Plant milk

Abstract

To provide a plant milk that exhibits natural sweetness and a rich taste.SOLUTION: A plant milk containing a saccharified grain liquid prepared using grain flour including husks. The grain in the grain flour including husks is preferably oats. The plant milk preferably further contains a marine-derived potassium salt. The plant milk preferably further contains an edible oil or fat. The content of the husks in the grain flour including husks is preferably 2 mass% or more and 90 mass% or less.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to plant milks. [Background technology]

[0002] Since cow's milk and other animal milks are produced for the purpose of lactation, they are highly nutritious and well-balanced, and have been widely consumed as beverages and used as food ingredients since ancient times.

[0003] However, because animal milk can only be extracted during the lactation period, both the amount and the period of production are limited. For this reason, milks similar to animal milk have often been obtained from stable plants and used as plant milk. For example, coconut milk, rice milk, soy milk, and almond milk are produced by crushing part or all of grains, beans, seeds, hard fruits, or fruits, suspending them in water, and then enzymatically hydrolyzing them.

[0004] In recent years, plant-based foods have increasingly been chosen for various reasons, such as environmental impact, health, and allergen avoidance, and plant-based milks are becoming more common on the market.

[0005] These plant milks have traditionally been required to have a flavor similar to animal milk, particularly cow's milk, i.e., a dairy flavor.

[0006] However, these plant-based milks have the problem of having a strong, harsh taste specific to the plant. Furthermore, even if plant-based milks can achieve a certain level of milky flavor, they have the problem of being low in sugar content and therefore not very sweet, and they have low protein and fat content, resulting in a light flavor and lack of richness.

[0007] For this reason, it has been proposed to increase the content of monosaccharides and disaccharides by enzymatically hydrolyzing the starch contained in plant milk, thereby enhancing the sweetness and richness (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

[0008] However, the sugars produced by the breakdown of starch are different from lactose, the main sweet component of milk, in that they are very sweet, making them too sweet and not only does it lack sufficient body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-142183 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-207359 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-039283 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a plant milk having a natural sweetness and richness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] As a result of extensive investigations into achieving the above object, the present inventors have discovered that the above object can be achieved by using a specific grain flour as a raw material for a grain saccharified solution. That is, the present invention provides a plant milk characterized by containing a saccharified grain solution made from grain flour containing husks. The present invention also provides a method for producing plant milk, which includes a step of blending a grain saccharified liquid using grain flour containing husks. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, a highly convenient plant milk can be obtained that has a natural sweetness and richness, is fluid even with a high solids content, and is free from granularity and sedimentation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The plant milk of the present invention will be described in detail below. The plant milk of the present invention contains a cereal saccharified liquid prepared using cereal flour containing husks. Grains generally refer to seeds that are primarily starch. Seeds generally have a husk, endosperm, and germ, with the endosperm containing a large amount of starch. In other words, in this specification, husk-containing grain flour includes not only the seed husk but also the endosperm of the seed. Plant milk made with cereal saccharification liquid made from grain flour (endosperm flour) that does not contain the outer husk portion lacks a rich flavor. Plant milk made with grain flour that does not contain the outer husk portion without saccharification becomes grainy and sediment occurs. Plant milk made with saccharification liquid made only from the outer husk portion lacks sweetness and has a bitter taste, and does not have a natural sweetness or rich flavor, and also becomes grainy and sediment occurs.

[0014] First, we will discuss the above-mentioned "grain flour containing husks." When milling regular grain flour, the outer husk is removed as much as possible. This is because the outer husk of grains contains a lot of dietary fiber such as cellulose and hemicellulose, which causes a poor melt-in-the-mouth texture, and the endosperm part, also known as "endosperm flour," which has a high starch content, is left as the grain flour. The present invention is characterized in that it does not use endosperm flour from which the outer husk portion has been removed, but rather uses grain flour containing the outer husk portion.

[0015] Examples of grain flour containing husks include whole grain flour. Also usable is a mixture of the above-mentioned endosperm flour and the husk portion (bran). Furthermore, the grain flour containing husks may be a mixture of whole grain flour and the husk, or a mixture of endosperm flour, whole grain flour, and the husk. The grain flour containing husks may or may not contain the germ portion.

[0016] Grain flour containing husks preferably contains 2% by mass or more of husks, more preferably 10% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 20% by mass or more, from the viewpoints of making it easier to achieve a more natural sweetness and to obtain a rich flavor. The upper limit of the husk content in grain flour containing husks is preferably 90% by mass or less, more preferably 80% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 50% by mass or less, from the viewpoints of being able to obtain a natural sweetness and of being able to suppress the formation of graininess and sediment. The husk content in grain grains is generally about 10 to 18% by mass.

[0017] Next, the grain saccharified liquid used in the plant milk of the present invention will be described. The grain saccharified liquid used in the present invention can be produced according to the formulation and production method of a general grain saccharified liquid, except that the above-mentioned grain flour containing the husk is used as the raw grain flour, as described above. Here, the grain saccharified liquid is a liquid obtained by cleaving the starch in grains and decomposing them into dextrins, oligosaccharides, and further monosaccharides, and then solubilizing them in water, and has a range of sweetness from low to high depending on the degree of decomposition.

[0018] Grains can be saccharified by acid saccharification using an acid or by enzymatic saccharification using an enzyme. In the present invention, it is preferable to saccharify grains by enzymatic saccharification using an enzyme in order to avoid discoloration and to prevent off-flavors. Specific methods for producing a grain saccharification liquid from grain flour containing husks include, for example, the following. First, a suspension of grain flour in water, or a grain extract, squeezed juice, grinding liquid, or pulverization liquid is prepared as the raw grain material. This raw grain material is heated as necessary, and the starch and other components of the grain are cleaved and solubilized with an acid or enzyme. Examples of grain grinding liquid include a slurry obtained by wet grinding grains or grain flour.

[0019] As the enzyme, one or more types of glycolytic enzymes can be used, and specific examples include cell wall-degrading enzymes such as cellulase, hemicellulase, pectinase, xylanase, pentosanase, and pullulanase; amylases such as α-amylase, β-amylase, maltose-producing α-amylase, trisaccharide-producing amylase, tetrasaccharide-producing amylase, glucoamylase, and isoamylase; and starch-degrading enzymes such as amyloglucosidase. However, in the present invention, it is preferable not to use cell wall-degrading enzymes as the enzymes, as they tend to weaken the richness of the flavor.

[0020] In the present invention, the enzyme used is preferably one or more starch-degrading enzymes, more preferably amylases, and more preferably one or more of α-amylase, β-amylase, and glucoamylase, more preferably a combination of α-amylase and β-amylase, or a combination of α-amylase and glucoamylase. When two or more enzymes are used in combination, they may be reacted sequentially or simultaneously. Alternatively, as described below, separate saccharified solutions may be produced using the individual enzymes and then mixed together.

[0021] The α-amylase can be selected from commercially available α-amylase preparations, such as Clistase L1, Biozyme A (all manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.), Biotex L#3000, Biotex TS, Spitase HS, Spitase CP-40FG, Spitase CP3, Spitase L, Spitase XP-404, Neospitase PK-2, and T-50 (all manufactured by Nagase ChemteX Corporation), Grindamyl A (manufactured by Danisco Japan), BAN, and Fungamil (all manufactured by Novozymes Japan), Fuctamylase 30, Fuctamylase 50, Fuctamylase 10L, and Liquifase L45 (all manufactured by HI Bio Inc.), VERON Soft+, VERONVERON M4, and Sternzyme A6003 (all manufactured by Higuchi Shokai), Uniase BM-8 (manufactured by Yakult Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.), Softagen 3H (manufactured by Taisho Technos Co., Ltd.), Bakezyme AN301, MatL Classic, Mycolase, Bakezyme P500 (manufactured by DSM), Sumiteam AS, Sumiteam L (all manufactured by Shin-Nihon Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), etc. can be used.

[0022] The above-mentioned β-amylase can be selected from commercially available β-amylase preparations, such as Secura (manufactured by Novozymes Japan), Hymaltosin G, Hymaltosin GL, Hymaltosin GLH (all manufactured by HI Bio), β-amylase #1500S, β-amylase L / R (all manufactured by Nagase ChemteX), and β-amylase F "Amano" (manufactured by Amano Enzyme).

[0023] The glucoamylase may be selected from commercially available glucoamylase preparations, such as Amigase, Bakezyme AG800 (all manufactured by DSM), Amylase AG, AMG1100BG, AMG300L (all manufactured by Novozymes Japan), Glucozyme AF6, Glucozyme NL4.2 ​​(all manufactured by Amano Enzyme), Glucozyme #20000, Denatyme GSA / R, Nagase Enzyme N-40 (all manufactured by Nagase ChemteX), Glutase AN (manufactured by HIBI), and Coclase G2 (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods).

[0024] Other enzymes may be used before or after the production of the grain saccharified solution, or during the production of the saccharified solution by enzymatic hydrolysis. Examples of the other enzymes include glycosyltransferases such as glucosyltransferase, oxidoreductases such as glucose oxidase, proteases, and lipases.

[0025] The amount of the enzyme added can be adjusted according to the activity of the enzyme, but is generally preferably about 0.001 to 3 mass% of the amount of grain used as the raw material for the grain flour. In this specification, the "amount of raw grain" refers to the amount of the raw grain material as a solid, for example, the amount of powder. Specifically, when a suspension of grain flour in water or a grinding or crushing liquid of grain is used as the raw grain material, the amount of grain flour contained in these liquids is used. For grain extracts or juices, the amount of grain flour obtained by drying them is used.

[0026] During the production of the saccharified solution, the amount of grain in the suspension, grinding solution or pulverization solution, extract, or aqueous juice solution, i.e., the concentration of the raw grain material, is preferably 2 to 75 mass % in terms of solid content, more preferably 10 to 60 mass %, and particularly preferably 20 to 50 mass %.

[0027] The reaction temperature and reaction time of the above enzymes can be set appropriately depending on the type of saccharifying enzyme used and the type of grain flour used as raw material, but the reaction temperature is preferably 45°C to 120°C, more preferably 50°C to 110°C, and the reaction time is preferably 0.01 hours to 24 hours, more preferably 0.1 hours to 12 hours.

[0028] The amount of enzyme to be added, the reaction temperature and the reaction time for producing the above-mentioned saccharified solution are preferably set to conditions such that the enzymatic reaction is allowed to reach equilibrium, in order to ensure the compositional stability of the resulting saccharified solution. Furthermore, after the enzymatic reaction, the enzyme must be inactivated. However, when an immobilized enzyme is used instead of the batch method as described above, there is no need to inactivate the enzyme.

[0029] The grains used as the raw material for the grain saccharified solution may be one or more selected from the group consisting of soybeans, adzuki beans, rice, barley, wheat, pearl barley, rye, oats, buckwheat, quinoa seeds, millet, sorghum, chickpeas, peas, mung beans, broad beans, lentils, lupin seeds, kidney beans, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, watermelon seeds, pine nuts, peaches, safflower seeds, canola seeds, peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, cashew nuts, macadamia nuts, pistachios, coconuts, sesame seeds, walnuts, and hemp seeds. In the present invention, it is preferable to use one or more selected from the group consisting of almonds, rice, soybeans, oats, chickpeas, and peas, as this further enhances the effects of the present invention and provides a particularly good milk flavor. Oats are particularly preferred because they provide a more good milk flavor. The grains used as raw materials may be roasted or gelatinized.

[0030] The plant milk of the present invention is characterized by containing a grain saccharified solution made from grain flour containing husks, but the "grain saccharified solution made from grain flour containing husks" may contain two or more grain saccharified solutions with different saccharification degrees, or may contain two or more grain saccharified solutions made from grain flours with different husk contents. In this regard, when two or more grain saccharified solutions are used in combination, the husk content is calculated based on the husk content in the whole grain saccharified solution.

[0031] In the plant milk of the present invention, the content of the grain saccharified liquid using the grain flour containing the above-mentioned outer skin is preferably 11 to 100 mass%, more preferably 30 to 98 mass%, and more preferably 50 to 98 mass%.

[0032] The plant milk of the present invention may contain a grain saccharified solution made from grain flour that does not contain husks. In other words, when two or more grain saccharified solutions are used in combination, the husk content is calculated based on the husk content in the whole grain saccharified solution, as described above. Therefore, the husk content can be adjusted by mixing a grain saccharified solution made from husk-free grain flour with a grain saccharified solution containing only husks or a grain saccharified solution containing husks. However, the content of the grain saccharified solution made from husk-free grain flour in the grain saccharified solution is preferably 2 to 89% by mass, more preferably 2 to 50% by mass, and more preferably 2 to 70% by mass.

[0033] The plant milk of the present invention can also contain plant milk or grain flour other than the above-mentioned grain saccharified liquid. Examples of the "plant milk other than the above-mentioned grain saccharified liquid" include a suspension of grain flour in water during the production of the above-mentioned saccharified liquid, or a grain extract, squeezed juice, grinding liquid, or pulverized liquid. Since the effects of the present invention are reduced with the plant milk of the present invention, the amount of such "plant milk other than the above-mentioned grain saccharified liquid" in the plant milk is preferably 49% by mass or less, more preferably 20% by mass or less, and most preferably 1% by mass or less of the content of the grain saccharified liquid in terms of solid content.

[0034] The plant milk of the present invention preferably contains marine-derived potassium salts, as this allows for the production of plant milk with a "natural and mellow flavor" and "good body and aftertaste." The marine-derived potassium salts are salts obtained from a solution of solutes mainly composed of potassium chloride, which is obtained by further removing salts such as magnesium from a crude magnesium chloride solution known as nigari, which is mainly composed of magnesium obtained by removing sodium from seawater for the production of table salt.

[0035] The marine-derived potassium salt used in the present invention may have a potassium chloride content of 51% by mass or more in the solid content, preferably 70% by mass or more in the solid content. The upper limit of the potassium chloride content in the marine-derived potassium salt is preferably 99.7% by mass or less in the solid content. The marine-derived potassium salt used in the present invention preferably has a solid content of 95% by mass or more, more preferably 97% by mass or more. The solid content is the amount excluding water, and can be measured by the atmospheric pressure heating and drying method or the Karl Fischer method. Examples of the marine-derived potassium salt include "Ocean Potassium" (manufactured by FC Chemicals), "Purified Potassium Chloride" (manufactured by Diasalt), and "Potassium Base" (manufactured by FC Chemicals). When the above marine-derived potassium salt is used, the content of the marine-derived potassium salt varies depending on the type of plant milk and the purpose of use, but the content of the marine-derived potassium salt in the plant milk is preferably 0.01 to 5 mass%, more preferably 0.04 to 1.5 mass%, and even more preferably 0.04 to 0.5 mass%.

[0036] The plant milk of the present invention may contain salt. When the plant milk contains salt, the salt content in the plant milk varies depending on the type of plant milk and the intended use, but is preferably 0.01 to 5% by mass, more preferably 0.02 to 2% by mass, and even more preferably 0.04 to 1.0% by mass.

[0037] The plant milk of the present invention preferably contains edible oils and fats, as this can impart a richer flavor and aftertaste. The edible oils and fats are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include vegetable oils and fats such as palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, rice oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and cacao butter; animal oils and fats such as milk fat, beef tallow, lard, fish oil, and whale oil; and processed oils and fats obtained by subjecting these oils and fats to one or more treatments selected from hydrogenation, fractionation, and interesterification. In the present invention, these oils and fats can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0038] The edible fat content in the plant milk of the present invention varies depending on the intended use, but is preferably 0.3% by mass or more, more preferably 1% by mass or more, and most preferably 2% by mass or more in the plant milk. From the viewpoint of emulsion stability, the upper limit is preferably 49% by mass or less, more preferably 36% by mass or less, and most preferably 21% by mass or less. The edible fat content is calculated by adding the oil content contained in the other ingredients described below.

[0039] The plant milk of the present invention exhibits a good milky richness even without containing milk fat. Therefore, the plant milk of the present invention can be used as a food that can be consumed by vegetarians and vegans. In addition, the present invention preferably does not substantially use animal-derived fats and oils, such as milk fat, beef tallow, lard, fish oil, whale oil, and other animal fats and oils, as well as processed fats obtained by subjecting animal fats to one or more treatments selected from hydrogenation, fractionation, and interesterification. "Substantially not using animal-derived fats and oils" means that the content of animal-derived fats and oils in the plant milk is less than 0.2% by mass, preferably 0.1% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or less.

[0040] The plant milk of the present invention may contain sugars. Examples of such sugars include white sugar, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, sucrose, liquid sugar, honey, glucose, fructose, brown sugar, maltose, lactose, cyclodextrin, enzyme-saccharified starch syrup, acid-saccharified starch syrup, reduced starch syrup, polydextrose, reduced lactose, sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, erythritol, mannitol, isomerized liquid sugar, sucrose-bound starch syrup, caramel, maple sugar, oligosaccharides, xylose, trehalose, fructooligosaccharides, soybean oligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, xylooligosaccharides, arabinose, palatinose oligosaccharides, agarooligosaccharides, chitin oligosaccharides, lactoferrin oligosaccharides, hemicellulose, molasses, isomaltooligosaccharides, maltooligosaccharides, coupling sugar, raffinose, lactulose, theandeoligosaccharides, and gentiooligosaccharides. However, the plant milk of the present invention preferably contains substantially no sugars other than those derived from the cereal saccharified liquid, as this allows for a more natural sweetness and richness. "Substantially no sugars other than those derived from the saccharified liquid" means that of the sugars contained in the plant milk, sugars derived from the cereal saccharified liquid account for a total of 80% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, even more preferably 95% by mass or more, and most preferably 100% by mass.

[0041] Furthermore, when the plant milk of the present invention is used as a food that can be eaten by vegetarians or vegans, it is necessary that it does not contain sugars of animal origin, particularly lactose and its processed sugars derived from dairy products.

[0042] The plant milk of the present invention may also contain a thickening stabilizer. Examples of the thickening stabilizer include thickening polysaccharides and gelling agents such as guar gum, xanthan gum, carrageenan, tamarind gum, pectin, microcrystalline cellulose, furcellaran, agar, gelatin, gellan gum, glucomannan, alginic acid, alginates, curdlan, locust bean gum, gum arabic, pullulan, psyllium seed gum, carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose, and egg white powder, and these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. When these thickening stabilizers are contained, the amount thereof in the plant milk is preferably 0.01 to 5% by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 3% by mass, from the viewpoints of emulsion stability and flavor.

[0043] The plant milk of the present invention may contain an emulsifier, such as glycerin fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, glycerin organic acid fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid esters, calcium stearoyl lactylate, sodium stearoyl lactylate, polyoxyethylene fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, lecithin, enzyme-treated lecithin, and saponins, which may be used alone or in combination of two or more. When these emulsifiers are contained, the amount in the plant milk is preferably 0.01 to 5% by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 3% by mass, from the viewpoints of emulsion stability and flavor.

[0044] The plant milk of the present invention may contain other ingredients in addition to those described above, as long as the effects of the present invention are not affected. Examples of such other ingredients include water, starches, acidulants such as acetic acid, lactic acid, and gluconic acid, sweeteners such as stevia and aspartame, colorants such as β-carotene, caramel, and red koji pigment, antioxidants such as tocopherol and tea extract, seasonings, pH adjusters, food preservatives, shelf life extenders, and food ingredients and food additives such as fruit, fruit juice, coffee, spices, cocoa mass, and cocoa powder. Other ingredients can be used as desired as long as they do not impair the objectives of the present invention, but preferably, the total amount of other ingredients other than water in the plant milk of the present invention is used in a range that is 5% by mass or less, more preferably 1% by mass or less. Furthermore, when the plant milk of the present invention is used as a food that can be eaten by vegetarians or vegans, it is necessary that the other ingredients mentioned above do not contain any raw materials of animal origin.

[0045] The plant milk of the present invention preferably has a solids content of 2 to 60% by mass, more preferably 10 to 60% by mass, and particularly preferably 20 to 40% by mass. The solids content in the present invention is calculated by subtracting the water content from the total mass.

[0046] The plant milk of the present invention preferably has a water content of 40 to 98% by mass, more preferably 40 to 90% by mass, and particularly preferably 60 to 80% by mass.

[0047] The plant milk of the present invention preferably has a protein content of 0.1 to 10% by mass, more preferably 0.3 to 8% by mass, and particularly preferably 1.0 to 5.0% by mass. A protein content of 0.1% by mass or more provides a good milk flavor and rich taste. Furthermore, a protein content of 10% by mass or less helps prevent graininess during storage.

[0048] Next, a preferred method for producing the plant milk of the present invention will be described. To obtain the plant milk of the present invention, one or more grain saccharification liquids made from grain flour including the outer skin are used during the production of the plant milk, and the above-mentioned oils and fats, sugars, thickening stabilizers, emulsifiers, and other ingredients are added and dispersed as necessary.

[0049] A preferred production method will be described below, taking as an example a case where the plant milk of the present invention does not contain any plant milk other than the above-mentioned cereal saccharified liquid and contains raw materials other than plant milk. First, water is added as needed to a grain saccharified solution made from grain flour containing husks, and preferably marine-derived potassium salt is also added, as well as fats and oils, sugars, emulsifiers, thickening stabilizers, etc., as needed, and the mixture is mixed to prepare a mixture. The content of the grain saccharified solution is as described above. This mixture is homogenized at a pressure of 0 to 100 MPa using a homogenizing device such as a valve homogenizer, homomixer, or colloid mill. If necessary, the mixture may be subjected to heat sterilization or pasteurization treatment such as UHT, HTST, low-temperature sterilization using direct heating methods such as injection or infusion, or indirect heating methods such as plate, tubular, or scraping, batch, retort, or microwave heating, or the mixture may be heated by cooking over an open flame, etc. After heating, the mixture may be homogenized again if necessary. If necessary, the mixture may be subjected to cooling procedures such as rapid cooling or slow cooling.

[0050] The plant milk of the present invention can be consumed directly as a food or drink, or can be used as a substitute for cow's milk, condensed milk, coffee whitener, whipped cream, or fresh cream.

[0051] The plant milk of the present invention can be used to make creams such as custard cream and white cream, stews and gratins using these creams, desserts such as bavarois, frozen desserts such as ice cream, pastes such as flower paste, mayonnaise and other dressings, cheese-like foods, bread, confectionery, ham, sausage, and other processed foods. The plant milk of the present invention can be stored refrigerated or frozen as needed. [Example]

[0052] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to examples and comparative examples, but these are not intended to limit the present invention in any way.

[0053] <Production of grain saccharified liquid> [Production Example 1] 75 parts by mass of water was heated to 60°C, and while stirring, 0.15 parts by mass of α-amylase (BAN 480L (Novozymes)) and 25 parts by mass of oat powder (whole wheat) (Tirlan) (moisture content 14% by mass, oil content 3.0% by mass, protein content 11.9% by mass, husk content 13% by mass) were added, and the mixture was held for 3 hours to allow the enzyme reaction to occur, yielding a reaction solution. The reaction solution was then inactivated at 90°C for 15 minutes, and the inactivated reaction solution was then cooled to 5°C and homogenized at a pressure of 5 MPa, yielding grain saccharified solution A.

[0054] [Production Example 2] Grain saccharified liquid B was obtained using the same formulation and manufacturing method as in Manufacturing Example 1, except that oat powder (endosperm powder) "Oat Endosperm Flour (manufactured by FAZER) (moisture content 11.5% by mass, oil content 6.5% by mass, protein content 10% by mass, husk content 0% by mass)" was used instead of oat powder (whole wheat flour) (manufactured by Tirlan).

[0055] [Production Example 3] Grain saccharified liquid C was obtained using the same formulation and manufacturing method as in Manufacturing Example 1, except that oat bran (hull) (manufactured by BLM) (moisture content 12.5% ​​by mass, oil content 9.3% by mass, protein content 17.7% by mass, hull content 100% by mass) was used instead of 25 parts by mass of oat powder (whole wheat flour) (manufactured by Tirlan).

[0056] [Production Example 4] 75 parts by mass of water was heated to 60°C, and while stirring, 0.15 parts by mass of α-amylase (BAN 480L (Novozymes)), 0.3 parts by mass of glucoamylase (Amylase AG (Novozymes)), and 25 parts by mass of oat powder (whole wheat) (Tirlan) (moisture content 14% by mass, oil content 3.0% by mass, protein content 11.9% by mass, husk content 13% by mass) were added, and the mixture was held for 3 hours to allow the enzyme reaction to occur, yielding a reaction solution. The reaction solution was then inactivated at 90°C for 15 minutes, after which the inactivated reaction solution was cooled to 5°C and homogenized at a pressure of 5 MPa to produce grain saccharified solution D.

[0057] [Production Example 5] Grain saccharified liquid E was obtained using the same formulation and manufacturing method as in Manufacturing Example 4, except that oat powder (endosperm powder) "Oat Endosperm Flour (manufactured by FAZER) (moisture content 11.5% by mass, oil content 6.5% by mass, protein content 10% by mass, husk content 0% by mass)" was used instead of oat powder (whole wheat flour) (manufactured by Tirlan).

[0058] [Production Example 6] Grain saccharified liquid F was obtained using the same formulation and manufacturing method as in Production Example 4, except that oat bran (hull) (manufactured by BLM) (moisture content 12.5% ​​by mass, oil content 9.3% by mass, protein content 17.7% by mass, hull content 100% by mass) was used instead of oat powder (whole wheat flour) (manufactured by Tirlan).

[0059] <Production of plant-based milk> Example 1 95 parts by weight of the above grain saccharified liquid A was stirred, and 0.135 parts by weight of salt, 0.25 parts by weight of marine-derived potassium salt (Ocean Potassium, manufactured by FC Chemicals; solid content: 99.9% by weight, potassium content: 52.2% by weight, potassium chloride content in solid content: 99.5% by weight), 0.02 parts by weight of xanthan gum, and 1.595 parts by weight of water were added and mixed, and 3 parts by weight of sunflower oil was added and emulsified to prepare a preliminary emulsion. This preliminary emulsion was homogenized at a pressure of 3 MPa, sterilized at 140°C for 4 seconds in a VTIS sterilizer (UHT sterilizer manufactured by Alfa Laval), homogenized again at a pressure of 5 MPa, and cooled to 5°C to obtain plant milk A of the present invention. The proportion of outer skins in the raw grain material of the grain saccharified liquid was 13% by weight. The resulting plant milk A had a moisture content of 76 mass %, a solid content of 24 mass %, an oil content of 3.7 mass %, and a protein content of 2.9 mass %. The obtained plant milk A had an excellent milk flavor, natural sweetness and richness, and was fluid despite having a high solids content of 24% by mass.No graininess or sedimentation was observed even after storage at 5°C for 120 days, making it a highly convenient plant milk. Furthermore, even when diluted three times with water, plant milk A still had an excellent milky flavor, natural sweetness, and strong richness.

[0060] Comparative Example 1 Comparative example plant milk B was obtained using the same formulation and manufacturing method as in Example 1, except that 95 parts by mass of the above grain saccharified liquid B was used instead of 95 parts by mass of the above grain saccharified liquid A. The proportion of outer skins in the raw grain material of the grain saccharified liquid was 0% by mass. The resulting plant milk B had a moisture content of 76 mass %, a solid content of 24 mass %, an oil content of 4.5 mass %, and a protein content of 2.4 mass %. The obtained plant milk B had an excellent milk flavor and was fluid despite its high solid content of 24% by mass, and no graininess or sedimentation was observed even after storage at 5°C for 120 days, but it was a plant milk with a somewhat sharp sweetness and lacking in richness. Furthermore, even when diluted three times with water, plant milk B still had an excellent milky flavor, but the sweetness was a little sharp and the flavor was lacking.

[0061] Example 2 Plant milk C of the present invention was obtained using the same formulation and manufacturing method as in Example 1, except that 75 parts by mass of the above-mentioned grain saccharified liquid B and 20 parts by mass of the above-mentioned grain saccharified liquid C were used instead of 95 parts by mass of the above-mentioned grain saccharified liquid A. The proportion of outer skins in the raw grain material of the grain saccharified liquid was 21% by mass. The resulting plant milk C had a moisture content of 76 mass %, a solid content of 24 mass %, an oil content of 4.7 mass %, and a protein content of 2.8 mass %. The obtained plant milk C had an excellent milk flavor, natural sweetness, and a strong rich taste, and was fluid despite having a high solids content of 24% by mass.No graininess or sedimentation was observed even after storage at 5°C for 120 days, making it a highly convenient plant milk. Furthermore, even when diluted three times with water, plant milk C still had an excellent milky flavor, natural sweetness, and strong richness.

[0062] Example 3 Plant milk D of the present invention was obtained using the same formulation and manufacturing method as in Example 1, except that 50 parts by mass of the above-mentioned grain saccharified liquid B and 45 parts by mass of the above-mentioned grain saccharified liquid C were used instead of 95 parts by mass of the above-mentioned grain saccharified liquid A. The proportion of outer skins in the raw grain material of the grain saccharified liquid was 47% by mass. The resulting plant milk D had a moisture content of 76 mass %, a solid content of 24 mass %, an oil content of 4.8 mass %, and a protein content of 3.2 mass %. The obtained plant milk D had an excellent milk flavor, natural sweetness, and a strong rich taste, and was fluid despite having a high solids content of 24% by mass.No graininess or sedimentation was observed even after storage at 5°C for 120 days, making it a highly convenient plant milk. Furthermore, even when diluted three times with water, plant milk D still had an excellent milky flavor, natural sweetness, and strong richness.

[0063] Example 4 Plant milk E of the present invention was obtained using the same formulation and manufacturing method as in Example 1, except that 25 parts by mass of the above-mentioned grain saccharified liquid B and 70 parts by mass of the above-mentioned grain saccharified liquid C were used instead of 95 parts by mass of the above-mentioned grain saccharified liquid A. The proportion of outer skins in the raw grain material of the grain saccharified liquid was 74% by mass. The resulting plant milk E had a moisture content of 76 mass %, a solid content of 24 mass %, an oil content of 5.0 mass %, and a protein content of 3.7 mass %. The obtained plant milk E had an excellent milk flavor, a natural sweetness that was slightly lacking in sweetness, and a strong richness.It was fluid despite having a high solids content of 24% by mass, and although it felt slightly rough after storage at 5°C for 120 days, no sedimentation was observed, making it a highly convenient plant milk. Furthermore, even when diluted three times with water, plant milk E had an excellent milky flavor, and although it was slightly lacking in sweetness, it still had a natural sweetness and a strong rich flavor.

[0064] Comparative Example 2 Comparative example plant milk F was obtained using the same formulation and manufacturing method as in Example 1, except that 95 parts by mass of the above grain saccharified liquid C was used instead of 95 parts by mass of the above grain saccharified liquid A. The proportion of husks in the raw grain material of the grain saccharified liquid was 100% by mass. The resulting plant milk F had a moisture content of 76 mass %, a solid content of 24 mass %, an oil content of 5.2 mass %, and a protein content of 4.2 mass %. The resulting plant-based milk F had an excellent milk flavor, but was slightly lacking in sweetness, slightly bitter, and had a poor body. Although the solids content was high at 24% by mass, the product was fluid, but some precipitation was observed after storage at 5°C for 120 days. Even when diluted three times with water, the drink still had an excellent milky flavor, but was slightly lacking in sweetness, had a slight bitterness, and had a poor body.

[0065] From the above Comparative Examples 1 and 2 and Examples 1 to 4, it can be seen that plant milk containing a cereal saccharified liquid made from cereal flour containing husks has a natural sweetness and rich flavor. In contrast, plant milk containing corn saccharified liquid made from hull-free cereal flour was found to have a slightly poor sweetness and lacked body. Furthermore, it was found that the plant milk containing the saccharified grain liquid made from grain flour consisting only of the outer skin was slightly lacking in sweetness and was somewhat unsatisfactory, with a slight bitterness and a poor full-bodied taste.

[0066] Example 5 75 parts by weight of the saccharified grain solution A and 20 parts by weight of the saccharified grain solution D were mixed, to which 0.135 parts by weight of salt, 0.25 parts by weight of marine-derived potassium salt (Ocean Potassium, manufactured by FC Chemicals), 0.02 parts by weight of xanthan gum, and 1.595 parts by weight of water were added and mixed. 3 parts by weight of sunflower oil was then added and emulsified to prepare a preliminary emulsion. This preliminary emulsion was homogenized at a pressure of 3 MPa, sterilized at 140°C for 4 seconds in a VTIS sterilizer (UHT sterilizer manufactured by Alfa Laval), homogenized again at a pressure of 5 MPa, and cooled to 5°C to obtain the plant milk G of the present invention. The proportion of outer skins in the raw grain material of the saccharified grain solution was 13% by weight. The resulting plant milk G had a moisture content of 76 mass %, a solid content of 24 mass %, an oil content of 3.7 mass %, and a protein content of 2.9 mass %. The obtained plant milk G had an excellent milk flavor, natural sweetness and richness, and was fluid despite having a high solids content of 24% by mass.No graininess or sedimentation was observed even after storage at 5°C for 120 days, making it a highly convenient plant milk. Furthermore, even when diluted three times with water, Plant Milk G still had an excellent milky flavor, natural sweetness, and rich taste.

[0067] Example 6 Plant milk H of the present invention was obtained using the same formulation and manufacturing method as in Example 5, except that the above-mentioned cereal saccharified liquid E was used instead of the above-mentioned cereal saccharified liquid D. The proportion of outer skins in the raw grain material of the cereal saccharified liquid was 10% by mass. The obtained plant milk H had a moisture content of 76 mass %, a solid content of 24 mass %, an oil content of 3.9 mass %, and a protein content of 2.8 mass %. The obtained plant milk H had an excellent milk flavor, natural sweetness and richness, and was fluid despite having a high solids content of 24% by mass.No graininess or sedimentation was observed even after storage at 5°C for 120 days, making it a highly convenient plant milk. Furthermore, even when diluted three times with water, Plant Milk H still had an excellent milky flavor, natural sweetness, and rich taste.

[0068] Example 7 Plant milk I of the present invention was obtained using the same formulation and manufacturing method as in Example 5, except that the above-mentioned cereal saccharified liquid F was used instead of the above-mentioned cereal saccharified liquid D. The proportion of outer skins in the raw grain material of the cereal saccharified liquid was 31% by mass. The resulting plant milk I had a moisture content of 76 mass %, a solid content of 24 mass %, an oil content of 4.0 mass %, and a protein content of 3.1 mass %. The obtained plant milk I had an excellent milk flavor, natural sweetness, and a strong rich taste, and was fluid despite having a high solids content of 24% by mass.No graininess or sedimentation was observed even after storage at 5°C for 120 days, making it a highly convenient plant milk. Furthermore, even when diluted three times with water, Plant Milk I still had an excellent milky flavor, natural sweetness, and strong richness.

[0069] Example 8 Plant milk J of the present invention was obtained using the same formulation and manufacturing method as in Example 5, except that cereal saccharified liquid B was used instead of the cereal saccharified liquid A. The proportion of outer skin in the raw grain material of the cereal saccharified liquid was 2.7% by mass. The resulting plant milk J had a moisture content of 76 mass %, a solid content of 24 mass %, an oil content of 4.4 mass %, and a protein content of 2.5 mass %. The resulting plant milk J had an excellent milk flavor, natural sweetness, and a richer taste that was slightly weaker than that of plant milk composition G of Example 5.It was fluid despite having a high solids content of 24% by mass, and no graininess or sedimentation was observed even after storage at 5°C for 120 days, making it a highly convenient plant milk. Furthermore, even when diluted three times with water, Plant Milk J still had an excellent milky flavor, natural sweetness, and strong richness.

[0070] Comparative Example 3 Comparative example plant milk K was obtained using the same formulation and manufacturing method as in Example 5, except that grain saccharified liquid B was used instead of the grain saccharified liquid A and grain saccharified liquid E was used instead of the grain saccharified liquid D. The proportion of outer skin in the raw grain material of the grain saccharified liquid was 0% by mass. The resulting plant milk K had a moisture content of 76 mass %, a solid content of 24 mass %, an oil content of 4.5 mass %, and a protein content of 2.4 mass %. The obtained plant milk K had an excellent milk flavor and was fluid despite its high solids content of 24% by mass, and no graininess or sedimentation was observed even after storage at 5°C for 120 days, but it was a plant milk with a somewhat sharp sweetness and lacking in richness. Furthermore, even when diluted three times with water, Plant Milk K still had an excellent milk flavor, but the sweetness was a little sharp and the flavor was lacking.

[0071] Example 9 Plant milk L of the present invention was obtained using the same formulation and manufacturing method as in Example 5, except that grain saccharified solution B was used instead of the grain saccharified solution A and grain saccharified solution F was used instead of the grain saccharified solution D. The proportion of outer skin in the raw grain material of the grain saccharified solution was 21% by mass. The obtained plant milk L had a moisture content of 76 mass %, a solid content of 24 mass %, an oil content of 4.7 mass %, and a protein content of 2.8 mass %. The obtained plant milk L had an excellent milk flavor, natural sweetness, and a strong rich taste, and was fluid despite having a high solids content of 24% by mass.No graininess or sedimentation was observed even after storage at 5°C for 120 days, making it a highly convenient plant milk. Furthermore, even when diluted three times with water, Plant Milk L still had an excellent milky flavor, natural sweetness, and strong richness.

[0072] Example 10 The plant milk M of the present invention was obtained using the same formulation and manufacturing method as in Example 5, except that the grain saccharified liquid B was used instead of the grain saccharified liquid D. The proportion of outer skins in the raw grain material of the grain saccharified liquid was 10% by mass. The resulting plant milk M had a moisture content of 76 mass %, a solid content of 24 mass %, an oil content of 3.9 mass %, and a protein content of 2.8 mass %. The obtained plant milk M had an excellent milk flavor, natural sweetness and richness, and was fluid despite having a high solids content of 24% by mass.No graininess or sedimentation was observed even after storage at 5°C for 120 days, making it a highly convenient plant milk. Furthermore, even when diluted three times with water, Plant Milk M still had an excellent milky flavor, natural sweetness, and rich taste.

[0073] Example 11 Plant milk N of the present invention was obtained using the same formulation and manufacturing method as in Example 5, except that cereal saccharified liquid C was used instead of the cereal saccharified liquid D. The proportion of outer skins in the raw grain material of the cereal saccharified liquid was 31% by mass. The resulting plant milk N had a moisture content of 76 mass %, a solid content of 24 mass %, an oil content of 4.0 mass %, and a protein content of 3.1 mass %. The obtained plant milk N had an excellent milk flavor, natural sweetness, and a strong rich taste, and was fluid despite having a high solids content of 24% by mass.No graininess or sedimentation was observed even after storage at 5°C for 120 days, making it a highly convenient plant milk. Even when diluted three times with water, the drink still had an excellent milky flavor, natural sweetness, and strong body.

[0074] Example 12 A plant milk O of the present invention was obtained according to the formulation and manufacturing method of Example 5, except that the 0.135 parts by mass of salt in Example 5 was changed to 0.385 parts by mass and 0.25 parts by mass of marine-derived potassium salt (Ocean Potassium: manufactured by FC Chemicals) was not added. The proportion of outer skins in the raw grain material of the grain saccharified liquid was 13% by mass. The resulting plant milk O had a moisture content of 76 mass %, a solid content of 24 mass %, an oil content of 3.7 mass %, and a protein content of 2.9 mass %. The obtained plant milk O had a slightly weak milk flavor but still had a good milk flavor, natural sweetness and a strong rich taste, and despite having a high solids content of 24% by mass, it was fluid and showed no graininess or sedimentation even after storage at 5°C for 120 days, making it a highly convenient plant milk. Furthermore, even when diluted three times with water, plant milk O still had a good milk flavor, natural sweetness, and a strong rich taste, although the milk flavor was slightly weaker.

[0075] Example 13 A plant milk P of the present invention was obtained according to the formulation and manufacturing method of Example 5, except that the 3 parts by mass of sunflower oil in Example 5 was not added and the amount of water was changed from 1.595 parts by mass to 4.595 parts by mass. The proportion of outer skins in the raw grain material of the grain saccharified liquid was 13% by mass. The resulting plant milk P had a moisture content of 79 mass %, a solid content of 21 mass %, an oil content of 0.7 mass %, and a protein content of 2.9 mass %. The obtained plant milk P had an excellent milk flavor and natural sweetness, and although it had a slightly weaker aftertaste than the plant milk G of Example 5, it had a strong, rich flavor.It was fluid despite having a high solids content of 24% by mass, and no granularity or sedimentation was observed even after storage at 5°C for 120 days, making it a highly convenient plant milk. Furthermore, even when diluted three times with water, Plant Milk P had an excellent milky flavor and natural sweetness, and had a strong, full-bodied taste, although it had a slight aftertaste.

[0076] From the descriptions of Examples 1 to 11, it is clear that in the present invention, natural sweetness and richness are obtained even when the contents of the enzyme and outer shell used are changed. Furthermore, a comparison between Example 5 and Example 12 shows that the inclusion of marine-derived potassium salt in plant milk improves the milk flavor of the plant milk. Furthermore, a comparison between Example 5 and Example 13 shows that the plant milk containing edible oils and fats gives the plant milk a more pleasant aftertaste.

Claims

1. Plant milk containing grain saccharified liquid made from grain flour including the outer skin.

2. The plant milk of claim 1 , wherein the grain in the husk-containing grain flour is oat.

3. The plant milk according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the content of the outer skin in the grain flour containing the outer skin is 2% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less.

4. A method for producing plant milk, comprising a step of blending a grain saccharified liquid using grain flour containing husks.

5. The method for producing plant milk according to claim 4, wherein the grain in the grain flour containing the husk is oat.