Plant-based protein material

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a plant-based protein material of which off-flavor is sufficiently suppressed.　It is understood that a specific phenolic compound contributes to off-flavor, and it has been found that a plant-based protein material in which off-flavor is sufficiently suppressed can be provided by setting the total concentration of said phenolic compound to a certain concentration or less.

Description

vegetable protein material

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

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

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-310195 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-332496 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-134003 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-020225 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-176284 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-108642

[0004] Although research on hexanal has been conducted worldwide for many years, the problem of off-flavor has not yet been solved, and there is a need for the development of a vegetable protein material in which the off-flavor is sufficiently suppressed. An object of the present invention is to provide a vegetable protein material in which the off-flavor is sufficiently suppressed.

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

[0006] That is, the present invention provides: (1) a vegetable protein material having a total concentration of the phenolic compounds shown in (a) below of 95 ppb or less: (a) guaiacol, syringol, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-vinyl phenol, 4-vinyl guaiacol, canolol, piceol, acetovanillone, and acetosyringone, provided that the total concentration of the phenolic compounds is a value measured under conditions where the solid content concentration of the vegetable protein material is 8% by mass; (2) the vegetable protein material according to (1), having a total concentration of the phenolic compounds of 50 ppb or less; (3) the vegetable protein material according to (1), having a total concentration of the phenolic compounds of 30 ppb or less; (4) The vegetable protein material according to (1), wherein the total concentration of the phenolic compounds is 10 ppb or less; (5) The vegetable protein material according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the vegetable protein material is derived from a legume, a seed, or a grain; (6) The vegetable protein material according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the vegetable protein material is vegetable milk; (7) A method for producing a food or beverage, wherein the vegetable protein material according to any one of (1) to (4) is blended as a raw material into a food or beverage; (8) A method for producing a food or beverage, wherein the vegetable protein material according to (5) is blended as a raw material into a food or beverage; (9) A method for producing a food or beverage, wherein the vegetable protein material according to (6) is blended as a raw material into a food or beverage; (10) A method for determining the flavor of a vegetable protein material, wherein the total concentration of the phenolic compounds shown in (a) below in the vegetable protein material is measured; (a) Guaiacol, syringol, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-vinyl phenol, 4-vinylguaiacol, canolol, piceol, acetovanillone, acetosyringone,However, the total concentration of phenolic compounds is a value measured under conditions where the solid content concentration of the vegetable protein material is 8% by mass. In other words, the present invention provides: (11) a vegetable protein material having a total concentration of the phenolic compounds shown in the following (a) of 95 ppb or less: (a) guaiacol, syringol, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-vinyl phenol, 4-vinyl guaiacol, canolol, piceol, acetovanillone, and acetosyringone, where the total concentration of the phenolic compounds is a value measured under conditions where the solids concentration of the vegetable protein material is 8% by mass; (12) a vegetable protein material according to (11), wherein the vegetable protein material is vegetable milk; and (13) a method for producing a food or beverage, in which the vegetable protein material according to (11) or (12) is incorporated as a raw material into a food or beverage.

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

[0008] ■ Plant Protein Material The plant protein material of this embodiment is characterized by having a total concentration of nine phenolic compounds, namely guaiacol, syringol, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-vinyl phenol, 4-vinyl guaiacol, canolol, piceol, acetovanillone, and acetosyringone, of 95 ppb or less. The off-flavors caused by these phenolic compounds include, specifically, a grainy odor, acridness, and astringency, which are the cause of the off-flavor of plant protein materials. The plant protein material of this embodiment has a favorable flavor due to the suppression of the off-flavors caused by these phenolic compounds. The plant protein material of this embodiment may have the following aspects: In one aspect, the plant protein material of this embodiment has a total concentration of the above nine phenolic compounds reduced from a level exceeding 95 ppb to 95 ppb or less. In this embodiment, the total concentration of the nine phenolic compounds in the plant protein material is 95 ppb or less when the solids content of the plant protein material is 8% by mass. Therefore, as long as this condition is met, the plant protein material of this embodiment can be used in various forms such as powder, liquid, and granules.

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

[0010] In a more specific embodiment, the plant protein material derived from a legume is soybean, lupin, alfalfa, white clover, mung bean, adzuki bean, broad bean, pea, chickpea, kidney bean, lentil bean, cowpea, or a combination thereof. In an even more specific embodiment, the plant protein material derived from a legume is soybean, mung bean, pea, or a combination thereof. In another specific embodiment, the plant protein material derived from seeds is coconut kernel, almond kernel, or a combination thereof. In yet another specific embodiment, the plant protein material derived from grains is wheat, barley, oat, or a combination thereof.

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

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

[0013] ■ Plant Milk: Among plant protein materials, plant milk is preferred. Plant milk refers to the extraction of plant ingredients with an aqueous solvent, and is a type of milk based on raw materials derived from legumes, nuts, grains, etc. For example, plant milk made from legumes can be obtained by soaking the legumes in water, warm water, or boiling water, then grinding and separating the okara. While a slurry of finely ground okara without removing it can also be used, okara-free okara is preferred. In this embodiment, the plant milk can be used as an aqueous solvent extract (aqueous solution), or it can be concentrated by partially removing the water, or it can be dried and dispersed in water. Examples of plant milk include soy milk, low-fat soy milk, pea soy milk, mung soy milk, oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk, etc. Preferred are soy milk and low-fat soy milk.

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

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

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

[0017] Method for Producing a Vegetable Protein Material with Reduced Off-Flavors: In the vegetable protein material with reduced off-flavors of this embodiment, the method for reducing the phenolic compounds (guaiacol, syringol, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-vinyl phenol, 4-vinyl guaiacol, canolol, piceol, acetovanillone, and acetosyringone) is not limited as long as the total concentration of these compounds can be kept below 95 ppb. Examples of methods for reducing the phenolic compounds include treating an aqueous solution of the vegetable protein material with a resin column, adding a resin to the aqueous solution of the vegetable protein material and stirring the mixture, and treating an aqueous solution of the vegetable protein material with an activated carbon column. Furthermore, the above phenolic compounds can be reduced and extracted by adjusting the pretreatment conditions of the vegetable protein material raw material, the temperature conditions during extraction, and the fractionation conditions after extraction.

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

[0019] The vegetable protein material of this embodiment has reduced off-flavors, and various plant-based foods and beverages can be produced either directly or by incorporating the vegetable protein material as an ingredient. Examples include oil-in-water emulsions such as cream and whipped cream, and fermented foods and beverages such as yogurt, fermented soy milk, and fermented milk drinks. These foods and beverages can be blended with sugars, starch, modified starch, emulsifiers, thickening polysaccharides, salts, pH adjusters, organic acids, flavorings, oils and fats, gelling agents, seasonings, and the like, as needed.

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

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

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

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

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

[0025] (Flavor evaluation criteria) 1 point: No grain smell, astringency, or astringency is detected at all, and there is no off-flavor at all. 2 points: A slight grain smell, astringency, or astringency is detected, and there is almost no off-flavor. 3 points: A slight grain smell, astringency, or astringency is detected, but at an acceptable level as an off-flavor. 4 points: A grain smell, astringency, or astringency is detected, and there is an off-flavor. 5 points: A grain smell, astringency, or astringency is detected, and there is a strong off-flavor.

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

[0027]

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

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

[0030]

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

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

[0033]

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

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

[0036]

[0037] It was confirmed that the foamable oil-in-water emulsion of Example 7 had a good taste.

[0038] Examples 8 and 9: Evaluation of Fermented Soymilk: 98.99 parts of vegetable protein material A and 1 part of glucose were mixed to make 99.99 parts, mixed in a homogenizer for 30 minutes, and then homogenized at a homogenization pressure of 5 MPa. 0.01 parts of Streptococcus thermophilus (lactic acid bacteria) was added to the mixture, and lactic acid fermentation was carried out at 37°C until the pH decreased to 4.7. After fermentation, the mixture was sterilized at 80°C for 2 minutes to obtain a paste-like fermented soymilk (Example 8). Sensory evaluation was then carried out according to the same method as in Example 1.

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

[0040]

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

Claims

1. A vegetable protein material having a total concentration of the following phenolic compounds (a) of 95 ppb or less: (a) guaiacol, syringol, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-vinyl phenol, 4-vinyl guaiacol, canolol, piceol, acetovanillone, and acetosyringone, where the total concentration of the phenolic compounds is a value measured when the solids concentration of the vegetable protein material is 8% by mass.

2. The vegetable protein material according to claim 1, wherein the total concentration of said phenolic compounds is 50 ppb or less.

3. The vegetable protein material according to claim 1, wherein the total concentration of said phenolic compounds is 30 ppb or less.

4. The vegetable protein material according to claim 1, wherein the total concentration of said phenolic compounds is 10 ppb or less.

5. The vegetable protein material according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vegetable protein material is derived from a legume, a seed, or a grain.

6. The vegetable protein material according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vegetable protein material is vegetable milk.

7. A method for producing a food or drink, which comprises blending the vegetable protein material according to any one of claims 1 to 4 as a raw material into the food or drink.

8. A method for producing a food or drink, which comprises blending the vegetable protein material according to claim 5 as a raw material into the food or drink.

9. A method for producing a food or drink, which comprises blending the vegetable protein material according to claim 6 as a raw material into the food or drink.

10. A method for evaluating the flavor of a vegetable protein material, comprising measuring the total concentration of the following phenolic compounds (a) in the vegetable protein material: (a) guaiacol, syringol, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-vinyl phenol, 4-vinyl guaiacol, canolol, piceol, acetovanillone, and acetosyringone, where the total concentration of the phenolic compounds is a value measured when the solids concentration of the vegetable protein material is 8% by mass.

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