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US4894242A
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Nutritional rice milk product
Assignee: California Natural Products
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Filing: 1988-03-29
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Granted: 1990-01-16
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Expires: 2008-03-29
Abstract
Abstract The method of the invention comprises selection of whole grain rice, either white or brown rice, which is liquefied, preferably with alpha-amylase enzymes, and then treated with relatively high levels of a glucosidase enzyme and/or a beta-amylase enzyme in a saccharifying step. The total enzymatic reaction time in both the liquefaction and saccharification steps is limited to prevent development of undesirable off-flavors to yield a non-allergenic rice milk produce having surprising milk-like texture and functionality, the rice milk product being characterized by the absence of a rice-like flavor and having a preferred composition defined as follows: ______________________________________ Soluble Complex Carbohydrates 10 to 70% of solids; Maltose 0 to 70% of solids; Glucose 5 to 70% of solids; Ash or Minerals 0.1 to 0.6% of solids; Protein and Fat 1 to 3.5% of solids; Fiber 0.05 to 0.4% of solids. ______________________________________ The rice milk product can also be converted to a dried product.
Inventors
- 👤 Cheryl R. Mitchell
- 👤 Pat R. Mitchell
- 👤 Robert Nissenbaum
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 09:57
CPC Classifications
A; A23; A23C; A23C11/00; A23C11/02; A23C11/10; A23L; A23L7/00; A23L7/10; A23L7/104; A23L7/107
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
120 words
A nutritional rice milk product produced by a method comprising the steps of selecting a starting material as a whole grain rice and dividing it into particles of reduced size, liquifying the whole grain rice particles with a alphaamylase enzyme in an aqueous medium to form a liquid slurry, and treating the liquid slurry with glucosidase enzyme in a saccharification step for a period of less than about three hours in order to yield a rice milk product retaining nutritional components from the whole grain rice, having a glucose content of about 5 to 70% of solids, a protein content on a dry-weight basis of less than about 3.5%, the rice milk product being distinctly cloudy and colloidal or non-filtratable.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
120 words
A nutritional rice milk product produced by a method comprising the steps of selecting a starting material as a whole grain rice and dividing it into particles of reduced size, liquifying the whole grain rice particles with a alphaamylase enzyme in an aqueous medium to form a liquid slurry, and treating the liquid slurry with glucosidase enzyme in a saccharification step for a period of less than about three hours in order to yield a rice milk product retaining nutritional components from the whole grain rice, having a glucose content of about 5 to 70% of solids, a protein content on a dry-weight basis of less than about 3.5%, the rice milk product being distinctly cloudy and colloidal or non-filtratable.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The product of claim 1 wherein at least about 440 Diazyme Units of glucosidase enzyme per kilogram of whole grain rice particles are employed in the saccharification step.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The product of claim 2 wherein the rice milk product is formed into a food product selected from the group consisting of frozen desserts, instant dessert mixes, puddings, whipped toppings, flavored beverages, and milk substitute or modified amazake beverages.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
The product of claim 2 wherein the total enzymatic reaction time for both the liquifaction and saccharification steps is from about two to four hours in order to yield a rice milk product having desired enzymatic conversion without the development of undesirable flat-sour flavors.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The product of claim 2 wherein about 440 to 2,200 Diazyme Units of glucosidase enzyme per kilogram of whole grain rice particles are employed in the saccharification step.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
93 words
The product of claim 5 wherein up to about 3,000 BP° of beta-amylase enzyme per kilogram of whole grain rice particles are also employed in the saccharification step in order to yield the resulting nutritional rice milk product having total solids of about 30%, balance essentially water, with a composition of: ______________________________________
Soluble complex carbohydrates
about 10 to 70% of solids;
Maltose about 0 to 70% of solids;
Glucose about 5 to 70% of solids;
Non-carbohydrate about 1 to 5% of solids;
nutritional components
and
Fiber about 0.05 to 0.4% of solids.
______________________________________
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
The product of claim 6 wherein the rice milk product is formed into a food product selected from the group consisting of frozen desserts, instant dessert mixes, puddings, whipped toppings, flavored beverages, and milk substitute or modified amazake beverages.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
57 words
The product of claim 6 wherein the starting material is selected as whole grain rice particles and the liquifaction and saccharification steps are performed so that the resulting nutritional rice milk product having nutritional components comprising ash or minerals at about 0.1 to 0.6% of solids and protein and fat at about 1 to 3.5% of solids.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The product of claim 6 wherein the saccharification step is carried out at a pH in the range of about 6 to 6.5 approximating the natural pH of rice.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The product of claim 6 wherein the saccharification step is carried out at a pH in the range of about 3.5 to 7.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
The product of claim 6 produced from the method further comprising the step of drying the rice milk product to substantially remove water and thereby forming a dried rice milk product.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
The product of claim 11 wherein the dried rice milk product is formed into a food product selected from the group consisting of frozen desserts, instant dessert mixes, puddings, whipped toppings, flavored beverages, and milk substitute or modified amazake beverages.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
The product of claim 2 produced from the method further comprising the step of drying the rice milk product to substantially remove all water resulting in a dried rice milk product.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
The product of claim 13 wherein the dried rice milk product is formed into a food product selected from the group consisting of frozen desserts, instant dessert mixes, puddings, whipped toppings, flavored beverages, and milk substitute or modified amazake beverages.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
194 words
A nutritional rice milk product formed by a method comprising the steps of selecting as a starting material a whole grain rice and dividing it into particles of reduced size, combining the whole grain particles in an aqueous medium substantially free from protease with an alpha-amylase enzyme in a liquifaction step in an amount sufficient and for a period of time limited in enzyme reaction duration to about one hour which is sufficient to form a liquid slurry while permitting desired enzymatic liquifaction and preventing development of undesirable flat-sour flavors, and treating the liquid slurry with an enzymatic system including a glucosidase enzyme of at least about 440 Diazyme Units per kilogram of whole grain rice particles in a saccharification step limited in enzyme reaction duration to about three hours, the amount of glucosidase enzyme and the enzyme reaction duration being sufficient to permit desired enzymatic reaction while preventing development of undesirable flat-sour flavors in order to yield the rice milk product retaining nutritional components from the whole grain rice, having a protein content on a dry-weight basis of less than about 3.5%, the rice milk product being distinctly cloudy and colloidal or non-filtratable.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
194 words
A nutritional rice milk product formed by a method comprising the steps of selecting as a starting material a whole grain rice and dividing it into particles of reduced size, combining the whole grain particles in an aqueous medium substantially free from protease with an alpha-amylase enzyme in a liquifaction step in an amount sufficient and for a period of time limited in enzyme reaction duration to about one hour which is sufficient to form a liquid slurry while permitting desired enzymatic liquifaction and preventing development of undesirable flat-sour flavors, and treating the liquid slurry with an enzymatic system including a glucosidase enzyme of at least about 440 Diazyme Units per kilogram of whole grain rice particles in a saccharification step limited in enzyme reaction duration to about three hours, the amount of glucosidase enzyme and the enzyme reaction duration being sufficient to permit desired enzymatic reaction while preventing development of undesirable flat-sour flavors in order to yield the rice milk product retaining nutritional components from the whole grain rice, having a protein content on a dry-weight basis of less than about 3.5%, the rice milk product being distinctly cloudy and colloidal or non-filtratable.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
77 words
The product of claim 15 wherein the amounts of glucosidase and beta-amylase enzymes are selected to yield the nutritional rice milk product having total solids of about 30%, balance essentially water, with a composition of: ______________________________________
Soluble complex carbohydrates
about 10 to 70% of solids;
Maltose about 0 to 70% of solids;
Glucose about 5 to 70% of solids;
Non-carbohydrate about 1 to 5% of solids;
nutritional components
and
Fiber about 0.05 to 0.4% of solids.
______________________________________
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
56 words
The product of claim 16 wherein the starting material is selected as divided whole grain rice particles and the liquifaction and saccharification steps are selected to yield the rice milk product having nutritional components comprising ash or minerals at about 0.1 to 0.6% of solids and protein and fat at about 1 to 3.5% of solids.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
39 words
The product of claim 17 wherein the rice milk product is formed into a food product selected from the group consisting of frozen desserts, instant dessert mixes, puddings, whipped toppings, flavored beverages, and milk substitute or modified amazake beverages.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
74 words
A rice milk product having a milk-like or distinctly cloudy appearance and enzymatically produced by liquifaction followed by saccharification to have about 30% total solids, balance essentially water, and a composition of: ______________________________________
Soluble complex carbohydrates
about 10 to 70% of solids;
Maltose about 0 to 70% of solids;
Glucose about 5 to 70% of solids;
Non-carbohydrate about 1 to 5% of solids;
nutritional components
and
Fiber about 0.05 to 0.4% of solids.
______________________________________
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
74 words
A rice milk product having a milk-like or distinctly cloudy appearance and enzymatically produced by liquifaction followed by saccharification to have about 30% total solids, balance essentially water, and a composition of: ______________________________________
Soluble complex carbohydrates
about 10 to 70% of solids;
Maltose about 0 to 70% of solids;
Glucose about 5 to 70% of solids;
Non-carbohydrate about 1 to 5% of solids;
nutritional components
and
Fiber about 0.05 to 0.4% of solids.
______________________________________
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
35 words
The product of claim 19 wherein the rice milk product has nutritional components comprising ash or minerals at about 0.1 to 0.6% of solids and protein and fat at about 1 to 3.5% of solids.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
18 words
The product of claim 20 being dried to substantially remove water for yielding a dried rice milk product.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
18 words
The product of claim 19 being dried to substantially remove water and form a dried rice milk product.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
41 words
The product of claim 21 being wherein the dried rice milk product is formed into a food product selected from the group consisting of frozen desserts, instant dessert mixes, puddings, whipped toppings, flavored beverages, and milk substitute or modified amazake beverages.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
40 words
The product of claim 19 being wherein the rice milk product is formed into a food product selected from the group consisting of frozen desserts, instant dessert mixes, puddings, whipped toppings, flavored beverages, and milk substitute or modified amazake beverages.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
135 words
A nutritional rice milk product formed by a method comprising the steps of selecting as a starting material whole grain rice particles, liquifying the whole grain rice particles with an alpha-amylase enzyme in an aqueous medium substantially free from protease in an amount and for a period of time sufficient to form a liquid slurry, and treating the liquid slurry with a beta-amylase enzyme in a saccharification step with at least about 1,000 BP° of betaamylase enzyme per kilogram of whole grain rice particles, the reaction time for the saccharification step being limited to about three hours, the amount of beta-amylase enzyme and the reaction time being sufficient to yield the rice milk product retaining nutritional components from the whole grain rice and exhibiting a milk-like or distinctly cloudy appearance without development of flat-sour flavors.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
135 words
A nutritional rice milk product formed by a method comprising the steps of selecting as a starting material whole grain rice particles, liquifying the whole grain rice particles with an alpha-amylase enzyme in an aqueous medium substantially free from protease in an amount and for a period of time sufficient to form a liquid slurry, and treating the liquid slurry with a beta-amylase enzyme in a saccharification step with at least about 1,000 BP° of betaamylase enzyme per kilogram of whole grain rice particles, the reaction time for the saccharification step being limited to about three hours, the amount of beta-amylase enzyme and the reaction time being sufficient to yield the rice milk product retaining nutritional components from the whole grain rice and exhibiting a milk-like or distinctly cloudy appearance without development of flat-sour flavors.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
31 words
The product of claim 25 formed from the method further comprising step of drying the rice milk product to substantially remove water in order to form a dried rice milk product.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-01-15 | 1993-07-17 | 1994-01-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-01-15 | 1997-07-17 | 1998-01-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-01-15 | 2001-07-17 | 2002-01-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |