the higher end of the 60°C to 150°C range and / or at a time length at the higher end of the 30-120 minute range results in a pH at the higher end of the pH range of 5.5–10.5. In some cases, in conjunction with the above-mentioned chemical solution treatment (before or after the chemical solution treatment), whole seeds were enzymatically treated with a solution containing one or more enzymes (e.g., pectinase, cellulase, hemicellulase, xylanase, and / or tanninase) under agitation for 30 to 120 minutes. Enzymes were observed to facilitate the breakdown of the tough, lignin-heavy fibrous material of the grape seeds. Temperature and air velocity were increased to evaporate water and dry the seeds.

[0268] 3) Place the seeds in a convection / conduction roaster at a temperature of at least 100°C under full convection and dry until the measured moisture content is less than about 4% w / w.

[0269] 4) Once dried, raise the roasting temperature to above 125°C (e.g., up to 200°C) and roast the seeds using convection, conduction, or a combination of both. For example, roast the dried seeds in a convection roaster at a temperature of 140°C to 200°C for 20 to 120 minutes (e.g., 30 minutes at 380°F) to obtain roasted seeds. After roasting, the seeds are observed to have turned dark brown and developed coffee-like sensory aromas. The dark brown color is particularly pronounced when roasting seeds whose pH has been adjusted to the higher end of the pH range in step 2.

[0270] 5) The seeds and other solids from the roasting step are ground to a particle size of 350 µm or smaller (e.g., 150 µm or smaller) using a mill (e.g., wet mill, crusher mill, disc mill, espresso mill, stone mill, or jet mill), and optionally sieved to remove unwanted material. For wet milling, fats or liquid oils (e.g., vegetable fats, such as cocoa butter or cocoa butter equivalents) are added to the seeds in an amount of 30%–60% by weight, and the combination is then ground into a paste by wet milling on a stone mill (e.g., stone mixer), colloid mill, blade mill, or corundum mill to produce wet-milled grape seeds in paste form.

[0271] Example 7 - Seed material processing (pH altered as a solution, followed by enzymatic hydrolysis) Grape seeds are processed according to the following procedure to produce roasted grape seeds suitable for grinding without causing liquefaction. The integrity of the grape seed structure is preserved, making the seeds suitable for roasting and grinding.

[0272] 1) Clean whole seeds using equipment such as a destoner, hulling table, suction channel, sieving table, optical sorter, sieve, or a combination thereof to remove chaff, broken material, and other products of agricultural origin (e.g., stones, bark, stems, and sticks). The target impurities at the end of the cleaning process are less than 0.5% w / w. To determine impurities, visually inspect one kilogram sample of clean, whole seeds and manually sort to remove chaff, broken material, and other products not removed during the cleaning process. This produces two manually sorted samples, which are weighed. Impurities are reported as a percentage of the clean sample (approximately 0.1%–10% impurities, approximately 90%–99.9% clean seeds).

[0273] 2) Cleaned whole seeds are treated in water at elevated temperatures (e.g., 75°C to 100°C) with agitation in a chemical solution comprising one or more caustic agents (e.g., alkalis such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, alkaline solution, sodium carbonate, calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, and / or potassium bicarbonate), one or more oxidizing agents (e.g., hydrogen peroxide and / or iodine), and optional reactive components (e.g., one or more sugars, amino acids, transition / catalyst metals, and / or salts) for 30 to 120 minutes to achieve a pH of 8-10. For example, a final pH of 8-8.5 is achieved using sodium hydroxide while agitating the mixture at 75°C-100°C for 30 to 60 minutes. An increase in pH is observed as a function of temperature and the length of time the seeds are agitated in the caustic alkaline solution; treatment of whole seeds in the caustic alkaline solution at the higher end of the 75°C to 100°C temperature range and / or at the higher end of the 30-120 minute time range results in a pH at the higher end of the pH 8-10 range. In some cases, in conjunction with the above-mentioned chemical solution treatment (before or after treatment with a chemical solution containing, for example, caustic alkali), whole seeds are also enzymatically treated for 30 to 120 minutes with an aqueous solution containing one or more enzymes (such as glycosylase, protease, ligninase, pectinase, cellulase, hemicellulase, xylanase, and / or tanninase) under agitation. Enzymes have been observed to facilitate the breakdown of the tough, lignin-heavy fibrous material in grape seeds or other fruit seeds. For example, after a pH adjustment process, 0.1%–0.5% cellulase can be used for 30 minutes at 50–65°C to increase breakdown while maintaining seed integrity for future processing. Optionally, grape seeds can be treated with acid (such as a chemical solution containing hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, or phosphoric acid) before or after alkali treatment and / or enzymatic treatment. Further, optionally, the seeds may be treated with an enzyme solution containing one or more enzymes (such as glycosylase, protease, cellulase, ligninase, hemicellulase, xylanase, or tanninase) before or after roasting and / or before or after grinding into particles.

[0274] 3) Sift the seeds and dry the two resulting streams separately, and / or use a vacuum to remove the liquid, then evaporate more moisture from the slurry. The target moisture content after drying is 2% w / w to 10% w / w (e.g., about 6% w / w). When the slurry itself is vacuumed, the target moisture content is less than 25% w / w (e.g., about 20% w / w). Measure the moisture content using a moisture balance based on the loss on drying method. Weigh the wet sample on the balance, place it in an oven, and heat until the drying period is over (until the sample reaches equilibrium), then weigh it again on the balance. The weight loss is the moisture content of the sample.

[0275] 4) Calcination of the seeds and solids from step 3 at 140°C–200°C (e.g., 150°C–175°C) for approximately 20 minutes to approximately 120 minutes (e.g., approximately 15 minutes to 60 minutes or approximately 45 minutes) using convection, conduction, or a combination of both. Upon completion of calcination, the seeds are observed to have turned dark brown and developed coffee-like sensory aromas. The dark brown color is particularly pronounced when calcining seeds for which the pH was adjusted to the higher end of the pH range of 8–10 in step 2. Moisture content is again measured using a moisture balance method based on loss on drying, as described in step 3. The target moisture content after calcination is less than 2% w / w.

[0276] 5) The seeds and other solids from the roasting step are ground into a refined paste with a particle size of 350 µm or smaller (e.g., 150 µm or smaller) using a mill (e.g., wet mill, crusher mill, disc mill, espresso mill, stone mill, or jet mill), and optionally sieved to remove unwanted material. For example, sieving with a sieve or mesh after milling allows the removal of any larger particles or foreign material (e.g., leaf or stem portions) that inadvertently passed through the earlier seed material processing steps. In some wet milling embodiments, fats or liquid oils (e.g., vegetable fats, such as cocoa butter or cocoa butter equivalents) are added to the pre-ground roasted seeds in an amount of 30%–60%, and the combination is then ground into a paste by wet milling on a stone mill (e.g., stone mixer), colloid mill, blade mill, or corundum mill.

[0277] Example 8 - GC-MS Analysis of Acid-Treated and Untreated Chickpeas As described above, roasting is a combination of Maillard browning and caramelization reactions, which increases the concentration of volatile compounds (VOCs), typically associated with increased consumer preference and a deeper brown color in food products. In addition to the colorimetric (L-value) data shown above (which demonstrates the effect of acid hydrolysis pretreatment on roasting), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was performed to quantify the VOCs present after roasting. As described below, hydrolyzed and unhydrolyzed chickpea soaked samples from moderately and deeply roasted chickpeas were analyzed by GC-MS to compare VOC profiles, showing that chickpeas pretreated with acid hydrolysis before roasting had superior VOC profiles compared to untreated chickpeas.

[0278] Sample preparation VOCs were simultaneously extracted from chickpea-prepared samples for GC-MS analysis using stir bar adsorption extraction (SBSE) and thin-film solid-phase microextraction (TF-SPME). Samples were prepared by adding 5 mL of each type of chickpea-prepared sample (n=3) to 20 mL glass headspace vials. Five μL of methanol containing 2-methyl-3-heptanone (50 µg / mL), 6-undecaneone (50 µg / mL), 2-isobutyl-3-methylpyrazine (50 µg / mL), 6-pentyl-2-pyranone (100 µg / mL), and 4-... Uncle An internal standard solution of butylphenol (500 µg / mL) was added to each sample. For SBSE, a 10 mm long TWISTER™ stir bar, placed in a 0.5 mm thick polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane (Gerstel GmbH, Germany), was immersed in 5 mL of the sample in the headspace vial. For TF-SPME, the device (20 mm × 4.8 mm) was coated with a 450 µM thick polydimethylsiloxane / divinylbenzene (PDMS / DVB) phase (Gerstel GmbH, Germany). The TF-SPME was held in the headspace above the 5 mL sample in the headspace vial using a TF-SPME holder (20 mm) (Gerstel GmbH, Germany). The headspace vial was capped, and the sample was extracted by stirring at 800 rpm for 23 hours at ambient temperature. After 23 hours, the TF-SPME and TWISTER™ were removed from the sample. The sample was then extracted using a KIMWIPE. ® Blot dry the TF-SPME and transfer it to a desorption liner (Gerstel GmbH, Germany). Rinse the TWISTER™ with a few milliliters of deionized water and use a KIMWIPE. ® The sample was aspirated and transferred to the same desorption liner as the TF-SPME. The desorption liner containing TF-SPME and Twister was analyzed by GC-MS.

[0279] GC-MS analysis The GC-MS system consists of an Agilent 8890 GC (Agilent Technologies, USA) with a 7000D triple quadrupole MS. The GC-MS is equipped with a Gerstel MultiPurpose Sampler Robotic Pro (MPS), Thermal Desorption Unit 2 (TDU), Cooled Injection System 4C (CIS), a C506 controller with liquid nitrogen cooling for the CIS, a universal Peltier cooler (UPC) for the TDU, an EPC pneumatic module for the CIS used with the Agilent 8890, and an Automated Tube Changer (ATEX) option for the MPS (Gerstel GmbH, Germany). A Stabilwax-MS (30 m, 0.25 mm ID, 0.25 µM film thickness) GC column (Restek, USA) is used. The CIS is equipped with a deactivated, notched glass wool liner (Gerstel GmbH, Germany). The Agilent GC-MS is controlled by MassHunter GCMS acquisition software (Agilent Technologies, USA). The Gerstel components are controlled by Maestro software (Gerstel GmbH, Germany).

[0280] The sample was desorbed in the TDU at an initial temperature of 30 °C for 0.5 min, followed by a temperature increase to 250 °C at 720 °C / min and a hold for 5 min. The TDU transfer temperature was fixed at 280 °C, and the desorption mode in the TDU was splitless. The desorbed compound was captured in the CIS at an initial temperature of -120 °C for 0.2 min equilibration, followed by a temperature increase to 275 °C at 12 °C / s and a hold for 3 min. The inlet pneumatic device was operated in solvent discharge mode at a pressure of 13.356 psi, with a purge flow rate of 20 mL / min at 0.01 min and an exhaust flow rate of 60 mL / min. Helium was used as the carrier gas at a flow rate of 1 mL / min. The GC oven was set to an initial temperature of 40 °C and held for 5 min, followed by a temperature increase to 190 °C at 3 °C / min, then a further increase to 250 °C at 10 °C / min and a hold for 5 min, for a total run time of 66 min. The collision chamber used helium as the quenching gas at a flow rate of 2.25 mL / min, and nitrogen as the collision gas at a flow rate of 1.5 mL / min. The MS transfer line was set to 250 °C, the source temperature to 230 °C, and the quadrupole to 150 °C. The ion source was operated at 70 eV in electron bombardment (EI) mode. A solvent delay of 2.8 minutes was used. The MS was operated in scan mode with a scan time of 245 ms and a scan range of 35 amu to 350 amu.

[0281] Identification of volatile compounds Compounds were identified by comparing their retention times and mass spectra with libraries generated using analytical reference standards. Compounds without available references were identified by comparing their retention indices (RIs) and mass spectra with available databases. A mixture of alkanes containing 40 µg / mL of C8-C20 straight-chain alkanes in hexane (Sigma, USA) was incorporated into 5 mL of water (5 µL) and analyzed in the same manner as chickpea-based sample preparation to calculate RIs. The NIST mass spectrometry database (version 2.4, established March 24, 2020) was used to search for mass spectra and polarity RI values. Additionally, RI values ​​were searched for in Flavornet (www.flavornet.org / index.html) and the Leibniz-LSB@TUM odorant database (www.leibniz-lsb.de / en / databases / leibniz-lsbtum-odorant-database / start / ).

[0282] Data Analysis Table 7 lists the compounds identified in these studies, the ions used for peak integration, and the retention times. Representative chromatograms are shown in the figure. Figure 3 , Figures 4A to 4C and Figure 5 The average peak area for each compound in the sample processing is shown in Table 8. Peak area data from each sample were used to generate a heatmap using MetaboAnalyst software (new.metaboanalyst.ca / MetaboAnalyst / home.xhtml, version 5.0). Distance measurement was Euclidian, and the clustering method was Ward (…). Figure 6 ).

[0283] Table 7. The identified compounds, the ions used for peak integration, and the retention times

[0284] Table 8. Average peak area of ​​compounds identified during sample processing

[0285] * Bold indicates reaction products of Maillard reaction or caramelization, where increased concentration of hydrolysis pretreatment is demonstrated.

[0286] < indicates the peak area threshold for counts less than 50,000.

[0287] Another way to visualize and analyze this data is by using heatmaps, such as... Figure 6 As shown in the figure. Heatmaps make it easier to compare the concentrations of compounds in similar samples to indicate which compounds are more prevalent in the sample. Typically, dark gray indicates compounds with larger peak areas, and light gray indicates compounds with smaller peak areas, and peak area is directly related to concentration. Euclidian distance measurements and Ward clustering are also used to statistically group samples based on similarity and difference, such as... Figure 6 The top and left branches are shown.

[0288] like Figure 6 As shown, the acid-hydrolyzed, deeply and moderately roasted chickpea samples had higher amounts of the identified compounds, with those pointing towards the middle and bottom of the graph. These compounds were more associated with browning reactions (caramelization, Maillard browning, and / or Strecker degradation). The acid-hydrolyzed, deeply and moderately roasted samples were also analytically closer to each other than the other untreated roasted samples, as shown in the figure. Figure 6 The top branching clusters are shown. This is considered important because it indicates that the increased volatile compounds caused by acid hydrolysis have a greater impact on the untreated sample than roasting itself. In other words, deeply roasted chickpeas treated with pH adjustment (acid hydrolysis) are analytically closer to pH-adjusted medium-roasted chickpeas than to the deeply roasted control. Therefore, pretreatment significantly increases and enhances the roastability of chickpeas.

[0289] Example 9 - Viscosity of hydrolyzed and unhydrolyzed chickpea extracts As described below, viscometer testing indicates a significant difference in viscosity between untreated and treated chickpeas, with untreated chickpeas exhibiting a higher viscosity than their acid-treated counterparts. The viscous extract produced from untreated chickpeas indicates the presence of insoluble starch and / or protein that are not soluble in solution and cause the extract to gel.

[0290] Extracts prepared from acid-treated and untreated roasted chickpeas were analyzed using two different viscometers (Ubbelohde viscometer and Brookefield HA viscometer).

[0291] Viscometer preparation Clean the viscometer and place it in a temperature-controlled bath to maintain a constant temperature. Load the liquid sample whose viscosity is to be measured into the capillary tube, ensuring there are no air bubbles. The liquid flows through the narrow capillary tube due to gravity, and the time it takes to flow between two marked points on the tube is measured. Perform multiple measurements to calculate the average flow time, then combine this with a calibration constant to determine the liquid's viscosity. Calibrate the viscometer using a standard liquid with a known viscosity to establish the relationship between flow time and viscosity.

[0292] Extract preparation and testing To replicate coffee made from legumes in a concentrated form, it is desirable to concentrate the extract while maintaining a relatively low viscosity. High-viscosity extracts can cause burns to the evaporator and blockage of the atomizer nozzles during spray drying and concentration. Unbound by theory, it is believed that when proteins are subjected to heat, thermal energy disrupts their native structure through denaturation, involving the unfolding or alteration of their three-dimensional structure, including their secondary and tertiary structures. Heat gives protein molecules kinetic energy, leading to the breaking of weak bonds that maintain the protein's structure. As these bonds break, the protein unfolds, exposing its hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions. The unfolded proteins can then interact with each other through various types of bonding, such as hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, and disulfide bonds.

[0293] These interactions can lead to the formation of three-dimensional networks or gel-like structures. After gel formation, cooling the gel allows protein molecules to solidify and coagulate within the gel structure. The solidified gel retains its texture and shape even after cooling and can have useful applications.

[0294] For food industry applications, the formation of gel-like or gel-like structures is undesirable. To test the gelation of untreated roasted chickpea extract and treated roasted chickpea extract, viscosity was measured (Table 9). Untreated chickpea extract is not easily concentrated by evaporation because the proteins gel and the remaining product no longer functions as a liquid, but forms a solid. As a result, the product is unsuitable for coffee applications because it cannot flow through the evaporator for further concentration. Chickpea extract prepared from untreated chickpeas cannot be spray-dried due to its viscous gel-like state, as the product cannot be pumped into the spray dryer, and it also clogs the atomizer nozzles of the spray dryer.

[0295] In contrast, acid hydrolysis of chickpeas prior to roasting breaks down the proteins, and the application of heat to evaporate the water reduces or prevents protein gelation. The processed roasted chickpeas were then successfully further ground and extracted, reduced to form a concentrate, and dried into a soluble powder.

[0296] Extracts made from hydrolyzed or unhydrolyzed chickpeas were concentrated using a rising film evaporator, and then Brix and viscosity were measured to determine the extract's concentration and spray-drying capabilities. For hydrolysis, 10 kg of chickpeas were hydrolyzed by preparing a solution of water and 65% phosphoric acid and heating it to 85°C. The chickpeas were added and gently stirred, allowing all the chickpeas to contact the acid solution for 10 to 60 minutes (and in some runs, 45 minutes). After treatment with the acid solution, the pulp was drained, and the chickpeas were placed in a pneumatic drum roaster. The legumes were roasted to a temperature of approximately 185°C to 250°C. A second group of chickpeas was roasted raw (unhydrolyzed chickpeas).

[0297] Both hydrolyzed and unhydrolyzed chickpeas were ground to a particle size of approximately 0.250 mm to approximately 5 mm. The chickpeas were then extracted separately as follows. The ground roasted chickpeas were extracted in a recirculating pan, in which the ground material was placed on a false bottom. Extraction was carried out at 85°C for ten minutes. Water was pumped to the top as it permeated through the bed of ground chickpeas. When analyzing the yield, the volume of water entering was considered relative to the volume of extract exiting. The two chickpea extracts were then concentrated using a rising film evaporator. The rising film evaporator was set as follows: product temperature fluctuated between 71°C and 80°C, vacuum fluctuated between 0.6 bar and 0.7 bar, and the evaporator capacity was 8 L of water evaporated per hour. Once concentrate was produced from each batch, the whiteness and viscosity were measured.

[0298] Because of the significant viscosity difference between hydrolyzed and unhydrolyzed extracts, two viscosity measurement methods were used to verify the accuracy of the readings. The concentrate made from hydrolyzed chickpeas was measured using a Ubbelohde viscometer, while the concentrate made from unhydrolyzed chickpeas was measured using a Brookfield viscometer, as they gelled to the point that they did not act as Newtonian fluids and could not flow through the Ubbelohde viscometer. The results of these studies are presented in Table 9.

[0299] Table 9: Breadth and viscosity of processed and unprocessed chickpea concentrate

[0300] As shown in Table 9, even though the untreated roasted chickpea concentrate has a lower Brix (which inherently produces a lower viscosity than the acid-treated concentrate), its measured viscosity is much higher. This higher viscosity is also a clear indication of protein gelation. Both extracts are processed in the same manner, but due to gelation of the unhydrolyzed chickpea extract during the concentration process, the viscosity of the untreated concentrate is so high that it functions as a solid rather than a liquid.

[0301] Viscosity tests of concentrated extracts from roasted and untreated chickpeas revealed that hydrolyzing the fibrous-protein legume prior to roasting produced a product more suitable for downstream processing, such as extract concentration and spray drying. Therefore, acid treatment of the fibrous, proteinaceous components makes these matrices usable in applications that would be impossible without this treatment (e.g., in products such as coffee concentrate alternatives based on hydrolyzed roasted chickpeas).

[0302] Example 10 - Quantitative Analysis of Sedimentation and Sedimentary Potential Quantitative analysis of precipitate by centrifugation The sedimentation potential of particles in a liquid is measured in a centrifuge, where the liquid sample is subjected to high centrifugal force to observe and quantify the sedimentation behavior of suspended particles. Centrifugal force pushes particles away from the center of rotation, causing them to separate based on their differences in mass and density.

[0303] Extract preparation and testing An extract made from hydrolyzed and unhydrolyzed chickpeas is produced and then concentrated using a rising film evaporator. Ten kilograms of chickpeas are hydrolyzed by preparing a solution of water and 65% phosphoric acid and heating it to 85°C. The chickpeas are added and gently stirred, allowing all the chickpeas to contact the acid solution for 15 to 60 minutes. Afterward, the pulp is drained, and the chickpeas are placed in a pneumatic drum roaster. The legumes are roasted to a temperature of approximately 185°C to 240°C.

[0304] The second group of chickpeas were raw roasted (unhydrolyzed). Hydrolyzed and unhydrolyzed chickpeas were ground to a particle size of approximately 0.250 mm to approximately 5 mm. Chickpeas from each batch were extracted separately as follows: the ground roasted chickpeas were extracted in a recirculating pan with the mill placed on a false bottom. Extraction was carried out at 85°C for ten minutes. Water was pumped to the top as it permeated the milled chickpea bed. Four 50 g samples were collected from each extract and placed in an Allegra X-22R centrifuge, and the samples were rotated at 4500 RPM for 10 minutes. The supernatant from each sample was decanted and separated from the solid precipitate at the bottom of the tube. The weights of the supernatant and precipitate were measured to determine the amount of sediment present in each sample.

[0305] Table 10: Precipitates from extracts of processed and unprocessed roasted chickpeas

[0306] As shown in Table 10, the extract produced from roasted and hydrolyzed chickpeas produced 63% less precipitate than the extract produced from roasted and unhydrolyzed chickpeas. Therefore, the extract produced from hydrolyzed chickpeas yielded a more desirable product that is better suited to its intended purpose as a beverage.

[0307] Example 11 - Chickpea Coffee Alternative Beverage Prepared Using Acid Treatment followed by Enzyme Treatment Chickpeas are pretreated with sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, or hydrochloric acid, followed by enzymatic treatment, using the following steps to produce a chickpea coffee beverage simulant. In addition to acid treatment, the chickpeas are enzymatically treated with a solution containing one or more enzymes (such as glycosylase, protease, amylase, pectinase, cellulase, hemicellulase, xylanase, ligninase, and / or tanninase) to help break down the fibrous material of chickpea proteins and starches without causing liquefaction, which would otherwise break down the physical integrity of the chickpeas from a solid to a liquid form.

[0308] Sulfuric acid-treated chickpeas 1) Prepare a solution containing water and 0.1% w / w-1% w / w 99% sulfuric acid solution and heat it to 60℃-90℃.

[0309] 2) Add chickpeas to the sulfuric acid solution to produce a 50% chickpea, 50% sulfuric acid solution mixture, and gently stir the mixture to ensure all legumes are in contact with the acid solution. Continue stirring for 15 to 60 minutes.

[0310] 3) After 15 to 60 minutes, drain the slurry, rinse, and then treat with one or more enzyme solutions, each containing one or more enzymes, including aqueous solutions containing proteases (such as bromelain, alkaline protease, papain, or kiwifruit enzyme), glycosylases (such as amylase, α-amylase, β-amylase, lactase, sucrase, isomaltase, pectinase, cellulase, hemicellulase, xylanase, and / or tanninase), accompanied by agitation for 30 to 120 minutes. The enzyme solution contains approximately 0.1% to approximately 1% enzyme at a plant material:enzyme weight ratio of approximately 100:1. The dual enzymatic treatment consists of the following: a first enzymatic treatment with an enzyme solution of α-amylase and / or β-amylase (wherein α-amylase hydrolyzes internal α-1,4-glycosidic bonds within starch and glycogen to produce maltose, maltotriose, and dextrin, and β-amylase acts on the non-reducing ends of starch and glycogen to break the terminal α-1,4-glycosidic bonds to produce maltose), followed by a second enzymatic treatment with an enzyme solution containing lactase, sucrase, and / or isomaltase to aid in the breakdown of the products produced by α-amylase and / or β-amylase. Optionally, chickpeas are treated with an enzyme solution containing one or more glycosylases and / or proteases.

[0311] 4) Drain the chickpea solution and roast to a bean temperature of approximately 185°C–225°C. Optionally, after roasting but before grinding, enzymatically treat the chickpeas with a solution of one or more enzymes containing glycosylases and / or proteases.

[0312] 5) Grind the pretreated and roasted chickpeas to produce particles with a size of about 0.250 mm to about 5 mm. Optionally, after grinding, the chickpeas are enzymatically treated with a solution of one or more enzymes containing glycosylase and / or protease.

[0313] 6) Optionally, if the desired final product is a beverage or liquid concentrate, the milled particles are extracted in a recirculating pan with 4% w / w-36% w / w milled material: water at 60°C-85°C for 5 to 45 minutes.

[0314] 7) Cool the extract to 10°C and filter it through 25-micron filter paper.

[0315] 8) Dilute the extract and add caffeine, one or more acids and / or one or more flavorings to obtain a final beverage that can be used as a coffee substitute.

[0316] 9) Optionally, chickpeas are treated with an enzyme solution containing one or more cellulases, ligninases or hemicellulases prior to the acid treatment in step 1.

[0317] Chickpeas treated with hydrochloric acid 1) Prepare a solution containing water and 0.1% w / w-0.6% w / w 37% hydrochloric acid and heat it to 60℃-90℃.

[0318] 2) Add chickpeas to the hydrochloric acid solution to create a 50% chickpea, 50% hydrochloric acid mixture, and gently stir the mixture to ensure all legumes are in contact with the acid solution. Continue stirring for 15 to 60 minutes.

[0319] 3) After 15 to 60 minutes, drain the slurry, rinse, and then treat with one or more enzyme solutions, each containing one or more enzymes, including aqueous solutions containing proteases (such as bromelain, alkaline protease, papain, or kiwifruit enzyme), glycosylases (such as amylase, α-amylase, β-amylase, lactase, sucrase, isomaltase, pectinase, cellulase, hemicellulase, xylanase, and / or tanninase), accompanied by agitation for 30 to 120 minutes. The enzyme solution contains approximately 0.1% to approximately 1% enzyme at a plant material:enzyme weight ratio of approximately 100:1. The dual enzymatic treatment consists of the following: a first enzymatic treatment with an enzyme solution of α-amylase and / or β-amylase (wherein α-amylase hydrolyzes internal α-1,4-glycosidic bonds within starch and glycogen to produce maltose, maltotriose, and dextrin, and β-amylase acts on the non-reducing ends of starch and glycogen to break the terminal α-1,4-glycosidic bonds to produce maltose), followed by a second enzymatic treatment with an enzyme solution containing lactase, sucrase, and / or isomaltase to aid in the breakdown of the products produced by α-amylase and / or β-amylase. Optionally, chickpeas are treated with an enzyme solution containing one or more glycosylases and / or proteases.

[0320] 4) Drain the enzyme solution from the chickpeas and roast them at a temperature of approximately 185°C–225°C. Optionally, after roasting but before grinding, the chickpeas are enzymatically treated with a solution of one or more enzymes containing glycosylases and / or proteases.

[0321] 5) Grind the pretreated and roasted chickpeas to produce particles with a size of about 0.250 mm to about 5 mm. Optionally, after grinding, the chickpeas are enzymatically treated with a solution of one or more enzymes containing glycosylase and / or protease.

[0322] 6) Optionally, if the desired final product is a beverage or liquid concentrate, the milled particles are extracted in a recirculating pan with 4% w / w-36% w / w milled material: water at 60°C-85°C for 5 to 45 minutes.

[0323] 7) Cool the extract to 10°C and filter it through 25-micron filter paper.

[0324] 8) Dilute the extract and add caffeine, one or more acids and / or one or more flavorings to obtain a final beverage that can be used as a coffee substitute.

[0325] 9) Optionally, prior to the acid treatment in step 1, chickpeas are treated with an enzyme solution containing one or more enzymes, including one or more cellulases, ligninases, or hemicellulases. These enzymes facilitate the breakdown of fiber and protein in chickpeas and other legumes. For example, after the pH adjustment process, 0.1%–1% of the enzyme is used for 30 minutes at 50–65°C to increase breakdown while maintaining the legume's integrity for further processing.

[0326] Phosphoric acid-treated chickpeas 1) Prepare a solution containing water and 0.1% w / w-1% w / w of 85% phosphoric acid solution and heat it to 60℃-90℃.

[0327] 2) Add chickpeas to the phosphoric acid solution to create a 50% chickpea, 50% phosphoric acid solution mixture, and gently stir the mixture to ensure all legumes are in contact with the acid solution. Continue stirring for 15 to 60 minutes.

[0328] 3) After 15 to 60 minutes, drain the slurry, rinse, and then treat with one or more enzyme solutions, each containing one or more enzymes, including aqueous solutions containing proteases (such as bromelain, alkaline protease, papain, or kiwifruit enzyme), glycoenzymes (such as amylase, α-amylase, β-amylase, lactase, sucrase, isomaltase, pectinase, cellulase, hemicellulase, xylanase, and / or tanninase), accompanied by agitation for 30 to 120 minutes. The enzyme solution contains approximately 0.1% to approximately 1% enzyme at a plant material:enzyme weight ratio of approximately 100:1. Optionally, double enzyme treatment may be performed. The chickpeas are first enzymatically treated with an enzyme solution of α-amylase and / or β-amylase (wherein α-amylase hydrolyzes the internal α-1,4-glycosidic bonds within starch and glycogen to produce maltose, maltotriose, and dextrin, and β-amylase acts on the non-reducing ends of starch and glycogen to break the terminal α-1,4-glycosidic bonds to produce maltose). Following treatment, the solution is drained and the sample is second enzymatically treated with an enzyme solution containing lactase, sucrase, and / or isomaltase to aid in the breakdown of the products produced by α-amylase and / or β-amylase. Alternatively, chickpeas may be treated with an enzyme solution containing one or more glycosylases and / or proteases, in addition to or in place of the first or second enzymatic treatment.

[0329] 4) Drain the enzyme solution from the chickpeas and roast them to a bean temperature of approximately 185°C–225°C. Optionally, after roasting but before grinding, the chickpeas are enzymatically treated with a solution of one or more enzymes containing glycosylases and / or proteases.

[0330] 5) Grind the pretreated and roasted chickpeas to produce particles with a size of about 0.250 mm to about 5 mm. Optionally, after grinding, the chickpeas are enzymatically treated with a solution of one or more enzymes containing glycosylase and / or protease.

[0331] 6) Optionally, if the desired final product is a beverage or liquid concentrate, the milled particles are extracted in a recirculating pan with 4% w / w-36% w / w milled material: water at 60°C-85°C for 5 to 45 minutes.

[0332] 7) Cool the extract to 10°C and filter it through 25-micron filter paper.

[0333] 8) Dilute the extract and add caffeine, one or more acids and / or one or more flavorings to obtain a final beverage that can be used as a coffee substitute.

[0334] 9) Optionally, before the acid treatment in step 1, after the pH adjustment process, the chickpeas are treated with an enzyme solution of 0.1%-1% containing one or more enzymes (including one or more cellulases, ligninases or hemicellulases) at 50°C-65°C for 30 minutes to increase decomposition while keeping the legumes intact (and not liquefied) for further processing.

[0335] Example 12 - Hydrolysis of Leguminosae under Pressure - Chickpea Starch hydrolysis and protein denaturation are highly efficient under pressure. First, increased pressure accelerates the rate of acid hydrolysis. Increased pressure promotes more frequent molecular collisions and interactions between starch molecules and acids, thus accelerating the breakdown of starch into simpler sugars. The effect on starch hydrolysis is amplified when higher pressure is combined with increased temperature. Combining acid and pressure can have a synergistic effect on protein denaturation. For example, proteins subjected to both acidic conditions and high pressure can undergo faster or greater denaturation than those exposed to either factor alone. Acids can weaken protein structure, making them more susceptible to stress-induced changes.

[0336] To hydrolyze chickpeas, acid and water were applied at varying temperatures, times, and pressures. The solution was prepared from water, acid, and legumes. Different pressures, ranging from 1 to 10 bar, were applied. The chickpeas were then roasted in a drum roaster to a bean temperature of 215°C. The roasted chickpeas were then extracted in a recirculating pan. The extract was cooled. Analysis of measured NTU and Brie values ​​determined the optimal pressure, temperature, and time conditions for legume hydrolysis. Measurements of Brie and NTU were collected to determine how pressure affects chickpea hydrolysis. Based on research and observation, higher pressure resulted in more efficient hydrolysis, reduced insoluble matter (manifested as a decrease in NTU), and increased soluble matter (manifested as an increase in Brie). The saturation point (where an increase in pressure does not result in a linear increase in Brie or a linear decrease in NTU) determined the most effective pressure for chickpea hydrolysis.

[0337] The next parameter tested was temperature. Increased pressure allowed for the use of lower temperatures during hydrolysis. In these experiments, the amount, type, and time of acid were kept constant, but the hydrolysis reaction was carried out at different temperatures and pressures. Chickpeas were roasted in a drum roaster to a bean temperature of approximately 165°C–250°C. The roasted chickpeas were then extracted in a circulating pan. After cooling the extract, Brix and NTU were measured. Analysis of the measured NTU and Brix determined the optimal pressure, temperature, and time conditions for the hydrolysis of legumes.

[0338] Brix and NTU measurements were collected to determine how pressure and temperature affect chickpea hydrolysis. Based on studies and observations, hydrolysis is efficient at lower temperatures when under pressure. Increased hydrolysis efficiency manifests as a decrease in NTU and an increase in Brix at lower temperatures. The saturation point (where an increase in temperature does not result in a linear increase in Brix or a linear decrease in NTU) determined the most efficient pressure for chickpea hydrolysis.

[0339] The next parameter tested was time. Increasing pressure allowed for hydrolysis to be performed in less time. In these experiments, the amount and type of acid, and temperature were kept constant, but the hydrolysis reaction was carried out at different times and pressures. Chickpeas were roasted in a drum roaster to a bean temperature of 215°C. The roasted chickpeas were then extracted in a circulating pan. The extract was cooled and Brix and NTU were measured. NTU and Brix were measured to determine the most efficient combination of pressure, temperature, and time for legume hydrolysis. Based on research and observation, chickpea hydrolysis is efficient under pressure with less time. Increased hydrolysis efficiency manifests as a decrease in NTU and an increase in Brix over a shorter time. The saturation point (where an increase in time does indeed have a linear increase in Brix or a linear decrease in NTU) indicates the most efficient pressure and time for legume hydrolysis.

[0340] Example 13 - Preparation of coffee grinder from hydrolyzed chickpeas Four types of coffee grinders were prepared from chickpeas hydrolyzed with phosphoric acid using the following steps.

[0341] 1) Prepare a solution containing water and 0.1% w / w-0.6% w / w 65% phosphoric acid solution and heat it to 85°C.

[0342] 2) Add chickpeas to the phosphoric acid solution to create a 50% chickpea, 50% acid solution mixture. Gently stir to ensure all chickpeas are in contact with the acid solution. Continue stirring for 15 to 60 minutes.

[0343] 3) After 15 to 60 minutes, drain the syrup and place the chickpeas in the electric coffee roaster.

[0344] 4) Roast the chickpeas to 185℃-225℃ to obtain roasted chickpeas that retain individual structures suitable for grinding in the next step.

[0345] 5) Pre-treated (e.g., acid-treated) and roasted chickpeas are ground to produce four types of grinds: espresso, capsules or pods (e.g., single-serve coffee types produced by Nespresso® or Keurig®, respectively), filter coffee (e.g., grinds for conventional paper filter drip coffee makers), and cold brew (e.g., coffee brewed by steeping coarser ground coffee beans in water at room temperature or cooler temperatures for an extended period, typically between 12 and 24 hours, also known as cold water extraction or cold press).

[0346] Table 11. Particle size of various chickpea and coffee grinders

[0347] Chickpeas that have undergone pretreatment and roasting are ground using one or more grinders, such as, but not limited to, disc grinders, roller grinders, slab grinders, blade grinders, and hammer grinders. The grinding process of chickpeas is performed to obtain a specific particle size beneficial to different brewing techniques. As shown in Table 11, grounds with particle sizes suitable for four different coffee types are prepared using conventional coffee grinding equipment. For coarser grinds suitable for cold brew coffee, for example, grinders that produce relatively large, consistent particles are used. Suitable grinders include disc grinders, which use two rotating grinding surfaces (discs) to grind coffee beans. They are known for their consistency and ability to produce uniform grind sizes, and are particularly suitable for producing grinds for filter coffee. There are two main types of disc grinders. Flat disc grinders have two flat discs facing each other, and conical disc grinders have conical discs located inside annular discs. Disc grinders used for industrial coffee grinding are a type of grinder that uses flat discs to grind coffee beans to produce a consistent, coarser grind size suitable for cold brew. Roller mills are used to produce a fine, uniform particle size distribution suitable for espresso and capsule / pod formulations.

[0348] 6) Package the coffee grinder into containers suitable for each type (e.g., 5-20 grams per single coffee capsule or pod).

[0349] Sensory tests were performed on the prepared coffee substitutes (espresso, cold brew, capsule / pod, and filter). According to this embodiment, the results of the sensory tests on cold brew made from the coffee substitute grind are provided in Example 14 below.

[0350] Example 14 - Sensory Test of Cold Brewed Chickpea Coffee method Chickpea cold brew coffee was prepared using both hydrolyzed and unhydrolyzed chickpeas. Commercially available cold brew traditional coffee was purchased. The aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel of the samples were analyzed by members of the Sensory Spectrum Food and Beverage Panel, who are trained and experienced in each type of evaluation. Samples were prepared by trained Sensory Spectrum staff and presented at agreed-upon times. (Location: Sensory Spectrum, New Providence, NJ; Number of evaluators: 8–9; Evaluation dates: October 25–26, 2023)

[0351] The intensity of each attribute was rated on a 15-point scale, where 0 = none and 15 = very strong. This scale incorporates the ability to use decimal points and therefore has the potential for 150 scale differentials. If needed, the scale can be extended beyond 15 points to include extreme grades. Each sample was evaluated using the following procedure: each member of the expert panel received either a 5-ounce cold-brewed coffee served at refrigerated temperature or a 3-ounce hot coffee in a ceramic cup. Samples were blinded using a 3-digit code. All samples were ejected.

[0352] result The panel evaluated the following flavors, basic tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter) and sensory factors (mouthfeel) across thirty-two (32) assessment categories (including dark roast rating, “coffee impact” rating, and “total impact” rating): 1) traditional commercial black and unsweetened cold brew coffee, 2) unhydrolyzed medium roast chickpea cold brew coffee, and 3) hydrolyzed medium roast chickpea cold brew coffee. In sensory taste testing, the “coffee impact” rating is a comprehensive assessment of coffee sensory attributes such as aroma, flavor, acidity, consistency, and finish. This rating is typically derived from standardized cupping protocols, such as those used by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). Each attribute is rated according to a scale, and the ratings are combined to give a total impact rating that reflects the quality and consumer appeal of the coffee. The total impact rating in sensory taste testing is a comprehensive measure used to assess the overall sensory experience of a food or beverage. This rating typically combines various sensory attributes, such as taste, aroma, texture, and appearance, and is evaluated by a group of trained tasters or consumers. Each attribute is rated, and the scores are aggregated to provide an overall impact score that reflects the product’s sensory quality and consumer acceptance.

[0353] Table 12 is the sensory evaluation scorecard or sensory data table. This table includes columns for various sensory attributes (flavor, basic taste, and sensory factors (mouth)) and rows for each tested sample. Specialized team members recorded their scores for each attribute, and these scores were then analyzed to determine the overall sensory characteristics of the chickpea cold brew coffee product and the traditional commercial brand cold brew coffee product. The “Coffee Impact” score for hydrolyzed chickpea coffee was the same as that for commercial traditional cold brew coffee (both achieved a score of 5.5). Hydrolyzed chickpea coffee also had the same flavor scores as commercial traditional cold brew coffee for “Dark Roast,” “Woody,” “Raw (Vegetarian),” “Sweet Aroma,” “Caramelization,” and many other flavor profiles, for 17 out of a total of 26 flavor profiles, 3 out of 4 basic tastes, and 0 out of 2 mouth sensations. Unhydrolyzed chickpea coffee had the same flavor scores for 14 out of 26 flavor profiles, only 1 out of 4 basic tastes, and 0 out of 2 mouth sensations. Furthermore, unhydrolyzed chickpea coffee scored lower in terms of coffee impact, higher in terms of burnt / blackened flavor, and significantly higher in terms of bitterness.

[0354] Table 12. Chickpea (hydrolyzed and unhydrolyzed) "coffee" compared to commercial cold brew traditional coffee (black, unsweetened). Sensory evaluation scorecard

[0355] Figure 7 It is a graphical comparison of some sensory group ratings of the flavor characteristics of the same two chickpea coffees and one traditional cold brew coffee products across fifteen (15) flavor categories: 1) traditional commercial black and unsweetened cold brew coffee, 2) unhydrolyzed medium roast chickpea cold brew coffee, and 3) hydrolyzed medium roast chickpea cold brew coffee, and also provides a “total impact” rating.

[0356] As perceived by the sensory panel members, both unhydrolyzed and hydrolyzed chickpea cold brew coffee generally followed the flavor profile of traditional commercial cold brew coffee. This result indicates that even without hydrolysis, chickpea brew is considered to have a general coffee flavor. However, unhydrolyzed chickpea coffee exhibited off-flavors not present in traditional or hydrolyzed chickpea brew, such as burnt / blackened, meaty, and salty notes. In contrast, as perceived by the sensory panel members, hydrolyzed chickpea coffee closely resembled the flavor profile of commercial cold brew coffee. Hydrolyzed chickpea brew was perceived to have slightly higher "dark roast," "raw (fresh)," and "grain / granular" notes, but these deviations from the corresponding scores for traditional cold brew coffee were imperceptible.

[0357] These sensory test results provide useful information about the flavor differences or "gap" between conventional cold brew coffee and hydrolyzed and unhydrolyzed coffee, which can be used to manipulate the processing conditions (e.g., pH, temperature, pressure, time) of chickpea-based coffee to achieve flavor equivalent to conventional coffee products.

[0358] Example 15 - Soluble "instant coffee" particles from hydrolyzed chickpeas Use the following steps to obtain soluble "instant" coffee granules, pellets, or powder from acid-hydrolyzed and roasted chickpeas.

[0359] 1) Prepare a solution containing water and 0.1% w / w-1% w / w of 65% phosphoric acid and heat it to about 85°C.

[0360] 2) Add chickpeas to the phosphoric acid solution to create a 50% chickpea, 50% acid solution mixture. Gently stir to ensure all chickpeas are in contact with the acid solution. Continue stirring for 15 to 60 minutes.

[0361] 3) After 15 to 60 minutes, drain the syrup and place the chickpeas in the electric coffee roaster.

[0362] 4) Roast the chickpeas to 185℃-225℃ to obtain roasted chickpeas that retain individual structures suitable for grinding in the next step.

[0363] 5) Grind the pretreated (e.g., acid-treated) and roasted chickpeas to a particle size of about 0.250 mm to about 5 mm.

[0364] 6) Extract soluble coffee solids from ground chickpeas using a recirculating pan with 4% w / w–36% w / w grind:water at 60°C–175°C for 5 to 45 minutes. Water is the solvent chosen for extraction because it is a safe and readily available solvent that can dissolve many soluble compounds in coffee. In addition to water, organic solvents such as ethanol or ethyl acetate (compounds found in the fruit) are also considered. Continue extraction until the resulting solution contains approximately 15% w / w–25% w / w soluble coffee solids.

[0365] 7) Optionally cool the extract to 10°C and filter it through 25-micron filter paper to remove any insoluble precipitates (filtration is also optional, but preferably removes any undissolved particles). Cooling the extract is found useful for several reasons: 1) Cooling the extract helps prevent the formation of off-flavors or undesirable flavors that might occur if the extract is kept at high temperatures for too long. This ensures that the final product retains its intended flavor characteristics; 2) High temperatures lead to the loss of volatile aromatic compounds, which are essential for the aroma of coffee, and cooling limits this loss; 3) Cooling the extract stabilizes it and prevents further chemical reactions that could degrade the quality of the coffee; 4) In further processing of the extract (such as freeze-drying or spray-drying), cooling the extract helps ensure that the extract is at the optimal temperature for these subsequent stages.

[0366] 8) To increase the solids content of an extract, the extract is concentrated by evaporation (e.g., using a falling film evaporator, rising film evaporator, forced circulation evaporator, plate evaporator, or flash evaporator), by freezing, and / or by thawing (i.e., freeze concentration involves freezing the coffee extract, partially thawing it, and then removing ice crystals to increase the concentration of soluble solids).

[0367] 9) Drying the concentrate by spray or freeze drying. In spray drying, concentrated coffee extract (“concentrate”) is sprayed into a column using hot air (approximately 250°C). The hot air rapidly evaporates the water, leaving fine particles in the form of fine soluble granules or soluble powder (e.g., “powder concentrate”). If larger soluble granules or pellets are required, the fine particles / powder collected at the bottom of the column agglomerate to form larger, more soluble particles or pellets. For agglomeration, the fine coffee powder is subjected to an agglomeration process to form larger, more soluble particles or pellets. This process typically involves rewetting the dried particles with water or steam, bringing the wetted particles into contact with each other (typically in a fluidized bed or rotating drum), and then drying the newly formed particles or pellets to remove any excess moisture and ensure they are stable and free-flowing.

[0368] Example 16 - Increase in sugar in chickpeas treated with phosphoric acid As previously taught, reducing sugars play a crucial role in the development of aroma and flavor in roasted coffee beans via the Maillard reaction, where, for example, the amino groups of free amino acids and the carbonyl groups of reducing sugars form complex mixtures of compounds. In addition to the Maillard reaction, caramelization also occurs during roasting. This process involves the thermal decomposition of sugars, leading to the formation of caramel-like flavors and contributing to the color and sweetness of the coffee. The effect of pH on the formation of reducing sugars and other monosaccharides in roasted chickpeas treated with phosphoric acid was determined. Several batches of chickpeas were acid-hydrolyzed to different pH levels.

[0369] The following steps are used for the phosphoric acid hydrolysis of chickpea batches treated to pH values ​​of 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, or 7.0.

[0370] 1) Prepare a solution containing water and phosphoric acid solution and heat it to 85°C.

[0371] 2) Add chickpeas to the phosphoric acid solution to create a 50% chickpea, 50% acid solution mixture. Gently stir to ensure all chickpeas are in contact with the acid solution. Continue stirring gently for 15 to 60 minutes to ensure all legumes are in contact with the acid solution.

[0372] 3) After 15 to 60 minutes, drain the syrup and place the chickpeas in the electric coffee roaster.

[0373] 4) Roast the chickpeas to 185℃-225℃ to obtain roasted chickpeas that retain individual structures suitable for grinding in the next step.

[0374] 5) Grind the acid-treated and roasted chickpeas to a particle size of about 0.250 mm to about 5 mm.

[0375] 6) Extract the ground particles for 5 to 45 minutes with water at 60°C to 85°C via a recirculating pan at 4% w / w-36% w / w grind: water.

[0376] 7) Cool the extract to 10°C and filter it through 25-micron filter paper.

[0377] The above method is used to hydrolyze various batches of chickpeas with phosphoric acid to produce batches with one of the following pH values: 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, and 7.0.

[0378] HPLC Methodology Total sugar content in chickpeas treated with phosphoric acid to different pH levels and roasted was determined by HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography). To prepare each hydrolyzed and roasted chickpea sample for HPLC analysis, each sample solution was held at room temperature for 30 minutes. Sugars were extracted for multiple experimental runs; thereafter, appropriate dilutions were quantified using HPLC. Moisture content was accounted for to convert the results to dry basis % w / w sugars in each sample. A continuous increase in total sugars was observed as the pH of the chickpea treatment decreased.

[0379] Untreated chickpeas typically have a neutral or slightly acidic pH of approximately 6.6–6.9. Treating chickpeas with phosphoric acid resulted in a pH between approximately 4 and 6.5. Specifically, as shown in Table 13, LC-MS analysis of non-volatile compounds determined that phosphoric acid hydrolysis led to an increase in total sugars in hydrolyzed chickpeas of up to 10% compared to unhydrolyzed chickpeas. The highest increase in total sugars was observed when chickpeas were hydrolyzed to pH 4.5, followed by the second highest increase at pH 5. The graph showing the relationship between total sugars and pH in hydrolyzed chickpeas is shown in [Table 13]. Figure 8 In the pH range of 4.5 to 6.0, the percentage of total sugars on a dry basis increased by % w / w in hydrolyzed chickpeas compared to unhydrolyzed chickpeas. (Figure shown in...) Figure 9 middle.

[0380] Table 13. Total sugars in chickpeas hydrolyzed by phosphoric acid at different pH levels

[0381] Table 14 shows that by acid hydrolyzing chickpeas to a relatively low pH of approximately 4.5, several reducing sugars, such as fructose, glucose, maltose, lactose, and the caramelized disaccharide sucrose, can be increased. This experiment confirms that the formation of reducing sugars and other sugars in chickpeas can be controlled by adjusting the acid hydrolysis conditions.

[0382] Table 14. Sugars in chickpeas hydrolyzed with phosphoric acid at different pH values

[0383] Although no results were shown, it was found that hydrolyzing chickpeas to a pH below 4 resulted in undesirable aromas and off-flavors, with the chickpeas developing an unpleasant metallic or sour taste. Furthermore, the chickpeas lost their physical integrity and began to liquefy at pH levels below approximately 4. A strong sulfurous odor was observed when alkaline hydrolysis was performed instead of acid hydrolysis and the pH of the chickpeas was raised to approximately 8 to 9 and higher. Therefore, a pH range of 4 to approximately 7 was determined to be ideal for increasing the total sugar content in hydrolyzed chickpeas. Further HPLC and GC-MS analysis of chickpeas hydrolyzed to this pH range also revealed that this pH range was favorable for producing the desired sensory characteristics. It was also found that, among the various acids used for acid hydrolysis, phosphoric acid was particularly suitable for the acid hydrolysis of chickpeas to increase the total sugar level. Phosphoric acid is less corrosive to steel reaction vessels than hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid, and the hydrolysis of chickpeas with phosphoric acid produces treated chickpeas that also possess the desired sensory qualities and important volatile compound classes that are generally associated with the aroma and flavor of roasted coffee beans, as discussed below.

[0384] Example 17: Acid hydrolysis of chickpeas to different pH levels The Maillard reaction and Strecker degradation during coffee bean roasting produce volatile organic compounds and derivatives responsible for the aromatic characteristics of coffee. These compounds include a variety of aromatic molecules that give coffee its unique and appealing aroma. In fact, it has been shown that of the 800 to 1000 volatile compounds recorded in coffee, only about 20 to 30 affect its aroma. (See Laukalēja, Ilze & Koppel, Kadri. (2021). Aroma active compound perception in differently roasted and brewed coffees by gaschromatography–olfactometry. Journal of Sensory Studies. 36. 10.1111 / joss.12708). Furans, pyrazines, and ketones are considered the most important classes of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) contributing to the aroma of coffee (see Petisca, Catarina & Pérez-Palacios, Trinidad & Farah, Adriana & Pinho, Olívia & Ferreira, Isabel. (2013). Furans and other volatile compounds in groundroasted and espresso coffee using headspace solid-phase microextraction: Effect of roasting speed. Food and Bioproducts Processing, 91, 233-241).

[0385] Other VOC categories important for coffee aroma include pyridines, aldehydes, furans, alcohols, acids, pyrroles, esters, sulfur compounds, and pyridines. (See Angeloni S, Mustafa AM, Abouelenein D, Alessandroni L, Acquaticci L, Nzekoue FK, Petrelli R, Sagratini G, Vittori S, Torregiani E et al. Characterization of the Aroma Profile and Main Key Odorants of EspressoCoffee. Molecules. 2021; 26(13):3856. doi.org / 10.3390 / molecules26133856).

[0386] GC-MS analysis was performed to determine whether certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), considered key factors in traditional coffee aroma and flavor, could be identified in roasted chickpea samples hydrolyzed with phosphoric acid. Furthermore, analysis was conducted to observe whether altering the pH of the hydrolyzed chickpeas resulted in changes in the concentration of these VOCs. Hydrolyzed and unhydrolyzed solid chickpea samples from medium and dark roasted chickpeas were analyzed by GC-MS to compare VOC profiles. It was observed that roasted chickpeas pretreated with acid hydrolysis to a pH range between 4 and 7 showed significant differences in the concentration of certain VOC categories.

[0387] GC-MS analysis Hydrolyzed roasted and ground (HRG) chickpea samples treated at different pH levels were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to compare volatile compound profiles.

[0388] Sample preparation VOCs were extracted from chickpea samples for GC-MS analysis using a dynamic headspace (DHS) system equipped with Tenax-TA adsorbent tubes (Gerstel GmbH, Germany). Samples were prepared by weighing 500 mg (±10 mg) HRG chickpeas into 20 mL glass headspace vials. Five μL of an internal standard solution containing 2-methyl-3-heptanone (50 µg / mL) in methanol was added to each sample using a 10 µL glass gas-tight syringe. Samples were analyzed in triplicate by GC-MS.

[0389] GC-MS The GC-MS system consists of an Agilent 8890 GC (Agilent Technologies, USA) with a 7000D triple quadrupole MS. The GC-MS is equipped with a Gerstel MultiPurpose Sampler Robotic Pro (MPS), a DHS module, a thermal desorption unit 2 (TDU), a cooled injection system 4C (CIS), a C506 controller with liquid nitrogen cooling for the CIS, a universal Peltier cooler (UPC) for the TDU, an EPC pneumatic module for the CIS used with the Agilent 8890, and an automatic tube changing (ATEX) option for the MPS (Gerstel GmbH, Germany). A Stabilwax-MS (30 m, 0.25 mm ID, 0.25 µM film thickness) GC column (Restek, USA) is used. The CIS is equipped with a deactivated notched glass bead liner (Gerstel GmbH, Germany). The Agilent GC-MS is controlled by MassHunter GCMS acquisition software (Agilent Technologies, USA). The Gerstel components are controlled by Maestro software (Gerstel GmbH, Germany).

[0390] For DHS extraction, the sample headspace vial was transferred to a DHS incubator and pre-incubated at 60°C for 1 minute. After pre-incubation, the Tenax-TA adsorbent in the TDU tube (trapper) was placed above the headspace vial and punctured with a DHS needle to initiate the capture phase. During the capture phase, the sample headspace was purged with 1000 mL of nitrogen at a flow rate of 50 mL / min, and agitation was performed at 250 rpm for 60 seconds on and 1 second off. The incubation temperature was 60°C, the trap temperature was 30°C, and the transfer heater was set to 75°C.

[0391] Following DHS extraction, the Tenax-TA adsorbent sample was desorbed in a TDU at an initial temperature of 40 °C for a delay of 0.5 min, followed by a temperature increase to 280 °C at 720 °C / min and a hold for 3 min. The TDU transfer temperature was fixed at 280 °C, and the desorption mode in the TDU was splitless. The desorbed compounds were captured in the CIS at an initial temperature of -120 °C with an equilibration time of 0.2 min, followed by a temperature increase to 275 °C at 12 °C / s and a hold for 3 min. The inlet pneumatic system was operated in solvent discharge mode at a pressure of 13.356 psi, with a purge flow rate of 20 mL / min at 0.01 min and an exhaust flow rate of 50 mL / min. Helium was used as the carrier gas at a flow rate of 1 mL / min. The GC oven was set to an initial temperature of 40 °C and held for 5 min, followed by a temperature increase to 250 °C at a rate of 8 °C / min and a hold for 3.75 min, for a total run time of 35 min. The collision chamber used helium as the quenching gas at a flow rate of 2.25 mL / min, and nitrogen as the collision gas at a flow rate of 1.5 mL / min. The MS transfer line was set to 250 °C, the source temperature to 230 °C, and the quadrupole to 150 °C. The ion source was operated at 70 eV in electron bombardment (EI) mode. A solvent delay of 2.8 minutes was used. The MS was operated in scan mode with a scan time of 245 ms and a scan range of 35 amu–350 amu.

[0392] Identification of volatile compounds Compounds were identified by comparing their retention times and mass spectra with an internal library generated using analytical reference standards. Compounds without available references were identified by comparing their RI and mass spectra with available databases. A mixture of alkanes containing 40 µg / mL of C8-C20 straight-chain alkanes in hexane (Sigma, USA) was incorporated into (3 µL) 20 mL headspace vials and analyzed in the same manner as the HRG chickpea sample to calculate the RI. The NIST mass spectrometry database (version 2.4, created March 24, 2020) was used to search for mass spectra and polarity RI values. Additionally, RI values ​​were searched for Flavornet (flavornet.org / index.html) and the Leibniz-LSB@TUM odorant database (leibniz-lsb.de / en / databases / leibniz-lsbtum-odorant-database / start / ).

[0393] Data Analysis Table 15 lists the volatile compounds identified in the roasted chickpeas sample hydrolyzed with phosphoric acid, the ions used for peak integration, and the retention times. Many of these compounds identified in the chickpeas include compounds previously described as key flavoring agents in traditional coffee, including pyrazines, ketones, furans, pyrroles, sulfur compounds, aldehydes, diketones, and esters.

[0394] Table 15. The identified compound, the ions used for peak integration, and the retention time.

[0395] The effects of varying hydrolysis conditions (e.g., pH) on roasted and acid-hydrolyzed chickpeas were determined. Specifically, hydrolyzed roasted and milled (HRG) chickpea samples treated at different pH levels were analyzed by GC-MS to compare volatile compound profiles and determine how the concentrations of certain key VOC classes changed with increasing pH. The resulting chromatograms show the functional relationship between volatile compound concentrations and pH (between 4.5 and 7). Figures 10 to 19 The pH that indicates chickpea hydrolysis is a key factor controlling the production of volatile compounds, which are responsible for the distinctive aroma of traditional coffee.

[0396] Refer to each Figure 10 and Figure 11 When observing the two main types of flavor-active Maillard reaction products, pyrazines and furans, some general trends become apparent. Furans (especially compounds 5-methylfurfural and furfural) are known to contribute to the sweet aroma of many roasted products, such as coffee or chocolate. Figure 11 As shown, the production of these furan compounds is advantageous at lower pH levels (e.g., from about 4.5 to about 5), suggesting that hydrolysis at low pH can be used to promote more caramelized or sweeter positive aroma characteristics in roasted chickpeas. Conversely, as Figure 10 As shown, less extreme acid hydrolysis favors the formation of pyrazines. More specifically, the concentrations of these compounds tend to be highest when hydrolysis is carried out at pH 5.5–6.5. Pyrazines produced in this range include 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, which helps impart nutty and chocolate flavors to products of interest, and 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, which contributes roasted properties to foods such as coffee or chocolate. In summary, Figure 10 and Figure 11 The results show that changing the hydrolysis conditions can produce different categories of flavor-active Maillard reaction products, directly leading to customized flavor characteristics. This allows plant products (leguminous plants) that do not normally have coffee-like aromas or flavors to be chemically promoted through acid hydrolysis to produce "coffee-like" compounds.

[0397] Chickpea batches can be hydrolyzed at different pH levels, each optimized for a specific VOC family. For example, a batch of chickpeas can be acid-hydrolyzed to pH 4.5 to promote furan formation. Figure 11 The pH value shown indicates the highest furan concentration. The second batch of chickpea acid was hydrolyzed to pH 6.5 to promote pyrazine formation. Figure 10 The pH shown represents the highest concentration of pyrazine. Two batches of extract can be combined in desired ratios (such as 50% / 50% w / w) to produce an extract mixture with higher concentrations of furans and pyrazines. Such mixtures can contain first, second, third, or even more extracts to produce an extract mixture with desired concentrations of compounds to manipulate or balance nutty, chocolate, smoky, or other aromas, making the sensory characteristics more closely resemble those of the target food product (such as coffee, chocolate, or nut butter). Such combined mixtures can also be prepared once the extracts have been concentrated or after they have been dried into soluble granules, pellets, or powder. Undesirable “off-flavors” that may be prominent in the source matrix, such as sulfur compounds in legumes, can be similarly reduced by adjusting pH conditions during hydrolysis to reduce or minimize the contribution of certain volatile compounds. Therefore, methods for preparing substitutes for food products (such as coffee, chocolate, or peanut butter), such as coffee substitute concentrates and coffee substitute soluble granules, are considered and taught herein.

[0398] refer to Figure 12 , Figure 13 , Figure 14 , Figure 15 , Figure 16 and Figure 17 A small group of major compound classes known to significantly contribute to the aroma and flavor of coffee were measured. The results indicate that they follow a trend similar to that observed in pyrazines when producing acid-hydrolyzed roasted chickpeas at different pH levels. Figure 12 , Figure 13 , Figure 14 , Figure 15 , Figure 16 and Figure 17 The diagrams illustrate the production of diketones, pyrroles, pyridines, alcohols (e.g., furfuryl alcohol), sulfur compounds (e.g., sulfides), and esters (classes of compounds previously identified in conventional coffee as significantly contributing to its distinctive aroma and flavor), showing that hydrolysis under less extreme acid conditions is generally favorable. More specifically, the concentrations of these compounds tend to be highest when hydrolysis is carried out at pH 5–6. However, the concentrations of certain species within these compound classes do not show a significant decrease or increase as a function of pH, for example, such as... Figure 14 As shown in the figure, this is evidenced by the fact that the concentration of 2-methylpyridine remains relatively constant, or Figure 18 2-Furfurylthiol showed no change in relative concentration in the pH range of 4.5 to 7.0. Figure 19 As shown, regarding aldehydes, similar to Figure 11 The furans shown, the production of these flavor compounds, are advantageous at lower pH (e.g., about 4.5), suggesting that hydrolysis at lower pH (about pH 4 to 4.5) can be used to promote the known sensory characteristics of aldehydes.

[0399] The data shows that the flavor profile of chickpea components can be successfully manipulated to make chickpeas more versatile in food applications that attempt to mimic conventional coffee and other foods with complex chemical profiles, such as conventional coffee, conventional peanut butter, and conventional chocolate, by adjusting hydrolysis reaction conditions and roasting parameters (such as temperature, time, and pressure) to produce some of the compounds commonly found in these foods.

[0400] The resulting chickpea-based coffee substitute possesses a strong coffee aroma and flavor, as well as the rich, deep brown color of traditional black coffee. Therefore, even though the overall chemistry of acid-hydrolyzed and roasted chickpeas is unlikely to be similar to that of conventionally roasted coffee beans, a strong coffee-like aroma is produced.

[0401] Extensive experiments have identified ways to alter acid hydrolysis pretreatment conditions, such as by combining two or more batches of chickpeas that have been hydrolyzed to two or more pH levels, to promote (or reduce) the production of important classes of aroma compounds.

[0402] Interestingly, it was also found that subjecting chickpeas to alkaline treatment to pH levels between 7 and 10 resulted in the formation of undesirable levels of sulfur compounds, as well as the amino acid cysteine ​​and a pungent odor. Therefore, a desired pH range of 4.5 to approximately 6 was found for the hydrolysis of chickpeas into coffee substitute components that sensorily mimic key aroma and flavor characteristics considered hallmarks of traditional coffee in the literature.

[0403] Other implementation plans It should be understood that although the invention has been described in conjunction with its detailed description, the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the scope of the appended claims. Other aspects, advantages, and modifications are within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a milled plant matrix from fibrous, lignocellulose, and / or proteinaceous plant materials for use in consumable foods or beverages, wherein the method comprises: The plant material is treated with an acidic aqueous solution until it reaches a pH of about 3 to about 7, thereby producing acid-treated plant material. Calcining the acid-treated plant material to produce calcined acid-treated plant material, and The roasted, acid-treated plant material is ground to produce the ground plant matrix.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plant material comprises legumes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the legume comprises chickpeas, lentils, peas, black beans, cranberry beans, or combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plant material comprises fruit seeds, vegetable seeds, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the fruit seeds, vegetable seeds or combinations thereof comprise date pits, grape seeds or combinations thereof.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the acid comprises phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising treating the plant material until a pH between about 4 and about 7 is reached.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising treating the plant material at a temperature of about 40°C to about 90°C.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising treating the plant material for about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes.

10. The method of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the acid is phosphoric acid, and wherein the method comprises contacting the plant material with the phosphoric acid at a temperature of about 60°C to about 90°C until a pH of about 4 to about 7 is reached.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising calcining the acid-treated plant material at a temperature of about 165°C to about 250°C.

12. The method of any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising grinding the roasted acid-treated plant material to an average particle size of about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm.

13. The method of any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising extracting the milled plant matrix with an aqueous solution to produce an extract.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the method comprises extracting the ground plant matrix with water at a temperature of about 60°C to about 175°C.

15. The method of claim 13 or claim 14, further comprising cooling the extract.

16. The method of any one of claims 13 to 15, further comprising filtering the extract.

17. The method of any one of claims 13 to 16, further comprising concentrating the extract to form a concentrate.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the method comprises concentrating the extract by removing at least a portion of the water.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein a portion of the water is removed by evaporation, freezing, and / or thawing of the extract.

20. The method of any one of claims 17 to 19, further comprising drying the concentrate to form a solid concentrate in the form of granules, pellets, or powder.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the drying comprises spray drying, freeze drying, air drying, dehydration, or heat drying.

22. The method of claim 20 or claim 21, wherein the solid concentrate comprises soluble particles, soluble pellets or soluble powders having a moisture content of about 1% w / w to about 10% w / w.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the soluble particles, the soluble pellets, or the soluble powder are water-soluble.

24. A composition comprising a milled plant matrix prepared using the method described in any one of claims 1 to 23.

25. The composition of claim 24, wherein the composition is a consumable food or beverage.

26. A composition comprising an extract prepared using the method described in any one of claims 13 to 16.

27. A composition comprising a concentrate prepared using the method described in any one of claims 17 to 23.

28. A method for preparing a milled plant matrix from fibrous, lignocellulosic, and / or proteinaceous plant materials for use in consumable foods or beverages, wherein the method comprises: The plant material is contacted with an enzyme solution containing one or more enzymes under stirring for about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes to produce enzymatically treated plant material. Calcining the enzymatically treated plant material to produce calcined enzymatically treated plant material, and The calcined, enzymatically treated plant material is ground to produce the ground plant matrix.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the one or more enzymes in the enzyme solution are present at a concentration of about 1% w / w or less, and wherein the enzyme solution is aqueous.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the one or more enzymes in the enzyme solution are present at a concentration between about 0.1% w / w and about 1% w / w, and wherein the enzyme solution is aqueous.

31. The method of any one of claims 28 to 30, wherein the calcination is carried out at a temperature of about 165°C to about 250°C.

32. The method of any one of claims 28 to 31, wherein the one or more enzymes comprise glycosylase, protease, amylase, pectinase, cellulase, hemicellulase, xylanase, ligninase, or tannic acidase.

33. The method of any one of claims 28 to 32, further comprising extracting the ground plant matrix with an aqueous solution to produce an extract.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the method comprises extracting the ground plant matrix with water at a temperature of about 60°C to about 175°C.

35. The method of claim 33 or 34, further comprising cooling the extract.

36. The method of any one of claims 33 to 35, further comprising filtering the extract.

37. The method of any one of claims 28 to 36, further comprising contacting the plant material with one or more chemical solutions, each chemical solution containing an acid or a base, wherein the plant material is contacted with the one or more chemical solutions prior to contacting the plant material with the enzyme solution containing one or more enzymes.

38. The method of any one of claims 28 to 36, further comprising contacting the enzymatically treated plant material with one or more chemical solutions containing an acid or a base, wherein the enzymatically treated plant material is contacted with the one or more chemical solutions before, after, before, and / or after calcination.

39. The method of claim 37 or claim 38, wherein the one or more chemical solutions comprise an acid, the acid comprising phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid, or comprise a base, the base comprising sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, alkaline solution, sodium carbonate, calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide or potassium bicarbonate.

40. The method of any one of claims 37 to 39, wherein the plant material is contacted with an alkali under stirring for about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes until the plant material reaches a pH between about 8 and about 10.

41. The method of any one of claims 37 to 39, wherein the enzymatically treated material is contacted with an alkali comprising sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide under stirring for about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes until the enzymatically treated plant material reaches a pH between about 8 and about 10.

42. The method of any one of claims 37 to 39, wherein the plant material is contacted with an acid comprising phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, or sulfuric acid under stirring for about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes until the plant material reaches a pH between about 4 and about 7.

43. The method of any one of claims 37 to 39, wherein the enzymatically treated plant material is contacted with acid under stirring for about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes until the plant material reaches a pH between about 4 and about 7.

44. The method of claim 28, further comprising contacting the plant material with the chemical solution under stirring for about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes, wherein the contact with the chemical solution occurs before the plant material is contacted with the enzyme solution. The chemical solution contains either an acid containing phosphoric acid or a base containing sodium hydroxide. The enzyme solution contains about 1% w / w or less of one or more enzymes, including pectinase, cellulase, hemicellulase, xylanase or tannic acidase.

45. The method of claim 28, further comprising contacting the enzymatically treated plant material with a chemical solution under stirring for about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes, wherein the contact with the chemical solution occurs after the plant material has been contacted with the enzyme solution. The chemical solution contains either an acid containing phosphoric acid or a base containing sodium hydroxide. The enzyme solution contains about 1% w / w or less of one or more enzymes, including pectinase, cellulase, hemicellulase, xylanase or tannic acidase.

46. ​​The method of claim 44 or claim 45, wherein the plant material comprises legumes or fruit seeds, the legumes comprising chickpeas, lentils, peas, black beans, cranberry beans, or combinations thereof, and the fruit seeds comprising date pits, grape seeds, or combinations thereof.

47. The method of any one of claims 28 to 46, comprising grinding the roasted enzymatically treated plant material to an average particle size of about 0.1 mm to about 0.5 mm.

48. A composition comprising a milled plant material matrix prepared using the method described in any one of claims 28 to 47.

49. The composition of claim 48, wherein the composition is a consumable food or beverage substitute for at least one of the following coffee or chocolate products: coffee grounds, water-soluble coffee granules, ready-to-drink coffee beverages, coffee concentrate, cocoa-based chocolate, chocolate syrup, or cocoa-based chocolate beverages.

50. A method for preparing a concentrate of a coffee substitute beverage from legumes, fruits, seeds, or combinations thereof, wherein the method comprises: The legume, fruit, seed, or combination thereof is contacted with an aqueous solution containing acid to form an acid-treated legume or acid-treated fruit / seed with a pH between about 4 and about 7. Roasting the acid-treated legumes or the acid-treated fruits and seeds produces roasted acid-treated legumes or roasted acid-treated fruits and seeds. The roasted, acid-treated legumes or the roasted, acid-treated fruits and seeds are ground to produce a ground legume matrix or a ground fruit and seed matrix with an average particle size of about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm. Water is used to extract the ground legume matrix or the ground fruit and seed matrix to produce a first legume extract or a first fruit and seed extract, and The legume extract or the fruit seed extract is concentrated by removing at least a portion of the water to form a legume concentrate or fruit seed concentrate, wherein the water extracted is removed by evaporation, freezing and / or thawing of the extract.

51. The method of claim 50, further comprising adding caffeine, one or more acids and / or one or more flavoring agents to the legume extract or the fruit seed extract.

52. The method of claim 50 or claim 51, further comprising the step of mixing the legume extract or the fruit seed extract with another extract to form a combined extract. The preparation of the additional extract includes contacting a second legume or second fruit seed with an acidic aqueous solution with a pH between about 4 and about 7 to form an additional acid-treated legume or additional acid-treated fruit seed, wherein the additional acid-treated legume or the additional acid-treated fruit seed has a pH different from that of the acid-treated legume or the acid-treated fruit seed.

53. The method of claim 51 or claim 52, wherein the acid-treated legume or the acid-treated fruit and seeds have a pH between about 4 and about 5.5, and the additional acid-treated legume or the additional acid-treated fruit and seeds have a pH between about 5.5 and about 7.

0.

54. The method of claim 52 or claim 53, wherein the one or more flavoring agents added to the legume extract or the fruit seed extract comprise volatile organic compounds, essential oils, plant extracts, oleoresins, or combinations thereof, and / or The one or more acids added to the legume extract or the fruit seed extract include malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, succinic acid, phosphoric acid, or any combination thereof.

55. A method for producing soluble plant-based particles, soluble plant-based pellets, or soluble plant-based powders for use in consumable food or beverages, wherein the method comprises: (a) Treating multiple plant seeds, beans or peas with one or more chemical solutions and / or one or more enzyme solutions, each chemical solution containing water and an acid or base, and each enzyme solution containing water and one or more enzymes, thereby producing multiple treated plant seeds, multiple treated beans or multiple treated peas; (b) Roasting the treated plant seeds, the treated beans, or the treated peas to produce roasted treated plant seeds, roasted treated beans, or roasted treated peas; (c) Grinding the roasted plant seeds, the roasted beans, or the roasted peas to produce a plant seed grinder, bean grinder, or pea grinder containing particles with an average particle size of about 0.10 mm to about 5 mm. (d) Extracting the plant seed mill, the bean mill, or the pea mill in water at a temperature of about 60°C to about 175°C to produce a plant seed extract, a bean extract, or a pea extract. (e) Concentrating the plant seed extract, the bean extract, or the pea extract by removing at least a portion of the water through evaporation, freezing, or thawing to form a plant seed concentrate, bean concentrate, or pea concentrate; and (f) Dry the plant seed concentrate, the bean concentrate or the pea concentrate to produce soluble plant-based particles, soluble plant-based pellets or soluble plant-based powder.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the plant seed, the bean, or the pea comprises a legume or fruit or vegetable seed, the legume comprising chickpea, lentil, pea, black bean, or cranberry bean, and the fruit or vegetable seed comprising date pit or grape seed.

57. The method of claim 55 or claim 56, wherein the plant seed concentrate, the bean concentrate, or the pea concentrate is dried to a moisture content between about 1% w / w and about 10% w / w.

58. The method of any one of claims 55 to 57, wherein the plant seed concentrate, the bean concentrate, or the pea concentrate is dried by spray drying, freeze drying, air drying, dehydration, or heat drying using an autoclave, vacuum autoclave, rising film evaporator, falling film evaporator, scraped film evaporator, dehydrator, or freeze concentrator.

59. The method of any one of claims 55 to 58, wherein the soluble plant-based particles, the soluble plant-based pellets, or the soluble plant-based powder are water-soluble.

60. The method of any one of claims 55 to 59, wherein the acid comprises phosphoric acid, and the soluble particles have an average particle size of about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm.

61. An imitation of coffee beans or coffee grinder, wherein the imitation comprises a solid matrix comprising acid-hydrolyzed and roasted grains, legumes or legume seeds, fruit seeds or combinations thereof.

62. The imitation of coffee beans or coffee grinder as claimed in claim 61, wherein the imitation of coffee grinder has an average particle size of about 0.10 mm to about 5 mm.

63. The imitation coffee bean or coffee grinder as claimed in claim 61, wherein the imitation coffee bean has an average particle size of about 4 mm to about 10 mm.

64. The imitation of coffee beans or coffee grounds as claimed in claim 61, wherein the solid matrix is ​​acid-hydrolyzed with phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, or a combination thereof.

65. A coffee granule imitation comprising an aqueous extract of acid-hydrolyzed and roasted chickpeas dried into granule form.

66. The coffee pellet imitation of claim 65, wherein the chickpeas are dried by spray drying, freeze drying, or dehydration using a kettle, vacuum kettle, rising film evaporator, falling film evaporator, scraped film evaporator, dehydrator, or freeze condenser.

67. The coffee particle imitation as claimed in claim 65, wherein the dried particles are water-soluble.

68. A coffee beverage imitation comprising an aqueous extract of acid-hydrolyzed and roasted chickpeas, caffeine, and / or flavoring agents.

69. The coffee beverage imitation of claim 68, further comprising sugar or a sugar substitute.

70. The coffee beverage imitation of claim 69, wherein the sugar or sugar substitute comprises sucrose, fructose, sugar alcohol, allulose, stevia, monk fruit, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, derivatives of the above substances, or any combination thereof.

71. The coffee beverage imitation as claimed in any one of claims 68 to 70, further comprising milk, dairy solids, milk substitutes or non-dairy solids.

72. A coffee authenticator in the form of an aqueous extract, wherein the coffee authenticator comprises acid-hydrolyzed and roasted legumes, and wherein the acid comprises phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, or sulfuric acid.

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