Method of preparing a water absorbing dietary fibre product

Claim 1

A method of preparing a water absorbing dietary fibre product comprising at least 70% by weight dietary fibre and less than 0.5% phytic acid which comprises mixing bran with aqueous acid of pH about 5 and maintaining the mixture at a temperature of about 50°-60° C. for a time sufficient to permit the naturally occurring phytase in the raw material bran to reduce the naturally occurring phytic acid content to below about 0.5%; increasing the pH to about 6; adding a proteinase to the pH adjusted mixture at about 50°-60° C. and maintaining the resultant mixture at this temperature until the protein content has been reduced to about 8% or less; increasing the temperature to about 70°-75° C. and adding a starch degrading enzyme to the mixture and maintaining the resultant mixture at a temperature and for a time sufficient to permit the starch degrading enzyme to degrade substantially all of the starch in the mixture; increasing the temperature of the mixture containing the starch degrading enzyme sufficient to halt the enzymatic reactions and removing the water from the mixture and drying the resultant product.

Claim 2

A method of preparing a water absorbing dietary fibre product comprising at least 70% by weight dietary fibre and less than 0.5% phytic acid which comprises mixing bran with aqueous acid of pH about 5 and maintaining the mixture at a temperature of about 50°-60° C. for a time sufficient to permit the naturally occurring phytase in the raw material bran to reduce the naturally occurring phytic acid content to below about 0.5%; increasing the pH to about 6; adding a proteinase to the pH adjusted mixture at about 50°-60° C. and maintaining the resultant mixture at this temperature until the protein content has been reduced to about 8% or less; increasing the temperature to about 70°-75° C. and adding a starch degrading enzyme to the mixture and maintaining the resultant mixture at a temperature and for a time sufficient to permit the starch degrading enzyme to degrade substantially all of the starch in the mixture; increasing the temperature of the mixture containing the starch degrading enzyme sufficient to halt the enzymatic reactions and removing the water from the mixture and drying the resultant product.