System for production of high and low protein dispersibility index edible extracted soybean flakes

A standard flash desolventizing system has been combined with horizontal agitated meal stripping and cooking vessels operating at atmospheric pressure to provide an integrated system for the production of high, intermediate, or low protein dispersability index edible soybean flakes from extracted solvent-wet flakes. Flash desolventizing removes most of the hexane in the wet flakes by evaporation at low temperature in a turbulent stream of superheated hexane vapor. The small remaining hexane quantity is removed in a stripping process capable of producing the full range of protein dispersability index values in the flakes by treating the flash desolventized flakes with either dry superheated steam or wet saturated steam under carefully controlled conditions of steam temperature, pressure, flow rate, and moisture content. The products are light colored, with little production of fine particles. One of seven papers presented at the symposium “Processing Methods for Oilseeds,” AOCS Spring Meeting, April 1973.