Plant milk composition

Abstract

Provided is a plant milk composition that contains a grain liquefied liquid and a grain saccharified liquid. Also provided is a method for producing a plant milk composition, the method being characterized by including mixing a grain liquefied liquid and a grain saccharified liquid. The grain in the grain liquefied liquid or in the grain saccharified liquid preferably contains oats. The raw material grain of the grain liquefied liquid and the raw material grain of the grain saccharified liquid are preferably the same. The solid content of the grain saccharified liquid is preferably 0.01-3 parts by mass with respect to 1 parts by mass of the solid content of the grain liquefied liquid. The grain liquefied liquid preferably has a sugar composition in which the content of the trisaccharide or higher polysaccharide is larger than the combined content of the monosaccharide and the disaccharide, and the grain saccharified liquid preferably has a sugar composition in which the combined content of the monosaccharide and the disaccharide is smaller than the content of the trisaccharide or higher polysaccharide.

Description

Plant milk composition

[0001] The present invention relates to plant milk compositions.

[0002] Since cow's milk and other animal milks are highly nutritious and well-balanced, as they are primarily produced for lactation, they have been widely consumed as beverages and used as food ingredients since ancient times. However, because animal milk can only be extracted during the lactation period, both the amount and the period during which it can be produced are limited. For this reason, plant milks have often been produced by extracting a cloudy liquid similar to animal milk from plants that can produce it stably. Examples include coconut milk, rice milk, soy milk, and almond milk, which are produced by crushing part or all of grains, beans, seeds, hard fruits, or fruits, suspending them in water, and then enzymatically hydrolyzing them.

[0003] 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 have become increasingly common on the market. Naturally, these plant-based milks are expected to have a flavor similar to animal milk, especially cow's milk, i.e., a milky flavor. However, these plant-based milks have the problem of possessing a distinct plant-specific flavor or harsh taste.

[0004] Furthermore, plant-based milk has various problems, such as low solids content and low nutritional value, low sugar content and little sweetness, low protein and fat content resulting in a light flavor and lack of richness, and a tendency to become grainy or settle due to the low water solubility of starch and protein and high dietary fiber content.

[0005] Therefore, when plant-based milk is produced with a high solids content to enhance its nutritional value and flavor, the plant-specific flavor and harshness become even stronger, and the problems of graininess and sedimentation become even more pronounced. For this reason, plant-based milk is often processed by enzymatic hydrolysis of the starch it contains. This enzymatic hydrolysis of starch increases the sweetness, making it closer to the flavor of cow's milk, thereby enhancing the milky flavor, and increases the water solubility of carbohydrates, preventing graininess and sedimentation. However, the sugars produced by starch hydrolysis are very sweet, unlike lactose, the main component of the sweetness in cow's milk. Therefore, plant-based milk with a good milky flavor cannot be obtained.

[0006] Furthermore, because the enzymatic hydrolysis process rapidly sweetens the milk, determining the end point is difficult, making it extremely difficult to obtain plant milk with the desired sweetness and physical properties. This also leads to variations in flavor and physical properties, particularly sweetness and water solubility, between batches, making stable production difficult. Therefore, instead of performing enzymatic treatment, methods have been tried, such as adding various sugars separately to the grain enzyme treatment solution to achieve the desired flavor and sweetness, sequentially adding two types of enzymes to the grain raw material (see Patent Document 1), roasting the grain raw material before enzymatic hydrolysis (see Patent Documents 2 and 3), and using two or more enzymes in combination (see Patent Documents 4 and 5). However, while the method of separately adding sugars makes it easy to adjust the desired sweetness and sweetness quality, it does not solve the problem of removing sediment and coarse particles. Furthermore, the roasting followed by enzymatic hydrolysis methods described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 produce plant milk with a reduced sweetness and a rich flavor, but suffer from the problem of not achieving a natural sweetness. The methods described in Patent Documents 1, 4 and 5, which use two or more enzymes in combination, have the problem that the sugar composition is biased, resulting in a failure to achieve a natural sweetness.

[0007] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-142183 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-121135 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-040553 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-207359 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-039283

[0008] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a highly convenient plant milk that has a natural sweetness and richness, is fluid even with a high solids content, is free of graininess and sedimentation, and also to provide a method for producing plant milk that can stably produce plant milk having these characteristics with consistent quality and no variation.

[0009] As a result of extensive investigations aimed at achieving the above object, the inventors have found that the above object can be achieved by incorporating two types of hydrolyzed liquids into plant milk. That is, the present invention provides a plant milk composition containing a grain liquefied liquid and a grain saccharified liquid.

[0010] The present invention also provides a method for producing a plant milk composition, which comprises mixing a grain liquefaction liquid and a grain saccharification liquid.

[0011] The plant milk composition of the present invention is described in detail below. The present invention relates to a plant milk composition containing a grain liquefaction liquid and a grain saccharification liquid.

[0012] First, we will describe the grain liquefaction liquid used in the plant milk composition of the present invention. Grain liquefaction liquid is a liquid obtained by randomly cleaving the starch in grains, breaking them down into dextrins and oligosaccharides, and solubilizing them in water. Grain liquefaction can be achieved by acid liquefaction or enzyme liquefaction. Enzyme liquefaction is preferred to avoid coloration and off-flavors. A specific method for producing grain liquefaction liquid involves preparing a grain (hereinafter also referred to as the "raw grain material") as a suspension of grain flour in water, or a grain extract, juice, grinding liquid, or pulverized liquid. This raw grain material is heated as needed, and the starch in the grain is randomly cleaved and solubilized using acid or liquefying enzymes. Examples of grain grinding liquid include slurries obtained by wet grinding grains or grain flour.

[0013] The liquefying enzyme may be any enzyme that randomly cleaves the α-1,4 bonds of starch, and preferably α-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) is used. When α-amylase is used, commercially available α-amylase preparations can be selected, for example, Cleistase 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, T-50 (all manufactured by Nagase ChemteX Corporation), Grindamyl A (manufactured by Danisco Japan), BAN, Fungamil (all manufactured by Novozymes Japan), Fukutamylase 30, Fukutamylase 50, Fukutamylase 10L, Liquifase L45 (all manufactured by HBI Corporation), VERONSoft+, VERONVERON M4, 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-Nippon Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), etc. can be used.

[0014] The amount of liquefying enzyme added is preferably 0.001 to 3% by mass, more preferably 0.05 to 2% by mass, and even more preferably 0.1 to 1% by mass, relative to the amount of raw grain. In this specification, the term "amount of raw grain" refers to the amount of solid raw grain material, such as 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 and juices, the amount of grain flour obtained by drying these liquids is used. The reaction temperature and reaction time of the liquefying enzyme can be appropriately set depending on the type of liquefying enzyme used and the type of grain used as the raw material. However, a reaction temperature of 45°C to 120°C, more preferably 50°C to 110°C, and a reaction time of 0.01 to 24 hours, more preferably 0.1 to 12 hours, are preferred.

[0015] In order to ensure the compositional stability of the resulting liquefied liquid, the enzyme addition amount, reaction temperature, and reaction time for producing the liquefied liquid are preferably set to conditions that allow the enzymatic reaction to proceed until equilibrium is reached. The above conditions for the enzyme addition amount, reaction temperature, and reaction time are particularly preferred for batch-type systems. In the case of batch-type systems, the enzyme must be deactivated after the enzymatic reaction. However, when immobilized enzymes are used instead of batch-type systems, enzyme deactivation is not necessary.

[0016] Grains that can be used as raw materials for grain liquefaction include pulses, grass cereals, and nuts and seeds. Pulses include soybeans, adzuki beans, chickpeas, peas, mung beans, fava beans, lentils, and kidney beans. Grass cereals include rice, barley, wheat, pearl barley, rye, oats, millet, and sorghum. Nuts and seeds include seeds other than grass cereals and pulses, such as buckwheat, quinoa, lupine, chia, sunflower, pumpkin, watermelon, pine nuts, peaches, safflower, canola, peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, pistachios, coconuts, sesame, walnuts, and hemp seeds. In the present invention, it is preferable to use one or more grains selected from the group consisting of almonds, rice, soybeans, oats, chickpeas, and peas, as this will enable the production of a high level of the effects of the present invention and a particularly good milk flavor, and oats are particularly preferred as they will provide a better milk flavor. When two or more plant species are used as raw grains, the mass proportion of the preferred grains in the raw grains is preferably more than 50 mass%, more preferably 80 mass% or more (the same applies to the saccharified solution below). The raw grains may be roasted or gelatinized.

[0017] The grain liquefied liquid preferably has a sugar composition in which the content of trisaccharides or more is greater than the total content of monosaccharides and disaccharides. Specifically, the sugar composition of the grain liquefied liquid preferably has a trisaccharide or more content of 50% by mass or more, more preferably 70% by mass or more, and preferably 95% by mass or less, more preferably 90% by mass or less. The range of the trisaccharide or more content in the sugar composition is preferably 50 to 95% by mass, more preferably 70 to 90% by mass. The total monosaccharide and disaccharide content in the sugar composition of the grain liquefied liquid is preferably 49% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or less, and preferably 5% by mass or more, more preferably 10% by mass or more. The range of the monosaccharide and disaccharide content in the sugar composition is preferably 5 to 49% by mass, more preferably 10 to 30% by mass. As used herein, the term "trisaccharide or more" refers to a sugar composition containing oligosaccharides (3 to 10 sugar bonds) and dextrin (11 or more sugar bonds).

[0018] In the present invention, the method for measuring the sugar composition is not particularly limited, and conventionally known methods can be used, for example, gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Specifically, the object to be measured (liquefied liquid, saccharified liquid, or plant milk composition) is subjected to GPC as a sample to obtain a chromatogram. In the obtained chromatogram, the sum of the areas of all peaks corresponds to the "total mass of sugars," and the area of ​​each peak corresponds to the "mass of each sugar." The content of each sugar can then be calculated by calculating the mass percentage of each sugar (monosaccharide, disaccharide, trisaccharide or more) in the sample as the ratio of the area of ​​each peak to the sum of the areas of all detected peaks. The conditions for gel permeation chromatography include the following:

[0019] Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) measurement conditions: GPC apparatus: HLC-8320 manufactured by Tosoh Corporation; GPC detector: differential refractive index detector; GPC column: G6000PWXL+SB802; measurement solvent: ion-exchanged water; sample concentration: 0.6%, injection volume: 50 μl, solvent flow rate through the column: 0.5 ml / min.

[0020] Next, we will discuss the grain saccharified liquid used in the plant milk composition of the present invention. While the liquefied liquids mentioned above are generally high in dextrin and therefore highly viscous, grain saccharified liquid is a sweet liquid that has been decomposed to a state where the main components are oligosaccharides with a small number of bonds, such as monosaccharides and disaccharides. While there are two methods for saccharifying this grain flour: acid saccharification using acid and enzymatic saccharification using saccharifying enzymes, enzymatic saccharification using enzymes is preferred to avoid coloration and off-flavors.

[0021] Specific production methods include using the above-mentioned liquefied liquid as a raw material liquid and decomposing dextrins and oligosaccharides into oligosaccharides with fewer bonds, such as monosaccharides and disaccharides, with an acid or saccharifying enzyme to produce a highly sweet sugar liquid, or preparing a raw grain material, such as a suspension of grain flour in water, or a grain extract, juice, grinding liquid, or pulverized liquid, and heating it as necessary, and using a combination of liquefied enzymes and saccharifying enzymes, or decomposing the starch in the grain into oligosaccharides with fewer bonds, such as monosaccharides and disaccharides, all at once with an acid or saccharifying enzyme to produce a highly sweet sugar liquid. Among these, the method of using a combination of liquefied enzymes and saccharifying enzymes to produce a saccharified liquid all at once is preferred because of its simple operation and ability to shorten production time.

[0022] Examples of liquefying enzymes include those described for grain liquefaction liquid. Examples of saccharifying enzymes include β-amylase (EC 3.2.1.2) and glucoamylase (EC 3.2.1.3). These enzymes can be used alone or in combination depending on the desired sweetness. When β-amylase (EC 3.2.1.2) is used as the saccharifying enzyme, a solution containing a large amount of the disaccharide maltose can be obtained. When β-amylase is used, commercially available β-amylase preparations can be selected, such as Secura (manufactured by Novozymes Japan), Hi-Maltosin G, Hi-Maltosin GL, and Hi-Maltosin GLH (all manufactured by HI Corporation), β-Amylase #1500S, β-Amylase L / R (all manufactured by Nagase ChemteX Corporation), and β-Amylase F "Amano" (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.).

[0023] The amount of β-amylase added is preferably 0.001 to 3% by mass, more preferably 0.05 to 2% by mass, and even more preferably 0.1 to 1% by mass, based on the amount of grain used as the raw material. When glucoamylase (EC 3.2.1.3) is used as the saccharifying enzyme, a solution containing a large amount of glucose, a monosaccharide, can be obtained. When glucoamylase is used, commercially available glucoamylase preparations can be selected, 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, Denateyme GSA / R, Nagase Enzyme N-40 (all manufactured by Nagase ChemteX), Glutase AN (manufactured by HI Corporation), and Coclase G2 (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods).

[0024] The amount of glucoamylase added is preferably 0.001 to 3% by mass, more preferably 0.05 to 2% by mass, and even more preferably 0.1 to 1% by mass, based on the amount of grain used as the raw material. In addition to the β-amylase and glucoamylase, it is also possible to add a so-called debranching enzyme. A debranching enzyme is an enzyme that cleaves the α-1,6 bonds of dextrins produced by liquefaction, and examples of enzymes that can be used include pullulanase (EC 3.2.1.41) and isoamylase (EC 3.2.1.68).

[0025] In order to ensure the compositional stability of the resulting saccharified solution, it is preferable that the enzyme addition amount, reaction temperature, and reaction time for producing the saccharified solution be set to conditions that allow the enzymatic reaction to proceed until equilibrium is reached. The above conditions of enzyme addition amount, reaction temperature, and reaction time are particularly preferred for batch systems. In the case of batch systems, the enzyme needs to be inactivated after the enzymatic reaction, but this is not necessary when immobilized enzymes are used instead of batch systems. In the case of a method in which a liquefying enzyme and a saccharifying enzyme are used in combination to obtain a saccharified solution in one go, it is preferable to use α-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) as the liquefying enzyme and glucoamylase (EC 3.2.1.3) as the saccharifying enzyme.

[0026] The grains used to produce the liquefied grain can be used as the raw material for the saccharified grain, and the preferred grains are the same. Therefore, it is preferable to use one or more grains selected from the group consisting of almonds, rice, soybeans, oats, chickpeas, and peas in the saccharified grain, and oats are particularly preferred because they provide a better milk flavor. Therefore, it is preferable that the grain used in the liquefied grain or saccharified grain is oats. As with the liquefied product, the raw material grain may be roasted or gelatinized.

[0027] The grain saccharified solution preferably has a sugar composition in which the total content of monosaccharides and disaccharides is smaller than the content of trisaccharides or more. Specifically, the total content of monosaccharides and disaccharides in the sugar composition of the grain saccharified solution is preferably 51 to 100% by mass, more preferably 70 to 100% by mass. Furthermore, the content of trisaccharides or more in the sugar composition is preferably 0% by mass or more but less than 50% by mass, more preferably 0 to 49% by mass, and particularly preferably 0 to 30% by mass.

[0028] The grain liquefaction liquid and the solid content of the grain liquefaction liquid preferably contain substantially no components other than the raw grain material, its decomposition products, and enzymes. "Substantially no components other than the raw grain material, its decomposition products, and enzymes" means that the proportion of components other than the raw grain material, its decomposition products, and enzymes in the solid content is 20% by mass or less, preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 7% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 3% by mass or less.

[0029] The plant milk composition of the present invention is characterized by containing the above-mentioned grain liquefaction liquid and grain saccharification liquid. The grain liquefaction liquid and the grain saccharification liquid may each be one or more types, but preferably one type of each. Furthermore, the raw material grains for the grain liquefaction liquid and the raw material grains for the grain saccharification liquid may be different, but it is preferable that they are the same in terms of the flavor and taste unity of the resulting plant milk composition. Here, "the same raw grain" refers to containing seeds of the same plant species, such as soybeans, adzuki beans, rice, barley, wheat, pearl barley, rye, oats, buckwheat, quinoa seeds, millet, sorghum, chickpeas, peas, mung beans, fava beans, lentils, lupine 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, hemp seeds, etc. When either the grain liquefied liquid or the grain saccharified liquid contains multiple plant species, the mass proportion of seeds of the common plant species in the raw grain-derived components of the grain liquefied liquid and the grain saccharified liquid is preferably greater than 50% by mass, more preferably 80% by mass or greater. In order to obtain a particularly good flavor, it is preferable to use one or more of the same grains selected from the group consisting of almonds, rice, soybeans, oats, chickpeas, and peas in both the liquefied liquid and the saccharified liquid, and it is most preferable to use oats in both the liquefied liquid and the saccharified liquid in order to obtain a particularly good milk flavor.

[0030] The upper limit of the content of the grain liquefied liquid in the plant milk composition of the present invention is preferably 90% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 80% by mass or less, to further prevent the risk of graininess or precipitation. The lower limit of the content of the grain liquefied liquid is preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 20% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 50% by mass or more, to prevent the plant milk from becoming too diluted in flavor. The range of the content of the grain liquefied liquid in the plant milk composition of the present invention is preferably 10 to 90% by mass, more preferably 20 to 90% by mass, and particularly preferably 50 to 80% by mass. The upper limit of the content of the grain saccharified liquid in the plant milk composition of the present invention is preferably 60% by mass or less, more preferably 50% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 40% by mass or less. The lower limit of the content of the grain saccharified liquid is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 5% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 10% by mass or more. The range of the content of the grain saccharified liquid is preferably 1 to 60% by mass, more preferably 5 to 50% by mass, and particularly preferably 10 to 40% by mass. The total content of the grain liquefied liquid and grain saccharified liquid used in the plant milk composition of the present invention is preferably 11 to 100% by mass, more preferably 30 to 98% by mass, and preferably 50 to 98% by mass.

[0031] Furthermore, the content ratio of the grain liquefaction liquid to the grain saccharification liquid used in the plant milk composition of the present invention is, in terms of solid content, preferably 0.01 part by mass or more of the grain saccharification liquid per 1 part by mass of the grain liquefaction liquid, more preferably 0.2 parts by mass or more, and preferably 3 parts by mass or less, more preferably 1 part by mass or less, and particularly preferably 0.6 parts by mass or less. A preferred range of solid content ratio is preferably 0.01 to 3 parts by mass of the grain saccharification liquid per 1 part by mass of the grain liquefaction liquid, more preferably 0.01 to 1 part by mass, and particularly preferably 0.2 to 0.6 parts by mass.

[0032] The plant milk composition of the present invention can also contain plant milk or grain flour other than the above-mentioned grain liquefaction liquid and the above-mentioned grain saccharification liquid. Examples of "plant milk other than the above-mentioned grain liquefaction liquid and the above-mentioned grain saccharification liquid" include a suspension of grain flour in water during the production of the above-mentioned liquefaction liquid or saccharification liquid, or a grain extract, squeezed juice, grinding liquid, or pulverized liquid. Since the effects of the present invention are reduced in the plant milk composition of the present invention, the amount of plant milk or grain flour in the plant milk composition is preferably 49% by mass or less, more preferably 20% by mass or less, and most preferably 1% by mass or less, of the total content of the grain liquefaction liquid and the grain saccharification liquid in terms of solid content.

[0033] Furthermore, the mass ratio of sodium to potassium (Na:K) in the plant milk composition of the present invention is preferably 1:0.5 to 10, more preferably 1:0.8 to 6, and most preferably 1:2 to 4. By setting the mass ratio within the range of 1:0.5 to 10, a plant milk composition with a good milk flavor can be obtained.

[0034] In addition, ingredients that serve as sodium sources in the plant milk composition of the present invention include sodium salts such as sodium citrate, disodium phosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, and sodium chloride, as well as foods and food additives that contain a lot of sodium, but it is preferable to use at least sodium chloride in order to produce a plant milk composition with a good flavor.

[0035] The sodium source may be of mineral, chemical, or marine origin, but is not limited thereto. The sodium content in the plant milk composition of the present invention is preferably 0.005 to 0.5% by mass, more preferably 0.01 to 0.4% by mass, and most preferably 0.02 to 0.2% by mass.

[0036] Examples of ingredients that serve as potassium sources in the plant milk composition of the present invention include organic acid potassium salts such as potassium citrate and tripotassium citrate, potassium salts such as potassium phosphate and potassium chloride, and foods and food additives that contain a lot of potassium such as potassium caseinate and whey minerals. The origins of the ingredients that serve as potassium sources include mineral origin, chemical products, and marine-derived ingredients, but in the present invention, marine-derived potassium salts are preferred because they provide a plant milk composition with a "natural and mellow flavor" and "good body and aftertaste."

[0037] 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 called bittern, which is mainly composed of magnesium obtained by removing sodium from seawater for salt production. The marine-derived potassium salt used in the present invention may have a potassium chloride content of 51% by mass or more based on the solid content, and preferably 70% by mass or more based on 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 based on the solid content.

[0038] The marine-derived potassium salt used in the present invention preferably has a solids content of 95% by mass or more, and more preferably 97% by mass or more. The solids content is the amount excluding water and can be measured by the atmospheric pressure heat drying method or the Karl Fischer method. Examples of marine-derived potassium salts include "Ocean Potassium" (manufactured by FC Chemicals), "Purified Potassium Chloride" (manufactured by Diasalt), and "Potassium Base" (manufactured by FC Chemicals). The potassium content in the plant milk composition of the present invention is preferably 0.01 to 2% by mass, more preferably 0.03 to 1.6% by mass, and most preferably 0.1 to 1% by mass.

[0039] When the marine-derived potassium salt is used, the amount of the marine-derived potassium salt in the plant milk composition of the present invention varies depending on the type of plant milk composition and the intended use, but 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%. Furthermore, when the marine-derived potassium salt is used, the amount of potassium derived from the marine-derived potassium salt in the plant milk composition of the present invention is preferably 50 mass% or more, more preferably 60 mass% or more, of the total potassium.

[0040] The plant milk composition of the present invention preferably contains edible oils and fats, as this can impart a richer flavor. Examples of edible oils and fats include, but are not limited to, various vegetable and animal oils such as palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, rice oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, milk fat, beef tallow, lard, cacao butter, fish oil, and whale oil, as well as processed oils and fats obtained by subjecting these 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.

[0041] The preferred edible fat content of the plant milk composition 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 composition. 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 plant milk and other ingredients listed below.

[0042] The plant milk composition of the present invention exhibits a good milky richness without containing milk fat. Therefore, the plant milk composition of the present invention can be used as a food that can be eaten by vegetarians and vegans. In addition, it is preferable that the present invention does not use animal-derived fats such as milk fat, animal fats such as beef tallow, lard, fish oil, and whale oil, or processed fats obtained by subjecting animal fats to one or more treatments selected from hydrogenation, fractionation, and interesterification.

[0043] The plant milk composition may also 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, in order to achieve a more natural sweetness and richness, the plant milk composition of the present invention preferably contains substantially no sugars other than those derived from the liquefied liquid and the saccharified liquid. "Substantially free of sugars other than those derived from the liquefied liquid and the saccharified liquid" means that, of the sugars contained in the plant milk composition, sugars derived from the liquefied liquid or the 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. Furthermore, when the plant milk composition 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, in particular lactose and processed sugars derived from dairy products.

[0044] The plant milk composition may contain a thickening agent 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, or egg white powder, or a gelling agent. These may be used alone or in combination.

[0045] When these thickening stabilizers are contained, the amount in the plant milk composition is preferably 0.01 to 5% by mass from the standpoint of emulsion stability and flavor, and more preferably 0.1 to 3% by mass.

[0046] The plant milk composition 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.

[0047] When these emulsifiers are contained, the amount in the plant milk composition is preferably 0.01 to 5% by mass from the viewpoints of emulsion stability and flavor, and more preferably 0.1 to 3% by mass.

[0048] The plant milk composition may contain other ingredients in addition to those described above, provided that 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 enhancers, and food ingredients and additives such as fruit, fruit juice, coffee, spices, cocoa mass, and cocoa powder. While other ingredients may be used as desired as long as they do not impair the objectives of the present invention, it is preferable that the total amount of other ingredients other than water in the plant milk composition of the present invention is 5% by mass or less, and more preferably 1% by mass or less. Furthermore, when the plant milk composition of the present invention is used as a food that can be consumed by vegetarians or vegans, it is necessary that the other ingredients described above do not contain any animal-derived raw materials.

[0049] The plant milk composition 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.

[0050] The plant milk composition 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.

[0051] The plant milk composition 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 milky flavor and rich taste. Furthermore, a protein content of 10% by mass or less helps prevent graininess during storage.

[0052] Next, a method for producing the above-mentioned plant milk composition will be described. The method for producing the plant milk composition of the present invention is characterized by mixing a cereal liquefied liquid and a cereal saccharified liquid. That is, when producing plant milk or a food or drink containing plant milk, the method is characterized by replacing part or all of the plant milk with the cereal liquefied liquid and the cereal saccharified liquid. A suitable production method in this case will be described.

[0053] The methods for producing the liquefied liquid and saccharified liquid are as described above. When the plant milk composition of the present invention consists solely of plant milk, the liquefied liquid and the saccharified liquid are mixed. In this case, as described above, the mixing ratio of the grain liquefied liquid to the grain saccharified liquid is preferably 0.01 to 3 parts by mass, more preferably 0.01 to 1 part by mass, and particularly preferably 0.2 to 0.6 parts by mass, in terms of solid content, per 1 part by mass of the grain liquefied liquid. In this case, when a plant milk other than the grain liquefied liquid and the grain saccharified liquid is contained, as described above, the content of the grain liquefied liquid and the saccharified liquid in the plant milk composition is preferably 49% by mass or less, more preferably 20% by mass or less, and most preferably 1% by mass or less of the total content of the grain liquefied liquid and the grain saccharified liquid.

[0054] A preferred production method for the plant milk composition of the present invention is described below, taking as an example a case where the plant milk composition does not contain any plant milk other than the above-mentioned grain liquefaction liquid and grain saccharification liquid, and also contains raw materials other than plant milk. First, the grain liquefaction liquid, the grain saccharification liquid, and water, if necessary, are added, and then preferably potassium-containing raw materials such as the marine-derived potassium salts described above, sodium-containing raw materials, and, if necessary, fats and oils, sugars, emulsifiers, thickening stabilizers, etc. are added and mixed. The respective contents and mixing ratios of the grain liquefaction liquid and the grain saccharification liquid are as described above. If necessary, the mixture may be homogenized at a pressure of 0 to 100 MPa using a homogenizing device such as a valve homogenizer, homomixer, or colloid mill.

[0055] If necessary, heat sterilization or heat pasteurization treatment may be performed using a direct heating method such as injection or infusion, or an indirect heating method such as plate, tubular, or scraping, using UHT, HTST, low-temperature sterilization, batch, retort, microwave heating, or the like, or heating may be performed by cooking over an open flame, etc. After heating, the product may be homogenized again as necessary. If necessary, cooling such as rapid cooling or slow cooling may be performed.

[0056] The plant milk composition of the present invention can be consumed directly as a food or drink, or can be used directly as a substitute for milk, condensed milk, coffee whitener, whipped cream, or fresh cream.

[0057] It can also be used as a milk substitute composition in various foods, for example, 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, as a filling material, topping material, spread, etc. The plant milk composition of the present invention may be stored in a refrigerated or frozen state as necessary.

[0058] [1] A plant milk composition containing a grain liquefaction liquid and a grain saccharified liquid. [2] The plant milk composition of [1], wherein the grain in the grain liquefaction liquid or the grain saccharified liquid includes oats. [3] The plant milk composition of [1] or [2], wherein the raw material grain for the grain liquefaction liquid and the raw material grain for the grain saccharified liquid are the same. [4] The plant milk composition of any one of [1] to [3], wherein the solid content of the grain saccharified liquid is 0.01 to 3 parts by mass per 1 part by mass of the solid content of the grain liquefaction liquid. [5] The plant milk composition of any one of [1] to [4], wherein the grain liquefaction liquid has a higher content of trisaccharides or more in its sugar composition than the total content of monosaccharides and disaccharides, and the grain saccharified liquid has a lower content of trisaccharides or more in its sugar composition than the total content of monosaccharides and disaccharides. [6] The plant milk composition of [5], wherein the grain liquefaction liquid is a liquid obtained by decomposing grain starch using α-amylase, and the grain saccharification liquid is obtained by decomposing grain starch or a decomposition product thereof using β-amylase and / or glucoamylase. [7] A method for producing a plant milk composition, comprising mixing the grain liquefaction liquid and the grain saccharification liquid. [8] A method for producing the plant milk composition of [7], wherein the grain in the grain liquefaction liquid or the grain saccharification liquid is oats. [9] A method for producing the plant milk composition of [7] or [8], comprising a step of adding a marine-derived potassium salt.

[0059] 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.

[0060] <Production of Grain Liquefaction> 75 parts by mass of water was heated to 60°C, and while stirring, 0.15 parts by mass of α-amylase (BAN 480L (manufactured by Novozymes)) and 25 parts by mass of oat powder (manufactured by Glanbia) (moisture content 14% by mass, oil content 3.0% by mass, protein content 11.9% by mass, potassium content 0.330% by mass, sodium content 0.008% by mass) were added, and the mixture was maintained for 3 hours to allow an enzymatic reaction. The mixture was then inactivated at 90°C for 15 minutes, cooled to 5°C, and homogenized at a pressure of 5 MPa to obtain Grain Liquefaction Liquid A. The above-mentioned grain liquefaction liquid A had a water content of 78.5% by mass, an oil content of 0.75% by mass, a protein content of 3.0% by mass, a solid content of 21.5% by mass, a potassium content of 0.08% by mass, and a sodium content of 0% by mass.The total content of monosaccharides and disaccharides in the sugar composition was 20% by mass, and the content of trisaccharides or more in the sugar composition was 80% by mass.

[0061] <Production of Grain Saccharified Liquid 1> 100 parts by mass of the grain liquefied liquid A was heated to 60°C, and 0.3 parts by mass of glucoamylase (Amylase AG (Novozymes)) was added with stirring. The mixture was maintained at this temperature for 3 hours to allow an enzymatic reaction. The mixture was then inactivated at 90°C for 15 minutes, cooled to 5°C, and homogenized at a pressure of 5 MPa to produce grain saccharified liquid A. The grain saccharified liquid A had a water content of 78.5% by mass, an oil content of 0.75% by mass, a protein content of 3.0% by mass, a solids content of 21.5% by mass, a potassium content of 0.08% by mass, and a sodium content of 0% by mass. The total content of monosaccharides and disaccharides in the sugar composition was 85% by mass, and the content of trisaccharides or more in the sugar composition was 15% by mass.

[0062] <Production of Grain Saccharified Liquid 2> 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 (Glanbia) (moisture content 14% by mass, oil content 3.0% by mass, protein content 11.9% by mass, potassium content 0.330% by mass, sodium content 0.008% by mass) were added, and the mixture was maintained for 3 hours to allow an enzymatic reaction. The mixture was then inactivated at 90°C for 15 minutes, cooled to 5°C, and homogenized at a pressure of 5 MPa to produce Grain Saccharified Liquid B. The grain saccharification liquid B had a water content of 78.5% by mass, an oil content of 0.75% by mass, a protein content of 3.0% by mass, a solid content of 21.5% by mass, a potassium content of 0.08% by mass, and a sodium content of 0% by mass. The total content of monosaccharides and disaccharides in the sugar composition was 85% by mass, and the content of trisaccharides or more in the sugar composition was 15% by mass.

[0063] <Production of Plant Milk Composition> [Example 1] 75 parts by weight of the above-mentioned grain liquefaction liquid A and 20 parts by weight of the above-mentioned grain saccharification liquid A were mixed, and 0.385 parts by weight of salt, 0.02 parts by weight of xanthan gum, and 1.595 parts by weight of water were added thereto and mixed. 3 parts by weight of sunflower oil was further added and emulsified to prepare a preliminary emulsion. The mixture 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 composition A of the present invention. The resulting plant milk composition A had a moisture content of 76% by weight, a solid content of 24% by weight, an oil content of 3.7% by weight, a protein content of 2.9% by weight, and a sodium to potassium mass ratio of 1:0.51. The resulting plant milk composition A had a good milk flavor, a natural sweetness, and a rich taste. Composition A had fluidity despite its high solid content of 24% by mass. Composition A did not exhibit any graininess or precipitation even after storage at 5°C for 120 days. From the above, Composition A was found to be a highly convenient plant-based milk.

[0064] Example 2: Plant milk composition B of the present invention was obtained according to the formulation and manufacturing method of Example 1, except that the grain saccharified liquid A in Example 1 was replaced with grain saccharified liquid B. The resulting plant milk composition B had a moisture content of 76% by mass, a solids content of 24% by mass, an oil content of 3.7% by mass, a protein content of 2.9% by mass, and a sodium to potassium mass ratio of 1:0.51. The resulting plant milk composition B had a good milk flavor, a natural sweetness, and a rich taste. Composition B was fluid despite having a high solids content of 24% by mass. Composition B showed no graininess or precipitation even after storage at 5°C for 120 days. From the above, composition B was a highly convenient plant milk.

[0065] Example 3: Plant milk composition C of the present invention was obtained according to the formulation and manufacturing method of Example 1, except that the grain saccharified solution A in Example 1 was replaced with grain saccharified solution B, the amount of salt was changed from 0.385 parts by mass to 0.135 parts by mass, and 0.25 parts by mass of marine-derived potassium salt (Ocean Potassium, manufactured by FC Chemicals) was added. The resulting plant milk composition C had a moisture content of 76% by mass, a solids content of 24% by mass, an oil content of 3.7% by mass, a protein content of 2.9% by mass, and a sodium to potassium mass ratio of 1:3.81. The resulting plant milk composition C had an excellent milky flavor and a natural sweetness and richness. Composition C maintained fluidity despite its high solids content of 24% by mass. Composition C showed no graininess or precipitation even after storage at 5°C for 120 days. These results demonstrate that composition C is a highly convenient plant milk.

[0066] Example 4: Plant milk composition D of the present invention was obtained according to the formulation and manufacturing method of Example 1, except that the 3 parts by mass of sunflower oil in Example 1 was not added and the amount of water was changed from 1.595 parts by mass to 4.595 parts by mass. The resulting plant milk composition D had a moisture content of 79% by mass, a solids content of 21% by mass, an oil content of 0.7% by mass, a protein content of 2.9% by mass, and a sodium to potassium mass ratio of 1:0.51. The resulting plant milk composition D had a good milky flavor and natural sweetness, but a slightly weak richness. Composition D had fluidity despite a high solids content of 21% by mass. Composition D did not exhibit any graininess or precipitation even after storage at 5°C for 120 days. These results demonstrate that composition D is a highly convenient plant milk.

[0067] Comparative Example 1: A comparative plant milk composition E was obtained according to the formulation and manufacturing method of Example 1, except that the grain saccharified liquid A in Example 1 was not added, the amount of grain liquefied liquid A was changed from 70 parts by mass to 95 parts by mass, the amount of salt was changed from 0.385 parts by mass to 0.135 parts by mass, and 0.25 parts by mass of marine-derived potassium salt (Ocean Potassium, manufactured by FC Chemicals) was added. The resulting plant milk composition E had a moisture content of 76% by mass, a solids content of 24% by mass, an oil content of 3.7% by mass, a protein content of 2.9% by mass, and a sodium to potassium mass ratio of 1:3.81. The resulting plant milk composition E had a weak sweetness, a weak richness, and a weak dairy flavor. Composition E had fluidity despite its high solids content of 24% by mass. Composition E exhibited slight precipitation after 120 days of storage at 5°C.

[0068] Comparative Example 2: Comparative plant milk composition F was obtained according to the formulation and manufacturing method of Example 1, except that the grain liquefied liquid A in Example 1 was not added, the amount of grain saccharified liquid A was changed from 20 parts by mass to 95 parts by mass, the amount of salt was changed from 0.385 parts by mass to 0.135 parts by mass, and 0.25 parts by mass of marine-derived potassium salt (Ocean Potassium, manufactured by FC Chemicals) was added. The resulting plant milk composition F had a moisture content of 76% by mass, a solids content of 24% by mass, an oil content of 3.7% by mass, a protein content of 2.9% by mass, and a sodium to potassium mass ratio of 1:3.81. The resulting plant milk composition F had an overly sweet, somewhat unnatural taste, a weak body, and no noticeable dairy flavor. Composition F had fluidity despite its high solids content of 24% by mass. Composition F showed no graininess or precipitation even after 120 days of storage at 5°C.

[0069] Comparative Example 3: 75 parts by weight of water was heated to 60°C, and 25 parts by weight of oat powder (manufactured by Glanbia) (oil content 3.0% by weight, protein content 11.9% by weight, potassium content 0.330% by weight, sodium content 0.008% by weight) was added, mixed, and homogenized at a pressure of 5 MPa to produce oat milk A. 95 parts by weight of this oat milk A was added and mixed with 0.385 parts by weight of salt, 0.02 parts by weight of xanthan gum, and 1.595 parts by weight of water, and 3 parts by weight of sunflower oil was added and emulsified to prepare a preliminary emulsion, which was then 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 produce a comparative plant milk composition G. The resulting plant milk composition G had a moisture content of 76% by mass, a solids content of 24% by mass, an oil content of 3.7% by mass, a protein content of 2.9% by mass, and a sodium to potassium mass ratio of 1:3.81. The resulting plant milk composition G had an extremely high viscosity, was difficult to homogenize, and was in a heterogeneous state. Composition G had almost no sweetness, richness, or milk flavor. Composition G underwent severe separation and a large amount of precipitation was observed after storage at 5°C for 120 days.

[0070] Example 5: Plant milk composition H of the present invention was obtained according to the formulation and manufacturing method of Example 1, except that the amount of grain liquefied liquid A in Example 1 was changed from 75 parts by weight to 20 parts by weight, and the amount of grain saccharified liquid A was changed from 20 parts by weight to 75 parts by weight. The resulting plant milk composition H had a moisture content of 76% by weight, a solids content of 24% by weight, an oil content of 3.7% by weight, a protein content of 2.9% by weight, and a sodium to potassium mass ratio of 1:0.51. The resulting plant milk composition H had a good milky flavor and a slightly sweet, yet natural, sweet and rich taste. Composition H had fluidity despite its high solids content of 24% by weight. Composition H showed no graininess or precipitation even after storage at 5°C for 120 days. These results demonstrate that composition H is a highly convenient plant milk.

[0071] Example 6: Plant milk composition I of the present invention was obtained according to the formulation and manufacturing method of Example 1, except that the amount of grain liquefied liquid A in Example 1 was changed from 75 parts by weight to 55 parts by weight, and the amount of grain saccharified liquid A was changed from 20 parts by weight to 40 parts by weight. The resulting plant milk composition I had a moisture content of 76% by weight, a solids content of 24% by weight, an oil content of 3.7% by weight, a protein content of 2.9% by weight, and a sodium to potassium mass ratio of 1:0.51. The resulting plant milk composition I had a good milky flavor, a natural sweetness, and a rich taste. Composition I had fluidity despite a high solids content of 24% by weight. Composition I showed no graininess or precipitation even after storage at 5°C for 120 days. These results demonstrate that composition I is a highly convenient plant milk.

[0072] According to the present invention, a plant milk composition having a natural sweetness and rich flavor, having fluidity even at a high solids content, and being free of graininess or sedimentation, is obtained, and is highly convenient. Furthermore, according to the present invention, a plant milk composition having these characteristics can be stably produced with consistent quality without variation.

Claims

1. A plant milk composition comprising a grain liquefaction liquid and a grain saccharification liquid.

2. The plant milk composition of claim 1, wherein the grain in the grain liquefaction liquid or grain saccharification liquid comprises oats.

3. The plant milk composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the raw material grain for the grain liquefaction liquid and the raw material grain for the grain saccharification liquid are the same.

4. A plant milk composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the solid content of the grain saccharification liquid is 0.01 to 3 parts by mass per 1 part by mass of the solid content of the grain liquefaction liquid.

5. A plant milk composition as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the grain liquefaction liquid has a sugar composition in which the content of three or more sugars is greater than the combined content of monosaccharides and disaccharides, and the grain saccharification liquid has a sugar composition in which the content of three or more sugars is smaller than the combined content of monosaccharides and disaccharides.

6. The plant milk composition according to claim 5, wherein the grain liquefaction liquid is a liquid obtained by decomposing grain starch using α-amylase, and the grain saccharification liquid is obtained by decomposing grain starch or its decomposition products using β-amylase and / or glucoamylase.

7. A method for producing a plant milk composition, comprising mixing grain liquefaction liquid and grain saccharification liquid.

8. A method for producing a plant milk composition according to claim 7, wherein the grain in the grain liquefaction liquid or grain saccharification liquid comprises oats.

9. A method for producing the plant milk composition of claim 7 or 8, comprising the step of adding a marine-derived potassium salt.