Smooth Plant Milks Amano Enzyme’s Deamidase Solution for Nut Milk Aggregation

Japanese enzyme specialist Amano Enzyme Inc. and its European affiliate have filed a patent for a method of preventing aggregation in nut milks using a protein deamidase enzyme – an elegant biochemical solution to one of the most persistent quality problems in plant-based dairy alternatives.

The Problem

The plant-based milk market has grown enormously over the past decade, with almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk, macadamia milk and other nut-based beverages now widely available and increasingly popular as alternatives to dairy. These products are consumed not only as standalone beverages but also added to coffee, tea, smoothies, cooking ingredients and other liquid foods. Their convenience and appeal depend heavily on their physical properties – in particular, how they behave when mixed with other liquids.

One of the most significant technical challenges in nut milk production is aggregation – the tendency of proteins and other particles in nut milk to clump together, particularly when the milk is mixed with acidic beverages such as coffee or added to hot liquids. When nut milk aggregates, it forms visible clumps or curdles, creating an undesirable texture and appearance that consumers find off-putting. The problem is worse in some formulations than others, and it is influenced by factors including pH, temperature, protein composition and the specific type of nut used.

Current approaches to preventing aggregation include formulation changes, the use of emulsifiers and stabilisers, and heat treatment. These methods can be partially effective but often involve trade-offs in terms of flavour, texture, ingredient label complexity or processing cost. A cleaner, more targeted approach that addresses the underlying protein chemistry causing aggregation has been sought by food manufacturers keen to improve the quality and versatility of their nut milk products.

What This Invention Does

Amano Enzyme’s invention addresses aggregation at its biochemical root. The cause of aggregation in nut milks is largely the presence of proteins with amide groups – glutamine and asparagine residues – that promote protein-protein interactions leading to clumping. Protein deamidase is an enzyme that converts these amide groups to carboxylate groups through a deamidation reaction, changing the surface charge of the protein molecules.

By treating nut milk with a protein deamidase, the invention modifies the protein surface chemistry to increase negative charge, which causes the proteins to repel one another electrostatically rather than aggregating. This increased negative charge also improves the dispersibility of the nut milk – the treated proteins remain more uniformly distributed throughout the liquid rather than clustering together.

The result is a nut milk with significantly improved stability when added to other beverages or foods. When the deamidase-treated nut milk is mixed with coffee, tea or other acidic or heated liquids, the aggregation that would otherwise occur is suppressed. The enzyme treatment is a clean-label approach – protein deamidase is a natural enzyme, and its use does not require the addition of synthetic emulsifiers or stabilisers – which aligns with consumer preferences for simple, recognisable ingredient lists.

Key Features

Protein deamidase treatment. The method uses a specific enzyme – protein deamidase – to modify the surface chemistry of nut milk proteins, converting amide groups to carboxylate groups and increasing the negative charge that prevents protein-protein aggregation.

Improved dispersibility. Deamidase treatment increases the dispersibility of nut milk by promoting electrostatic repulsion between protein particles, keeping them evenly distributed throughout the liquid.

Aggregation prevention on mixing. Treated nut milks resist aggregation when added to acidic or hot beverages such as coffee or tea, addressing the most commercially significant context in which nut milk aggregation causes problems.

Clean-label enzyme approach. Protein deamidase is a natural enzyme, making it compatible with clean-label formulation requirements and consumer preferences for minimal, recognisable ingredients.

Broad nut milk applicability. The invention is directed at nut milks generally, suggesting the deamidase approach can be applied across different nut varieties – almond, cashew, macadamia and others – that share similar protein aggregation challenges.

Who Is Behind It?

Amano Enzyme Inc. is a Japanese enzyme company with a long history of industrial enzyme production and application, specialising in protease, lipase and other enzyme products for food, pharmaceutical and industrial applications. Amano Enzyme Europe Ltd. is the company’s European operation. The sole inventor, Hiroki Fujioka, has expertise in food enzyme applications. The application is filed through FPA Patent Attorneys and is a divisional of an earlier filing (AU 2020224481), reflecting a multi-year development programme in food enzyme technology.

Why It Matters

The plant-based food industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the global food system, and the quality of plant-based dairy alternatives is central to consumer adoption. Nut milks that curdle or aggregate when added to coffee – one of the most common consumption occasions – lose a significant portion of their market appeal. A reliable, clean-label enzymatic solution to aggregation that genuinely solves the problem rather than masking it addresses a real pain point for both consumers and manufacturers.

For food companies producing nut milks, the ability to use a single enzyme treatment to dramatically improve product stability has clear commercial value. For consumers, the result is a better product experience – smooth, consistent nut milk that behaves predictably in coffee and other applications. As the plant-based milk category continues to grow and competition intensifies, quality differentiators like aggregation resistance will increasingly matter for brand loyalty and consumer satisfaction. Amano Enzyme’s deamidase approach offers a scientifically grounded path to that quality improvement.

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AU 2026201579 was published in the Australian Official Journal of Patents on 19 March 2026 and is open for public inspection. Patent applications represent inventions that are sought to be protected and do not necessarily reflect commercially available products.