Soybean Flour Processing for High Solubility Without Soaking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing soybean flours have insufficient solubility and often retain a bitter taste due to incomplete enzymatic inactivation, leading to issues in producing homogeneous soy-based products like beverages and tofu.
Innovation Solution
A process involving pre-drying, dry micronization, and flash drying soybeans without soaking, achieving a nitrogen solubility index (NSI) of over 95% and reducing lipoxygenase content by at least 75%, resulting in a flavor-neutral, high-solubility soybean flour.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional wet extraction process is used with spray drying, then enzymatic inactivation is achieved and solubility is improved, but production cost increases and processing time is prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the drying parameters by using flash drying at high temperature (150-200°C) for short duration (5-30 seconds), replacing the traditional spray drying process. This parameter change achieves both enzymatic inactivation and reduced processing time by rapidly removing moisture while controlling the thermal exposure to inactivate enzymes effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention skips the traditional spray drying step and rushes through the drying process using flash drying technology. The soybean slurry is rapidly dried in a flash dryer, completing the enzymatic inactivation and moisture removal in seconds rather than the prolonged time required by spray drying, thus improving productivity while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If traditional wet extraction process with spray drying is used, then enzymatic inactivation is achieved and solubility is improved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the drying method parameters by implementing flash drying at high temperature for short duration, replacing the energy-intensive spray drying process. This parameter change reduces production costs by decreasing energy consumption and equipment investment while achieving the same enzymatic inactivation effect, making the process more economically viable.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If high temperature treatment is applied to inactivate enzymes, then bitter taste is reduced, but nutritional phytochemical compounds are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The invention rushes through the high temperature treatment phase using flash drying, exposing the soybean slurry to high temperature (150-200°C) for only 5-30 seconds. This brief exposure is sufficient to inactivate enzymes and eliminate bitter taste while minimizing the degradation of heat-sensitive nutritional phytochemical compounds, thus resolving the contradiction between harmful factor reduction and substance preservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes the phase transition of water from liquid to vapor during flash drying. The rapid phase transition occurs at high temperature but for very short duration, providing the necessary thermal energy to inactivate enzymes and eliminate bitter taste while the brevity of the process protects nutritional phytochemical compounds from significant degradation.
4Ease of manufacture
If soybeans are soaked before processing, then wet milling is improved, but additional processing time is required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary action by pre-cooking the soybeans before flash drying. This pre-cooking step softens the soybean structure, improving wet milling characteristics without requiring a separate soaking step. The pre-cooking accomplishes both the softening needed for milling and begins the enzymatic inactivation process, saving time while maintaining manufacturing ease.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The process produces a soybean flour with enhanced solubility and flavor neutrality, suitable for producing soy-based products with improved homogeneity and nutritional content, reducing production waste and costs.
Implementation Method 1
pre-drying soybeans at a temperature between 40°C and 60°C for a time period between 6 hours and 18 hours
Implementation Method 2
drying the soybean micronizate in a second dryer set at a temperature between 110°C and 130°C for a time period less than 20 seconds
Implementation Method 3
drying the soybean micronizate in a second dryer set at a temperature between 110°C and 130°C
Implementation Method 4
enzymatic inactivation, which typically occurs by heat treatment or cooking of soy, is strongly associated to the risk of degrading soy precious nutritional phytochemical compounds
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a process for the production of a soybean flour having a high solubility corresponding to an NSI (nitrogen solubility index) value higher than 95%, said process comprising the steps of: i) pre-drying soybeans at a temperature between 40°C and 60°C for a time period between 6 hours and 18 hours; a) drying the pre-dried soybeans in a first dryer set at a temperature above 90°C, for a time period between 8 minutes and 18 minutes, obtaining dried soybeans having a temperature between 75°C and 85°C; b) subjecting the dried soybeans kept at a temperature lower than 80°C, to dry micronization, thus obtaining a soybean micronizate having a particle size equal to or less than 200 µm; c) drying the soybean micronizate in a second dryer set at a temperature between 110°C and 130°C for a time period less than 20 seconds, thus obtaining a dried soybean micronizate having a temperature between 75°C and 85°C; d) cooling the dried soybean micronizate, thus obtaining the soybean flour having a high solubility; said process not comprising any step of soaking the soybeans and/or the soybean micronizate in water or other aqueous solution; the present invention also relates to a soybean flour having a high solubility corresponding to an NSI (nitrogen solubility index) value higher than 95%, obtainable by the above-mentioned process.