Plant-based protein materials

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a vegetable protein material in which off-flavors are sufficiently suppressed. It was found that certain phenolic compounds contribute to the off-flavor, and it was discovered that by setting the total concentration of these phenolic compounds to a certain concentration or less, a vegetable protein material with suppressed off-flavor can be provided.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vegetable protein material. [Background technology]

[0002] Plant-based foods containing plant protein ingredients or plant-based foods that incorporate plant protein ingredients, etc., have negative flavors (off-flavors), such as a grassy smell or astringent taste, that are not found in animal-based foods. This is one factor that diminishes the palatability of plant-based foods. The substance responsible for this off-flavor has been thought to be hexanal, and techniques for reducing it have been disclosed. For example, methods for controlling the production of hexanal during soybean processing include inactivating lipoxygenase to suppress the generation of off-flavors (Patent Documents 1 and 2), removing the generated aroma (Patent Document 3), and cultivating soybeans lacking the lipoxygenase gene (Patent Document 4). Another approach to eliminating the off-flavor is to mask the off-flavor by adding food ingredients or additives (Patent Documents 5 and 6). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-310195 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-332496 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-134003 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2-020225 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-176284 [Patent Document 6] Patent Publication No. 2021-108642 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Although research on hexanal has been conducted around the world for many years, the problem of off-flavor has not yet been resolved, and there is a need for the development of plant protein materials in which off-flavors are sufficiently suppressed. An object of the present invention is to provide a vegetable protein material in which off-flavors are sufficiently suppressed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] However, simply reducing hexanal, as seen in conventional technologies, cannot solve the problem of off-flavors in plant materials. Furthermore, techniques for masking off-flavors, such as those described in Patent Documents 5 and 6, do not reduce the off-flavor compounds but instead layer flavors, which can cause the flavor of the masking agent to impair the flavor of the food. Regarding this off-flavor, conventional techniques have not clarified which compounds other than hexanal should be controlled, and no techniques exist for controlling specific compounds. The present inventors analyzed the flavor components of foods made from vegetable protein materials that exhibit a strong off-flavor, and detected 12 types of phenolic compounds. Detailed investigation into the relationship between these phenolic compounds and the off-flavor revealed that nine specific phenolic compounds contribute to the off-flavor. They discovered that by setting the total concentration of these phenolic compounds below a certain level, vegetable protein materials with reduced off-flavors can be provided, leading to the completion of the present invention.

[0006] That is, the present invention provides: (1) A vegetable protein material having a total concentration of the phenolic compounds listed in (a) below of 95 ppb or less. (a) guaiacol, syringol, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-vinylphenol, 4-vinylguaiacol, canolol, piceol, acetovanillone, acetosyringone, However, the total concentration of phenolic compounds is a value measured under the condition that the solid content concentration of the vegetable protein material is 8% by mass. (2) The vegetable protein material according to (1), wherein the total concentration of the phenolic compounds is 50 ppb or less. (3) The vegetable protein material according to (1), wherein the total concentration of the phenolic compounds is 30 ppb or less. (4) The vegetable protein material according to (1), wherein the total concentration of the phenolic compounds is 10 ppb or less. (5) The vegetable protein material according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the vegetable protein material is derived from a legume, a seed, or a grain. (6) The vegetable protein material according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the vegetable protein material is vegetable milk. (7) A method for producing a food or drink, which comprises blending the plant protein material according to any one of (1) to (4) as a raw material into a food or drink. (8) A method for producing a food or drink, which comprises blending the plant protein material according to (5) as a raw material into the food or drink. (9) A method for producing a food or drink, which comprises blending the plant protein material according to (6) as a raw material into the food or drink. (10) A method for evaluating the flavor of a vegetable protein material, comprising measuring the total concentration of the following phenolic compounds in the vegetable protein material: (a) guaiacol, syringol, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-vinylphenol, 4-vinylguaiacol, canolol, piceol, acetovanillone, acetosyringone, However, the total concentration of phenolic compounds is a value measured under the condition that the solid content concentration of the vegetable protein material is 8% by mass. In other words, the present invention is (11) A vegetable protein material having a total concentration of the phenolic compounds listed in (a) below of 95 ppb or less. (a) guaiacol, syringol, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-vinylphenol, 4-vinylguaiacol, canolol, piceol, acetovanillone, acetosyringone, However, the total concentration of phenolic compounds is a value measured under the condition that the solid content concentration of the vegetable protein material is 8% by mass. (12) The vegetable protein material according to (11), wherein the vegetable protein material is vegetable milk. (13) A method for producing a food or drink, which comprises blending the vegetable protein material according to (11) or (12) as a raw material into the food or drink. is. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vegetable protein material with reduced off-flavors. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] ■Plant protein material The plant protein material of this embodiment is characterized in that the total concentration of nine phenolic compounds, namely guaiacol, syringol, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-vinyl phenol, 4-vinyl guaiacol, canolol, piceol, acetovanillone, and acetosyringone, is 95 ppb or less. The off-flavors caused by these phenolic compounds include, specifically, a grain smell, a harsh taste, astringent taste, etc., and these flavors are the cause of the off-flavor of vegetable protein materials. The vegetable protein material of the present embodiment has a good flavor, with the off-flavors caused by these phenolic compounds suppressed. The plant protein material of the present embodiment includes the following aspects: In one aspect, the plant protein material of the present embodiment includes a plant protein material in which the total concentration of the above nine phenolic compounds exceeding 95 ppb has been reduced to 95 ppb or less. In this embodiment, the total concentration of the nine phenolic compounds in the plant protein material is 95 ppb or less when the solids content of the plant protein material is 8% by mass. Therefore, as long as the above condition is met, the plant protein material of this embodiment can be used in various forms such as powder, liquid, or granules.

[0009] Examples of sources of plant protein materials include legumes such as soybeans, lupin beans, alfalfa, white clover, mung beans, adzuki beans, broad beans, peas, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, and cowpeas; nuts and seeds such as sesame, canola, coconut, almonds, walnuts, cashew nuts, and hazelnuts; grains such as corn, buckwheat, wheat, barley, oats, and rice; vegetables; and fruits. In more specific embodiments, the plant protein material of the present invention is derived from a legume, a seed, or a grain.

[0010] In more specific embodiments, the legume-derived vegetable protein material is soybean, lupin, alfalfa, white clover, mung bean, adzuki bean, broad bean, pea, chickpea, kidney bean, lentil, cowpea, or a combination thereof. In even more specific embodiments, the legume-derived vegetable protein material is soybean, mung bean, pea, or a combination thereof. In another exemplary embodiment, the seed-derived vegetable protein material is coconut kernel, almond kernel, or a combination thereof. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the cereal-derived vegetable protein material is wheat, barley, oats, or a combination thereof.

[0011] For example, in the case of a plant protein material derived from a legume, the material may include proteins and / or decomposition products thereof. There are no particular limitations on the production method, as long as the protein and / or decomposition products contained in the legume are separated and purified. Furthermore, the legume-derived protein and / or its degradation products may be commercially available products. For example, in the case of soy protein, examples include defatted soybeans obtained by defatting whole soybeans with an organic solvent such as hexane or ethanol, soy milk obtained by extracting protein from whole soybeans or defatted soybeans with water, low-fat soy milk, isolated soy protein obtained from soy milk by methods such as acid precipitation or alcohol precipitation, concentrated soy protein, soy whey, concentrated soy whey, etc. Mixtures of these may also be used. Also, vegetable milk cream such as soy milk cream may also be used. Furthermore, textured soy protein materials produced using an extruder or the like from defatted soybeans or isolated soy protein may also be used. Similarly to soybeans, lupin, alfalfa, white clover, mung beans, adzuki beans, broad beans, peas, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, cowpeas, etc. may also be separated and purified, or their concentrates, whey, or concentrated whey, or a mixture of these.

[0012] Similarly to the legume-derived plant protein material, vegetable protein materials derived from seeds and grains may be separated and purified. Alternatively, they may be concentrated forms of these, whey from these, or concentrated forms of these wheys. Alternatively, they may be mixtures of these.

[0013] ■Plant milk Among the plant protein materials, plant milk is preferred. Plant milk refers to milk products obtained by extracting plant components with an aqueous solvent, such as legumes, nuts, and grains. For example, plant milk made from legumes can be obtained by soaking the legumes in water, warm water, boiling water, etc., followed by grinding and separating the okara. Although a slurry obtained by finely grinding the okara without removing it can also be used, the milk from which the okara has been removed is preferred. In this embodiment, the plant milk can be used as an aqueous solvent extract (aqueous solution) as is, or it can be concentrated by removing some of the water, or it can be dried and then dispersed in water for use. Examples of plant milk include soy milk, low-fat soy milk, pea milk, mung soy milk, oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk, etc. Preferred are soy milk and low-fat soy milk.

[0014] ■Plant milk cream Another preferred embodiment of the plant protein material is plant milk cream. Plant milk cream has a higher lipid content than plant milk, and preferably has a lipid content of 25% by mass or more based on the dry matter. The lipid content is more preferably 30% by mass or more based on the dry matter, more preferably 35% by mass or more, and even more preferably 40% by mass or more. The upper limit is preferably 80% by mass or less, more preferably 75% by mass or less, and even more preferably 70% by mass or less. Examples of plant species include beans such as soybeans and peanuts, and seeds such as almonds and coconuts, and soy milk cream derived from soybeans is preferred. Here, soy milk cream made from soybeans will be used as an example. Soy milk cream is also called a soy emulsion composition. In general, fresh cream is produced by separating it from milk using a centrifuge, and in one embodiment, soy milk cream can be obtained in the same way by, for example, further centrifuging soy milk obtained from whole soybeans to produce a low-specific-gravity, oil-rich cream layer, which is then recovered, but the production method is not particularly limited. In another embodiment, the soybean emulsion composition may be prepared by adding commercially available soy milk, oils and fats, and, if necessary, an emulsifier. The lipid content of the soy milk cream (referring to the content as a chloroform / methanol mixed solvent extract) is preferably 25% by mass or more, more preferably 30% by mass or more, more preferably 35% by mass or more, and more preferably 40% by mass or more, based on the dry matter. The upper limit is preferably 80% by mass or less, more preferably 75% by mass or less, and more preferably 70% by mass or less. The protein content of the soy milk cream is preferably 15% by mass or more, more preferably 20% by mass or more, and more preferably 25% by mass or more, based on the dry matter. The upper limit is preferably 40% by mass or less, and more preferably 35% by mass or less. The lipid / protein content ratio of the soy milk cream is preferably 1.0 or more, more preferably 1.2 or more, based on the mass of the dry matter.

[0015] ■Phenol compounds Twelve phenolic compounds are known to be responsible for off-flavor components in vegetable protein ingredients: phenol, guaiacol, syringol, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, vanillin, syringaldehyde, 4-vinyl phenol, 4-vinyl guaiacol, canolol, piceol, acetovanillone, and acetosyringone. Of these, phenol, guaiacol, and syringol are classified as phenols. 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, vanillin, and syringaldehyde are classified as formylphenols. 4-vinylphenol, 4-vinylguaiacol, and canolol are classified as vinylphenols. Piceol, acetovanillone, and acetosyringone are classified as acetylphenols. Of these 12 phenolic compounds, excluding phenol, a highly toxic substance that is not permitted as a food additive, the effects on the flavor of plant protein materials were examined. As a result, it was found that nine phenolic compounds, namely guaiacol, syringol, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-vinyl phenol, 4-vinyl guaiacol, canolol, piceol, acetovanillone, and acetosyringone, contribute to off-flavors. The plant protein material of this embodiment is characterized by containing one or more phenolic compounds selected from the nine phenolic compounds at a total concentration of 95 ppb or less, preferably 90 ppb or less, and more preferably 85 ppb or less, 80 ppb or less, 75 ppb or less, 70 ppb or less, 65 ppb or less, 60 ppb or less, 55 ppb or less, 50 ppb or less, 45 ppb or less, 40 ppb or less, 35 ppb or less, 30 ppb or less, 25 ppb or less, 20 ppb or less, 15 ppb or less, 13 ppb or less, 10 ppb or less, or 8 ppb or less. The lower limit amount can preferably be 0 ppt, 0.1 ppt or more, 1 ppt or more, 5 ppt or more, 10 ppt or more, 0.1 ppb or more, 1 ppb or more, 2 ppb or more, or 3 ppb or more. The lower limit amount and the upper limit amount can be combined in any manner.

[0016] ■Analysis method for phenolic compounds In this example, the concentration of each phenolic compound can be measured by combining a GC-MS device with a pretreatment method using an MPS manufactured by Gerstel. Preferably, the measurement can be performed under the following conditions. Equipment: 8890-5977B GC-MS (Agilent Technologies) Column: DB-WAX (60m × 0.25 mm id × 0.25 μm) Temperature conditions: 50℃ (held for 3 minutes) -3℃ / min -250℃ (held for 30 minutes) Carrier gas: He, 1.2 ml / min Transfer line: 250℃ Ion source: 230℃, 70eV Quantitative ions: 109 m / z (guaiacol), 154 m / z (syringol), 121 m / z (4-hydroxybenzaldehyde), 120 m / z (4-vinylphenol), 150 m / z (4-vinylguaiacol), 180 m / z (canolol), 121 m / z (piceol), 151 m / z (acetovanillone), 181 m / z (acetosyringone), 108 m / z (m-cresol, internal standard) Pre-processing: MPS robotics (Gerstel) Method: SA-SBSE-TD, using Flex Twister (Gerstel) Quantitative method: m-cresol is added to the sample to a final concentration of 100 ppb as an internal standard. Additionally, the ratio of total ions to the quantitative ions is calculated in advance using standards for each component. During quantitation, ion chromatograms for each phenolic compound and m-cresol contained in the sample are obtained by monitoring the quantitative ions, and the relative concentration to the internal standard is calculated based on the value obtained by multiplying the integral value of each peak by the aforementioned ratio.

[0017] ■Method for manufacturing plant protein ingredients with reduced off-flavors In the vegetable protein material with reduced off-flavor of this embodiment, the method for reducing the phenolic compounds (guaiacol, syringol, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-vinyl phenol, 4-vinyl guaiacol, canolol, piceol, acetovanillone, and acetosyringone) is not limited as long as the total concentration of these compounds is 95 ppb or less. Examples of methods for reducing the phenolic compounds include treating an aqueous solution of the vegetable protein material with a resin column, adding a resin to the aqueous solution of the vegetable protein material and stirring the mixture, and treating an aqueous solution of the vegetable protein material with an activated carbon column. It is also possible to reduce the amount of the above phenolic compounds when extracting by adjusting the pretreatment conditions of the vegetable protein raw material, the temperature conditions during extraction, the fractionation conditions after extraction, etc.

[0018] ■ Method for determining the flavor of plant protein ingredients In this embodiment, the flavor quality of a vegetable protein material can be determined by measuring the total concentration of the phenolic compounds guaiacol, syringol, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-vinyl phenol, 4-vinyl guaiacol, canolol, piceol, acetovanillone, and acetosyringone. The concentrations of these phenolic compounds in a vegetable protein material are measured using a vegetable protein material with a solids concentration of 8% by mass according to the "Method for Analyzing Phenolic Compounds" described in paragraph 0016.

[0019] ■Food and beverages The vegetable protein material of this embodiment has reduced off-flavors and can be used directly or by incorporating the vegetable protein material as an ingredient to produce a variety of plant-based foods and beverages, including oil-in-water emulsions such as cream and whipped cream, and fermented foods and beverages such as yogurt, fermented soy milk, and fermented milk drinks. These foods and beverages may contain sugars, starch, modified starch, emulsifiers, thickening polysaccharides, salts, pH adjusters, organic acids, flavorings, oils and fats, gelling agents, seasonings, etc., as needed. [Example]

[0020] The present invention will be described below by way of examples. In the examples, parts and % mean parts by mass and % by mass, respectively, unless otherwise specified.

[0021] Example 1 After dehulling the raw material (lipoxygenase-deficient soybeans), 80°C hot water was added in an amount 5.5 times the amount of dehulled soybeans, and the mixture was ground in a grinder. After grinding, steam was added, the temperature was raised to 90°C, and the mixture was separated into soy milk and okara by centrifugation. The resulting soy milk was adjusted to a solids content of 8%, homogenized, sterilized, and homogenized again to obtain vegetable protein material A. Vegetable protein material A was subjected to GC-MS analysis based on the "Method for analyzing phenolic compounds" described in paragraph 0016, and the concentration of phenolic compounds was measured.

[0022] Example 2 One part of oat raw material, which had been steamed, spread, and dried after dehulling, was added to 6.5 parts of hot water containing an appropriate amount of liquefying enzyme, and the mixture was wet-ground and homogenized. The resulting oat suspension was fed into a continuous centrifuge, and the supernatant after centrifugation was subjected to an indirect heat sterilization to obtain oat milk (vegetable protein material B). The resulting oat milk was adjusted with water to a solids content of 8%, and the concentration of phenolic compounds was measured in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0023] Comparative Example 1 Dried raw material (peas) was crushed. After crushing, hot water at 70°C was added, and enzymatic treatment was carried out using a saccharifying enzyme (Clystase P8 (Amano Enzyme Inc.)), followed by heat treatment at 90°C for 10 minutes. The supernatant and precipitate were then separated by centrifugation. The resulting supernatant was sterilized to obtain vegetable protein material C. The solids content of vegetable protein material C was 8%. The concentration of phenolic compounds was measured in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0024] For the vegetable protein materials of Comparative Example 1 and Examples 1 and 2, six well-trained panelists evaluated the flavor of the vegetable protein materials for off-flavors based on the flavor evaluation criteria shown below, and the flavor evaluation was calculated by averaging the scores of each panel. When the average score of each panel was 3.0 points or less, the off-flavor was suppressed and the product was judged to be acceptable.

[0025] (Flavor evaluation criteria) 1 point: No grain smell, bitterness, or astringency is detected, and there is no strange flavor at all. 2 points: There is only a slight grain smell, bitterness, and astringency, and almost no off-flavors. 3 points: There is a slight grain smell, bitterness, and astringency, but it is at an acceptable level as an off-flavor. 4 points: There is a grainy smell, a bitter taste, an astringent taste, and an unusual flavor. 5 points: There is a strong, unusual smell of grain, bitterness, and astringency.

[0026] A flavor evaluation of the vegetable protein material C of Comparative Example 1 gave it a flavor score of 5.0, indicating a strong off-flavor. On the other hand, the vegetable protein material A of Example 1 and the vegetable protein material B of Example 2 both received a flavor score of 1.5 and 1.5, respectively, indicating that they had acceptable or good flavors. The analysis results for the concentrations of phenolic compounds are shown in Table 1.

[0027] [Table 1]

[0028] As shown in Table 1, 12 phenolic compounds were detected.

[0029] Test Example 1 Of the 12 phenolic compounds listed in Table 1, excluding phenol, a deleterious substance not permitted as a food additive, an investigation was conducted to determine which components contribute most to the off-flavor. Therefore, 11 commercially available phenolic compounds other than phenol listed in Table 2 were added to vegetable protein material A, which had a good flavor rating of 1.5 points, at a concentration of 100 ppb in vegetable protein material A, and a flavor evaluation was conducted. The flavor evaluation was conducted by a panel of five people in the same manner as in Example 1. Phenolic compounds with an average rating of more than 3.0 points were determined to contribute to the off-flavor. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0030] [Table 2]

[0031] As shown in Table 2, nine phenolic compounds, namely guaiacol, syringol, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-vinylphenol, 4-vinylguaiacol, canolol, piceol, acetovanillone, and acetosyringone, had flavor ratings of over 3.0 points, confirming that they are responsible for the off-flavors of plant protein ingredients.

[0032] Examples 3 to 6 The concentrations of nine phenolic compounds that were confirmed to cause off-flavors in the study of Test Example 1 were analyzed for the vegetable protein materials shown below. The flavor evaluation was also performed in the same manner as in Example 1. The results are shown in Table 3. Vegetable protein material D: Fuji Oil Co., Ltd. Prototype: To 100 g of commercially available soy milk, a 50% aqueous dispersion of resin (Sepabeads SP850, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical) was added at a ratio of 22% based on the soy milk, and the mixture was stirred at 50°C for 1 hour and then filtered through No. 2 filter paper. The solid content of the resulting soy milk was adjusted to 8%, and the concentration of phenolic compounds was measured in the same manner as in Example 1. Vegetable protein material E: Fuji Oil Co., Ltd. Prototype: Broad bean protein (manufactured by Australian Plant Proteins) was dispersed in 100 g of water to a concentration of 8%, and the dispersion was sterilized to obtain a broad bean protein solution. The concentration of phenolic compounds was measured in the same manner as in Example 1. Vegetable protein material F: Fuji Oil Co., Ltd. Prototype: Seven times the weight of almond powder was added to water, and the mixture was ground using a Commit Roll (manufactured by URSCHEL), homogenized (15 MPa), and sterilized by direct steam heating (142°C, 7 seconds) to obtain vegetable protein material F. The resulting vegetable protein material was adjusted to a solids content of 8% with water, and the concentration of phenolic compounds was measured in the same manner as in Example 1. Vegetable protein ingredient G: Pea milk, Fuji Oil Co., Ltd. Prototype: Dried raw material (peas) was crushed. After crushing, warm water at 70°C was added, and enzymatic treatment was carried out using a saccharifying enzyme (Clystase P8 (Amano Enzyme)). The mixture was then centrifuged to separate the supernatant and precipitate. The resulting supernatant was sterilized to obtain vegetable protein material G. The resulting vegetable protein material was adjusted to a solids content of 8% with water, and the concentration of phenolic compounds was measured in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0033] [Table 3]

[0034] Table 3 shows the concentration of each phenolic compound and the total concentration of the nine phenolic compounds in the plant protein materials. In the flavor evaluation, vegetable protein materials A, B, D, E, F, and G were good, while vegetable protein material C was poor. When examining the relationship between the total concentration of the nine phenolic compounds and the flavor evaluation of the plant protein materials, it was found that plant protein materials A, B, D, E, F, and G, which had a low total concentration of the nine phenolic compounds, had good flavor evaluations.

[0035] Example 7: Evaluation of foaming oil-in-water emulsions The total mass of the mixture was 20 kg. To prepare the oil phase, 15 parts by mass of palm kernel oil (Fuji Oil Co., Ltd., "Refined Palm Kernel Oil," melting point 28°C), 11 parts by mass of palm kernel oil-palm oil random interesterification fat (melting point 32°C), and 8 parts by mass of palm mid-melting point fraction (Fuji Oil Co., Ltd., "Melba 26," melting point 26°C) were added, mixed, and dissolved. Separately, a water phase was prepared by dissolving 30 parts by mass of vegetable protein material A, 0.4 parts by mass of trisodium citrate (Iwata Chemical Co., Ltd.), 0.12 parts by mass of glycerin fatty acid ester (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., "Glystar MS-5S," HLB 11.6), and 0.2 parts by mass of sucrose fatty acid ester (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Corporation, "Sugar Ester S570," HLB 5) in 35 parts by mass of water. The oil phase and the water phase were mixed in the emulsification tank and pre-emulsified at 60°C. After homogenization at a homogenization pressure of 3 MPa, the mixture was sterilized by direct heating using an ultra-high temperature sterilizer (manufactured by Iwai Kikai Kogyo Co., Ltd.) and immediately cooled to obtain a foamable oil-in-water emulsion. Then, a sensory evaluation was performed according to the sensory evaluation of Example 1.

[0036] [Table 4]

[0037] The taste evaluation of the foamable oil-in-water emulsion of Example 7 was confirmed to be good.

[0038] Examples 8 and 9: Evaluation of fermented soy milk 98.99 parts of vegetable protein material A and 1 part of glucose were mixed to make a total volume of 99.99 parts, which was then blended in a homogenizer for 30 minutes and homogenized at a homogenization pressure of 5 MPa. 0.01 parts of Streptococcus thermophilus (lactic acid bacteria) was added to the mixture, and lactic acid fermentation was carried out at 37°C until the pH decreased to 4.7. After fermentation was completed, the mixture was sterilized at 80°C for 2 minutes to obtain a paste-like fermented soy milk (Example 8). Thereafter, a sensory evaluation was carried out in accordance with the sensory evaluation of Example 1.

[0039] A fermented product was produced as a prototype (Example 9) in the same manner as in Example 8, except that vegetable protein material A was replaced with vegetable protein material D. Then, a sensory evaluation was carried out in accordance with the sensory evaluation in Example 1.

[0040] [Table 5]

[0041] It was confirmed that the flavor evaluation of the fermented soy milks of Examples 8 and 9 was good.

Claims

[Claim 1] A method for evaluating the flavor of a vegetable protein material, which comprises measuring the total concentration of the following phenolic compounds (a) in the vegetable protein material: (a) Guaiacol, syringol, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-vinyl phenol, 4-vinyl guaiacol, canolol, piceol, acetovanillone, and acetosyringone. However, the total concentration of phenolic compounds is a value measured under conditions where the solids concentration of the vegetable protein material is 8% by mass.

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