Process for treating soybean flour to improve its flavor

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR TREATING A SOYBEAN FLOUR CHARACTERIZED BY ITS UNDESIRABLE FLAVOR, ODOR AND COLOR TO PRODUCE A BLAND, ODORLESS, SUBSTANTIALLY COLOR-FREE SOYBEAN FLOUR WHICH COMPRISES MIXING A SOYBEAN FLOUR WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY OIL FREE IN AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION TO FORM A SLURRY THEREOF; DIGESTING THE SOYBEAN IN THE SOLUTION AT ABOUT PH 4-6 BY MAINTAINING SAID SLURRY AT A TEMPERATURE OF 70* TO 212*F. FOR 10-120 MINUTES TO INSURE COMPLETE AND INTIMATE CONTACT OF ALL SOYBEAN FLOUR SURFACES TO THEREBY MAXIMIZE RELEASE OF THE BITTER AND BEANY FLAVOR PRINCIPLES AND EXTRACT WATER SOLUBLES, SAID TIME AND TEMPERATURE OF DIGESTION BEING IN INVERSE RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER; SUBSTANTIALLY REMOVING THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION FROM SAID DIGESTED SOYBEAN FLOUR; MIXING SAID DIGESTED SOYBEAN FLOUR WITH A VOLATILE, POLAR, ORGANIC WATER MISCIBLE SOLVENT TO CREATE A SECOND SLURRY; MAINTAINING THE PH OF THE SECOND SLURRY AT BETWEEN PH4 AND 6.5; AND SEPARATING FROM SAID SLURRY A BLAND AND COLORFREE SOYBEAN FLOUR.