Analysis of soymilk protein behavior from a new perspective and development of concentration technology

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K05449
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 38050:Food sciences-related
• Research Institution: Industrial Research Institute of Shizuoka Prefecture
• Principal Investigator: Matsuno Masayuki 静岡県工業技術研究所, 食品科, 上席研究員 (20520737)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 下山田 真 静岡県立大学, 食品栄養科学部, 教授 (60235695)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: soymilk / protein / emulsion / zeta potential / freeze-thaw / amino acid / concentration

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Control techniques for soymilk emulsions were studied in terms of freeze-thaw and concentration techniques. In the former case, when unheated soybean milk was subjected to freeze-thawing under various pH and salt concentration conditions, protein fractionation occurred within a certain zeta potential range, while other conditions did not allow fractionation. This phenomenon was observed even when arginine was added, suggesting that zeta potential is an indicator of freeze-thaw fractionation. For the latter, research was conducted on additives that could suppress the increase in viscosity associated with the concentration of soy milk, and when unheated soy milk with arginine was concentrated, the increase in viscosity was suppressed more than that of the non-added soymilk.

Free Research Field

食品工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

豆乳は、牛乳の代替食品（素材）として昨今注目度が上昇しているが、特に濃縮時に粘度上昇が起きやすい。本研究において、凍結融解分画の可能性が広がり、学術的には異なる条件であってもゼータ電位が分画可否の指標となることを発見し、社会的には同技術を活用した製品開発につながると考えている。また、アルギニンの添加が非加熱豆乳の濃縮時に固化を防止する効果を見いだしたが、これは実際の豆乳濃縮製品を製造する際に活用できると考えている。