Compositions and methods for polymer based shelf life extension
AssigneeCambridge Crops, Inc.
InventorsAdam M. Behrens, Sezin Yigit, Laith M. Abu-Taleb, Nadia S. Hallaj, Colin D. Preston, Samantha E. Roman, James L. Sugarman
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to compositions, solutions, and methods for extending the shelf life of food compositions. For example, the disclosure is directed to food compositions or solutions comprising silk fibroin. In some instances, the compositions may be coated with a silk fibroin layer. The disclosure is also directed to methods of preparing food compositions. The methods include spray-coating, dip-coating, or mixing the food compositions with fragments of silk fibroin.
Claims19
A food composition comprising silk fibroin, wherein the silk fibroin is added to the food composition as a solution in which powdered silk fibroin has been reconstituted within a solvent;
- wherein
- between 0.1-25% (weight/volume) of the solution is comprised of silk fibroin fragments;
- between 1-10% of the silk fibroin fragments within the silk fibroin solution has a molecular weight of over 400 kDa;
- and
- between 10-45% of the silk fibroin fragments within the silk fibroin solution has a molecular weight of over 300 kDa.
A food composition comprising silk fibroin, wherein the silk fibroin is added to the food composition as a solution in which powdered silk fibroin has been reconstituted within a solvent;
- wherein
- the silk fibroin solution is deposited onto the food composition using spray-coating,
- the silk fibroin is not annealed post-deposition;
- all or substantially all of an external surface of the food composition is coated with the silk fibroin, the silk fibroin coating being comprised of silk fibroin fragments with molecular weights ranging from 10 kDa-600 kDa and the external surface being comprised of a single layer with a thickness of at least 12 nm and no more than about 180 um;
- between 0.1-25% (weight/volume) of the solution is comprised of silk fibroin fragments;
- between 0.1-10% of the silk fibroin fragments within the silk fibroin solution has a molecular weight of over 400 kDa;
- and
- between 1-45% of the silk fibroin fragments within the silk fibroin solution has a molecular weight of over 300 kDa.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.