Fortified high protein food & production method
AssigneeErie Group International, Inc.
InventorsJames M. Klein, Craig Air
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fortified high protein food may be produced via an extrusion process whereby acid casein is mixed with whey protein, alkali, water, and one or more additive, which additive may be configured as a vitamin or mineral. Upon exiting the extruder, the mixture may be cut, dried, and/or tempered, milled and screened before being further processed or packaged. The final product may be configured as a crisp high protein food or a powdered high protein food.
Claims20
A fortified high protein food produced by a process of extruding a mixture of acid casein, whey protein, water, and an alkali capable of neutralizing said acid casein, wherein said alkali is selected from a group consisting of sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium sequicarbonate, sodium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, potassium hydroxide, and potassium carbonate, wherein said fortified high protein food contains at least 60 to 65% protein by weight on a dry basis, wherein a protein content of said fortified high protein food is from 15% to 35% by weight whey protein and from 65% to 85% by weight casein, wherein said fortified high protein food has a protein profile similar to that of cow's milk, wherein said fortified high protein food does not include a protein source other than said casein and said whey protein, and wherein said fortified high protein food is fortified with a first nutrient.
A method for producing a fortified high protein food, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) creating a mixture of from 65 to 85 percent by weight of a casein protein and from 15 to 35 percent by weight of a whey protein;
- b) introducing said mixture into an extruder;
- c) adding water to said extruder to create a second mixture such that said second mixture is from 3 to 30 percent by weight water;
- d) adding a nutrient to said extruder to create a third mixture;
- e) forcing said third mixture through a die engaged with said extruder to create a plurality of cut pieces;
- f) allowing said third mixture to expand in an environment with ambient pressure and temperature;
- and,
- g) removing moisture from said plurality of cut pieces such that the moisture content of said plurality of cut pieces is from 0.5% (one-half percent) to 12% (twelve percent) by weight, wherein a protein content of said plurality of cut pieces is 60% (sixty percent) or greater by weight, and wherein said fortified high protein food produced by said method does not include a protein source other than said casein protein and said whey protein.
A method for adjusting a texture of a high protein food, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) creating a mixture of from 65 to 85 percent by weight of a casein protein and from 15 to 35 percent by weight of a whey protein;
- b) introducing said mixture into an extruder;
- c) adding water to said extruder to create a second mixture such that said second mixture is from 3 to 30 percent by weight water;
- d) adding dry ice to said extruder to create a third mixture;
- e) forcing said third mixture through a die engaged with said extruder to create a plurality of cut pieces;
- f) allowing said third mixture to expand in an environment with ambient pressure and temperature;
- and,
- g) removing moisture from said plurality of cut pieces such that the moisture content of said plurality of cut pieces is from 0.5% (one-half percent) to 12% (twelve percent) by weight, wherein a protein content of said plurality of cut pieces is 90% (ninety percent) or greater by weight, and wherein said high protein food produced by said method does not include a protein source other than said casein protein and said whey protein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.