Improving hydrolysis efficiency in grain processes by using lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) in combination with protease

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for preparing a grain-based extract comprising the steps of: (i) providing a whole grain; (ii) subjecting the whole grain to a single grinding and then combining the whole grain with water; (iii) subjecting the ground whole grain and water slurry to an enzymatic hydrolysis step; and (iv) separating the soluble fraction of the whole grain from the insoluble fraction by filtration, decantation or centrifugation, wherein the enzymatic hydrolysis step uses a soluble polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) in combination with a carbohydrate hydrolase and at least one protease. The present invention also relates to a concentrated grain-based extract material comprising, on a dry matter basis, 40-90% (w / w) carbohydrate, 5-20% (w / w) protein, 0.5-20% (w / w) total dietary fiber, optionally 1-4% (w / w) ash and 0-10% (w / w) fat, and such an extract obtained by this process.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a process for preparing a grain-based extract using improved enzymatic hydrolysis. In particular, the present invention relates to the preparation of beverages having beverage ingredients that include whole grain-based extracts, the whole grain extracts having improved nutritional profiles.

[0002] [Background technology] Grain extracts, such as malt extract, have been used as ingredients in beverages, such as cocoa malt beverages. Brewing processes for producing malt extracts are well known in the art. Malt is produced based on the time-honored process used by brewers to produce beer. In this process, grains, such as barley, can be harvested, dried, and thereby stored until needed for use. Barley can either be used directly (unmalted barley) or a traditional malt-through process can be used, which involves soaking the grains in water, germinating the grains for several days, and stabilizing the grains by carefully drying them to a low moisture content, typically about 5% moisture. During the malting process, enzymes are produced to convert the starchy endosperm into soluble components. Enzymes such as α-amylase, β-amylase, β-glucanase, protease, arabinoxylanase, etc. are synthesized in the germinating grains. During malting, these enzymes also modify the structure of the cell walls, allowing easier and more complete extraction of the soluble fraction of the grain during later steps in the process.

[0003] Malted / unmalted whole grains are typically ground by milling into a heterogeneous powder, which is mixed with water in a ratio of 2-10 parts water (or sometimes even more) to 1 part grain. The initial temperature of the water can be about 50°C-60°C to allow hydrolysis by proteases and cell wall hydrolases. Once this hydrolysis is sufficiently complete, the temperature is raised to 60°C-70°C to allow hydrolysis of starch by α- and β-amylases. Once hydrolysis is complete, the temperature of the slurry is raised to about 80°C to inactivate the enzymes. The slurry is passed through a separation device such as a lauter tun, decanter, plate and frame filter, or centrifuged. The liquid portion is separated from the insoluble / partially soluble material by a process of filtration and percolation. Percolation involves washing the insoluble grains until all of the readily soluble material is removed. The liquid portion is stabilized by drying to a powder or by evaporating to a paste with a typical dry matter content of more than 78% (w / w).

[0004] The resulting powder or paste can be used as an ingredient in beverages, while the insoluble fraction of processed whole grains, such as Barley Spent Grain (BSG) from whole barley separated from the mash after filtration, is primarily sold as animal feed or disposed of in landfills.

[0005] An alternative approach could be to use enzymatic hydrolysis to reduce the production of insoluble fractions in processed whole grains such as BSG.

[0006] Rather than utilizing the insoluble fraction of processed whole grains such as BSG for new or other uses, optimal yield production directly from the whole grain is cost-effective and environmentally sustainable. As an example, conversion of insoluble material from raw unmalted barley to soluble material by enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis of the barley can result in reduced production of BSG.

[0007] [Summary of the invention] The present invention reduces the production of insoluble fractions in processed whole grains such as BSG by converting insoluble material in raw unmalted barley to soluble material via enzymatic hydrolysis.

[0008] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a process for preparing a whole grain based extract, the process comprising: (i) providing a whole grain; (ii) subjecting the whole grains to a single grinding step, and then combining the whole grains with water; (iii) subjecting the slurry of ground whole grain and water to an enzymatic hydrolysis process; (iv) separating the soluble fraction of the whole grain from the insoluble fraction by filtration, decantation or centrifugation; Including, The enzymatic hydrolysis step refers to a process that utilizes a lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) in combination with a carbohydrate hydrolase and at least one protease.

[0009] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a concentrated whole grain based extract material comprising, on a dry matter basis: 40-90% (w / w) carbohydrates, 5-20% (w / w) protein, 0.5-20% (w / w) total dietary fiber, Optionally, an ash content of 1-4% (w / w), and 0-10% (w / w) fat The present invention relates to a concentrated whole grain based extract material comprising: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 shows experimental results showing the yield of strong wort after enzymatic hydrolysis with LMPO in combination with carbohydrate hydrolases and different proteases. [Diagram 2]1 shows experimental results showing the percent extraction yield after enzymatic hydrolysis with LMPO enzyme (Cellic CTEC2) in combination with Alcalase and exopeptidases (Flavourzyme and Protana prime) compared to other commercially available fiberases. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a malt extract production process.

[0011] The present invention will now be described in more detail. [Mode for carrying out the invention] Surprisingly, it has been found that by treating whole grain in a particular way it is possible to improve the nutritional properties of the grain extract with an improved yield compared to a reference.

[0012] According to the invention, the process comprises: (i) providing a whole grain; (ii) subjecting the whole grains to a single grinding step, and then combining the whole grains with water; (iii) subjecting the milled whole grain and water slurry to an enzymatic hydrolysis process to break down the macromolecular components of the whole grain, which are proteins, polysaccharides and lipids, into smaller units; (iv) separating the soluble fraction of the whole grain from the insoluble fraction by filtration; Including, The enzymatic hydrolysis step utilizes a lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) in combination with at least one protease.

[0013] For example, the process (i) providing a whole grain; (ii) subjecting the whole grains to a single grinding step, and then combining the whole grains with water; (iii) subjecting the slurry of ground whole grain and water to an enzymatic hydrolysis process; (iv) separating the soluble fraction of the whole grain from the insoluble fraction by filtration, decantation or centrifugation; Including, The enzymatic hydrolysis process utilizes a lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) which combines a carbohydrate hydrolase and at least one protease.

[0014] A process according to the present invention may be as outlined in the flow chart of FIG.

[0015] In the present context, the term "grinding" refers to any physical disruption of the whole grain with the purpose of making the macromolecular structure of the whole grain more available, for example, to water and / or enzymes.

[0016] The ground whole grain can then be mixed with water and enzymes to modify the whole grain. Once the whole grain is sufficiently modified, the enzymes can be inactivated and the insoluble fraction of the whole grain can be separated from the soluble fraction of the whole grain. The soluble fraction can then be evaporated to a high total solids content (60%-90%) to provide a beverage material or directly mixed into a beverage.

[0017] In the present invention, the term "whole grain based extract" relates to an extract obtained from treating a grain by a process according to the invention. Preferably, the whole grain based extract comprises at least a part of the insoluble fraction of the whole grain.

[0018] In the present context carbohydrates, proteins and dietary fibre also include fragments thereof.

[0019] In the present context, the term "insoluble fraction" relates to the fraction obtained from whole grains that contains insoluble fibre, i.e. insoluble dietary fibre that is not fermented in the large intestine or is only slowly digested by the intestinal microflora. Examples of insoluble fibres include cellulose, hemicellulose, resistant starch type 1 and lignin. Health organisations recommend an intake of 20-35 g of fibre per day depending on weight, sex, age and energy intake.

[0020] The present invention relates to the use of an enzymatic hydrolysis process that utilizes a lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) in combination with a carbohydrate hydrolase enzyme and at least one protease.

[0021] There are several advantages to using the LPMO enzymes according to the invention to obtain a soluble fraction with improved yield and nutritional profile.

[0022] I. The amount of soluble fraction obtained with the improved enzyme treatment is higher compared to the reference process. Based on Figure 2, about 90 kg of soluble dry matter can be obtained per 100 kg of dry grain, compared to only 71 kg of soluble dry matter per 100 kg of dry grain. This indicates that more insoluble fraction present in the whole grain can be solubilized through the improved enzyme process and appear in the product.

[0023] II. Increased protein content and reduced total carbohydrate content can be achieved in the final product.

[0024] In the present invention, a combination of enzymes including fiberase and protease is used to increase the extraction yield of whole grains such as unmalted barley. The combination of fiberase enzymes such as xylanase, cellulase and glucanase with commercial proteases (endoproteases and / or exoproteases) solubilizes the recalcitrant fiber and protein present in the plant cell walls of whole grains. Cellulose is more resistant to hydrolytic cleavage due to its crystalline nature compared to other fibers such as xylan. Conventional cellulases present in enzymes used for hydrolysis of whole grains such as raw barley are currently inefficient. As an alternative, soluble polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) in combination with cellulase was used to improve the degradation of cellulose, thereby improving the extraction yield of whole grains.

[0025] In the present invention, it was found that the use of LMPO alone together with other cellulases does not result in a significant improvement in the extraction yield of whole grains such as currently unmalted barley. However, in the present invention, it was found that for a significant increase in extraction yield, it is essential to add a hydrolytic enzyme combination of proteases (endopeptidases and exopeptidases) and LPMOs (e.g., as provided as part of Cellic CTEC 2). Although LPMOs (e.g., as provided in the form of Cellic CTEC 2) resulted in a slight increase in extraction yield compared to the reference yield, the inclusion of a complete set of proteases was shown to result in a yield improvement of about 10%.

[0026] Figure 1 shows a comparison with a reference based on a recovery of 235 g of strong wort. In this context, the yield is determined by calculating the total dry matter in 235 g of hydrolysate and dividing this by the total initial dry matter. This can be achieved by the synergistic action of LPMO with a complete set of hydrolytic enzymes and proteases, which in turn can affect the nutritional profile of the final cocoa and malt beverage.

[0027] Table 1 below compares the composition of the reference and improved versions of malt extract. The improved malt extract has an 8.2% reduction in total carbohydrates and a two-fold increase in protein content compared to the current malt extract. The addition of fiberase is found to have no significant effect on the composition of high molecular weight dietary fiber, but allows the availability of protease for its activity. Thus, the increase in yield not only results in a reduction in grain meal production, but is also found to improve the overall nutritional value of the malt extract. The percentage of yield from the combination is also higher than or equal to that when other commercially available fiberases, such as Food pro CBL and Celluclast 1.5L, are used in combination with proteases (see Figure 2).

[0028] Table 1 Nutritional composition of current malt extract versus improved malt extract on a dry matter basis. The improved malt extract had 8.2% less total carbohydrate and twice the protein content compared to current malt extract.

[0029] [Table 1]

[0030] FIG. 2 shows experimental results showing the extraction yield (%) after enzymatic hydrolysis according to the invention with LMPO enzyme (Cellic CTEC2) in combination with Alcalase and exopeptidases (Flavourzyme and Protana prime) compared to other commercially available fiberases.

[0031] In one embodiment of the invention, the soluble fraction may be a malt extract.

[0032] The starting material in the process can be whole grain, which is a product made from the cereal kernel including the entire edible part of the grain, i.e. the germ, endosperm and bran.

[0033] In the present context, the term "cereal" relates to monocotyledonous plants of the Poaceae family (grass family) cultivated for their edible starchy grain.

[0034] In one embodiment of the present invention, the whole grain is selected from the group consisting of barley, oats, brown rice, wild rice, bulgur, maize, millet, sorghum, spelt, triticale, rye, wheat, wheat grain, teff, canary grass, pigeon, fonio and pseudocereals. Plant species that do not belong to the grass family but also produce starchy seeds or fruits that can be used in the same way as cereal grains are called pseudocereals. Examples of pseudocereals include amaranth, buckwheat, tartary buckwheat and quinoa.

[0035] In another embodiment of the invention, the terms "cereal" and / or "whole grain" include both cereals and pseudo-cereals. Preferably, the terms "cereal" and / or "whole grain" do not include pseudo-cereals.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the whole grain is an unsprouted / unmalted whole grain. In one embodiment, the unmalted whole grain is derived from barley or oats.

[0037] Preferably, the process according to the invention comprises a step in which the soluble fraction obtained from the separation in step (iv) is concentrated. Preferably, the concentrate comprises at least 30% and up to 97.5% (w / w) of the soluble fraction after concentration.

[0038] In one embodiment of the process of the invention the whole grain slurry in step (ii) is heated to gelatinise the starch. Preferably the whole grain slurry is heated to a temperature in the range of 50-70°C. This has the advantage of making the substrate more available for enzymatic hydrolysis.

[0039] One advantage of the insoluble fraction produced by the process described in this invention may be the improved suspension properties of the insoluble fraction, for example compared to the suspension properties of an unprocessed insoluble fraction having a primary particle size of greater than 100 μm.

[0040] Following the grinding process, the ground whole grain is subjected to hydrolysis of the macromolecular components of the whole grain, for example, the ground whole grain may be subjected to hydrolysis of carbohydrates and / or proteins, and / or lipids, and / or other organic components (e.g., polyphenols).

[0041] In one embodiment of the invention, for example the hydrolysis of carbohydrates and / or proteins (in step (iii)) is an enzymatic modification. In one embodiment the modification is by enzymatic degradation. Preferably, the enzymatic modification may be carried out at a temperature in the range of 10°C to 122°C, preferably in the range of 20 to 100°C, for example in the range of 20 to 40°C or in the range of 40°C to 65°C.

[0042] In another embodiment of the invention, for example the hydrolysis of carbohydrates and / or proteins (in step (iii)) may be carried out until a substantially complete modification of the starch has occurred. The term "substantially complete modification" relates to that at most 10% of the original starch content may remain after modification, for example at most 5%, preferably at most 2%, more preferably at most 1%, for example at most 0.5% of the original starch content may remain after modification.

[0043] For example, the hydrolysis of carbohydrates and / or proteins in step (iii) may be carried out by one or more endogenous enzymes and / or by the addition of one or more exogenous enzymes, or by a combination thereof.

[0044] Preferably, in the process according to the invention, the hydrolysis is carried out using additional enzymes with different functions, such as alpha amylases, other fibrilases and lipases.

[0045] With regard to the one or more exogenous enzymes, such exogenous enzymes may be selected from the group consisting of proteases (endoproteases and exoproteases), dextrinases, cell wall hydrolases such as LPMOs, amylases and amyloglucosidases, fragments thereof, and any combination thereof. Preferably, a mixture of several of the above enzymes can be used.

[0046] Advantageously, the fibrelase contains at least a cellulase, preferably having an additional activity selected from the group consisting of endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase and β-glucosidase.

[0047] In another embodiment of the invention, at least one of the endogenous and / or exogenous enzymes is a protease and / or an amylase. The protease may be active at alkaline, neutral and / or acidic pH conditions.

[0048] In a further embodiment of the invention, the protease contains at least one endoprotease and two exopeptidases.

[0049] Preferably, the exopeptidase is selected from the group consisting of carboxypeptidases, aminopeptidases or combinations thereof.

[0050] The amylase may preferably be an α-amylase, such as 1,4-α-D-glucan glucanohydrolase or glycogenase, a β-amylase, such as 1,4-α-D-glucan maltohydrolase or saccharogen amylase, a glucoamylase, such as amyloglucosidase or exo-1,4-α-glucosidase, or any combination thereof.

[0051] The process may further comprise a step of inactivating the enzymatic activity, for example when the hydrolysis of carbohydrates and / or proteins has reached a substantially complete modification. This inactivation may be carried out by changing the temperature to a temperature in the range of 40-130° C., preferably in the range of 75-85° C. Preferably, the inactivation may be carried out for at least 15 seconds, such as at least 30 seconds, for example at least 1 minute, such as at least 5 minutes, for example at least 10 minutes, such as at least 20 minutes, for example at least 30 minutes.

[0052] Hydrolysis of the different macromolecular components of the whole grain can also be achieved by any other means known in the art, such as chemical modification, for example acid or heat induced hydrolysis.

[0053] When hydrolysis is complete and the soluble portion of the whole grain is liberated from the insoluble portion, the soluble and insoluble fractions can be separated. Thus, in one embodiment of the invention, the separation of the soluble fraction from the insoluble fraction (in step (iv)) can be selected from the group consisting of filtration, centrifugation, decantation and combinations thereof.

[0054] Depending on the use of the soluble fraction, it may be further processed to provide different fractions containing specific components or it may be concentrated. Preferably, the soluble fraction obtained from the separation (in step (iv)) is concentrated. The concentrate may contain at least 10% and up to 97.5% (w / w) of the soluble fraction before concentration. The final concentrate may be in the form of a liquid, gel or powder.

[0055] Optionally, filtration can be used in the process according to the invention. The processing aid can be diatomaceous earth, perlite, celite, cellulose or grain husks.

[0056] Yet another embodiment of the LPMO enzyme treated whole grain based fraction comprises 8% (w / w) protein and 67% (w / w) carbohydrates.

[0057] In another embodiment of the invention the beverage material comprises at most 70% (w / w) protein, such as at most 50% (w / w) protein, such as at most 20% (w / w) protein, such as at most 2% (w / w) protein, for example at most 1% (w / w) protein.

[0058] In another embodiment of the invention the beverage material comprises at least 5% (w / w) protein, such as at least 10% (w / w) protein, such as at least 25% (w / w) protein, such as at least 50% (w / w) protein, for example at least 60% (w / w) protein.

[0059] The beverage material may advantageously be a high sugar beverage material or a low sugar beverage material. When the beverage is a high sugar beverage material, the beverage material comprises more than 50% (w / w) and up to 95% (w / w) sucrose, such as up to 85% (w / w) sucrose, such as up to 75% (w / w) sucrose, such as up to 65% (w / w). When the beverage material is a low sugar beverage material, the beverage material comprises at most 50% (w / w) sucrose, such as at most 40% sucrose, such as at most 25% sucrose, such as at most 15% sucrose, such as at most 10% sucrose, such as at most 5% sucrose, such as 0% sucrose.

[0060] In order to control and / or improve the sensory impression of beverages and beverage ingredients, the beverage ingredients contain flavor ingredients. In one embodiment of the present invention, the flavor ingredients may be selected from the group consisting of cocoa, coffee, fruit, malt, soy, tea, vegetable, and any combination thereof.

[0061] The beverage ingredient may also include a fat component. In one embodiment of the invention, the fat component may be a vegetable fat component, a fish oil component, or a combination thereof.

[0062] The beverage ingredients may further include dairy ingredients, such as skim milk ingredients and / or dairy ingredients.

[0063] Depending on the application and manufacturing conditions of the beverage ingredient, the beverage ingredient may be in the form of a liquid, concentrate, puree or powder.

[0064] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a concentrated grain-based extract material comprising, on a dry matter basis, 60-90% (w / w) carbohydrate, 5-15% (w / w) protein, 0.5-5% (w / w) total dietary fiber fraction, optionally 1-4% (w / w) ash and 0-1% (w / w) fat fraction.

[0065] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a concentrated grain-based extract material comprising, on a dry matter basis, 40-90% (w / w) carbohydrate, 5-20% (w / w) protein, 0.5-20% (w / w) total dietary fiber fraction, optionally 1-4% (w / w) ash and 0-10% (w / w) fat fraction.

[0066] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a concentrated grain-based extract material comprising, on a dry matter basis, 55-70% (w / w) carbohydrate, 5-15% (w / w) protein, 0.5-5% (w / w) total dietary fiber fraction, optionally 1-4% (w / w) ash and 0-1% (w / w) fat.

[0067] Preferably, the concentrated cereal-based extract material according to the present invention comprises, on a dry matter basis, 25-40% (w / w) concentrated cereal-based extract, 20-40% (w / w) skimmed milk powder, 10-20% (w / w) sucrose, 5-20% (w / w) cocoa powder and 0-5% (w / w) fat.

[0068] In a preferred embodiment of the invention the beverage material comprises a mixture of 25-45% (w / w), preferably 34-38% (w / w), malt extract, 15-25% (w / w), preferably 18-22% (w / w), skimmed milk powder, 10-20% (w / w), preferably 14-18% (w / w), carbohydrate, 10-20% (w / w), preferably 12-15% (w / w), cocoa and 5-15% (w / w), preferably 8-12% (w / w), fat. The carbohydrate is preferably sucrose.

[0069] For the purposes of the present invention, the malt extract may be considered the soluble fraction of the modified whole grain.

[0070] The beverage ingredient may preferably be used for the preparation of a beverage, in particular the beverage ingredient may be used for the preparation of a beverage having nutritional value and / or a beverage having improved nutritional value.

[0071] In a further aspect, the present invention relates to a process for preparing a beverage with improved organoleptic properties and / or a beverage with improved nutritional value, the process comprising the steps of: (a) providing a concentrated grain-based extract material according to any one of claims 10 to 14; (b) mixing the material of step (a) with a liquid ingredient to obtain a beverage; The liquid ingredient may be selected from the group consisting of water, milk, fruit juice, vegetable juice, or any combination thereof.

[0072] In a further aspect, the present invention provides a method for producing a composition comprising the steps of: (1) The above-mentioned liquid components and material components In a preferred embodiment, the beverage comprises at least 14% of the total energy of the beverage provided by protein, less than 21% of the total energy of the beverage provided by fat, at least 62% of the total energy of the beverage provided by carbohydrates, and at least 2% of the total energy of the beverage provided by total dietary fiber.

[0073] The dairy ingredient may be selected from the group consisting of whole milk, whey fraction, casein, and any combination thereof.

[0074] therefore, (1) a liquid component; and (2) The beverage material according to the present invention A beverage may be prepared comprising:

[0075] In this context, the term "beverage" refers to a composition in the form of a dry powder, a slurry or a liquid. It should be understood that a dry powder can be reconstituted in any applicable liquid suitable for consumption. A slurry or liquid can be further diluted using any applicable liquid suitable for consumption.

[0076] In the present context, the term "(w / w)" relates to weight to weight ratio of compounds or products on a dry matter basis, unless otherwise stated.

[0077] It should be noted that embodiments and features described in the context of one aspect of the invention also apply to other aspects of the invention.

[0078] All patent and non-patent literature cited in this application is hereby incorporated in its entirety.

[0079] The invention will now be described in further detail by the following non-limiting examples.

[0080] [Example] Example 1 - Enzymatic hydrolysis of cereals using enzymes from the biofuel industry to improve the nutritional properties of the extract The cereal grist obtained after a single milling process is mixed with water and subjected to an enzymatic hydrolysis process. Enzymes, mainly cellulases from the biofuel industry, help to hydrolyze the crystalline cellulose, which is usually difficult to degrade using conventional cellulases. Furthermore, these cellulases act synergistically with proteases to improve the yield of the process. After hydrolysis, the slurry is passed through a filtration process to obtain an extract, which is subjected to an evaporation process to increase the total solids content. This malt extract has a high protein content and a low carbohydrate content.

[0081] Example 2 - Cocoa beverage with improved protein in malt extract A powder dosed at 15 g per 100 ml of water and defined as a serving of 28-30 grams. A powder containing 30-40% modified whole grain and bran malt extract, preferably about 38%, 15% to 40% skimmed milk powder, preferably up to about 21%, 10-20% sugar (ideally 15%), 10-20% cocoa (preferably 12%) and 5-15% fat (10%), these whole grain and bran malt extracts containing about 1-5% spent grain meal, which consists of about 50% insoluble fiber, about 25% protein and about 25% carbohydrate. The beverage has a caloric value of less than 255 kcal per serving and is intended to be consumed as a major part of a meal (e.g. breakfast).

Claims

1. 1. A process for preparing a cereal-based extract, the process comprising: (i) providing a whole grain; (ii) subjecting the whole grains to a single grinding step, and then combining the whole grains with water; (iii) subjecting the slurry of ground whole grain and water to an enzymatic hydrolysis process; (iv) separating the soluble fraction of the whole grain from the insoluble fraction by filtration, decantation, or centrifugation; Including, The enzymatic hydrolysis step utilizes a lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) in combination with at least one protease. process.

2. 2. The process of claim 1, wherein the whole grain is an unmalted whole grain derived from barley or oats.

3. 2. The process of claim 1, wherein the soluble fraction obtained from the separation in step (iv) is concentrated.

4. 4. The process of claim 3, wherein the concentrate comprises at least 30% and up to 97.5% (w / w) of the soluble fraction after concentration.

5. 2. The process of claim 1, wherein the slurry of whole grains in step (ii) is heated to gelatinize the starch.

6. 2. The process of claim 1, wherein the hydrolysis is carried out with an additional enzyme having a different function.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein the additional enzyme is selected from the group consisting of alpha amylase, fiberase and lipase.

8. 2. The process of claim 1, wherein the enzyme comprises a protease containing at least one endoprotease and two exopeptidases.

9. 9. The process of claim 8, wherein the exopeptidase may be selected from the group consisting of carboxypeptidases, aminopeptidases, or combinations thereof.

10. The process of claim 7 , wherein the fiberase contains at least a cellulase.

11. 11. The process of claim 10, wherein the cellulase has an additional activity selected from the group consisting of endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase and beta-glucosidase.

12. A concentrated grain-based extract material obtained by the process described in claim 3.

13. Based on a dry matter basis, 40-90% (w / w) carbohydrates, 5-20% (w / w) protein, 0.5 to 20% (w / w) total dietary fiber; Optionally, an ash content of 1-4% (w / w), and Fat fraction of 0-10% (w / w) 13. The concentrated grain-based brew material of claim 12, comprising:

14. A concentrated grain-based extract material, comprising, on a dry matter basis: 40-90% (w / w) carbohydrates, 5-20% (w / w) protein, 0.5 to 20% (w / w) total dietary fiber; Optionally, an ash content of 1-4% (w / w), and Fat fraction of 0-10% (w / w) Concentrated grain-based extract materials, including

15. 15. The concentrated grain-based extract material of claim 13 or 14, wherein the material comprises, on a dry matter basis, 25-40% (w / w) concentrated grain-based extract, 20-40% (w / w) skimmed milk powder, 10-20% (w / w) sucrose, 5-20% (w / w) cocoa powder and 0-5% (w / w) fat.

16. 1. A method for preparing a beverage having improved organoleptic properties and / or improved nutritional value, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a concentrated grain-based brew material according to claim 13 or 14; (b) mixing the material of step (a) with a liquid component to obtain the beverage; A method comprising:

17. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the liquid ingredient is selected from the group consisting of water, milk, fruit juice, vegetable juice, or any combination thereof.

18. (1) a liquid component; and (2) The material according to claim 13 or 14 A beverage consisting of.

19. 20. The beverage of claim 18, wherein at least 14% of the beverage's total energy is provided by protein, less than 21% of the beverage's total energy is provided by fat, at least 62% of the beverage's total energy is provided by carbohydrates, and at least 2% of the beverage's total energy is provided by total dietary fiber.

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