Abstract: A process for producing baked snacks such as crackers and pretzels. By using this process, baked snacks can be easily produced without any restriction in the composition (moisture content, oil content, etc.) or the production procedure for avoiding blistering, as in the conventional processes.

Abstract: A process for industrially producing tofu products which are excellent in taste and freeze resistance. This process involves concentrating soybean milk extracted from uncooked soybean slurry or puree; adding one or more members selected from sugars, starch and transglutaminase to the concentrated soybean milk at an elevated temperature; adding a solidifying agent to prepare tofu; further heating the tofu in two steps; and then freezing.

Abstract: A polypeptide composition obtained by independently hydrolyzing 7S component (&bgr;-conglycinin) and 11S component (glycinin) of soybean protein is shown. The polypeptide composition contains hydrolysates of both 7S and 11S components which has good emulsifying and whipping capabilities and is useful for the production of food products including ices, meringues, spread pastes, beverages, farinaceous products, etc.

Abstract: There is disclosed a process for production of water-soluble vegetable fibers in a high yield with minimizing contamination of protein or amino acids resulting from degradation of protein by degrading water-insoluble vegetable fibers containing protein under acidic conditions of at about the isoelectric point of the protein and at a temperature of 130° C. or lower. Biodegradable films, paste, chewing gum and low calorie food products using the water-soluble vegetable fibers are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of solvent fractionation of a fat by which a high fat concentration, a rise in refrigerant temperature, and a reduction in operation time, etc. can be attained and fractions are efficiently produced at a low cost, characterized by rapidly cooling a feedstock fat dissolved in a solvent to a temperature higher by 1 to 20° C. than the crystallization temperature used in a crystallizer in the step prior to introduction of the feedstock fat into the crystallizer.

Abstract: A hard butter composition is described that comprises 50 to 80% by weight of SUS type triglycerides, less than 2% by weight of SSS type triglycerides and at least 1% by weight of a polyglycerol fatty acid ester (wherein S's are saturated fatty acid residues which are substantially palmitic acid and/or stearic acid residues and U's are unsaturated fatty acid residues which are substantially C16 and/or C18 unsaturated fatty acids). The composition further comprises SSU type triglycerides in an amount of at least 15% by weight based on the total amount of SUS type triglycerides and SSU type triglycerides. The hard butter composition is a non-tempering type hard butter composition having good meltability in the mouth, which is free from trans acids and lauric acid. A process for producing the hard butter composition is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a soy protein hydrolysate with a low content of .beta.-conglycinin and a process for producing the same. The soy protein hydrolysate with a low content of .beta.-conglycinin is prepared by allowing a proteolytic enzyme to act on soybean protein to selectively decompose .beta.-conglycinin in the soybean protein, and the process for producing the same comprises allowing a proteolytic enzyme to act on soybean protein at a temperature of higher than 50.degree. C. to less than 90.degree. C., preferably 55 to 85.degree. C., more preferably 60 to 80.degree. C.

Abstract: There is disclosed a process for modifying fats and oils by an interesterification reaction to efficiently increase concentrations of the desired triglycerides. In the process, a step for subjecting a fat or oil to an interesterification reaction with a fatty acid or its lower alcohol ester in the presence of an enzyme catalyst and then a step for removing the fatty acid or its lower alcohol ester by distillation are repeated in multiple stages. The process is characterized by leaving the fat or oil and a feedstock fatty acid or its ester selectively in the distillation steps preceding the one in the final stage. According to this process, the amount of the fatty acid or its ester to be used can be reduced and the formation of by-products can be inhibited, thereby enabling to increase concentrations of the desired triglycerides more efficiently than conventional multistage interesterification processes.

Abstract: A process for dry fractionation of fats and oils, by providing a fat-and-oil feedstock having an SFI at 20.degree. C. of at least 15; pre-cooling the fat-and-oil feedstock to a temperature of, at the highest, 3.degree. C. higher than that of a cooling medium to be used for crystallization; allowing the pre-cooled fat-and-oil feedstock to stand while further cooling the feedstock with the cooling medium to form fat crystals and to obtain cakes containing fat crystals; and subjecting the cakes to separation of solids from a liquid phase.

Abstract: An apparatus for formation of fat crystals by standing, which has a container, distribution pipes and crystallization trays arranged in parallel, the container being divided into plural compartments with vertical partitions each upper part of which has an opening to permit a fat-and-oil feedstock to be fed into each compartment, the compartments communicating with each other at a certain height from the bottom of the container so that the fat-and-oil feedstock can be uniformly fed into respective compartments, and the distribution pipes being connected to the bottoms of respective compartments so that the fat-and-oil feedstock to be fed therein can be distributed to the crystallization trays, respectively.

Abstract: The present invention provides a soy protein hydrolysate with a low content of glycinin wherein glycinin as a major component in soybean protein is selectively decomposed and a process for producing the same. The soy protein hydrolysate with a low content glycinin is obtained by allowing a proteolytic enzyme to act on soy protein to selectively decompose glycinin in the soybean protein, and the process for producing a soy protein hydrolysate with a low content of glycinin comprises allowing a proteolytic enzyme to act on soy protein at pH 1.0 to 2.8, preferably pH 1.5 to 2.5.

Abstract: A process for preparing soybean milk and okara, in particular, relating to improvement in pulverization of impregnated soybeans. The process includes carrying out pulverization of impregnated soybeans by the steps of cutting the impregnated soybeans with a device having rotating blade(s) to provide particles having an average diameter of less than about 100 .mu.m; grinding the obtained soybean particles with a device which exerts frictional shearing stress to provide an aqueous soybean slurry; and separating the water-soluble portion of the slurry from the water-insoluble portion to provide soybean milk and okara. The soybean milk and okara obtained possess a pleasant flavor and mild taste.

Abstract: There is disclosed shortening for chocolate which contains SUS type triglycerides whose constituent fatty acids contain SUS saturated fatty acids having 20 to 24 carbon atoms and SSU type and/or type triglycerides whose constituent fatty acids do not contain saturated fatty acids having 20 or more carbon atoms, both triglycerides being present in an eutectic crystal state, and a crystal form of said former SUS type triglycerides being in a stable crystal form. A process for producing the shortening, chocolate comprising the shortening and a process for producing the chocolate are also disclosed.

Abstract: A production process for cream cheese-like products by fermenting a cream mix comprising 2 to 15 wt. % of a protein component, 2 to 15 wt. % of a carbohydrate assimilable by lactic acid bacteria, 10 to 50 wt. % of a fat component, 40 to 75 wt. % of water and an emulsifier and characterized in that after pasteurization or sterilization, without substantial removal of the whey, the pasteurized or sterilized fermentation material is homogenized and cooled.

Abstract: An edible material containing soybean cell walls having a good taste is produced by providing dehulled and hypocotyl-removed soybeans without substantial swelling by water absorption; soaking and heating the soybeans in hot water to which an alkali has been added under the conditions of: Log(Hr)+0.0333 Temp.gtoreq.2.4, wherein Log(Hr) represents the common logarithm (to base ten) value of a soaking time (hours), and Temp represents a soaking temperature (.degree.C.); and then crushing the soybeans.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing .beta.-methylnaphthalene from an inexpensive and easily available feed oil. According to the invention, highly pure .beta.-methylnaphthalene adequate for industrial use can be mass-produced at reduced costs. The method comprises catalytic hydrodealkylation of a feed oil containing an alkyl naphthalene having at least two methyl groups in the presence of a catalyst having at least one metal species of selected from the group consisting of vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), rhodium (Rh), platinum (Pt), iridium (Ir), and compounds of these metals as an active component and a carrier therefor containing at least one of alumina and silica as its primary component, with a hydrogen partial pressure of 1 to 50 kgf/cm.sup.2, at a temperature of 450.degree. C. to 650.degree. C., and for a contact time of 3 to 35 seconds. The method of the invention is excellent in that it affords .beta.-methylnaphthalene of a chemical grade with a high yield.

Abstract: A process for producing a soybean protein material involves heating a soybean protein solution in the presence of an alkaline earth metal and then slowly freezing the solution. The soybean protein material formed by the method has a structure in which the layers are oriented along the non-cell ice crystals. The soybean protein material produced by the method has a very smooth mouthfeel in its raw condition but has a mouthfeel similar to that of meat when heated.

Abstract: There is disclosed an oily composition for inhibiting moisture migration in frozen food which includes 1- or 3-saturated diunsaturated triglycerides (SUU) and 2-unsaturated disaturated triglycerides (SUS) in a total amount thereof of at least 40% by weight based on the total weight of oil-and-fat ingredient of said composition and the weight ratio of SUU to SUS is 0.3 to 3.0 times. A frozen food including the above oily composition provided between a low moisture content-ingredient and a high-moisture content-ingredient is also disclosed.

Abstract: A soybean protein having both excellent color tone and heat gelling properties is disclosed. The soybean protein has a color tone of 25 or more as a z value of its 5% aqueous solution measured by a color difference meter and a heat-gelling value of 250 g.multidot.cm or more as a gel strength of its 18% aqueous solution heated at 80.degree. C. for 30 minutes measured by a rheometer with a plunger ball of 4 mm diameter. A process for producing a soybean protein comprising adding 2 to 5 parts by weight of water to one part by weight of defatted soybeans and holding the mixture at 55.degree. to 80.degree. C. for 10 minutes or more before extraction of the soybean protein from the defatted soybeans with water is also disclosed.

Abstract: A cement composition comprising a cement base and hemicellulose. The cement composition produces reduced efforescence and less bleeding. Self-leveling materials containing the cement composition also produce reduced efforescence and less bleeding and exhibit improved surface adhesion strength.