Binders and methods of making and using the same

Abstract

A comestible binder includes water, glycerol, and about 25% by weight or greater of a protein source including a protein. A comestible product includes inclusions and the binder holding the inclusions together in the comestible product. A method of forming a binder includes combining water, glycerol, and about 10% by weight or greater of the protein source to form a binder composition. The method also includes removing water at a dehydrating temperature less than a denaturation temperature of the protein to achieve the binder having a predetermined moisture level without denaturing the protein. The binder includes about 25% by weight or greater of the protein source and the protein is not in a denatured state in the binder. The protein source may include a pulse protein, a lentil protein, a chickpea protein, a potato protein, a rapeseed protein, a sunflower protein, an algae protein, or a combination thereof.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.