PROCESS FOR IMPROVING THE ORGANOLEPTIC AND NUTRITIONAL PROPERTIES OF LEGUME MEAL AND COMPONENTS AND DERIVATIVES THEREOF

Abstract

Process for the production legume meal having a moisture content between 2% and 15%. The process includes feeding a continuous flow of legume meal into a wet heat treatment reactor together with a continuous flow of water or aqueous solution, which is dispersed into minute droplets; discharge the wet legume meal and feeding it into a thermal dehydration and treatment reactor.

Claims

1. A plant for carrying out a process for a production of legume meal comprising: a wet heat treatment reactor comprising a cylindrical tubular body with an inner wall and with horizontal axis, having at least one opening for the introduction of a legume meal and water or an aqueous solution and having at least one discharge opening, a heating jacket for raising the temperature of said tubular body to a predetermined temperature, and a rotor arranged inside the cylindrical tubular body and comprising a shaft provided with elements projecting radially therefrom; and a thermal dehydration and treatment reactor, comprising a cylindrical tubular body with an inner wall and with horizontal axis, having at least one inlet opening and at least one discharge opening, a; heating jacket for raising the temperature of said tubular body to a predetermined temperature, and a rotor arranged inside the cylindrical tubular body and comprising a shaft provided with elements projecting radially from said shaft, wherein said process for the production of the legume meal consists of: a) providing said wet heat treatment reactor; b) feeding a continuous flow of said meal into said wet heat treatment reactor in which the rotor is rotated at a speed greater than or equal to 150 rpm; c) feeding into said wet heat treatment reactor, together with said flow of meal, a continuous flow of said water or aqueous solution, wherein said water or aqueous solution has a temperature of 70°-90° C., which is dispersed into droplets; d) centrifuging said flows against the inner wall of the cylindrical tubular body of the wet heat treatment reactor, thus forming a turbulent, dynamic, tubular fluid layer, in which the meal particles and the droplets of water or aqueous solution are kept mechanically in contact by the radially projecting elements of said shaft, while advancing in substantial contact with said inner wall of said wet heat treatment reactor toward the discharge opening; e) discharging from the discharge opening of the wet heat treatment reactor a continuous flow of a wet meal having a moisture content of 20-40%; f) providing said thermal dehydration and treatment reactor; g) feeding said wet meal into said thermal dehydration and treatment reactor through the at least one inlet opening, the inner wall of the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor being kept at a temperature of at least 100° C. by means of said heating jacket and the rotor being rotated at a speed of at least 150 rpm; h) centrifuging and causing said wet meal to advance inside the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor by the action of said rotor; and i) discharging from the discharge opening of the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor a continuous flow of legume meal having a moisture content of between 2% and 15%.

2. The plant according to claim 1, wherein said elements projecting radially from the shaft of said rotor of said wet heat treatment reactor, as well as said elements projecting radially from the shaft of said rotor of said thermal dehydration and treatment reactor are chosen from the group comprising rods, blades, V-blades and beaters.

3. The plant according to claim 1, further comprising an injector device having a body of tubular shape, provided with an inlet opening for the wet meal exiting from said wet heat treatment reactor and an outlet opening, a bladed or screw rotor being rotatably supported in the tubular body, which rotor imparts to the wet meal an advancing thrust towards the outlet opening.

4. A plant for carrying out a process for a production of legume meal, comprising: a wet heat treatment reactor comprising a cylindrical tubular body with an inner wall and with horizontal axis, said wet heat treatment reactor having at least one opening for the introduction of a legume meal and water or an aqueous solution and having at least one discharge opening, a heating jacket for raising the temperature of said tubular body to a predetermined temperature, and a rotor arranged inside the cylindrical tubular body and comprising a shaft provided with elements projecting radially therefrom; and a thermal dehydration and treatment reactor, comprising a cylindrical tubular body with an inner wall and with horizontal axis, said thermal dehydration and treatment reactor having at least one inlet opening and at least one discharge opening, a heating jacket for raising the temperature of said tubular body to a predetermined temperature, and a rotor arranged inside the cylindrical tubular body and comprising a shaft provided with elements projecting radially from said shaft, wherein said process for the production of legume meal consists of: a) providing said wet heat treatment reactor; b) feeding a continuous flow of said meal into said wet heat treatment reactor, in which the rotor is rotated at a speed greater than or equal to 150 rpm; c) feeding into said wet heat treatment reactor, together with said flow of meal, a continuous flow of said water or aqueous solution, wherein said water or aqueous solution has a temperature of 70°-90° C., which is dispersed into droplets, and feeding a continuous flow of steam into the wet heat treatment reactor through said at least one opening; d) centrifuging said flows against the inner wall of the cylindrical tubular body of the wet heat treatment reactor, thus forming a turbulent, dynamic, tubular fluid layer, in which the meal particles and the droplets of water or aqueous solution are kept mechanically in contact by the radially projecting elements of said shaft, while advancing in substantial contact with said inner wall of said wet heat treatment reactor toward the discharge opening; e) discharging from the discharge opening of the wet heat treatment reactor a continuous flow of a wet meal having a moisture content of 20-40%; f) providing said thermal dehydration and treatment reactor; g) feeding said wet meal into said thermal dehydration and treatment reactor through the at least one inlet opening, the inner wall of the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor being kept at a temperature of at least 100° C. by means of said heating jacket and the rotor being rotated at a speed of at least 150 rpm; h) centrifuging and causing said wet meal to advance inside the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor by the action of said rotor; i) discharging from the discharge opening of the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor a continuous flow of legume meal having a moisture content of between 2% and 15%

5. The plant according to claim 4, wherein said elements projecting radially from the shaft of said rotor of said wet heat treatment reactor, as well as said elements projecting radially from the shaft of said rotor of said thermal dehydration and treatment reactor are chosen from the group comprising rods, blades, V-blades and beaters.

6. The plant according to claim 4, further comprising an injector device having a body of tubular shape, provided with an inlet opening for the wet meal exiting from said wet heat treatment reactor and an outlet opening, a bladed or screw rotor being rotatably supported in the tubular body, which rotor imparts to the wet meal an advancing thrust towards the outlet opening

7. A plant for carrying out a process for the production of legume meal, comprising: a wet heat treatment reactor comprising a cylindrical tubular body with an inner wall and with horizontal axis, said wet heat treatment reactor having at least one opening for the introduction of a legume meal and water or an aqueous solution and having at least one discharge opening, a heating jacket for raising the temperature of said tubular body to a predetermined temperature, and a rotor arranged inside the cylindrical tubular body and comprising a shaft provided with elements projecting radially therefrom; and a thermal dehydration and treatment reactor, comprising a cylindrical tubular body with an inner wall and with horizontal axis, said thermal dehydration and treatment reactor having at least one inlet opening and at least one discharge opening, a heating jacket for raising the temperature of said tubular body to a predetermined temperature, and a rotor arranged inside the cylindrical tubular body and comprising a shaft provided with elements projecting radially from said shaft, wherein said process for the production of legume meal consists of: a) providing said wet heat treatment reactor; b) feeding a continuous flow of said meal into said wet heat treatment reactor, in which the rotor is rotated at a speed greater than or equal to 150 rpm; c) feeding into said wet heat treatment reactor, together with said flow of meal, a continuous flow of said water or aqueous solution, wherein said water or aqueous solution has a temperature of 70°-90° C., which is dispersed into droplets; d) centrifuging said flows against the inner wall of the cylindrical tubular body of the wet heat treatment reactor, thus forming a turbulent, dynamic, tubular fluid layer, in which the meal particles and the droplets of water or aqueous solution are kept mechanically in contact by the radially projecting elements of said shaft, while advancing in substantial contact with said inner wall of said wet heat treatment reactor toward the discharge opening; e) discharging from the discharge opening of the wet heat treatment reactor a continuous flow of a wet meal having a moisture content of 20-40%; f) providing said thermal dehydration and treatment reactor; g) feeding said wet meal into said thermal dehydration and treatment reactor through the at least one inlet opening, the inner wall of the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor being kept at a temperature of at least 100° C. by means of said heating jacket and the rotor being rotated at a speed of at least 150 rpm, wherein a flow of a gas heated to a temperature of at least 100° C. is fed into the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor through said at least one inlet opening; h) centrifuging and causing said wet meal to advance inside the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor by the action of said rotor; i) discharging from the discharge opening of the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor a continuous flow of legume meal having a moisture content of between 2% and 15%

8. The plant according to claim 7, wherein said elements projecting radially from the shaft of said rotor of said wet heat treatment reactor, as well as said elements projecting radially from the shaft of said rotor of said thermal dehydration and treatment reactor are chosen from the group comprising rods, blades, V-blades and beaters.

9. The plant according to claim 7, further comprising an injector device having a body of tubular shape, provided with an inlet opening for the wet meal exiting from said wet heat treatment reactor and an outlet opening, a bladed or screw rotor being rotatably supported in the tubular body, which rotor imparts to the wet meal an advancing thrust towards the outlet opening.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] Further features and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the following detailed description provided with reference to the sole attached FIGURE (FIG. 1), which shows in schematic form an embodiment of a plant for carrying out the process according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0051] With reference to the aforementioned FIGURE, an apparatus used for the process according to the present invention comprises a wet heat treatment reactor consisting essentially of a cylindrical tubular body 1, closed at the opposite ends by end plates 2, 3 and coaxially provided with a heating/cooling jacket intended to be passed through by a fluid, for example diathermic oil, so as to keep the inner wall of the body 1 at a predefined temperature.

[0052] The tubular body 1 is provided with inlet openings 5, 6 and 10, i.e. 5 for the water or aqueous solution, 6 for the legume meal and 10 for the vapor, and with a discharge opening 7.

[0053] The tubular body 1 rotatably supports internally a rotor 8 comprising a shaft 8 provided with elements radially projecting therefrom in the form of blades 9 which are arranged helically and oriented so as to centrifuge and at the same time convey towards the outlet the flows of meal and water or aqueous solution.

[0054] A motor M is envisaged for operation of the rotor at variable speeds ranging from 150 to 3000 rpm.

[0055] When it exits from the reactor, the wet meal is fed via a pipe 11, communicating with the discharge opening 7 of the wet heat treatment reactor, to the injector device 51.

[0056] The body of the injector device 51 has a tubular shape and is provided with an inlet opening 55 which receives the wet meal from the pipe 11, and an outlet opening 57.

[0057] The tubular body 51 rotatably supports internally a bladed or screw rotor 58 which imparts to the wet meal an advancing thrust towards the outlet opening 57 so as to convey the wet meal to the inlet opening 105 of a thermal dehydration and treatment reactor 101. This reactor 101, which has a structure entirely similar to the wet treatment reactor mentioned further above, is not described in detail. The components of the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor which are identical to those of the wet heat treatment reactor are indicated by the same reference numbers increased by 100.

[0058] The dried meal output from the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor is conveyed to a receiving container 18 which separates said meal from the steam and air also exiting from this reactor.

Example 1

[0059] A flow of yellow pea meal (80 kg/h) with a moisture content of 14.4% was continuously fed, through the opening 6, into the wet heat treatment reactor 1, inside which the bladed rotor 8 was rotated at a speed of 700 rpm. At the same time a flow of water at 80° C. (20 kg/h) was continuously fed through the opening 5, and a flow of steam was continuously fed through the opening 10 at 105° C. (15 kg/h).

[0060] Immediately at the inlet of the reactor 1, the flow of meal was mechanically dispersed into particles which were immediately centrifuged against the inner wall of the wet heat treatment reactor, where a thin, fluid, tubular and dynamic layer was formed. At the same time, the water fed through the opening 5 was finely atomized by the blades of the rotor 8 which also performed the immediate centrifuging of the very fine droplets obtained. These droplets were thus introduced into the thin, fluid, tubular and dynamic layer of meal particles, with which they were able to interact intimately, in the presence also of the steam fed through the opening 10. The rotational speed of the bladed rotor 8 was equal to 700 rpm.

[0061] After an average residence time of about 30 seconds inside the reactor, a thermally treated wet meal was continuously discharged from the opening 7. The wet meal in question had a moisture content of 25.3%.

[0062] This wet meal was continuously fed into the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor 101, via the injector 51, at a flow rate of 80 kg/h, in co-current with an air flow at a temperature of 180° C. (flow rate 385 m.sup.3/h).

[0063] Inside the reactor 101, the wall temperature was kept at a value of 180° C., while the rotational speed of the bladed rotor 108 was kept constantly at 1000 rpm.

[0064] After an average residence time of 20 seconds inside the reactor, a meal with a moisture content of 10% was continuously discharged therefrom.

Example 2

[0065] Using the same apparatus as that used in Example 1, the process according to the present invention was carried using isolated pea proteins in powder form having a moisture content of 10.2%, following the same steps described in Example 1.

[0066] The flow of isolated pea proteins in powder form was equal to 80 kg/h; the water flow at 80° C. was equal to 20 kg/h, the flow of steam was equal to 15 kg/h and the rotational speed of the bladed rotor 8 was equal to 750 rpm.

[0067] The average residence time inside the wet treatment reactor was about 30 seconds. The wet meal consisting of isolated pea proteins output from this reactor had a moisture content of 26.9%.

[0068] The flow of wet meal of isolated pea proteins fed into the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor was equal to 80 kg/h; the air flow fed into the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor had a temperature of 178° C. and a flow rate of 390 m.sup.3/h, while the wall temperature was kept at a value of 180° C. and the rotational speed of the bladed rotor 108 was 1000 rpm.

[0069] The average residence time inside the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor was about 20 seconds. The wet meal consisting of isolated pea proteins output from this reactor had a moisture content of 9.8%.

Example 3

[0070] Using the same apparatus as that used in Example 1, the process according to the present invention was carried using fava bean flour having a moisture content of 10.2%, following the same steps described in Example 1.

[0071] The flow of fava bean flour was equal to 90 kg/h; the water flow at 80° C. was equal to 32 kg/h, the flow of steam was equal to 15 kg/h and the rotational speed of the bladed rotor 8 was equal to 900 rpm.

[0072] The average residence time inside the wet treatment reactor was about 30 seconds. The wet fava bean flour output from this reactor had a moisture content of 27.8%.

[0073] The flow of wet fava bean fed into the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor was equal to 80 kg/h; the air flow fed into the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor had a temperature of 180° C. and a flow rate of 400 m.sup.3/h, while the wall temperature was kept at a value of 180° C. and the rotational speed of the bladed rotor 108 was 650 rpm.

[0074] The average residence time inside the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor was about 20 seconds. The fava bean flour output from this reactor had a moisture content of 12.4%.

Example 4

[0075] Using the same apparatus as that used in Example 1, the process according to the present invention was carried using isolated lentil proteins in powder form having a moisture content of 11.8%, following the same steps described in Example 1.

[0076] The flow of isolated lentil proteins in powder form was equal to 90 kg/h; the water flow at 80° C. was equal to 32 kg/h, the flow of steam was equal to 15 kg/h and the rotational speed of the bladed rotor 8 was equal to 900 rpm.

[0077] The average residence time inside the wet treatment reactor was about 30 seconds. The wet isolated lentil protein in powder form output from this reactor had a moisture content of 27.8%.

[0078] The flow of isolated lentil proteins in powder form fed into the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor was equal to 80 kg/h; the air flow fed into the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor had a temperature of 170° C. and a flow rate of 400 m.sup.3/h, while the wall temperature was kept at a value of 180° C. and the rotational speed of the bladed rotor 108 was 650 rpm.

[0079] The average residence time inside the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor was about 20 seconds. The isolated lentil proteins in powder form output from this reactor had a moisture content of 10.9%.

Example 5

[0080] Using the same apparatus as that used in Example 1, the process according to the present invention was carried using isolated fava bean proteins in powder form having a moisture content of 11.3%, following the same steps described in Example 1.

[0081] The flow of isolated fava bean proteins in powder form was equal to 80 kg/h; the water flow at 85° C. was equal to 20 kg/h, the flow of steam was equal to 15 kg/h and the rotational speed of the bladed rotor 8 was equal to 700 rpm.

[0082] The average residence time inside the wet treatment reactor was about 30 seconds. The wet powder of isolated fava bean proteins output from this reactor had a moisture content of 25.9%.

[0083] The flow of isolated fava bean proteins in powder form fed into the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor was equal to 80 kg/h; the air flow fed into the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor had a temperature of 180° C. and a flow rate of 390 m.sup.3/h, while the wall temperature was kept at a value of 180° C. and the rotational speed of the bladed rotor 108 was 1000 rpm.

[0084] The average residence time inside the thermal dehydration and treatment reactor was about 20 seconds. The isolated fava bean proteins in powder form output from this reactor had a moisture content of 11.4%.