Edible xanthan gum-protein fibrous complexes

A method for manufacturing edible protein fibers comprising the steps of providing an aqueous protein fiber generating solution comprising a solubilized edible protein component selected from the group consisting of soy protein, peanut protein, casein, egg protein, cottonseed protein, sunflower protein, pea protein and mixtures thereof, and a solubilized xanthan gum hydrocolloid component selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum, xanthan gum/hydrocolloid adducts and mixtures thereof, the weight ratio of said xanthan gum to said protein component being in the range of from about 1:4 to about 1:10, and the total weight of said solubilized edible protein component and said solubilized xanthan gum hydrocolloid component being in the range of from about 0.1 to about 4 weight percent, based on the total weight of said aqueous protein fiber generating solution, adjusting the pH of the fiber generating solution while mixing said solution to provide xanthan-protein fibers and a whey solution, and separating the fibers from the whey solution.