Protein recovery process from defatted soybeans using water to reduce amount of miscible solvent

Claim 2

IN A PROCESS FOR RECOVERY OF PROTEIN FROM AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION HAVING A PH BETWEEN ABOUT 6 TO 12, THE PROTEIN IN SAID SOLUTION HAVING BEEN DERIVED FROM SOYBEANS FROM WHICH SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OIL HAS BEEN REMOVED, IN WHICH PROCESS ACID IS ADDED TO THE SOLUTION TO REDUCE ITS PH SUFFICIENTLY TO CAUSE THE PROTIEN TO PRECIPITATE AS A CURD AND THE PROTEIN IS TREATED WITH A WATER-MISCIBLE ORGANIC SOLVENT TO REMOVE UNDESIRABLE COLOR AND FLAVOR CONSTITUENTS, SAID SOLVENT BEING ADDED EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER THE PRECIPITATION OF THE CURD, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING PROVIDING A SERIES OF N ZONES WHEREIN N IS AN INTEGER OF AT LEAST 1 AND IN EACH OF WHICH ZONES THE SOLVENTTREATED CURD IS INTIMATELY MIXED WITH WATER FORMING A MIXTURE OF LIQUID AND CURD, THE MIXTURE IS PASSED TO A SEPARATOR AND THE CURD SEPARATED FROM THE LIQUID, SAID ZONE BEING SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF SOLVENT IN THE CURD TO LESS THAN ABOUT 10% BY WEIGHT OF THE LIQUID PORTION OF THE CURD WITHOUT APPRECIABLE DENATURATION OF PROTIEN OF THE CURD.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 in which the solvent is ethanol and the amount of ethanol in the curd is reduced to less than about 5% by weight of the liquid portion of the curd.

Claim 4

The improvement of claim 1 in which the process for recovery of protein is a continuous process.

Claim 5

The process of claim 3 in which the amount of solvent in the curd is reduced to less than about 5% by weight of the liquid portion of the curd.

Claim 6

In a process for the recovery of protein from an aqueous solution having a pH between about 6 and 12, the protein in said solution having been derived from soybeans from which substantially all oil has been removed, in which process acid is added to the solution to reduce its pH sufficiently to cause the protein to precipitate as a curd and the protein is treated with a water-miscible organic solvent to remove undesirable color and flavor constituents, said solvent being added either before or after the precipitation of the curd, the improvement comprising: a. providing a series of N zones wherein N is an integer of at least 1 and in each of which zones the solvent-treated curd is intimately mixed with water forming a mixture of liquid and curd, the mixture is passed to a separator and the curd separated from the liquid, said zones being sufficient to reduce the amount of solvent in the curd to less than about 10% by weight of the liquid portion of the curd without appreciable denaturation of protein of the curd, and thereafter b. adjusting the pH of the curd to the desired value.

Claim 7

In a process for the recovery of protein from an aqueous solution having a pH between about 6 and 12, the protein in said solution having been derived from soybeans from which substantially all oil has been removed, in which process acid is added to the solution to reduce its pH sufficiently to cause the protein to precipitate as a curd and the protein is treated with a water-miscible organic solvent to remove undesirable color and flavor constituents, said solvent being added either before or after the precipitation of the curd, the improvement comprising: a. providing a series of N zones wherein N is an integer of at least 1 and in each of which zones the solvent-treated curd is intimately mixed with water forming a mixture of liquid and curd, the mixture is passed to a separator and the curd separated from the liquid, said zones being sufficient to reduce the amount of solvent in the curd to less than about 10% by weight of the liquid portion of the curd without appreciable denaturation of protein of the curd, and thereafter b. adjusting the pH of the curd to the desired value.

Claim 8

The process of claim 5 in which the curd is dried without loss of protein functionality after its pH has been adjusted.

Claim 9

The process of claim 5 in which the amount of solvent in the curd is reduced to less than about 5% by weight of the liquid portion of the curd.

Claim 10

The process of claim 6 in which the solvent is ethanol and the amount of ethanol in the curd is reduced to less than about 5% by weight of the liquid portion of the curd.

Claim 11

The improvement of claim 5 in which the process for recovery of protein is a continuous process.

Claim 12

The improvement of claim 7 in which the process for recovery of protein is a continuous process.

Claim 13

The process of claim 5 in which the pH of the curd in step (b) is adjusted to approximately a neutral pH.

Claim 14

In a process for the recovery of protein from an aqueous solution having a pH between about 6 and 12, the protein in said solution having been derived from soybeans from which substantially all oil has been removed, in which process acid is added to the solution to reduce its pH sufficiently to cause the protein to precipitate as a curd and the protein is treated with a water-miscible organic solvent to remove undesirable color and flavor constituents, said solvent being added either before or after the precipitation of the curd, the improvement comprising: a. providing a series of N zones wherein N is an integer of at least 1 and in each of which zones the solvent-treated curd is intimately mixed with water forming a mixture of liquid and curd, the mixture is passed to a separator and the curd separated from the liquid, said zones being sufficient to reduce the amount of solvent in the curd to less than about 10% by weight of the liquid portion of the curd without appreciable denaturation of protein of the curd, and thereafter b. drying the curd at the desired pH value without loss of protein functionality.

Claim 15

In a process for the recovery of protein from an aqueous solution having a pH between about 6 and 12, the protein in said solution having been derived from soybeans from which substantially all oil has been removed, in which process acid is added to the solution to reduce its pH sufficiently to cause the protein to precipitate as a curd and the protein is treated with a water-miscible organic solvent to remove undesirable color and flavor constituents, said solvent being added either before or after the precipitation of the curd, the improvement comprising: a. providing a series of N zones wherein N is an integer of at least 1 and in each of which zones the solvent-treated curd is intimately mixed with water forming a mixture of liquid and curd, the mixture is passed to a separator and the curd separated from the liquid, said zones being sufficient to reduce the amount of solvent in the curd to less than about 10% by weight of the liquid portion of the curd without appreciable denaturation of protein of the curd, and thereafter b. drying the curd at the desired pH value without loss of protein functionality.

Claim 16

The process of claim 12 in whicH the amount of solvent in the curd is reduced to less than about 5% by weight of the liquid portion of the curd.

Claim 17

The improvement of claim 12 in which the process for recovery of protein is a continuous process.

Claim 18

The process of claim 14 in which the amount of solvent in the curd is reduced to less than about 5% by weight of the liquid portion of the curd.

Claim 19

In a continuous process for the recovery of protein from an aqueous solution having a pH between about 6 and 12, the protein in said solution having been derived from soybeans from which substantially all oil has been removed, in which process acid is added to the solution to reduce its pH sufficiently to cause the protein to precipitate as a curd and the protein is treated with a water-miscible organic solvent to remove undesirable color and flavor constituents, said solvent being added either before or after the precipitation of the curd, the improvement comprising: a. providing a series of N zones wherein N is an integer of at least 2 and in each of which zones the solvent-treated curd is intimately mixed with water forming a mixture of liquid and curd, the mixture is passed to a separator and the curd separated from the liquid, said zones being sufficient to reduce the amount of solvent in the curd to less than about 10% by weight of the liquid portion of the curd without appreciable denaturation of protein of the curd, and b. mixing at least a portion of the liquid separated from the curd in one of the zones with the curd in a preceding zone.

Claim 20

In a continuous process for the recovery of protein from an aqueous solution having a pH between about 6 and 12, the protein in said solution having been derived from soybeans from which substantially all oil has been removed, in which process acid is added to the solution to reduce its pH sufficiently to cause the protein to precipitate as a curd and the protein is treated with a water-miscible organic solvent to remove undesirable color and flavor constituents, said solvent being added either before or after the precipitation of the curd, the improvement comprising: a. providing a series of N zones wherein N is an integer of at least 2 and in each of which zones the solvent-treated curd is intimately mixed with water forming a mixture of liquid and curd, the mixture is passed to a separator and the curd separated from the liquid, said zones being sufficient to reduce the amount of solvent in the curd to less than about 10% by weight of the liquid portion of the curd without appreciable denaturation of protein of the curd, and b. mixing at least a portion of the liquid separated from the curd in one of the zones with the curd in a preceding zone.

Claim 21

The process of claim 16 in which the amount of solvent in the curd is reduced to less than about 5% by weight of the liquid portion of the curd.

Claim 22

In a continuous process for the recovery of protein from an aqueous solution having a pH between about 6 and 12, the protein in said solution having been derived from soybeans from which substantially all oil has been removed, in which process acid is added to the solution to reduce its pH sufficiently to cause the protein to precipitate as a curd and the protein is treated with a water-miscible organic solvent to remove undesirable color and flavor constituents, the solvent being added either before or after the precipitation of the curd, the improvement comprising: a. providing a series of N zones wherein N is an integer of at least 2 and in each of which zones the solvent-treated curd is intimately mixed with water forming a mixture of liquid and curd, the mixture is passed to a separator and the curd separated from the liquid, said zones being sufficient to reduce the amount of solvent in the curd to less than about 10% by weight of the liquid portion of the curd without appreciable denaturation of the protein of the curd, b. mixing at least a portion of the liquid separated from the curd in one of the zones with the curd in a preceding zone, and thereafter c. adjusting the pH of the curd to the desired value.

Claim 23

In a continuous process for the recovery of protein from an aqueous solution having a pH between about 6 and 12, the protein in said solution having been derived from soybeans from which substantially all oil has been removed, in which process acid is added to the solution to reduce its pH sufficiently to cause the protein to precipitate as a curd and the protein is treated with a water-miscible organic solvent to remove undesirable color and flavor constituents, the solvent being added either before or after the precipitation of the curd, the improvement comprising: a. providing a series of N zones wherein N is an integer of at least 2 and in each of which zones the solvent-treated curd is intimately mixed with water forming a mixture of liquid and curd, the mixture is passed to a separator and the curd separated from the liquid, said zones being sufficient to reduce the amount of solvent in the curd to less than about 10% by weight of the liquid portion of the curd without appreciable denaturation of the protein of the curd, b. mixing at least a portion of the liquid separated from the curd in one of the zones with the curd in a preceding zone, and thereafter c. adjusting the pH of the curd to the desired value.

Claim 24

The process of claim 18 in which the curd is dried after its pH has been adjusted without loss of protein functionality.

Claim 25

In a continuous process for the recovery of protein from an aqueous solution having a pH between about 6 and 12, the protein in said solution having been derived from soybeans from which substantially all oil has been removed, in which process acid is added to the solution to reduce its pH sufficiently to cause the protein to precipitate as a curd and the protein is treated with a water-miscible organic solvent to remove undesirable color and flavor constituents, said solvent being added either before or after the precipitation of the curd, the improvement comprising: a. providing a series of N zones wherein N is an integer of at least 2 and in each of which zones the solvent-treated curd is intimately mixed with water forming a mixture of liquid and curd, the mixture is passed to a separator and the curd sepArated from the liquid, said zones being sufficient to reduce the amount of solvent in the curd to less than about 10% by weight of the liquid portion of the curd without appreciable denaturation of the protein of the curd, b. mixing at least a portion of the liquid separated from the curd in one of the zones with the curd in a preceding zone, and thereafter c. drying the curd at the desired pH level wihtout loss of protein functionality.

Claim 26

In a continuous process for the recovery of protein from an aqueous solution having a pH between about 6 and 12, the protein in said solution having been derived from soybeans from which substantially all oil has been removed, in which process acid is added to the solution to reduce its pH sufficiently to cause the protein to precipitate as a curd and the protein is treated with a water-miscible organic solvent to remove undesirable color and flavor constituents, said solvent being added either before or after the precipitation of the curd, the improvement comprising: a. providing a series of N zones wherein N is an integer of at least 2 and in each of which zones the solvent-treated curd is intimately mixed with water forming a mixture of liquid and curd, the mixture is passed to a separator and the curd sepArated from the liquid, said zones being sufficient to reduce the amount of solvent in the curd to less than about 10% by weight of the liquid portion of the curd without appreciable denaturation of the protein of the curd, b. mixing at least a portion of the liquid separated from the curd in one of the zones with the curd in a preceding zone, and thereafter c. drying the curd at the desired pH level wihtout loss of protein functionality.