Sweetness enhancer for vegetable food / beverage, and softener

Abstract

Provided are: a technique for enhancing the sweetness of a food / beverage; and a technique for softening said food / beverage. The present technology provides: a sweetness enhancer for a vegetable food / beverage, the sweetness enhancer containing hemicellulase and / or glucoamylase; and a softener for said vegetable food / beverage. The sweetness enhancer and the softener according to the present technology can contain a saccharide-processing enzyme (excluding glucoamylase) and / or a dietary fiber-degrading enzyme (excluding hemicellulase). The present technology also provides a method for producing a vegetable food / beverage, a method for enhancing the sweetness of the vegetable food / beverage, and a method for softening the vegetable food / beverage, the methods including a step for causing hemicellulase and / or glucoamylase to act on a vegetable feedstock.

Description

Sweetener and softener for plant-based foods and beverages

[0001] The present technology relates to a sweetness enhancer and softener for plant-based foods and beverages. More specifically, the present technology relates to a sweetness enhancer and softener for plant-based foods and beverages that use a specific enzyme, a plant-based food and beverage that uses the sweetness enhancer and / or the softener, a method for producing the plant-based food and beverage, a method for enhancing the sweetness of the plant-based food and beverage, and a method for softening the plant-based food and beverage.

[0002] In recent years, in response to the health-conscious trend in society, the development of products claiming to be low in sugar has progressed in the food market. Furthermore, with the advent of an aging society and in order to add value to food and beverages, such as by providing a pleasant texture, development is also underway to impart softness to food and beverages. For example, sweet potatoes are rich in dietary fiber and have a sweet taste, so they are widely used as prepared foods and confectioneries, and various technologies are being investigated to improve the flavor and taste of sweet potatoes.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a technology that can impart the sweet, roasted flavor characteristic of baked sweet potatoes, such as baked sweet potatoes, by heat-treating enzyme-treated sweet potatoes with chlorogenic acid. Patent Document 2 also proposes a technology that imparts a natural sweetness or sourness to adjust the flavor by mixing heat-treated sweet potatoes with grain koji at a ratio of 2 to 30% by weight based on the sweet potato, and saccharifying the sweet potatoes at a temperature of 50 to 70°C for 15 to 24 hours, without relying on additives such as sweeteners or acidulants.

[0004] JP 2013-226118 A JP 2014-3957 A

[0005] When sweetening food and drink, the method of cooking with sugar or other sweeteners is used, but there are concerns that adding sweeteners may lead to increased sugar intake, which goes against health-conscious trends. As mentioned above, technologies for improving the quality of food and drink are being developed, but technologies for enhancing sweetness are still in the development stage.

[0006] Furthermore, as mentioned above, with the advent of an aging society and in order to provide added value to foods and beverages, such as a pleasant texture, there is a demand for the development of technology to impart softness to foods and beverages.

[0007] Therefore, the main object of the present technology is to provide a technology for enhancing the sweetness of food and beverages and / or a technology for softening food and beverages.

[0008] The present technology first provides a sweetness enhancer for plant-based foods and beverages, and a softener for plant-based foods and beverages, each containing hemicellulase and / or glucoamylase. The sweetness enhancer and softener of the present technology can contain a carbohydrate-processing enzyme (excluding glucoamylase) and / or a dietary fiber-degrading enzyme (excluding hemicellulase). The carbohydrate-processing enzyme used in the sweetness enhancer and softener of the present technology can be α-amylase and / or β-amylase. The dietary fiber-degrading enzyme used in the sweetness enhancer and softener of the present technology can be cellulase and / or pectinase. The plant-based foods and beverages can be made from raw materials containing 5% or more carbohydrates by weight. Potatoes and / or grains can be used as the plant-based raw materials.

[0009] Next, the present technology provides a plant-based food or drink that uses the sweetness enhancer or softener according to the present technology.

[0010] The present technology further provides a method for producing plant-based foods and beverages, a method for enhancing the sweetness of plant-based foods and beverages, and a method for softening plant-based foods and beverages, each of which includes a step of treating plant-based raw materials with hemicellulase and / or glucoamylase.

[0011] Preferred embodiments for carrying out the present technology will be described below. Note that the embodiments described below are examples of typical embodiments of the present technology, and the scope of the present technology should not be construed as being narrow.

[0012] 1. Sweetener Enhancer for Plant-Based Foods and Beverages, and Softener for Plant-Based Foods and Beverages The sweetener enhancer for plant-based foods and beverages and the softener for plant-based foods and beverages according to the present technology contain hemicellulase and / or glucoamylase. The present technology has discovered that the sugar content of plant-based foods and beverages can be increased by applying hemicellulase and / or glucoamylase to the plant-based foods and beverages. The present technology has also discovered that the application of hemicellulase and / or glucoamylase to the plant-based foods and beverages can soften the plant-based foods and beverages. Furthermore, as shown in the Examples below, some enzymes that soften plant-based foods and beverages significantly reduce the glucose content (see α-amylase in Reference Example 1 and β-amylase in Reference Example 2). However, the present technology has discovered that the application of hemicellulase and / or glucoamylase to the plant-based foods and beverages can soften the plant-based foods and beverages while suppressing the reduction in glucose content. In addition, it was found that the action of hemicellulase and glucoamylase on plant-based foods and beverages can soften the plant-based foods and beverages and increase the glucose content, i.e., the action of hemicellulase and glucoamylase on plant-based foods and beverages can soften the plant-based foods and beverages and enhance the sweetness of the plant-based foods and beverages.

[0013] The sweetness enhancer for plant-based foods and beverages and the softener for plant-based foods and beverages according to the present technology can also contain carbohydrate-processing enzymes (excluding glucoamylase) and / or dietary fiber-degrading enzymes (excluding hemicellulase), other enzymes, and other ingredients, as necessary. The present technology has discovered that applying a carbohydrate-processing enzyme (excluding glucoamylase) and / or a dietary fiber-degrading enzyme (excluding hemicellulase) to a plant-based food or beverage, in addition to applying hemicellulase and / or glucoamylase, can soften the plant-based food or beverage, increase the glucose content, or inhibit a decrease in the glucose content. That is, applying a carbohydrate-processing enzyme (excluding glucoamylase) and / or a dietary fiber-degrading enzyme (excluding hemicellulase) to a plant-based food or beverage can soften the plant-based food or beverage, and enhance or maintain the sweetness of the plant-based food or beverage.

[0014] In the present technology, specific examples of "enhanced sweetness" include, for example, "an increase in the total content of monosaccharides to oligosaccharides," preferably "an increase in the total content of monosaccharides to oligosaccharides (G2 to G7)," more preferably "an increase in the total content of monosaccharides and disaccharides (sugars)," and even more preferably "an increase in the glucose content."

[0015] Increasing the glucose content of plant-based foods and beverages not only enhances sweetness, but also improves the digestion and absorption of plant-based foods and beverages in the elderly. Specifically, while there is a problem of decreased glucose absorption due to a decrease in intestinal enzyme activity with age, increasing the glucose content of plant-based foods and beverages allows direct intake of glucose, thereby improving digestion and absorption. Below, each component that can be used in this technology is described in detail.

[0016] (1) Hemicellulase The hemicellulase that can be used in the present technology is an enzyme that hydrolyzes hemicellulose. Hemicellulose is a heteropolysaccharide composed of multiple constituent sugars and generally has a branched structure in which other constituent sugars form side chains on the main chain from which it is named. Specific examples of hemicellulose include mannan, β-1,3-1,4-glucan, glucomannan, xylan, xyloglucan, glucuronoxylan, etc. Hemicellulase is an enzyme that decomposes these hemicelluloses. The hemicellulase that can be used in the present technology may also have other functions as long as it has hemicellulase activity. In the present technology, the use of hemicellulase to produce plant-based foods and beverages can exhibit sweetness-enhancing and softening effects.

[0017] Specific examples of hemicellulases include xylanase, galactanase, mannanase, galactomannanase, arabinase, β-glucanase, etc., and these may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0018] The origin of the hemicellulase is not particularly limited, and may be hemicellulase derived from microorganisms such as basidiomycetes such as Corticium and Pycnoporus, filamentous fungi such as Aspergillus, Humicola, Penicillium, and Trichoderma, actinomycetes such as Streptomyces, or bacteria such as Bacillus, or may be artificially synthesized hemicellulase. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among these, in the present technology, hemicellulase derived from filamentous fungi is preferred, hemicellulase derived from microorganisms of the genus Aspergillus is more preferred, and hemicellulase derived from Aspergillus niger is even more preferred.

[0019] Here, "hemicellulase derived from Aspergillus niger" means hemicellulase produced by a microorganism classified as Aspergillus niger (whether a wild-type strain or a mutant strain), or hemicellulase obtained by genetic engineering techniques using a hemicellulase gene. Therefore, a recombinant produced by a host microorganism into which a hemicellulase gene obtained from Aspergillus niger (or a gene obtained by modifying said gene) has been introduced also falls under the category of "hemicellulase derived from Aspergillus niger."

[0020] The hemicellulase used in the present technology can be prepared from the culture medium of the microorganism from which the hemicellulase is derived. Specific preparation methods include recovering hemicellulase from the culture medium or cells of the microorganism. For example, when using a hemicellulase-secreting microorganism, the cells can be recovered from the culture medium by filtration, centrifugation, or the like, as necessary, and the enzyme can then be separated and / or purified. When using a non-hemicellulase-secreting microorganism, the cells can be recovered from the culture medium by, as necessary, pre-disruption by pressure treatment, ultrasonication, or the like to extract the enzyme, and the enzyme can then be separated and / or purified. The enzyme can be separated and / or purified by any known protein separation and / or purification method, without any particular limitation. Examples of the enzyme separation and / or purification method include centrifugation, UF concentration, salting out, and various chromatography methods using ion exchange resins. The separated and / or purified enzyme can be powdered by drying methods such as freeze-drying and vacuum drying, or by using appropriate excipients and / or drying aids in the drying methods. The isolated and / or purified enzyme can also be liquefied by adding an appropriate additive and sterilizing by filtration.

[0021] In the present technology, commercially available hemicellulase can also be used, and a preferred example of a commercially available hemicellulase is hemicellulase derived from the genus Aspergillus manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.

[0022] The content of hemicellulase in the sweetness enhancer and softener according to the present technology can be freely set as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology. The content of hemicellulase can be set to, for example, 0.45 U or more per 1 g of plant-based raw material used in the production of plant-based foods and beverages, and from the viewpoint of further enhancing the sweetness enhancing effect and the softening effect, the content can be set to preferably 2.25 U or more, more preferably 4.5 U or more, 5 U or more, 10 U or more, 20 U or more, 30 U or more, 40 U or more, 50 U or more, 60 U or more, 70 U or more, 80 U or more, 90 U or more, 100 U or more, 200 U or more, 300 U or more, 400 U or more, even more preferably 450 U or more, and even more preferably 810 U or more.

[0023] The upper limit of the hemicellulase content is not particularly limited as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology, but can be set to 900,000 U or less, 700,000 U or less, 500,000 U or less, 300,000 U or less, 180,000 U or less, 100,000 U or less, 90,000 U or less, 70,000 U or less, 50,000 U or less, 30,000 U or less, 10,000 U or less, 5,000 U or less, 3,000 U or less, 1,800 U or less, 1,500 U or less, 1,350 U or less, 1,000 U or less, or 990 U or less per 1 g of plant-based raw material used in the production of plant-based foods and beverages.

[0024] The content of hemicellulase in the sweetness enhancer and softener according to the present technology can be freely set as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology. The content of hemicellulase can be set to, for example, 0.15 U or more per gram of dietary fiber in the plant-based raw material used in the production of plant-based foods and beverages, and from the viewpoint of further enhancing the sweetness enhancing effect and softening effect, the content can be set to preferably 0.75 U or more, more preferably 1.5 U or more, 15 U or more, 150 U or more, 1500 U or more, 3000 U or more, 10000 U or more, even more preferably 15000 U or more, and even more preferably 27000 U or more.

[0025] The upper limit of the hemicellulase content is not particularly limited as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology, but can be set to 30,000,000 U or less, 10,000,000 U or less, 6,000,000 U or less, 3,000,000 U or less, 100,000 U or less, 60,000 U or less, 50,000 U or less, 45,000 U or less, or 33,000 U or less per 1 g of dietary fiber from the plant-based raw materials used in the production of plant-based foods and beverages.

[0026] In this technology, the activity of hemicellulase is a value measured using the measurement method described in the examples below, and the enzymatic activity of hemicellulase is defined as the amount of enzyme that uses xylan as a substrate and produces reducing sugars equivalent to 1 mg of xylose per minute, defined as 100 units (100 U).

[0027] (2) Glucoamylase The glucoamylase that can be used in the present technology is an enzyme that has the activity of hydrolyzing the α-1,4-glucosidic bond of carbohydrates such as starch from the non-reducing end to glucose units. The glucoamylase that can be used in the present technology may also have other functions as long as it has glucoamylase activity. In the present technology, the use of glucoamylase in the production of plant-based foods and beverages can exhibit sweetness-enhancing effects and softening effects.

[0028] The origin of the glucoamylase is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, glucoamylase derived from the genus Aspergillus or Rhizopus, or an artificially synthesized glucoamylase. These may be used alone or in combination. Among these, in the present technology, glucoamylase derived from a microorganism of the genus Rhizopus is preferred, and glucoamylase derived from Rhizopus oryzae is more preferred.

[0029] Here, "Rhizopus oryzae-derived glucoamylase" means a glucoamylase produced by a microorganism classified as Rhizopus oryzae (which may be a wild-type strain or a mutant strain), or a glucoamylase obtained by genetic engineering techniques using a glucoamylase gene. Therefore, a recombinant produced by a host microorganism into which a glucoamylase gene obtained from Rhizopus oryzae (or a modified version of said gene) has been introduced also falls under the category of "Rhizopus oryzae-derived glucoamylase."

[0030] The glucoamylase used in the present technology can be prepared from a culture medium of a microorganism from which the glucoamylase is derived. Specific preparation methods include recovering the glucoamylase from the culture medium or cells of the microorganism. For example, when a glucoamylase-secreting microorganism is used, the cells can be recovered from the culture medium by filtration, centrifugation, or the like, as necessary, and the enzyme can then be separated and / or purified. When a glucoamylase-nonsecreting microorganism is used, the cells can be recovered from the culture medium by pressure treatment, ultrasonication, or the like, as necessary, and the enzyme can then be extracted and / or separated and / or purified. The enzyme can be separated and / or purified by any known protein separation and / or purification method, without any particular limitation. Examples of the enzyme separation and / or purification method include centrifugation, UF concentration, salting out, and various chromatography methods using ion exchange resins. The separated and / or purified enzyme can be powdered by drying methods such as lyophilization and vacuum drying, or by using appropriate excipients and / or drying aids in the drying methods. The isolated and / or purified enzyme can also be liquefied by adding an appropriate additive and sterilizing by filtration.

[0031] In the present technology, commercially available glucoamylase can also be used, and a preferred example of a commercially available glucoamylase is Rhizopus oryzae-derived glucoamylase manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.

[0032] The glucoamylase content in the sweetness enhancer and softener according to the present technology can be freely set as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology. The glucoamylase content can be set to, for example, 0.008 U or more per 1 g of plant-based raw material used in the production of plant-based foods and beverages, and from the viewpoint of further enhancing the sweetness enhancing effect and the softening effect, the glucoamylase content can be set to preferably 0.04 U or more, more preferably 0.08 U or more, 0.8 U or more, 1 U or more, 3 U or more, 5 U or more, even more preferably 8 U or more, and even more preferably 14 U or more.

[0033] The upper limit of the glucoamylase content is not particularly limited as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology, but examples thereof include: 16,000 U or less, 15,000 U or less, 14,000 U or less, 13,000 U or less, 12,000 U or less, 11,000 U or less, 10,000 U or less, 9,000 U or less, 8,000 U or less, 7,000 U or less, 6,000 U or less, 5,000 U or less, 4,000 U or less, 32 The range can be set to 00U or less, 2000U or less, 1600U or less, 1500U or less, 1400U or less, 1300U or less, 1200U or less, 1100U or less, 1000U or less, 900U or less, 800U or less, 700U or less, 600U or less, 500U or less, 400U or less, 300U or less, 200U or less, 100U or less, 50U or less, 40U or less, 32U or less, 24U or less, 20U or less, or 17U or less.

[0034] The glucoamylase content in the sweetness enhancer and softener according to the present technology can be freely set as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology. The glucoamylase content can be set to, for example, 0.0003 U or more per 1 g of starch as a plant-based raw material used in the production of plant-based foods and beverages, and from the viewpoint of further enhancing the sweetness enhancing effect and the softening effect, the glucoamylase content can be set to preferably 0.0015 U or more, more preferably 0.003 U or more, 0.03 U or more, 0.3 U or more, 1 U or more, 3 U or more, 10 U or more, even more preferably 33 U or more, and even more preferably 59 U or more.

[0035] The upper limit of the glucoamylase content is also not particularly limited as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology, but it can be 66,000 U or less, 60,000 U or less, 50,000 U or less, 40,000 U or less, 30,000 U or less, 20,000 U or less, 15,000 U or less, 13,200 U or less, 12,000 U or less, 10,000 U or less, 9,000 U or less, 80 The range can be set to 00U or less, 7000U or less, 6600U or less, 6000U or less, 5000U or less, 4000U or less, 3000U or less, 2000U or less, 1000U or less, 900U or less, 800U or less, 700U or less, 600U or less, 500U or less, 400U or less, 300U or less, 200U or less, 132U or less, 120U or less, 99U or less, 80U or less, or 73U or less.

[0036] In this technology, the activity of glucoamylase is a value measured using the measurement method described in the Examples below, and the enzymatic activity of glucoamylase is defined as the amount of enzyme that, using potato starch as a substrate, increases the reducing power equivalent to 1 mg of glucose per minute, defined as 1 unit (1 U).

[0037] (3) Carbohydrate-processing enzyme (excluding glucoamylase, the same applies below) The sweetness enhancer and softener according to the present technology may further contain a carbohydrate-processing enzyme. As the carbohydrate-processing enzyme that can be used in the sweetness enhancer and softener according to the present technology, one or more carbohydrate-processing enzymes that can be used in the production of plant-based foods and beverages can be selected and used, as long as the action and effect of the present technology are not impaired. Examples of carbohydrate-processing enzymes that can be used in the present technology include α-amylase, β-amylase, maltotriohydrolase, etc., and among these, it is preferable to use α-amylase and / or β-amylase.

[0038] (3-1) α-Amylase The α-amylase that can be used in the present technology is an enzyme that acts on starch and mainly hydrolyzes α-1,4 glycosidic bonds. The α-amylase that can be used in the present technology may also have other functions as long as it has α-amylase activity.

[0039] The origin of the α-amylase that can be used in the present technology is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include α-amylases derived from microorganisms of the genus Aspergillus (e.g., Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus niger, etc.) and the genus Bacillus (e.g., Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, etc.), preferably α-amylases derived from microorganisms of the genus Bacillus, more preferably α-amylases derived from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.

[0040] Here, "α-amylase derived from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens" means an α-amylase produced by a microorganism classified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (whether a wild-type strain or a mutant strain), or an α-amylase obtained by genetic engineering techniques using an α-amylase gene. Therefore, a recombinant produced by a host microorganism into which an α-amylase gene obtained from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (or a modified version of said gene) has been introduced also falls under the category of "α-amylase derived from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens."

[0041] The α-amylase used in the present technology can be prepared from a culture medium of a microorganism from which the α-amylase is derived. Specific preparation methods include recovering the α-amylase from the culture medium or cells of the microorganism. For example, when an α-amylase-secreting microorganism is used, the cells can be recovered from the culture medium in advance by filtration, centrifugation, or the like, as necessary, and the enzyme can then be separated and / or purified. When an α-amylase-nonsecreting microorganism is used, the cells can be recovered from the culture medium in advance by pressure treatment, ultrasonic treatment, or the like, and the enzyme can then be extracted and / or separated and / or purified. The enzyme can be separated and / or purified by any known protein separation and / or purification method, without any particular limitation. Examples of the enzyme separation and / or purification method include centrifugation, UF concentration, salting out, and various chromatography methods using ion exchange resins, etc. The separated and / or purified enzyme can be powdered by drying methods such as freeze-drying and vacuum drying, or by using an appropriate excipient and / or drying aid in the drying method. The isolated and / or purified enzyme can also be liquefied by adding an appropriate additive and sterilizing by filtration.

[0042] In the present technology, commercially available α-amylase can also be used, and a preferred example of a commercially available α-amylase is α-amylase (derived from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.

[0043] The content of α-amylase in the sweetness enhancer and softener according to the present technology can be freely set as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology. The content of α-amylase can be set to, for example, 0.35 U or more per 1 g of plant-based raw material used in the production of plant-based foods and beverages, and from the viewpoint of further enhancing the sweetness enhancing effect and the softening effect, the content can be set to preferably 1.75 U or more, more preferably 3.5 U or more, 5 U or more, 6 U or more, 7 U or more, 8 U or more, 9 U or more, even more preferably 10 U or more, and even more preferably 18 U or more.

[0044] The upper limit of the α-amylase content is not particularly limited as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology, and can be set to, for example, 21,000 U or less, 20,000 U or less, 10,000 U or less, 5,000 U or less, 4,200 U or less, 3,000 U or less, 2,100 U or less, 1,000 U or less, 900 U or less, 800 U or less, 700 U or less, 600 U or less, 500 U or less, 400 U or less, 300 U or less, 200 U or less, 100 U or less, 50 U or less, 42 U or less, 32 U or less, or 23 U or less per 1 g of plant-based raw material used in the production of plant-based foods and beverages.

[0045] The content of α-amylase in the sweetness enhancer and softener according to the present technology can be freely set as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology. The content of α-amylase can be set to, for example, 0.0004 U or more per 1 g of starch as a plant-based raw material used in the production of plant-based foods and beverages, and from the viewpoint of further enhancing the sweetness enhancing effect and the softening effect, the content can be set to preferably 0.002 U or more, more preferably 0.004 U or more, 0.04 U or more, 0.4 U or more, 1 U or more, 10 U or more, 20 U or more, 30 U or more, even more preferably 44 U or more, and even more preferably 78 U or more.

[0046] The upper limit of the α-amylase content is not particularly limited as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology, and may be, for example, 87,000 U or less, 80,000 U or less, 70,000 U or less, 60,000 U or less, 50,000 U or less, 40,000 U or less, 30,000 U or less, 20,000 U or less, 17,400 U or less, 16,000 U or less, 15,000 U or less, 14,000 U or less, 13,000 U or less, 12,000 U or less, 1 The range can be set to 1000U or less, 10,000U or less, 9000U or less, 8700U or less, 8000U or less, 7000U or less, 6000U or less, 5000U or less, 4000U or less, 3000U or less, 2000U or less, 1000U or less, 900U or less, 800U or less, 700U or less, 600U or less, 500U or less, 400U or less, 300U or less, 200U or less, 174U or less, 150U or less, 130U or less, 100U or less, or 96U or less.

[0047] In this technology, the activity of α-amylase is a value measured by the measurement method described in the Examples below. The enzymatic activity of α-amylase is measured by an iodine reaction using potato starch as a substrate. That is, the activity of α-amylase is measured by a standard enzymatic reaction using potato starch as a substrate, and one unit (1 U) of enzyme is defined as the amount of enzyme that reduces the color produced by the iodine reaction by 10% in one minute.

[0048] (3-2) β-amylase The β-amylase that can be used in the present technology is an exo-enzyme that sequentially degrades α-1,4 glycosidic bonds in starch starting from the non-reducing end to maltose (malt sugar) units. The β-amylase that can be used in the present technology may also have other functions as long as it has β-amylase activity.

[0049] The origin of the β-amylase that can be used in the present technology is not particularly limited, and one or more types of β-amylase derived from microorganisms or plants such as soybeans can be used in any combination. Examples of β-amylase derived from microorganisms include β-amylases derived from microorganisms such as the genus Bacillus (e.g., Bacillus flexus, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus polymyxa, Bacillus circulans, etc.), the genus Streptomyces, and the genus Pseudomonas. In the present technology, it is particularly preferable to use a β-amylase derived from a microorganism as the β-amylase, more preferably a β-amylase derived from the genus Bacillus, and even more preferably a β-amylase derived from Bacillus flexus.

[0050] Here, "β-amylase derived from Bacillus flexus" means a β-amylase produced by a microorganism classified as Bacillus flexus (whether a wild-type strain or a mutant strain), or a β-amylase obtained by genetic engineering techniques using a β-amylase gene. Therefore, a recombinant produced by a host microorganism into which a β-amylase gene obtained from Bacillus flexus (or a modified version of said gene) has been introduced also falls under the category of "β-amylase derived from Bacillus flexus."

[0051] The β-amylase used in the present technology can be prepared from the culture solution of the microorganism or plant from which the β-amylase is derived. Specific preparation methods include methods of recovering β-amylase from the culture solution or cells of the microorganism or plant. For example, when a β-amylase-secreting microorganism is used, the cells can be recovered from the culture solution in advance by filtration, centrifugation, or the like, as necessary, and the enzyme can then be separated and / or purified. Furthermore, when a β-amylase-nonsecreting microorganism or plant is used, the cells or plant can be recovered from the culture solution in advance by pressure treatment, ultrasonic treatment, or the like, and the enzyme can then be extracted and / or separated and / or purified. The enzyme separation and / or purification method can be any known protein separation and / or purification method, without any particular limitation. Examples of such methods include centrifugation, UF concentration, salting out, and various chromatography methods using ion exchange resins, etc. The isolated and / or purified enzyme can be powdered by a drying method such as freeze-drying or vacuum drying, or can be powdered using an appropriate excipient and / or drying aid in the drying method. The isolated and / or purified enzyme can also be liquefied by adding an appropriate additive and sterilizing by filtration.

[0052] In the present technology, commercially available β-amylase can also be used, and a preferred example of a commercially available β-amylase is β-amylase (derived from Bacillus flexus) manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.

[0053] The content of β-amylase in the sweetness enhancer and softener according to the present technology can be freely set as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology. The content of β-amylase can be set to, for example, 0.0033 U or more per 1 g of plant-based raw material used in the production of plant-based foods and beverages, and from the viewpoint of further enhancing the sweetness enhancing effect and the softening effect, the content can be set to preferably 0.016 U or more, more preferably 0.03 U or more, 0.3 U or more, 1 U or more, 5 U or more, 10 U or more, 20 U or more, even more preferably 33 U or more, and even more preferably 59 U or more.

[0054] The upper limit of the β-amylase content is also not particularly limited as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology, and may be, for example, 65,000 U or less, 60,000 U or less, 50,000 U or less, 40,000 U or less, 30,000 U or less, 20,000 U or less, 15,000 U or less, 13,000 U or less, 12,000 U or less, 11,000 U or less, 10,000 U or less, 9,000 U or less per 1 g of plant-based raw material used in the production of plant-based foods and beverages. The range can be set to below, 8000U or less, 7000U or less, 6500U or less, 6000U or less, 5000U or less, 4000U or less, 3000U or less, 2000U or less, 1000U or less, 900U or less, 800U or less, 700U or less, 600U or less, 500U or less, 400U or less, 300U or less, 200U or less, 130U or less, 100U or less, 98U or less, 80U or less, or 72U or less.

[0055] In the present technology, the activity of β-amylase is a value measured by the measurement method described in the Examples below, and the enzymatic activity of β-amylase is defined as the amount of enzyme that, using potato starch as a substrate, increases the reducing power equivalent to 1 mg of glucose per minute, defined as 1 unit (1 U).

[0056] The content of β-amylase in the sweetness enhancer and softener according to the present technology can be freely set as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology. The content of β-amylase can be set to, for example, 0.014 U or more per 1 g of starch as a plant-based raw material used in the production of plant-based foods and beverages. From the viewpoint of further enhancing the sweetness enhancing effect and the softening effect, the content can be set to preferably 0.068 U or more, more preferably 0.14 U or more, 1 U or more, 10 U or more, 20 U or more, 30 U or more, 40 U or more, 50 U or more, 60 U or more, 70 U or more, 80 U or more, 90 U or more, even more preferably 135 U or more, and even more preferably 243 U or more.

[0057] The upper limit of the β-amylase content is not particularly limited as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology, and may be, for example, 270,000 U or less, 200,000 U or less, 100,000 U or less, 90,000 U or less, 80,000 U or less, 70,000 U or less, 60,000 U or less, 54,000 U or less, 50,000 U or less, 40,000 U or less, 30,000 U or less, It can be set to 27,000U or less, 20,000U or less, 10,000U or less, 9,000U or less, 8,000U or less, 7,000U or less, 6,000U or less, 5,000U or less, 4,000U or less, 3,000U or less, 2,000U or less, 1,000U or less, 900U or less, 800U or less, 700U or less, 600U or less, 540U or less, 500U or less, 405U or less, 300U or less, or 297U or less.

[0058] (4) Dietary fiber-degrading enzyme (excluding hemicellulase, the same applies below) The sweetness enhancer and softener according to the present technology may further contain a dietary fiber-degrading enzyme. As the dietary fiber-degrading enzyme that can be used in the sweetness enhancer and softener according to the present technology, one or more dietary fiber-degrading enzymes that can be used in the production of plant-based foods and beverages can be selected and used, as long as the action and effect of the present technology are not impaired. Examples of dietary fiber-degrading enzymes that can be used in the present technology include cellulase and pectinase, and among these, it is preferable to use cellulase and / or pectinase.

[0059] (4-1) Cellulase Cellulase is an enzyme that hydrolyzes the glucosidic bond of β-1,4 glucan. The cellulase that can be used in the present technology may be an enzyme that also has other functions as long as it has cellulase activity.

[0060] The origin of cellulase that can be used in the present technology is not particularly limited as long as it does not impair the action and effect of the present technology, and examples thereof include cellulase derived from microorganisms of the genus Aspergillus.

[0061] Examples of microorganisms of the genus Aspergillus include Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus sojae, Aspergillus saitoi, Aspergillus awamori, and Aspergillus flavus. In the present technology, it is preferable to use cellulase derived from Aspergillus niger.

[0062] In this technology, not only natural (wild-type) cellulases but also recombinant cellulases can be used. Commercially available cellulases or cellulase preparations can also be used. As an example of commercially available cellulases or cellulase preparations, cellulases derived from Aspergillus microorganisms such as Aspergillus niger produced by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd. can be used.

[0063] The cellulase used in this technology can be prepared from the culture medium of the microorganism from which the cellulase is derived. Specific preparation methods include recovering cellulase from the culture medium or cells of the microorganism. For example, when using a cellulase-secreting microorganism, the cells can be recovered from the culture medium in advance by filtration, centrifugation, or the like, as necessary, and the enzyme can then be separated and / or purified. When using a non-cellulase-secreting microorganism, the cells can be recovered from the culture medium in advance by pressure treatment, ultrasonic treatment, or the like, and the enzyme can then be extracted and / or separated and / or purified. The enzyme can be separated and / or purified using any known protein separation and / or purification method, without any particular limitation. Examples of the enzyme separation and / or purification method include centrifugation, UF concentration, salting out, and various chromatography methods using ion exchange resins. The separated and / or purified enzyme can be powdered by drying methods such as freeze-drying and vacuum drying, and can also be powdered using appropriate excipients and / or drying aids in the drying methods. The isolated and / or purified enzyme can also be liquefied by adding an appropriate additive and sterilizing by filtration.

[0064] In this technology, the activity of cellulase is a value measured using the measurement method described in the examples below, and the enzyme activity of cellulase is defined as one unit (1 U) of enzyme amount that brings about an increase in reducing power equivalent to 1 μmol of glucose per minute.

[0065] The cellulase content in the sweetness enhancer and softener according to the present technology can be freely set as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology. The cellulase content can be set to, for example, 0.15 U or more per 1 g of plant-based raw material used in the production of plant-based foods and beverages, and from the viewpoint of further enhancing the sweetness enhancing effect and softening effect, the cellulase content can be set to preferably 0.75 U or more, more preferably 1.5 U or more, 10 U or more, 20 U or more, 30 U or more, 40 U or more, 50 U or more, 60 U or more, 70 U or more, 80 U or more, 90 U or more, 100 U or more, even more preferably 150 U or more, and even more preferably 270 U or more.

[0066] The upper limit of the cellulase content is not particularly limited as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology, and can be set to, for example, 300,000 U or less, 200,000 U or less, 100,000 U or less, 90,000 U or less, 80,000 U or less, 70,000 U or less, 60,000 U or less, 50,000 U or less, 40,000 U or less, 30,000 U or less, 20,000 U or less, 10,000 U or less, 900 U or less, 800 U or less, 700 U or less, 600 U or less, 500 U or less, 450 U or less, 400 U or less, or 330 U or less per 1 g of plant-based raw material used in the production of plant-based foods and beverages.

[0067] The cellulase content in the sweetness enhancer and softener according to the present technology can be freely set as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology. The cellulase content can be set to, for example, 0.05 U or more per 1 g of dietary fiber of the plant-based raw material used in the production of plant-based foods and beverages. From the viewpoint of further enhancing the sweetness enhancing effect and the softening effect, the cellulase content can be set to preferably 0.25 U or more, more preferably 0.5 U or more, 1 U or more, 10 U or more, 20 U or more, 30 U or more, 40 U or more, 50 U or more, 60 U or more, 70 U or more, 80 U or more, 90 U or more, 100 U or more, 200 U or more, 300 U or more, 400 U or more, 500 U or more, 600 U or more, 700 U or more, 800 U or more, 900 U or more, 1000 U or more, 2000 U or more, 3000 U or more, 4000 U or more, even more preferably 5000 U or more, and even more preferably 9000 U or more.

[0068] The upper limit of the cellulase content is not particularly limited as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology, but can be set to, for example, 10,000,000 U or less, 5,000,000 U or less, 2,000,000 U or less, 1,000,000 U or less, 500,000 U or less, 300,000 U or less, 100,000 U or less, 90,000 U or less, 70,000 U or less, 50,000 U or less, 40,000 U or less, 30,000 U or less, 20,000 U or less, 15,000 U or less, or 11,000 U or less per 1 g of dietary fiber of the plant-based raw materials used in the production of plant-based foods and beverages.

[0069] (4-2) Pectinase Pectinase that can be used in the present technology is an enzyme that hydrolyzes pectin, which is a cell wall polysaccharide. Pectin is a complex polysaccharide whose main component is polygalacturonic acid, in which galacturonic acid is linked via α-1,4-bonds. Specific examples of pectinases include polygalacturonase, pectin lyase, pectin methylesterase, etc., and preferably polygalacturonase. Pectinases that can be used in the present technology may also have other functions as long as they have pectinase activity.

[0070] The origin of the pectinase that can be used in the present technology is not particularly limited, and it may be derived from microorganisms such as basidiomycetes (genus Corticium), filamentous fungi (genus Aspergillus, Rhizopus, and Trichoderma), yeasts (genus Geotrichum and Trichosporon), actinomycetes (genus Streptomyces), or bacteria (genus Bacillus), or it may be an artificially synthesized enzyme. Furthermore, these may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among these, in the present technology, pectinases derived from filamentous fungi are preferred, and pectinases derived from the genus Aspergillus are more preferred.

[0071] The pectinase used in the present technology can be prepared from a culture solution of a microorganism from which the pectinase is derived. Specific preparation methods include recovering pectinase from the culture solution or cells of the microorganism. For example, when a pectinase-secreting microorganism is used, the cells can be recovered from the culture solution in advance by filtration, centrifugation, or the like, as necessary, and the enzyme can then be separated and / or purified. When a pectinase-nonsecreting microorganism is used, the cells can be recovered from the culture solution in advance by pressure treatment, ultrasonication, or the like, and the enzyme can then be extracted and separated and / or purified. The enzyme can be separated and / or purified using known protein separation and / or purification methods without any particular limitation, including, for example, centrifugation, UF concentration, salting out, and various chromatography methods using ion exchange resins. The separated and / or purified enzyme can be powdered by drying methods such as freeze-drying and vacuum drying, or by using appropriate excipients and / or drying aids in the drying methods. The isolated and / or purified enzyme can also be liquefied by adding an appropriate additive and sterilizing by filtration.

[0072] In the present technology, commercially available pectinases can also be used, and preferred examples of commercially available pectinases include pectinases derived from the genus Aspergillus manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.

[0073] The content of pectinase in the sweetness enhancer and softener according to the present technology can be freely set as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology. The content of pectinase can be set to, for example, 0.006 U or more per 1 g of plant-based raw material used in the production of the plant-based food or beverage to be produced, and from the viewpoint of further enhancing the sweetness enhancing effect and the softening effect, the content can be set to preferably 0.03 U or more, more preferably 0.06 U or more, even more preferably 6 U or more, and even more preferably 108 U or more.

[0074] The upper limit of the pectinase content is not particularly limited as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology, and can be set to, for example, 12,000 U or less, 10,000 U or less, 9,000 U or less, 8,000 U or less, 7,000 U or less, 6,000 U or less, 5,000 U or less, 4,000 U or less, 3,000 U or less, 2,400 U or less, 2,000 U or less, 1,500 U or less, 1,200 U or less, 1,000 U or less, 900 U or less, 800 U or less, 700 U or less, 600 U or less, 500 U or less, 400 U or less, 300 U or less, 200 U or less, 100 U or less, 50 U or less, 40 U or less, 30 U or less, 24 U or less, 20 U or less, 18 U or less, or 13 U or less per 1 g of plant-based raw material used in the production of plant-based foods and beverages.

[0075] The content of pectinase in the sweetness enhancer and softener according to the present technology can be freely set as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology. The content of pectinase can be set to, for example, 0.002 U or more per 1 g of dietary fiber of the plant-based raw material used in the production of the plant-based food or beverage to be produced. From the viewpoint of further enhancing the sweetness enhancing effect and the softening effect, the content can be set to preferably 0.01 U or more, more preferably 0.02 U or more, 0.2 U or more, 1 U or more, 10 U or more, 20 U or more, 30 U or more, 40 U or more, 50 U or more, 60 U or more, 70 U or more, 80 U or more, 90 U or more, 100 U or more, 150 U or more, 200 U or more, even more preferably 215 U or more, and even more preferably 387 U or more.

[0076] The upper limit of the pectinase content is also not particularly limited as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology, and may be, for example, 430,000 U or less, 400,000 U or less, 300,000 U or less, 200,000 U or less, 100,000 U or less, 90,000 U or less, 86,000 U or less, 80,000 U or less, 70,000 U or less, 60,000 U or less, 50,000 U or less, 4,300 U or less, or 50,000 U or less per 1 g of dietary fiber of the plant-based raw material used in the production of plant-based foods and beverages. It can be set to 0U or less, 40,000U or less, 30,000U or less, 20,000U or less, 10,000U or less, 9,000U or less, 8,000U or less, 7,000U or less, 6,000U or less, 5,000U or less, 4,000U or less, 3,000U or less, 2,000U or less, 1,000U or less, 900U or less, 860U or less, 800U or less, 700U or less, 645U or less, 600U or less, 500U or less, or 473U or less.

[0077] In this technology, the activity of pectinase is a value measured by the measurement method described in the Examples below, and the enzymatic activity of pectinase is defined as the amount of enzyme that reduces the viscosity by 50% in 1 minute using low methoxyl (LM) pectin as a substrate, with 1 unit (1 U) being the amount of enzyme that reduces the viscosity by 50% in 1 minute.

[0078] (5) Other Components The sweetness enhancer and softener according to the present technology can be used in combination with other components as long as the action and effect of the present technology are not impaired. Examples of other components that can be used include excipients, pH adjusters, colorants, flavoring agents, disintegrants, lubricants, stabilizers, enzymes, and other components that are commonly used in formulations. Furthermore, components with known or future functions can also be used in combination as appropriate depending on the purpose.

[0079] 2. Plant-Based Food and Drink The plant-based food and drink according to the present technology is a plant-based food and drink produced using the sweetness enhancer and softener described above.

[0080] The total content of monosaccharides to oligosaccharides (G2 to G7) contained in the plant-based food or beverage according to the present technology is not particularly limited, but is preferably increased relative to the total content of monosaccharides to oligosaccharides (G2 to G7) in a plant-based food or beverage produced without the use of the sweetener enhancer and / or softener according to the present technology. Specifically, examples of the plant-based food or beverage according to the present technology include plant-based food or beverages in which the total content of monosaccharides to oligosaccharides (G2 to G7) contained in the plant-based food or beverage according to the present technology is increased by, for example, 1-fold or more, preferably 1.05-fold or more, more preferably 1.10-fold or more, even more preferably 1.15-fold or more, even more preferably 1.20-fold or more, particularly preferably 1.30-fold or more, and even more particularly preferably 1.40-fold or more relative to the total content of monosaccharides to oligosaccharides (G2 to G7) in a plant-based food or beverage produced without the use of the sweetener enhancer and / or softener according to the present technology.

[0081] The amount of sugars (monosaccharides and disaccharides, hereinafter the same) contained in the plant-based food or drink according to the present technology is not particularly limited, but is preferably increased relative to the sugar content in a plant-based food or drink produced without the use of the sweetness enhancer and / or softener according to the present technology. Specifically, examples of the plant-based food or drink according to the present technology include plant-based food or drink in which the total sugar content in the plant-based food or drink according to the present technology is increased by, for example, 1.10 times or more, preferably 1.15 times or more, more preferably 1.20 times or more, and even more preferably 1.25 times or more relative to the total sugar content in a plant-based food or drink produced without the use of the sweetness enhancer and / or softener according to the present technology.

[0082] More specifically, the glucose content in the plant-based food or drink according to the present technology is preferably not significantly reduced, more preferably equal to or greater than the glucose content in a plant-based food or drink produced without the sweetener and / or softener according to the present technology, and even more preferably increased. Examples of the plant-based food or drink according to the present technology include plant-based food or drink in which the glucose content in the plant-based food or drink according to the present technology is increased by, for example, 0.6 times or more, 0.7 times or more, preferably 0.8 times or more, 0.9 times or more, more preferably 1 times or more, 1.1 times or more, 1.15 times or more, and even more preferably 1.20 times or more, 1.25 times or more, 1.30 times or more, or 1.4 times or more, relative to the glucose content in a plant-based food or drink produced without the sweetener and / or softener according to the present technology.

[0083] On the other hand, it is preferable that the maltose content in the plant-based food or drink according to the present technology is not excessively increased relative to the maltose content in a plant-based food or drink produced without the use of the sweetness enhancer and / or softener according to the present technology. Examples of the plant-based food or drink according to the present technology include plant-based food or drink in which the maltose content in the plant-based food or drink according to the present technology is suppressed to, for example, 2.0 times or less, preferably 1.9 times or less, and more preferably 1.8 times or less relative to the maltose content in the raw materials of the plant-based food or drink. The amount of maltose in the plant-based food or drink according to the present technology may be reduced to 1.0 times or less relative to the maltose content in the raw materials of the plant-based food or drink.

[0084] The total content of sugars (monosaccharides and disaccharides, the same applies hereinafter) contained in the plant-based food and drink according to the present technology is, for example, 5.5% by weight or more, preferably 7% by weight or more, more preferably 10% by weight or more, 10.5% by weight or more, 11% by weight or more, 11.5% by weight or more, 12% by weight or more, 12.5% ​​by weight or more, and even more preferably 13% by weight or more. The upper limit of the total sugar content contained in the plant-based food and drink according to the present technology is not particularly limited, and is, for example, 80% by weight or less, 70% by weight or less, 60% by weight or less, 50% by weight or less, or 40% by weight or less.

[0085] The amount of glucose contained in the plant-based food or drink according to the present technology is, for example, 1% by weight or more, preferably 3% by weight or more, more preferably 4% by weight or more, 5% by weight or more, 6% by weight or more, 7% by weight or more, 8% by weight or more, and even more preferably 9% by weight or more. The upper limit of the amount of glucose contained in the plant-based food or drink according to the present technology is not particularly limited, and is, for example, 80% by weight or less, 70% by weight or less, 60% by weight or less, 50% by weight or less, or 40% by weight or less.

[0086] The amount of maltose contained in the plant-based food or drink according to the present technology is, for example, 80% by weight or less, preferably 70% by weight or less, more preferably 60% by weight or less, and even more preferably 50% by weight or less. The lower limit of the amount of maltose contained in the plant-based food or drink according to the present technology is not particularly limited, and is, for example, 2% by weight or more, 5% by weight or more, or 7% by weight or more.

[0087] The plant-based food and drink according to the present technology is characterized by being softer than a plant-based food and drink produced without the use of the sweetness enhancer and / or softener according to the present technology. The degree of softening is not particularly limited, but specific examples of the plant-based food and drink according to the present technology include plant-based food and drink whose hardness (N) is, for example, 90% or less, preferably 80% or less, more preferably 70% or less, 60% or less, or 50% or less of the hardness (N) of a plant-based food and drink produced without the use of the sweetness enhancer and / or softener according to the present technology.

[0088] The plant-based food and drink according to the present technology preferably achieves both suppression of sweetness reduction (preferably sweetness enhancement) and softening. Specifically, the glucose content of the plant-based food and drink according to the present technology is, for example, 0.6 times or more, 0.7 times or more, preferably 0.8 times or more, 0.9 times or more, more preferably 1.0 times or more, 1.1 times or more, and even more preferably 1.2 times or more, 1.3 times or more, or 1.4 times or more, compared to the glucose content of the plant-based food and drink produced without the sweetness enhancer and / or softener according to the present technology. Furthermore, the hardness (N) of the plant-based food and drink according to the present technology is preferably softened to, for example, 90% or less, 80% or less, 70% or less, 60% or less, or 50% or less, compared to the hardness (N) of the plant-based food and drink produced without the sweetness enhancer and / or softener according to the present technology.

[0089] Specific examples of plant-based foods and beverages according to the present technology include foods and beverages manufactured by processing or cooking using the plant-based ingredients described below. Specific examples of plant-based foods and beverages include Japanese sweets (sweet potato paste, sweet potato kintsuba, dried sweet potato, etc.), Western sweets (sweet potato, cream, cake, etc.), and prepared dishes (simmered sweet potato, salad, candied sweet potato, soup, etc.). It is not necessary for all ingredients of plant-based foods and beverages to be plant-based; as long as the ingredients to be sweetened or softened are plant-based, animal-based foods and beverages can also be used in the manufacturing process of the foods and beverages.

[0090] 3. Methods for Producing Plant-Based Foods and Beverages, Methods for Enhancing the Sweetness of Plant-Based Foods and Beverages, and Methods for Softening Plant-Based Foods and Beverages The methods for producing plant-based foods and beverages, methods for enhancing the sweetness of plant-based foods and beverages, and methods for softening plant-based foods and beverages according to the present technology include a step of treating plant-based raw materials with hemicellulase and / or glucoamylase (hereinafter also referred to as an "enzyme action step"). Furthermore, the methods for producing plant-based foods and beverages, methods for enhancing the sweetness of plant-based foods and beverages, and methods for softening plant-based foods and beverages according to the present technology also include a step of treating plant-based raw materials with a carbohydrate-processing enzyme (excluding glucoamylase), and depending on the type of plant-based food and beverage, general food and beverage production steps and recovery steps can be performed before, after, or simultaneously with each step, as long as they do not impair the effects of the present technology. Each step is described in detail below.

[0091] (1) Plant-based raw materials The plant-based raw materials that can be used in the present technology are not particularly limited in terms of origin or type, as long as they do not impair the effects of the present technology, and can be freely selected depending on the intended plant-based food or drink. Examples include root vegetables such as tubers (sweet potato, potato, taro, yam, etc.), radish, carrot, turnip, burdock, lotus root, shallot, and radish; grains (corn, soybean, adzuki bean, edamame, etc.), pumpkin, tomato, bell pepper, green pea, broad bean, and banana; leafy vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, cabbage, leek, onion, bok choy, butterbur, asparagus, cauliflower, and broccoli; and nuts and seeds such as chestnuts. In the present technology, these may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among these raw materials, root vegetables and fruit vegetables are preferred, and more preferred are tubers (sweet potato, potato, taro, yam, etc.), grains (corn, soybean, adzuki bean, edamame, etc.), carrots, pumpkin, chestnuts, and bananas, and even more preferred are tubers (sweet potato, potato, taro, yam, etc.) and grains (corn, soybean, adzuki bean, edamame, etc.), and even more preferred is sweet potato. Examples of sweet potato varieties include Beni-Azuma, Takakei 14, Naruto-Kintoki, Beni-Haruka, Sakaide-Kintoki, Gorojima-Kintoki, Beni-Aka, Beni-Satsuma, Osumi-Amaimo, Ayakomachi, Izumi-imo, Silk-Sweet, Hayato-imo, Beni-Hayato, Tanegashima-Murasaki, Tanegashima-Gold, Tanegashima-Roman, Annou-imo, Annou-Beni, Kogane-Senkan, Kuri-Kogane, Kogane-Murasaki, Yamakawa-Murasaki, Purple-Sweet-Road, Ei-Murasaki, Beni-imo, Tamayutaka, Velvet, and Simon-imo.

[0092] In the present technology, the state of the plant raw material when subjected to various enzyme treatments is not particularly limited as long as it does not impair the effects of the present technology, but preferred forms include solid, semi-solid, liquid, slurry, and paste. Furthermore, when using plant raw materials with skin, either peeled or unpeeled ones can be used.

[0093] The plant-derived raw material that can be used in the present technology contains carbohydrates. The content of the plant-derived carbohydrates contained in the plant-derived raw material (based on the weight of the plant-derived raw material in a dry state) is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 5% by weight or more, preferably 7% by weight or more, more preferably 10% by weight or more, and even more preferably 12% by weight or more. The upper limit of the content range is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 80% by weight or less, 70% by weight or less, 60% by weight or less, 50% by weight or less, or 40% by weight or less.

[0094] (2) Enzyme Action Step The enzyme action step is a step in which hemicellulase and / or glucoamylase is allowed to act on the plant-based raw material. If necessary, a carbohydrate-processing enzyme (excluding glucoamylase) may also be allowed to act. These enzymes may be used alone or in combination of two or more. When using a combination of two or more, the two or more enzymes may be added to the plant-based raw material simultaneously or separately. When adding two or more enzymes separately, the order in which they are added is not particularly limited. The details and amounts of each enzyme are the same as those of the enzymes used in the sweetness enhancer and softener described above, and therefore will not be described here.

[0095] The specific method of adding each enzyme is not particularly limited, and as long as the enzyme can be added to the plant-derived raw material, it can be added by any method and at any timing. For example, there are methods in which the enzyme is added directly to the plant-derived raw material, a method in which the enzyme is added when the plant-derived raw material is soaked in water, a method in which the enzyme is added to the plant-derived raw material in a bag and the bag is then sealed. In addition, each enzyme can be added in two or more separate batches.

[0096] Various conditions for the enzyme reaction step can be freely set as long as they do not impair the effects of the present technology. For example, pH, temperature, reaction time, etc. can be set depending on the physicochemical properties of the enzyme used, such as the optimal pH, stable pH range, optimal temperature, and temperature stability. Optimal reaction conditions can be determined through preliminary experiments. Below are examples of conditions for the reaction of each enzyme.

[0097] [Hemicellulase] When hemicellulase is allowed to act on a plant-derived raw material, the pH can be set, for example, to 2.0 to 11.0, preferably 3.0 to 10.0, 4.0 to 8.0, and more preferably 5.0 to 7.0. The temperature can be set, for example, to 20°C to 70°C, preferably 30°C to 65°C, and more preferably 50°C to 65°C. The reaction time can be set, for example, to 10 minutes to 2 hours, preferably 30 minutes to 2 hours, and more preferably 30 minutes to 1 hour.

[0098] [Glucoamylase] When glucoamylase is allowed to act on a plant raw material, the pH can be set, for example, to 3.0 to 9.0, preferably 3.5 to 8.0, and more preferably 5.0 to 7.0. The temperature can be set, for example, to 10°C to 70°C, preferably 20°C to 65°C, and more preferably 30°C to 65°C. The reaction time can be set, for example, to 10 minutes to 2 hours, preferably 30 minutes to 2 hours, and more preferably 30 minutes to 1 hour.

[0099] [α-Amylase] When α-amylase is allowed to act on a plant-derived raw material, the pH can be set, for example, to 4.0 to 11.0, preferably 4.5 to 10.0, and more preferably 5.0 to 7.0. The temperature can be set, for example, to 10°C to 80°C, preferably 20°C to 70°C, and more preferably 50°C to 70°C. The reaction time can be set, for example, to 10 minutes to 2 hours, preferably 30 minutes to 2 hours, and more preferably 30 minutes to 1 hour.

[0100] [β-Amylase] When β-amylase is allowed to act on a plant-derived raw material, the pH can be set, for example, to 3.0 to 11.0, preferably 5.0 to 8.0, and more preferably 6.0 to 7.0. The temperature can be set, for example, to 10°C to 70°C, preferably 30°C to 65°C, and more preferably 45°C to 65°C. The reaction time can be set, for example, to 10 minutes to 2 hours, preferably 30 minutes to 2 hours, and more preferably 30 minutes to 1 hour.

[0101] [Cellulase] When cellulase is allowed to act on a plant raw material, the pH can be set, for example, to 2.0 to 11.0, preferably 3.0 to 10.0, and more preferably 3.5 to 9.0. The temperature can be set, for example, to 20°C to 80°C, preferably 30°C to 70°C, and more preferably 40°C to 65°C. The reaction time can be set, for example, to 10 minutes to 2 hours, preferably 30 minutes to 2 hours, and more preferably 30 minutes to 1 hour.

[0102] [Pectinase] When pectinase is allowed to act on a plant raw material, the pH can be set, for example, to 2.0 to 8.0, preferably 3.0 to 7.0, and more preferably 3.5 to 5.5. The temperature can be set, for example, to 10°C to 70°C, preferably 20°C to 65°C, and more preferably 30°C to 60°C. The reaction time can be set, for example, to 10 minutes to 2 hours, preferably 30 minutes to 2 hours, and more preferably 30 minutes to 1 hour.

[0103] (3) Recovery Step The recovery step is a step of recovering the plant-based food or drink obtained through the enzyme addition step and, if necessary, other steps. Specific recovery methods can be selected from one or a combination of two or more recovery methods commonly used in the production of plant-based food or drink, depending on the state and type of the obtained plant-based food or drink.

[0104] The method according to the present technology described above can be embodied as including the following steps A to E. A: A step of preparing plant-based raw materials and, if necessary, other raw materials B: A step of allowing hemicellulase and / or glucoamylase to act on the prepared plant-based raw materials, etc. C: A step of allowing a carbohydrate-processing enzyme (excluding glucoamylase) and / or a dietary fiber-degrading enzyme (excluding hemicellulase) to act on the prepared plant-based raw materials, etc. D: A step of inactivating the enzymes E: A step of recovering the plant-based food or drink

[0105] Steps C and D are not essential and can be performed as needed. Furthermore, step D can be performed multiple times as needed after step B, during step B, after step C, or during step C. Furthermore, in step D, the enzyme can also be inactivated by heating or the like in the production process of the food or beverage. In addition, when multiple enzymes are used, enzyme inactivation can also be performed between the actions of the enzymes. For example, when multiple enzymes are acted on in step B and / or step C, enzyme inactivation step D can also be performed as appropriate between steps B and / or C.

[0106] The present technology will be described in more detail below based on examples. Note that the examples described below are examples of typical examples of the present technology, and the scope of the present technology should not be construed as being narrow.

[0107] 1. Raw Materials The raw materials and enzymes used in the examples are shown in Table 1 below.

[0108]

[0109] 2. Enzyme Activity Measurement Method [Hemicellulase] Hemicellulase activity was measured using a method based on the hemicellulase activity test method in the 9th edition of the Japanese Standards for Food Additives. An appropriate amount of enzyme was weighed, dissolved or uniformly dispersed in water, and appropriately diluted to prepare a sample solution. 0.50 g of xylan was weighed, approximately 30 mL of water was added, and the mixture was heated while stirring. After boiling, the mixture was boiled for 3 minutes. After cooling, water was added to this solution to make a 50 mL solution, which served as a substrate solution. 1 mL of the substrate solution was weighed into a test tube, 3 mL of 0.1 mol / L acetate buffer (pH 4.5) was added, and the mixture was heated at 40°C for 10 minutes. Then, 1 mL of the sample solution was added, shaken, and heated at 40°C for 30 minutes. 2 mL of Somogyi test solution (III) was added to this solution, mixed, and the test tube was stoppered and heated in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes. The solution was then immediately cooled. After cooling, 1 mL of Nelson's test solution was added to this solution, and the mixture was shaken thoroughly until the red precipitate was completely dissolved. The mixture was then left at room temperature for approximately 20 minutes, after which water was added to make a 25 mL solution. This solution was centrifuged at 3,000 rpm for 10 minutes at 25°C, and the supernatant was used as the test solution. Separately, 1 mL of the substrate solution was measured in a test tube, and 3 mL of 0.1 mol / L acetate buffer (pH 4.5) and 2 mL of Somogyi test solution (III) were added and shaken. Then, 1 mL of the sample solution was added, the test tube was stoppered, heated in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes, and immediately cooled. The following procedure was repeated to prepare the control solution. The absorbance of the test solution and the control solution was measured at a wavelength of 500 nm using water as a control. Enzyme activity was calculated by defining the amount of enzyme required to produce reducing sugar equivalent to 1 mg of xylose per minute under these conditions as 100 units.

[0110] [Glucoamylase] Measurement was performed using the following method in accordance with Method 4 of the Glucoamylase Activity Test in the 9th Edition of the Official Standards of Food Additives. The specific method is as follows: 0.50 g of enzyme sample was weighed out and diluted with water to an appropriate concentration to prepare a sample solution. Potato starch was pre-dried at 105°C for 2 hours, and 1.0 g of the dried product was weighed out, 20 mL of water was added, and 5 mL of sodium hydroxide TS (2 mol / L) was gradually added with stirring to form a paste. The paste-like starch was heated in a water bath with stirring for 3 minutes, followed by the addition of 25 mL of water. After cooling, the mixture was neutralized with hydrochloric acid TS (2 mol / L) and hydrochloric acid TS (0.1 mol / L). 10 mL of 1 mol / L acetic acid / sodium acetate buffer (pH 4.5) was added, and water was added to a total volume of 100 mL to prepare a substrate solution. Ten mL of substrate solution was measured and heated at 37°C for 10 minutes. 1 mL of sample solution was added and immediately shaken. After heating at 37°C for 10 minutes, 4 mL of Fehling's test solution was added and gently shaken. Heating was continued in a water bath for 15 minutes, followed by cooling to below 25°C. 2 mL of potassium iodide test solution and 2 mL of sulfuric acid (1 part by volume sulfuric acid diluted with water to 6 parts by volume) were added to prepare the test solution. Separately, a control solution was prepared using 10 mL of water instead of the substrate solution, and the procedure was repeated. The liberated iodine in the test solution and the control solution was titrated with 0.05 mol / L sodium thiosulfate solution. The endpoint was determined by adding 1-2 drops of soluble starch test solution near the titration end point, and the disappearance of the resulting blue color. Under these conditions, the amount of enzyme that increases the reducing power equivalent to 1 mg of glucose per minute was defined as 1 unit (1 U), and glucoamylase activity was calculated using the following formula: Glucoamylase activity (U / g) = amount of glucose (mg) x 1 / 10 x 1 / M Amount of glucose (mg) = (b - a) x 1.6 x f a: Titration value of test solution (mL) b: Titration value of reference solution (mL) 1.6: 1 mL of 0.05 mol / L sodium thiosulfate solution corresponds to 1.6 mg of glucose 1 / 10: Unit conversion coefficient for reaction time (minutes) M: Amount of enzyme sample in 1 mL of sample solution (g or mL) f: Factor of 0.05 mol / L sodium thiosulfate solution

[0111] [Method for measuring α-amylase activity] 10 mL of a 1% potato starch substrate solution (0.1 mol / L acetic acid (pH 5.0)) was heated at 37°C for 10 minutes, after which 1 mL of a sample solution containing α-amylase was added and immediately shaken. This solution was left to stand at 37°C for 10 minutes, after which 1 mL of this solution was added to 10 mL of 0.1 mol / L hydrochloric acid test solution and immediately shaken. Next, 0.5 mL of this solution was measured, and 10 mL of 0.0002 mol / L iodine test solution (Japanese Pharmacopoeia) was added. After shaking, the absorbance (AT) at a wavelength of 660 nm was measured using water as a control. Separately, 1 mL of water was added instead of the sample solution, and the procedure was repeated to measure the absorbance (AB). The 0.0002 mol / L iodine test solution (Japanese Pharmacopoeia) was prepared by adding 10 mL of water to 12.7 g of iodine and 25 g of potassium iodide, mixing well, adding water to make 100 mL, and then diluting 2500 times with water. α-Amylase activity was calculated using the following formula. The amount of enzyme that reduces the color of potato starch caused by iodine by 10% in 1 minute is defined as 1 unit (1 U). α-Amylase activity (U / g, U / mL) = {(AB - AT) / AB} x 1 / W AT: absorbance of reaction solution AB: absorbance of blank solution W: amount of sample (g or mL) in 1 mL of sample solution

[0112] [β-Amylase] Measurement was performed according to the method described in the Japanese Standards of Food Additives (9th edition). The specific method is as follows. Potato starch was used as a substrate. It was dried at 105°C for 2 hours in advance. 1.0 g of the dried material was weighed out, 20 mL of water was added, and 5 mL of sodium hydroxide TS (2 mol / L) was gradually added with stirring to form a paste. Next, the mixture was heated in a water bath with stirring for 3 minutes, and then 25 mL of water was added. After cooling, the mixture was neutralized with hydrochloric acid TS (2 mol / L) and hydrochloric acid TS (0.1 mol / L). 10 mL of 1 mol / L acetic acid / sodium acetate buffer (pH 5.0) was added, and water was added to make a total of 100 mL to prepare a substrate solution. Ten mL of substrate solution was weighed and heated at 37°C for 10 minutes. 1 mL of sample solution was added and immediately shaken. After heating at the same temperature for 10 or 30 minutes, 4 mL of Fehling's TS solution was added and gently shaken. After heating in a water bath for 15 minutes, the mixture was cooled to below 25°C. 2 mL of 30% potassium iodide solution and 2 mL of sulfuric acid (1 → 6) were added to prepare the test solution. Fehling's TS solution was prepared immediately after use by mixing 1 volume of copper solution with 1 volume of alkaline tartrate solution, prepared by dissolving 34.66 g of fine copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate crystals in water to make 500 mL, and 173 g of sodium potassium (+)-tartrate tetrahydrate and 50 g of sodium hydroxide in water to make 500 mL. A separate comparison solution was prepared using 10 mL of water instead of the substrate solution, following the same procedure as for the test solution. The liberated iodine in the test solution and the control solution was titrated with 0.05 mol / L sodium thiosulfate solution. The endpoint was determined when 1-2 drops of soluble starch test solution were added as the titration approached the end point and the resulting blue color disappeared. The amount of enzyme that increases the reducing power equivalent to 1 mg of glucose per minute was defined as 1 unit (1 U), and this was calculated using the following formula:β-Amylase activity (U / g, U / mL) = amount of glucose (mg) × 1 / 10 × 1 / M Amount of glucose (mg) = (b - a) × 1.6 × f a: Titration value (mL) of enzyme reaction solution b: Titration value (mL) of blank solution 1.6: 1 mL of 0.05 mol / L sodium thiosulfate solution corresponds to 1.6 mg of glucose 1 / 10: Unit conversion coefficient for reaction time (minutes) M: Amount of sample (g or mL) in 1 mL of sample solution f: Factor of 0.05 mol / L sodium thiosulfate solution (for quantitation).

[0113] [Cellulase] Cellulase activity was measured using a method based on the cellulase activity test method in the 9th edition of the Japanese Standards for Food Additives. Approximately 1 g of carmellose sodium (sodium carboxymethylcellulose; degree of etherification 0.62-0.68) was precisely weighed and dried at 105°C for 4 hours, and the weight loss was measured. Carmellose sodium equivalent to 0.500 g of the dried product was weighed and dissolved by gradually adding (approximately 30 minutes) to approximately 50 mL of hot water at 60-70°C while continuously stirring with a stirrer. Next, 10 mL of 1 mol / L acetic acid / sodium acetate buffer (pH 4.5) and water were added to make a total of 100 mL, which was used as the substrate solution.

[0114] Four mL of substrate solution (pH 4.5) was weighed into a 50 mL Nessler tube and left at 40°C for 10-15 minutes. Then, 1 mL of cellulase-containing sample solution was added and immediately shaken. This solution was left at 40°C for exactly 30 minutes, then 2 mL of Somogyi test solution 1 was added and shaken. The tube was then capped and heated in a boiling water bath for exactly 20 minutes, then immediately cooled. After cooling, 1 mL of Nelson's reagent was added and shaken thoroughly until the red cuprous oxide precipitate was completely dissolved. The tube was then left at room temperature for approximately 20 minutes, and 17 mL of water was added to bring the total volume to 25 mL and shaken thoroughly. The absorbance (A30) of the resulting solution at a wavelength of 500 nm was measured using water as a control. Separately, 2 mL of Somogyi test solution 1 was added to 4 mL of substrate solution (pH 4.5) and shaken. Then, 1 mL of cellulase-containing sample solution was added, and the absorbance (A0) was measured using the same procedure as above.

[0115] The activity of cellulase was calculated using the following formula, where the amount of enzyme that produces reducing sugars equivalent to 1 mg of glucose per minute is defined as 100 units (100 U).

[0116] Cellulase activity per 1 g or 1 mL of sample (U / g, U / mL) = G x 1 / 30 x 100 x n G: Amount of glucose produced (mg) calculated from the glucose calibration curve using the (A30 - A0) value 1 / 30: Conversion factor per minute 100: Conversion factor to 100 units n: Dilution factor per 1 g or 1 mL of sample a: Slope of glucose calibration curve b: Intercept of glucose calibration curve

[0117] [Pectinase] Measurement was performed using the following method based on the official compendium. Specifically, 0.700 g of LM pectin was weighed out and placed in approximately 70 mL of water preheated to 70-90°C, dissolved, and then cooled. After cooling, the solution was adjusted to pH 3.50 with 0.1 mol / L citric acid test solution or 0.2 mol / L disodium hydrogen phosphate test solution, and 10 mL of McIlvaine buffer (pH 3.5) and water were added to make a total of 100 mL. A predetermined amount of sample was weighed out and dissolved in the sample dilution solution to a predetermined dilution ratio. In the case of a powder, the sample was weighed into a mortar, a small amount (4-10 mL) of the sample dilution solution was added, and the solution was dissolved by stirring with a pestle.

[0118] <Method of measurement using a viscometer> 6 mL of LM pectin solution (pH 3.5) and 6 mL of McIlvaine buffer solution (pH 3.5) were gently poured into tube 1 of the viscometer, which was then placed vertically in a thermostatic water bath at 40±0.5°C. After leaving the tube for 10 to 15 minutes, 2 mL of sample solution was added to initiate the reaction. Immediately after the addition, tube 3 was closed with a finger, and air was blown into tube 2 by mouth to mix the contents. Tube 3 was closed with a finger, and while taking care not to let air bubbles enter tube 2, weak suction was applied from tube 2 to draw the liquid surface up to the center of sphere C. Then, suction was stopped, the opening of tube 3 was opened, and the time ti seconds required for the liquid surface to flow from the upper marked line to the lower marked line of sphere B was immediately measured. This procedure was repeated five times. Separately, the flow time t0 seconds was measured using the same procedure using 6 mL of LM pectin solution (pH 3.5), 6 mL of McIlvaine buffer solution (pH 3.5), and 2 mL of water. The same procedure was repeated using 14 mL of water to measure the flow time (tw seconds). Under these conditions, the amount of enzyme that reduces the viscosity by 50% in 1 minute was defined as 1 unit, and this was calculated using the following formula: Viscosity reduction rate (V50) = t0 - ti / t0 - tw × 100 Endo PGase power (u / g, u / mL) = 60 / V50 × n t0: flow time (seconds) of 6 mL of substrate + 6 mL of buffer solution + 2 mL of water ti: flow time (seconds) of 14 mL of reaction solution tw: flow time (seconds) of 14 mL of water 60: unit conversion coefficient (1 minute = 60 seconds) n: dilution factor per 1 g or 1 mL of sample V50: time [Ti + ti / 2 seconds] at which the viscosity reduction rate reaches 50%, where Ti is the elapsed time from the start of the reaction to the start of the i-th viscosity measurement A curve was drawn with the viscosity reduction rate on the vertical axis and time [Ti + ti / 2 seconds] on the horizontal axis, and the time at which the viscosity reduction rate reaches 50% was read.

[0119] 3. Experimental Example (1) Method: Sweet potatoes were cut into chrysanthemum shapes and heated in a 500W microwave oven for 5 minutes. 250g of sweet potatoes were placed in a plastic bag, and the enzymes shown in Table 3 below were added. 100mL of water was added, and the bag was shaken to dissolve the enzymes, then the air was removed and the bag was tied. The reaction was carried out in a 60°C water bath for 1 hour. The sweet potatoes and enzyme reaction solution were placed in a pot and heated until the water evaporated, followed by an inactivation treatment, to produce a plant-based food or drink (heated sweet potato food).

[0120] (2) Analysis of sugar composition Five grams of each of the prepared plant-based food and drink products (heated sweet potato food products) were weighed, 5 mL of water was added, and the mixture was crushed and stirred. The mixture was then centrifuged in a high-speed microcentrifuge (10,000 g, 10 minutes), and the supernatant was used as a sample. Each sample was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) (Shimadzu Corporation: SPD-M20A) under the conditions shown in Table 2 below.

[0121]

[0122] (3) Hardness Measurement The hardness of the produced plant-based food and drink (heated sweet potato food) was measured using a plunger 64 in a rheometer (manufactured by Yamaden: "RHEONER II CREEP METER RE2-33005C") according to the method described in the instruction manual.

[0123] (4) Sensory Evaluation The sweetness of the plant-based foods and beverages (heated sweet potato foods) produced in the Control Example, Examples 4, 5, and 8, and Reference Example 3 was evaluated by five panelists according to the evaluation criteria shown below.

[0124] [Sweetness] 5: Much sweeter than Control 1 4: Sweeter than Control 1 3: Equivalent to Control 1 2: Less sweet than Control 1 1: Much less sweet than Control 1

[0125] (5) Measurement of Brix sugar content The Brix of the plant-based foods and beverages (heated sweet potato foods) produced in the Control Example, Examples 4, 5, and 8, and Reference Example 3 was measured using a pocket-sized sugar-acidity meter (Atago Co., Ltd.: PAL-BX|ACID96) according to the method described in the instruction manual for the pocket-sized sugar-acidity meter.

[0126] (5) The results are shown in Table 3 below.

[0127]

[0128] (4) Discussion As shown in Table 3, the total sugar content increased and the food was softer in all Examples compared to the Control Example. Reference Example 1, in which α-amylase was used alone, and Reference Example 2, in which β-amylase was used alone, softened the plant-based food and drink (heated sweet potato food), but the glucose content was high and reduced, whereas Examples 1 and 2, in which hemicellulase or glucoamylase was used alone, and Example 6, in which hemicellulase and β-amylase were used in combination, softened the plant-based food and drink (heated sweet potato food) and suppressed the reduction in glucose content. In Example 3, which used a combination of hemicellulase and glucoamylase, and in Examples 4, 5, and 7 to 10, which used carbohydrate-processing enzymes α-amylase and / or β-amylase, and dietary fiber-degrading enzymes cellulase and pectinase, in addition to hemicellulase and / or glucoamylase, the plant-based food and drink (heated sweet potato food) was softened and the glucose content increased. In fact, in Examples 4, 5, and 8, where Brix value measurements and sensory evaluations of sweetness were performed, an increase in Brix value and enhanced sweetness were confirmed.

Claims

1. A sweetener enhancer for plant-based foods and beverages, containing hemicellulase and / or glucoamylase.

2. A softener for plant-based foods and beverages, containing hemicellulase and / or glucoamylase.

3. The sweetener enhancer according to claim 1 or the softener according to claim 2, which contains a carbohydrate-processing enzyme (excluding glucoamylase) and / or a dietary fiber-degrading enzyme (excluding hemicellulase).

4. The sweetener or softener according to claim 3, wherein the carbohydrate-processing enzyme is α-amylase and / or β-amylase.

5. The sweetener or softener according to claim 3, wherein the dietary fiber decomposing enzyme is cellulase and / or pectinase.

6. A sweetener enhancer as described in claim 1 or a softener as described in claim 2, wherein the plant-based raw material used to produce the plant-based food or beverage has a carbohydrate content of 5% by weight or more.

7. The sweetener enhancer or softener according to claim 6, wherein the plant-based raw material is a tuber and / or a grain.

8. A plant-based food or drink comprising the sweetener according to claim 1 or the softener according to claim 2.

9. A method for producing a plant-based food or beverage, comprising a step of treating a plant-based raw material with hemicellulase and / or glucoamylase.

10. A method for enhancing the sweetness of a plant-based food or beverage, comprising the step of treating a plant-based raw material with hemicellulase and / or glucoamylase.

11. A method for softening a plant-based food or beverage, comprising the step of treating a plant-based raw material with hemicellulase and / or glucoamylase.

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