Puffed protein based snack food
OwnerJohn Fannoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A food product and method are provided. The food product is a crisp expanded proteinacious food product characterized by an absence of objectionable protein fiber formation. The product is puffed to provide a low density while providing a good eating texture. The product may be coated to provide additional flavors and/or nutrients.
Claims49
A low density snack food product including a majority solids component and a water component with the majority solids component including at least protein, said food product comprising:
- protein in an amount in the range of between about 55% and about 95% by weight of majority solids component and water, at least a portion of the protein being at least partially hydrolyzed protein;
- water in the range of between about 1% and about 7% by weight of solids and water;
- and
- said food product being characterized by having a crisp texture, and a density in the range of between about 0.02 g/cc and about 0.15 g/cc based on the weight of majority solids component and water.
(canceled).
A food product as set forth in claim 42 wherein the soy protein includes at least partially hydrolyzed soy protein and unhydrolyzed soy protein.
A food product as set forth in claim 19 wherein at least a majority of the filler is starch.
A method of making a low density snack food product, said food product comprising water and majority solids component, said majority solids component including protein, the method including:
- forming a plastic mixture of majority solids component and water in an extruder;
- pressurizing the mixture in the extruder to a pressure at least about 400 psi;
- heating the mixture in the extruder to a temperature of at least about 95° F.;
- extruding the heated and pressurized mixture through an extruder die to a reduced pressure environment and thereby form an extrudate whereby the extrudate expands;
- cutting the thus formed extrudate into a plurality of pieces;
- and
- drying the thus formed pieces whereby the dried pieces have a moisture content of less than about 7% by weight of majority solids component and water and a density in the range of between about 0.02 g/cc and about 0.5 g/cc based on the weight of majority solids component and water and said protein being present in the range of between about 25% and about 95% by weight of majority solids component and water, said pieces being further characterized by having a non-fibrous eating texture.
A low density snack food product including a majority solids component and a water component with the majority solids component including at least protein, said food product comprising:
- protein in the range of between about 25% and about 95% by weight of majority solids component and water, said protein being from seed crops including at least one of cereal grains and legumes, said protein including a majority by weight of soy protein and the soy protein including at least partially hydrolyzed soy protein and unhydrolyzed soy protein and wherein the at least partially hydrolyzed soy protein includes at least partially hydrolyzed soy isolates and the unhydrolyzed soy protein includes at least one of soy isolates, soy concentrates and soy flour;
- the majority solids component includes filler present in a ratio of filler to protein in the range of between about 5:95 and about 75:25 and wherein the at least partially hydrolyzed soy protein is present in a ratio of between about 80:20 and about 55:45 to unhydrolyzed soy protein;
- water in the range of between about 1% and about 7% by weight of solids and water;
- and
- said product being characterized by having a crisp texture, a density in the range of between about 0.02 g/cc and about 0.5 g/cc based on the weight of solids component and water.
A low density snack food product including a majority solids component and a water component with the majority solids component including at least protein, said food product comprising:
- protein in the range of between about 25% and about 95% by weight of majority solids component and water, said protein being from seed crops including at least one of cereal grains and legumes at least a majority of the protein being soy protein, wherein the soy protein includes at least partially hydrolyzed soy protein and unhydrolyzed soy protein and wherein the at least partially hydrolyzed soy protein includes at least partially hydrolyzed soy isolates and the unhydrolyzed soy protein includes at least one of soy isolates, soy concentrates and soy flour wherein the at least partially hydrolyzed soy protein is present in the ratio of between about 80:20 and about 55:45 to the unhydrolyzed soy protein;
- water in the range of between about 1% and about 7% by weight of solids and water;
- and
- said product being characterized by having a crisp texture, a density in the range of between about 0.02 g/cc and about 0.5 g/cc based on the weight of solids component and water.
A low density snack food product including a majority solids component and a water component with the majority solids component including at least protein, said food product comprising:
- protein in an amount in the range of between about 55% and about 95% by weight of majority solids component and water, at least a majority of the protein being from seed crops including at least one of cereal grains and legumes, at least a portion of the protein being at least partially hydrolyzed protein;
- water in the range of between about 1% and about 7% by weight of solids and water;
- and
- said food product being characterized by leaving a crisp texture and a density in the range of between about 0.02 g/cc and about 0.15 g/cc based on the weight of majority solids component and water.
A low density snack food product including a majority solids component and a water component with the majority solids component including at least protein, said food product comprising:
- protein in the range of between about 25% and about 95% by weight of majority solids component and water, said protein being from seed crops including at least one of cereal grains and legumes, said protein including a majority by weight of soy protein and the soy protein including at least partially hydrolyzed soy protein and unhydrolyzed soy protein and wherein the at least partially hydrolyzed soy protein includes at least partially hydrolyzed soy isolates and the unhydrolyzed soy protein includes at least one of soy isolates, soy concentrates and soy flour;
- the majority solids component includes filler present in a ratio of filler to protein in the range of between about 5:95 and about 75:25 and wherein the at least partially hydrolyzed soy protein is present in a ratio of between about 80:20 and about 55:45 to unhydrolyzed soy protein;
- water in the range of between about 1% and about 7% by weight of solids and water;
- and
- said product being characterized by having a crisp texture, and a density in the range of between about 0.02 g/cc and about 0.15 g/cc based on the weight of solids component and water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.