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Patent application for Canada
TITLE: Plant-based legume milk alternative and other consumable products using
same
INVENTOR(S): Marie Amazan Felix Amazan
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This disclosure generally relates to a method of producing a plant-
based
legume milk alternative or protein shake, without necessarily adding gum or
emulsifier or starch, using chickpeas and/or other whole legumes (regular,
sprouted or fermented), pea protein, and/or chickpea protein or other protein
(regular, sprouted or fermented), flax seed oil and/or other vegetable oil,
and
optionally adding vitamins, flavors, fruits, probiotics, enzyme through high
rotation mixing, heat and pressure, producing a very smooth mouthfeel.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Soy-free milk alternatives are often devoid of protein, which is
essential
for someone switching their diet over to plant-based. It is not uncommon to
find
almond, cashew, coconut and other alternatives having only 1 g of protein. In
addition, these products use multiple sources of gums and stabilizers to keep
them
suspended. We believe consumers are increasingly concerned about the use of
additives and would rather a product that is highly nutritious with very
little to no
no additives.
[0003] . Our invention covers a wide range of iterations, all using non-soy
legumes or derived products and the same principle of relying on the right
amount
of shear, heat and pressure to create stability where it would not have been
possible otherwise. The result is a milk alternative with natural
emulsification as
it occurs in cow's milk. Traditionally the primary milk alternative used was
soy
but with concerns over genetically modified soy crops and/or hormones, people
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have moved away from soy. So a high protein, clean alternative such as ours
can
fill the gap and nourish people.
SUMMARY
[0004] This disclosure generally relates to a method of producing a milk
alternative or protein shake, without necessarily adding gum or emulsifier or
starch, using chickpeas and/or other soy-free whole legumes (regular, sprouted
or
fermented), pea protein and/or chickpea protein and/or other protein(regular,
sprouted or fermented), flax seed oil and/or other vegetable oil, and
optionally
adding vitamins, flavors, fruits, probiotics, enzyme through high rotation
mixing,
heat and pressure, producing a very smooth mouthfeel.
[0005]In some examples a legume or legume mix like (chickpea or mung bean or
a lentil) is coupled with a plant based protein from (pea and/or hemp and/or
rice,
and/or other soy-free, dairy-free sources) and sources of fat like (flaxseed
oil
and/or chia seed oil, and/or coconut oil and/or other vegetable oil.) In this
case,
the chickpea or lentil used can a puree or ground product. In either case, the
legume/lentil or combination thereof is hydrated and mixed on its own slowly
to
enhance an easy absorption and then put through high shear in order to be
ready
for the binding process. Then the source of protein(s) is added and heated and
put
through the high shear with a range from 800 to 3500 RPM. Oil(s) is added last
as the final binding piece. The product is also put through a homogenizer with
a
2 step pressure reaching 2500 PSI. The chickpeas and mung beans provided the
best mouthfeels and worked well independently of the type of protein they were
used with. All the different oils provided a similar result from the point of
view
of emulsification. The taste profile is slightly different with the flaxseed
oil,
resulting in a stronger nutty / milky taste.
[0006] In other examples, the protein mix concentrate is completely removed
and
the percentage weight of the legume is increased to compensate for the
reduction
of the protein. In such case, half of the legume is hydrated. The other half
is
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done later. The high shear required to breakdown the entire bean or lentil is
higher than in the case of the additional protein. Best results were observed
at
speed around 2000 RPM.
[0007]In a further embodiment, the oil is removed, leaving the legume(s) and
the
protein(s) mix. The same process of high shear is applicable. This process
produces a less smooth product that separates more easily and that can
partially
gel. We noticed that the product thickens overtime naturally as the gelation
process continues through storage. However, a vigorous shake can recreate a
fully suspended product and/or the addition of water can liquefy the product a
bit
more before consumption.
[0008]In another embodiment, both the oil and the protein concentrate are
removed, leaving only the whole legume. This process is even more prone to
gelation and can be used in applications with a more flexible range of
viscosity.
Without the oil or the protein, the process requires a longer mixing time up
to 4
hours, a higher shear up to 3500 than the original formula and more careful
shelf
life analysis to monitor sedimentation over time.
[0009] And in a final embodiment, only a protein concentrate from a lentil or
a
legume or a combination thereof is used and a source of oil from one or
several
plants to maintain the dispersion and suspension, producing a thinner beverage
with viscosity in the lower range than the other examples mentioned above.
[0010] In all the embodiments cited above, the addition of starch or gum or
emulsifier is not required to create a consumable product. However, there are
applications where the addition of a gum or starch or emulsifier may be added
to
increase the shelf life and the stability throughout the shelf life,
especially if the
product is going to be exposed to significant environmental stresses. In such
cases, only about 0.05%% to 0.30% of a gum would need to be added for
expected results. The addition of gum or starch or emulsifier is most useful
in
the case of creating a yogurt alternative that requires more body. For the
creation
of a liquid vegan yogurt by adding probiotics, no gum is required.
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[0011] The addition of regular cow's milk or almond milk or coconut milk or
other nut
milk, vegetables, fruits, fruit purees, fruit concentrates, teas, coffee,
seeds, grains, other
add-ons to any of the above embodiments is still within the scope of this
application.
Brief description of drawings
[0012] Fig 1 is an example of the process using a legume such as mung beans as
the
starch + one or several protein concentrates + oil + optionally adding
flavors,
vitamins & other add-ons
[0013] Fig 2 is an example of the process using a legume and oil only, without
the protein
concentrate + optionally adding flavors, vitamins & other add-ons
[0014] Fig 3 is an example of the process using legume + protein concentrate
without the
oil + optionally adding flavors, vitamins & other add-ons
[0015] Fig 4 is an example of the process using only the legume + optionally
adding
flavors, vitamins & other add-ons
[0016] Fig 5 is an example of the process using protein concentrate + oil +
optionally
adding flavors, vitamins & other add-ons
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] This disclosure generally relates to a method of producing a milk
alternative or
protein shake, without necessarily adding gum or emulsifier or starch, using
chickpeas
and/or other whole legumes (regular, sprouted or fermented), pea protein,
chickpea
protein or other protein(regular, sprouted or fermented), flax seed oil or
other vegetable
oil, and optionally adding vitamins, flavors, fruits, probiotics, enzyme
through high
rotation mixing, heat and pressure, producing a very smooth mouthfeel. .
FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating the process for producing a dairy
alternative or
protein shake using a soy-free whole legume or lentil containing starches (a
legume can
be chickpeas, mungbeans, pea), also using a source of protein concentrate from
pea or
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chickpeas or brown rice or any other protein concentrate or isolate, finally
using an oil
such as (flax seed oil, chia oil, sunflower oil or other oil ) and optionally
adding vitamins,
flavors, fruits, probiotics, enzyme. The process consists of slowly mixing the
ground
whole legume or the pureed legume with reverse osmosis or otherwise treated
water to
facilitate hydration and allows the molecule to be ready for binding with the
rest of the
ingredients. High shear is required to create a perfect binding. For best
results, the water
temperature is set at around 24 degrees Celsius for that first step. The
process of mixing
and hydration can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Then, the protein
is
slowly added following the same process and high shear. Then, the oil is added
last,
with high shear being applied once more. High shear required is at least 800
RPM.
Total hydrating, mixing time can take up to 3 hours
Then, the homogenization process begins with a 2 step homogenizing applied up
to 2500
PSI.
Then the product is pre-heated at around 72 degrees Celsius.
Additional heating can be applied depending on whether the product will be
kept fresh or
shelf stable.
The final product has a pH ranging from 6.9 to 7.2 and a viscosity ranging
from 3-5 on
average.
Best results were obtained with the following range of ingredients ratio.
- Whole legume 0. 5 to 4% of total weight
- Protein 2-6% of weight
- Oil 0.25 ¨ 1.25% of weight
- Flavors and other ingredients
- Water ¨ 90-93%
So for 10000 L of finished beverage one could use
o 22.5 g of chickpeas or mungbeans or other lentils
o 40g of protein powder
o 10g of flaxseed, sunflower or other plant based oil
o Flavors are optional and can range anywhere from 0.05% to 1% (0.5-10g)
o Water around 9000 L
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The finished product in that case would have a solid count of about 7%. A
solid count
range from 5.5 to 10% works quite well.
FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating the process for producing a dairy
alternative or a
protein shake using a non-soy whole legume or lentil containing starches (a
legume can
be chickpeas, mungbeans, pea), and also an oil (flax seed oil, chia oil or
other oils) and
optionally adding flavors or vitamins. The process consists of slowly mixing
half of the
ground whole legume or pureed legume with reverse osmosis or otherwise treated
water
to facilitate hydration and allows the molecule to be ready for binding with
the rest of the
ingredients. High shear is required to create a perfect binding. For best
results, the
water temperature is set at around 24 degrees Celsius for that first step.
Then, the second
half is slowly added following the same process and high shear. Higher shear
and longer
blend time are required. Then, the oil is added last, with high shear being
applied once
more. Total hydrating, mixing time can take up to 4 hours. High shear required
is at least
1200 RPM
Then, the homogenization process begins with a 2 step homogenizing applied up
to 2500
PSI.
Then the product is pre-heated at around 72 degrees Celsius.
Additional heating can be applied depending on whether the product will be
kept fresh or
shelf stable.
The final product has a pH ranging from around 7 and a viscosity ranging from
4-6 on
average.
Best results were obtained with the following range of ingredients ratio.
- Whole legume. 4-8 % of total weight
- Oil 0.75¨ 1.5 % of weight
- Flavors and other ingredients
- Water 90-94%
So for 10000 L of finished beverage one could use
o 60 g of chickpeas or mungbeans or other lentils
o 12.5g of flaxseed, sunflower or other plant based oil
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o Flavors are optional and can range anywhere from 0.05% to 1% (0.5-10g)
o Water 91000 L
The finished product in that case would have a solid count of about 7-8%. A
solid count
range from 7 to 10% works quite well.
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating the process for producing a dairy
alternative or
protein shake using a soy-free whole legume or lentil containing starches (a
legume can
be chickpeas, mungbeans, pea), also using a source of protein concentrate from
pea or
chickpeas or brown rice or any other protein concentrate or isolate, and
optionally adding
flavors or vitamins. This embodiment does not contain oil and is more
challenging than
the first 2. It consists of slowing mixing the ground whole legume or pureed
legume with
reverse osmosis or otherwise treated water to facilitate hydration and allows
the molecule
to be ready for binding with the rest of the ingredients. High shear up is
required to
create a perfect binding. For best results, the water temperature is set at
around 24
degrees Celsius for that first step. Then, the protein is slowly added
following the same
process and high shear. Total mixing time is up to 4 hours. Higher shear up to
2000
RPM may be required. With the mung bean, we felt a high shear of 2300 RPM was
ideal.
Then, the homogenization process begins with a 2 step homogenizing applied up
to 2500
PSI.
Then the product is pre-heated at around 72 degrees Celsius.
Additional heating can be applied depending on whether the product will be
kept fresh or
shelf stable.
The final product has a pH ranging from 7 to 7.2 and a viscosity ranging from
5-10 on
average.
Best results were obtained with the following range of ingredients ratio.
- Whole legume. 0. 5 to 3 % of total weight
- Protein 3-6% of weight
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- Flavors and other ingredients
So for 10000 L of finished beverage one could use
o 17.5 g of chickpeas or mungbeans or other lentils
o 45g of protein powder
o Flavors are optional and can range anywhere from 0.05% to 1% (0.5-10g)
The finished product in that case would have a solid count of about 6-7%. A
solid count
range from 5.5 to 7% works quite well.
FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating the process for producing a dairy
alternative using
only a soy-free whole legume or lentil containing starches (a legume can be
chickpeas,
mungbeans, pea), and optionally adding flavors or vitamins and other add-ons.
This
embodiment presents multiple challenges as one solely relies on the internal
properties of
the legume to create binding, emulsion and a good mouthfeel. It consists of
slowing
mixing half of the whole legume (pureed or ground), pureed legumes provide
better
results, with reverse osmosis or otherwise treated water to facilitate
hydration and allows
the molecule to be ready for binding with the rest of the ingredients. Slow
mixing is a
must to ensure a full hydration. Then, high shear is required to create a
perfect binding.
For best results, the water temperature is set at around 24 degrees Celsius
for that first
step. Total mixing time is up to 4 ¨5 hours
Then, the homogenization process begins with a 2 step homogenizing applied up
to 2500
PSI.
Then the product is pre-heated at around 72 degrees Celsius.
Additional heating can be applied depending on whether the product will be
kept fresh or
shelf stable.
The final product has a pH ranging from 6-6.5 and a viscosity ranging from 6-
15 on
average.
Best results were obtained with the following range of ingredients ratio.
- Whole legume. 4 to 8% of total weight
- Flavors and other ingredients
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- Water 90-94%
So for 10000 L of finished beverage one could use
o 60 g of chickpeas or mungbeans or other lentils
o Flavors are optional and can range anywhere from 0.05% to 1% (0.5-10g)
o Water 9300 L
The finished product in that case would have a solid count of about 6-7%. A
solid count
range from 5.5 to 9% works quite well.
Our invention shows how it is not necessary to use any gum or emulsifier such
as
lecithins to create a fully consumable product. However, we have tested the
addition of gums at a minimum of 0.05%. The gum allows for an easier and more
scalable process whereas ingredients can be mixed in a shorter period of time
and
shelf life will be increased and gelation risk will be lessened. However, for
customers looking for a clean option, our invention still works well without
the
additives.
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating the process for producing a dairy
alternative or
protein shake using anon-soy source of protein concentrate or isolate from pea
or
chickpeas or brown rice or any other protein concentrate or isolate, and also
an oil (flax
seed oil, chia oil or other oils) and optionally adding flavors or vitamins.
The process
consists of slowly mixing half of the protein with reverse osmosis or
otherwise treated
water to facilitate hydration and allows the molecule to be ready for binding
with the rest
of the ingredients. High shear is required to create a perfect binding. For
best results, the
water temperature is set at around 24 degrees Celsius for that first step.
Then, the oil is
added last, with high shear applied once more. High shear of at least 800 RPM
is
required. Total mixing time is up to 2 hours.
Then, the homogenization process begins with a 2 step homogenizing applied up
to 2500
PSI.
Then the product is pre-heated at around 72 degrees Celsius.
Additional heating can be applied depending on whether the product will be
kept fresh or
shelf stable.
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The final product has a pH ranging from 6.9 to 7.2 and a viscosity ranging
from 2-3 on
average.
Best results were obtained with the following range of ingredients ratio.
- Whole legume. 0. 5 to 4% of total weight
- Protein 2-6% of weight
- Oil 0.25 ¨ 1.25% of weight
- Flavors and other ingredients
- Water 89-92%
So for 10000 L of finished beverage one could use
o 22.5 g of chickpeas or mungbeans or other lentils
o 40g of protein powder
o 10g of flaxseed, sunflower or other plant based oil
o Flavors are optional and can range anywhere from 0.05% to 1% (0.5-10g)
o Water 9200 L
The finished product in that case would have a solid count of about 7%. A
solid count
range from 5.5 to 8% works quite well.
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