Proteinaceous material for beverage use and method

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR TREATING A PROTEIN MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF SOYBEAN PROTEIN, SODIUM CASEINATE, WHEAT GLUTEN, FISH PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, AND MICROBIAL PROTEIN TO PRODUCE AN ACID-SOLUBLE PRODUCT AND INCORPORATING SAID PRODUCT INTO BEVERAGE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY IN THE STEPS OF FORMING AN ACID PROTEIN CURD FROM SAID PROTEIN MATERIAL, HEATING SAID CURED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE MICROBIOLAGICAL CONTAMINATION, FORMING A SLURRY OF SAID CURD AND MIXING AR WITH SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF PROTEOLYTIC ENZYME SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF A FICIN, FUNGAL PROTEASES, BACTERIAL PROTEASES, PEPSIN, AND PAPAIN TO RENDER SOLUBLE AT AN ACIDIC PH A MAJOR PORTION OF SAID CURED BY ADJUSTING THE PH, TEMPERATURE AND ENZYME CONCENTRATION, OF SAID SLURRY AND CONTINOUSLY MIXING THE PROTEIN-ENZYME SLURRY FOR A PREDETERMINED TIME UP TO ABOUT TWO HOURS, THEREBY PRODUCING A PRODUCT HAVING AN N-TERMINAL FREE AMINO ACID GROUP CONTENT IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 0.225 TO ABOUT 0.225 PER 100 GRAMS OF PROTEIN, HEATING THE PROTEIN-ENZYME SLURRY AFTER SAUD PREDETERMINED TIME TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT INACTIVATE SAID PROTEOLYTIC ENZYME, SEPARATING INSOLUBLE PROTEIN FROM SAID SLURRY, DRYING SAID SOLUBLE PROTEIN CURD, AND INCORPORATING FROM ABOUT 1 PERCENT TO ABOUT 3 PERCENT OF SAID SOLUBLE PROTEIN IN A BEVERAGE HAVING A PH IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 2 TO ABOUT 5.5.