Abstract: Efficient, selective, and economical methods for producing non-dairy ready-to-use milk substitute cereal dispersions having intact &bgr;-glucans, proteins, and natural sugars, while retaining the aroma and flavor of natural cereal. The methods include treating a cereal substrate suspension with an enzyme preparation that comprises at least one hydrolase having the ability to hydrolyze &agr;-glycosidic bonds and having no glucanase and proteinase effect. The hydrolase may be selected from the group consisting of &bgr;-amylase, &agr;-amylase, amyloglucosidase and pullulanase, with the proviso that when the enzyme preparation comprises &agr;-amylase or &bgr;-amylase, there is always a mixture of at least one other of the &agr;-glycosidic hydrolases. When &bgr;-amylase and &agr;-amylase are selected, they are used as a mixture, i.e., introduced simultaneously, to provide for accelerated enzymatic hydrolysis and for reduced amounts of the enzymes than otherwise needed if the enzymes were used separately.

Abstract: The present invention provides efficient, selective and economical methods for producing cereal suspensions having the aroma and/or flavor of natural cereals and for modifying the viscosity and/or sugar kind of cereal suspensions. The methods include treating a cereal substrate suspension with an enzyme preparation which comprises at least one hydrolase having the ability to hydrolyze &agr;-glycosidic bonds and having no glucanase and proteinase effect. The hydrolase may be selected from the group consisting of &bgr;-amylase, &agr;-amylase, amyloglucosidase and pullulanase, with the proviso that when the enzyme preparation comprises &bgr;-amylase or (&agr;-amylase there is always a mixture of at least one other of the &agr;-glycosidic hydrolases. In addition to the above-identified hydrolases, the enzyme preparations of the present invention may further comprise an isomerase, such as glucose isomerase.