Simulated food product and method of manufacture therefor
AssigneeThe Quaker Oats Company
InventorsJohn R. Smith, Gerhard O. J. Fischer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Simulated food products in the form of discrete shape-retaining pieces having a calcium alginate gel matrix, and in particular simulated meat petfoods, are made from a mixture produced by mixing (a) an aqueous slurry comprising a comminuted food material and having a water-soluble alginate salt dissolved therein, with (b) a slurry, usually aqueous, of a calcium salt sparingly soluble in water having a monohydric or polyhydric alcohol or a sugar comprised therein as a retardant; and thereafter allowing the mixture to gel. The alcohol may be isopropyl alcohol, glycerol, propylene glycol or butylene glycol. Corn syrup, sucrose or a mixture of sugars may be used as the sugar.
Claims14
A method of forming a food product in the form of shape-retaining pieces which comprises the steps of:
- (a) producing an equeous slurry of comminuted food material having a water-soluble alginate salt dissolved therein,
- (b) producing a slurry of a sparingly water-soluble calcium salt including as a retarding agent a member selected from the group consisting of sugar, a monohydric alcohol and a polyhydric alcohol,
- (c) mixing the slurries of step (a) and (b) for a time period of less than 30 seconds,
- (d) allowing the resulting mixture of step (c) to gel;
- and
- (e) cutting into pieces the product of step (d), said water soluble alginate salt being present in an amount of from 0.3 to 5.0 percent by weight of said product.
Simulated food pieces in the form of shape-retaining pieces comprising a uniformly distributed calcium alginate gel matrix, manufactured by reacting a sparingly soluble calcium salt suspended in an aqueous solution including a retarding agent selected from the group consisting of a sugar, polyhydric alcohol and monohydric alcohol together with a slurry of comminuted meaty materials containing an alginate derivative.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.