Patent ID: 7112424

Claim:
A process for the preparation of protein hydrolysates from defatted soy flour, said process comprising the steps of: (i) preparing an aqueous slurry of defatted soy flour having 6–12% w/v of solid content; (ii) subjecting said slurry to a first hydrolyzation using a fungal protease at pH 7–8 and temperature 43+5° C. for 1 to 3 hours to get 20–40% degree of hydrolysis (DH); (iii) subject the slurry obtained in step (ii) to a second hydrolyzation using papain at temperature 53+5° C. for −0.5 to 1.5 hours under stirring until 30–45% DH is obtained; (iv) inactivating residual enzymes in a known manner; and (v) separating solids and drying clarified supernatant thus obtained to get protein hydrolysates, wherein the resulting protein hydrolysates exhibit about 10.5–11.0% nitrogen content, about 20–23 trypsin inhibitor units/mg protein, a nitrogen solubility index of about 95–98%, about 35–45% of hydrolysis, and a threshold perception of bitterness greater than 2 g %, said resulting protein hydrolysates have solubility characteristics that are independent of pH, thus rendering the hydrolysates suitable additives in either acid pH or alkaline pH.