US 12,471,607 B2 · Process for producing cookable, fibrous meat analogs via directional freezing

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a process for producing “cookable”, fibrous meat analogs employing directional freezing. The process includes subjecting an ingestible hydrocolloid to directional freezing for inducing formation of elongated ice crystals in which the elongated ice crystals are aligned in a given direction in the directionally frozen hydrocolloid. Following this, elongated ice crystals are removed and are replaced by proteins and any other additives such as supplements which are located in the aligned channels originally containing the aligned ice crystals. Once the desired amount of protein loading is achieved, the protein-loaded hydrocolloid is subjected to conditions suitable to induce gelling of some of proteins to form protein gels in the aligned elongated channels.

Claims69

Dependent claims

A process for producing fibrous meat analogs, comprising:

a) preparing an ingestible biopolymer gel, solution, or dispersion comprised of one or more ingestible proteins and/or hydrocolloids, and water;
b) subjecting the biopolymer gel, solution, or dispersion to directional freezing inducing formation of aligned elongated ice crystals to form a directionally frozen biopolymer gel, solution, or dispersion with aligned elongated channels in which the aligned elongated ice crystals are located;
c) replacing the aligned elongated ice crystals with ingestible proteins and/or hydrocolloids to produce an infused gel;
and
d) subjecting the infused gel to a suitable condition to gel at least some of the ingestible proteins and/or hydrocolloids to create gelled proteins and/or hydrocolloids within the aligned channels to form a fibrous food product;
wherein steps a) and/or c) comprise ingestible proteins.

3 more elements

A process for producing fibrous meat analogs, comprising:

subjecting an ingestible biopolymer gel to directional freezing inducing formation of aligned elongated ice crystals to form a directionally frozen biopolymer gel with aligned channels in which the aligned elongated ice crystals are located;
thawing the directionally frozen biopolymer gel with the aligned channels by immersing the frozen biopolymer in a solution containing at least one ingestible soluble heat gelling protein, thereby melting and replacing the aligned elongated ice crystals with the at least one ingestible soluble heat gelling protein at a temperature below the gelling temperature of the soluble heat gelling protein, to produce a protein infused biopolymer gel;
and
heating the protein infused biopolymer gel at a temperature above the gelling temperature of the at least one ingestible soluble heat gelling protein to create protein fibers to form a fibrous meat analog food product.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Process for producing cookable, fibrous meat analogs via directional freezing

Life of this patent

Process for producing cookable, fibrous meat analogs via directional freezing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims69