Preparation of an acidic beverage

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1 wherein the denaturing of the protein of defatted soybeans is conducted in the presence of water or lower alcohol by steam cooking under a pressure of 0.8 to 1.0 Kg/cm2.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 1 wherein an acid protease produced by a microorganism of black mold group belonging to Black Aspergillus type mold is used.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 3 wherein the acid protease produced by Aspergillus inuii ATCC No. 14333, Aspergillus usamii ATCC No. 14331 or Aspergillus saitoi ATCC No. 14332 is used.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 1 wherein the acid protease is an enzyme preparation.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 1 wherein 0.05 to 2.0% by weight of the acid protease is used on the basis of the weight of defatted soybeans.

Claim 8

A method according to claim 1 wherein the clear portion is used after having beeen purified by solvent extraction, or active carbon or ion exchange resin adsorption.

Claim 9

A method according to claim 1 wherein the clear portion is used after having been concentrated.

Claim 10

A method according to claim 1 wherein the clear portion is used after having been dried.

Claim 11

A method according to claim 1 wherein the beverage additive consists of at least one member selected from the group consisting of water, fruit juices, sweetenings, vessicatories, flavors, organic acids, coloring agents, nutritive intensifiers, physiologically active substances and emulsified substances.

Claim 12

A method according to claim 10 wherein the sweetenings are sucrose, glucose or artificial sweetenings; the vessicatories are sodium bicarbonate; flavors are fruit essence or beverage essence; the organic acids are lactic acid, malic acid, citric acid or tartaric acid; the coloring agents are caramel; the nutritive intensifiers are amino acids or vitamins; the physiologically active substances are hormones; and the emulsified substances are fermented milk.

Claim 13

A method according to claim 1 wherein a thermostable acid protease produced by Penicillium duponti ATCC 20186 is used.

Claim 14

In a method for preparing an acidic beverage having a pH of less than 6.0 and capable of retaining substantial clarity when peptides are added thereto, provided that said beverage is free from other colloidal material, said method comprising (a) denaturing soybeans by heating or steam cookinG, (b) subjecting the thus denatured soybeans to enzymatic action to form peptides, (c) separating a clear portion from the reaction mixture, and (d) adding a beverage additive to the clear portion; the improvement of solubilizing the soybean protein including subjecting the denatured soybeans of step (a) to the enzymatic action of an acid protease produced by Aspergillus inuii ATCC No. 14333, Aspergillus usamii ATCC No. 14331, Aspergillus saitoi ATCC No. 14332 and Penicillum duponti ATCC No. 20186, at a pH of 2.5 to 6.0 and at a temperature of 40* to 75*C to form peptides until before the ratio of formol-state nitrogen to total nitrogen in a filtrate of the resulting reaction mixture reaches 20%, the thus-formed peptides being substantially soluble in acidic flavoring media having a pH of below 6.0 without coagulation and precipitation.

Claim 15

In a method for preparing an acidic beverage having a pH of less than 6.0 and capable of retaining substantial clarity when peptides are added thereto, provided that said beverage is free from other colloidal material, said method comprising (a) denaturing soybeans by heating or steam cookinG, (b) subjecting the thus denatured soybeans to enzymatic action to form peptides, (c) separating a clear portion from the reaction mixture, and (d) adding a beverage additive to the clear portion; the improvement of solubilizing the soybean protein including subjecting the denatured soybeans of step (a) to the enzymatic action of an acid protease produced by Aspergillus inuii ATCC No. 14333, Aspergillus usamii ATCC No. 14331, Aspergillus saitoi ATCC No. 14332 and Penicillum duponti ATCC No. 20186, at a pH of 2.5 to 6.0 and at a temperature of 40* to 75*C to form peptides until before the ratio of formol-state nitrogen to total nitrogen in a filtrate of the resulting reaction mixture reaches 20%, the thus-formed peptides being substantially soluble in acidic flavoring media having a pH of below 6.0 without coagulation and precipitation.