Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Surface coated – fluid encapsulated – laminated solid... – Isolated whole seed – bean or nut – or material derived therefrom
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-29
2003-09-02
Bhat, Nina (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Surface coated, fluid encapsulated, laminated solid...
Isolated whole seed, bean or nut, or material derived therefrom
C426S574000, C426S578000, C426S656000, C426S512000, C426S802000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06613369
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to sausage analogues which need not include any meat in order to achieve texture and flavor delivery which enhances the acceptability of the cooked sausage analogues to the consumer. Vegetable components are prepared and combined in a manner which achieves such advantageous results while receiving the benefit of vegetable components, particularly health benefits.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Sausage analogues containing no meat or substantially reduced levels of meat are well known. Brander et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,570 describes a sausage meat analogue which is designed to approximate the juiciness and tenderness properties of an all-meat product. Jenkins et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,456 describes food compositions having a fat mimic which is composed of a cereal hydrolysate and a hydrocolloide gum. Both of these patents incorporate a gum into a sausage or other food composition. While gums are widely used and accepted in a variety of food products, including vegetable based products, it also is desirable to avoid having a gum ingredient within these types of food products. In addition, these earlier approaches do not consistently provide a texture and flavor delivery system which provides products having highly desirable taste attributes.
Other approaches incorporate low levels of meat within vegetable-based foods. These include Smick et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,878, Share et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,976, Christensen et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,654,028 and Lai U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,677. Also in this general category is Lai U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,987; this relates to low-fat meat analogue food products which include substantial quantities of plant protein, meat analogue and thermo-irreversible starch gel which has a texture that mimics adipose tissue. The thermo-irreversible starch gel is ground to a very fine particle size. This gel texture which mimics adipose tissue texture is “non-liquid, smooth, springy, somewhat slippery and chewy at warm temperatures.” The fine grinding taught by this patent has been found to be unsatisfactory in producing sausage products according to the invention. In addition, the springy and slippery adipose tissue texture is inconsistent with a desirable attribute of providing a flavor delivery system which relies upon liquid release in order to distribute flavor during consumption.
A typical shortcoming of vegetable sausage analogues is the absence of suitable texture components. Especially absent in this regard has been a satisfactory manner of providing structured fibrous texture to a sausage analogue product. Non-analogue meat sausages include small “threads” of connective tissue proteins. Typically, these are visible as a sausage begins to break and typically are literally visible when a sausage is broken in two by hand. Such connective tissue protein threads contribute in part to the texture of meat sausage. Providing this type of texture without incorporating meat-originating connective tissue protein would be beneficial to sausage analogues.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, sausage analogue products are provided and prepared which avoid the shortcomings of prior meatless or low meat sausage analogues. Included is a continuous phase binder matrix formed largely from powdered vegetable protein and water, typically in combination with an egg component or similar edible binder. This matrix also can incorporate at least a portion of structured filamentous protein component when present. The matrix provides the basic structure of the sausage product and supports vegetable components dispersed within the continuous phase binder matrix. These can be said to be discontinuously dispersed within the binder matrix. Such components include one or more of the structured filamentous protein component, a thermally preformed textured protein component, and a thermally structured carbohydrate gel crumble component. In a typical sausage analogue product, a desired amount of each of these three vegetable components is suitably prepared and added into the powered vegetable protein, water and edible binder. The resulting batter is stuffed into a form-defining element such as a casing. This is followed by heat processing of the batter until it achieves an internal temperature of at least about 185° F. (85° C.). Cooling leaves a formed sausage analogue.
It is accordingly a general object of the present invention to provide a vegetable sausage analogue having an enhanced texture and flavor delivery system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved product and process relating to vegetable sausage analogues which incorporate structured filamentous protein domains.
Another object of this invention is to provide a process of providing vegetable sausage analogues which includes stuffing and heating a vegetable-based batter to provide a cohesive sausage product which exhibits an especially advantageous texture and flavor delivery system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved product and process relating to vegetable sausages which includes a thermally preformed textured protein component which provides resistance to chew and contributes to a meat-like texture.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved product and process for analogue vegetable sausages having a thermally structured carbohydrate gel crumble having a grind size of on the order of one quarter inch.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved vegetable sausage analogue which incorporates at least two different vegetable protein domains, one imparting a fibrous texture, and another enhancing liquid flow and flavor release.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from and clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Products according to the invention have a continuous phase with vegetable protein component domains distributed within the continuous phase in order to enhance texture and flavor delivery. When heated, a matrix is formed with the result that the vegetable protein component domains are supported by and dispersed within the matrix.
With more particular reference to the materials from which the continuous phase binder matrix is formed, this is a proteinaceous continuous phase. Its components are substantially vegetable. A primary component is a powdered vegetable protein, together with water. An edible binder often is desirable in order to enhance cohesiveness. Including a vegetable oil within this formulation has been found to be useful. Wheat gluten, such as vital wheat gluten, likewise can be included for enhancing the continuous phase binder matrix.
This continues phase itself will form into a vegetable sausage analogue. Typically, when combined with one or more of the preformed discontinuous components available for enclosing within the matrix, this continuous phase binder matrix comprises between about 30 and about 90 weight percent, based upon the total weight of the sausage formulation batter or of the formulation of the sausage analogue product. This quantity can be between about 30 and about 80 weight percent, preferably between about 30 and about 70 weight percent from in more preferably between about 35 and about 60 weight percent.
The powdered vegetable protein portion of this continuous phase composition is a high gelling soy protein isolate or concentrate. Such soy protein ingredients are well known in the art and are available from various sources, same originating from soy beans which are processed into an isolate or concentrate. Examples include SUPRO 545, SUPRO 500E, SUPRO EX32, and SUPRO EX33, of Protein Technologies International; PROFAM 981 of Archer Daniels Midland, and currently experimental organic protein concentrates of Iowa Soy.
This powdered vegetable protein will be present at between about 1 and about 15 weight percent, based upon the total weight of the batter formulation,
Gaebler David M.
Simonson Julie A.
Bhat Nina
Cook Alex McFarron Manzo Cummings & Mehler, Ltd.
Kraft Foods Holdings, Inc.
LandOfFree
Vegetable sausage analogues does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Vegetable sausage analogues, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Vegetable sausage analogues will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3088113