Method of modifying the conformation of food and feed proteins

A method of modifying the conformation of plant proteins of cereal, vegetable or oil-seed origin for increasing their biological utilization, which consists essentially of:

• (a) treating said plant protein in dry form with agitation in gaseous hydrogen chloride for a period of about 1 to 1.5 minutes sufficient to increase the digestibility of said plant protein without bringing the protein into solution or suspension, said gaseous hydrogen chloride lowers the pH to a value between 1.7 and 2.3 as measured in a 20% w/v aqueous suspension;
• and
• (b) raising the pH of said plant protein to a value between 4 and 7 by adding calcium hydroxide, so that the moisture content of said plant protein is increased up to 50% by weight.