Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Basic ingredient lacteal derived other than butter...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-16
2003-08-19
Weier, Anthony J. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Basic ingredient lacteal derived other than butter...
C426S656000, C426S516000, C426S465000, C426S468000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06607777
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to food products. More particularly, the invention relates to textured whey protein for use as an extender of ground meat products, meat analog, and snack food and to methods of making thereof.
There is a great demand for an extender of coarse-ground meat products. The market is currently occupied by a variety of textured vegetable proteins (TVPs), especially those from soybeans. Since 1983 most U.S. military purchases of ground beef have specified inclusion of 20% hydrated soy protein. Soy Proteins History, Prospects in Food, 3 INFORM 429-444 (1992). At the Third Annual Soy Symposium held in November, 1998, it was reported that the market for meatless meat products in the U.S. and Canada reached $180 million in 1995, $265 million in 1996, and was expected to reach $376 million in 1998. N. Chapman, Where Is the Soyfood Market Headed, Third Annual Soyfoods Symposium (1998) (www.soyfoods.com/symposium98/ ChapmanPaper98. html). It is predicted that the market for meatless meat products will pass one billion dollars by the year 2001.
The market for meatless meat products supplies diverse consumers and is not exclusive to soy products. At least 80% of those consuming meat alternatives do not consider themselves vegetarians; Americans are now simply more open to healthy eating options than in the past. Midwest Grain Products, Inc. produces a texturized wheat gluten called WHEATEX, which is used by Gardenburger in its GARDEN VEGAN VEGGIE PATTIES. M. Davis, Atchison, Kan.-based Grain Products Company Finds New Uses for Gluten, Kansas City Star (Dec. 9, 1998). Considering the meat alternative market, texturized WPC 80 (whey protein concentrate containing 80% protein), a widely available, inexpensive, and nutritious protein source, would be expected to be a competitive product.
Thermoplastic extrusion is one of the methods used to texture protein-containing mixtures. High pressure and temperature (greater than 130° C. to 140° C.) melt globular proteins and carbohydrates into incompatible phases that form a dispersion and contribute to the formation of a fibrous structure. V.
Tolstoguzov, Thermoplastic Extrusion—The Mechanism for the Formation of Extrudate Structure and Properties, 70 J. Amer. Oil Chem. Soc. 417-424 (1993). Whey proteins, however, are more heat sensitive than are other proteins. Typical high-temperature extrusion methods would burn whey proteins. Therefore, if whey proteins are to be used for making a textured whey protein product, a method of extruding such proteins without burning them is needed.
In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that providing textured whey protein products and methods of making thereof would be significant advancements in the art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a textured whey protein product suitable for use as an extender of coarse-ground meat products and as a meat analog.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a textured whey protein product suitable for use as a low-fat, sugar-free, high-protein snack food.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method of making a textured whey protein product that is suitable for use as an extender of coarse-ground meat products and as a meat analog.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a method of making a textured whey protein product that is suitable for use as a snack food.
It is yet another object of the invention to use thermoplastic extrusion to produce a textured whey protein product having a stable, meat-like texture for use as an extender of coarse-ground meat products and as a meat analog.
It is another object of the invention to provide a textured whey protein product that has a clean flavor with little or no aftertaste and that blends well with meat products.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a method for using thermoplastic extrusion for making a textured whey protein product without burning such whey proteins.
These and other objects can be addressed by providing a textured whey protein product comprising a thermoplastic extrusion product of a composition comprising preferably about 40-100% by weight of a whey protein concentrate and about 0-60% by weight of an edible polysaccharide, more preferably about 40-99% by weight of whey protein concentrate and about 1-60% by weight of edible polysaccharide, and most preferably about 60-95% by weight of whey protein concentrate and 5-40% by weight of edible polysaccharide. The whey protein concentrate preferably comprises about 20-80% by weight of protein, and more preferably comprises at least about 80% by weight of protein. The edible polysaccharide is preferably a member selected from the group consisting of starches, cellulosics, dietary fibers, and mixtures thereof. Preferred starches include corn, potato, rice, tapioca, bran, and soy starches, modified variants thereof, and mixtures thereof. Preferred cellulosics include celluloses, modified celluloses, and mixtures thereof. Preferred dietary fibers include maltodextrin, inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides, pectin, guar gum, and mixtures thereof. In another illustrative embodiment of the invention, the composition further comprises a minor amount of a calcium salt, such as calcium carbonate, calcium chloride, calcium gluconate, calcium lactate, and mixtures thereof. A pH-adjusting agent can also be added to the composition for adjusting the sensory and physical properties of the textured whey protein product.
A method for making a textured whey protein product comprises:
(a) preparing a composition comprising about 40-100% by weight of a whey protein concentrate and about 0-60% by weight of an edible polysaccharide;
(b) thermoplastically extruding the composition under conditions of temperature and pressure such that the composition is melted and cooked to result in an extrudate; and
(c) drying the extrudate to result in the textured whey protein product.
Cooling the extrudate prior to returning it to atmospheric pressure inhibits expansion or puffing of the extrudate and results in a textured whey protein product having a meat-like texture suitable for use as a meat extender or meat analog. If the extrudate is not cooled prior to being returned to atmospheric pressure, then the extrudate expands or puffs, resulting in a textured whey protein product suitable for use as a snack food.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Before the present textured whey protein products and methods of making thereof are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular configurations, process steps, and materials disclosed herein as such configurations, process steps, and materials may vary somewhat. It is also to be understood that the terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting since the scope of the present invention will be limited only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
The publications and other reference materials referred to herein to describe the background of the invention and to provide additional detail regarding its practice are hereby incorporated by reference. The references discussed herein are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the inventors are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.
It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a textured whey protein product containing “an edible polysaccharide” includes reference to two or more of such edible polysaccharides, reference to “a starch” includes reference to one or more of such starches, and reference to “a calcium salt” includes reference to two or more of
Carpenter Charles E
Walsh Marie K.
Clayton Howarth & Cannon, P.C.
Utah State University
Weier Anthony J.
LandOfFree
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