US 4,994,285 A · Edible body and process for preparation thereof

Abstract

An edible body composed of a cellulose having a crystal form of cellulose II, which is regenerated from an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide, and at least one guest component selected from polypeptides and edible polysaccharides. The cellulose II or a homogeneous mixture of the cellulose II and polysaccharide is present in the form of a sea component or a continuous phase in an amount of at least 10% based on the edible body. The edible body is made by adding at least one guest component selected from polypeptides, polysaccharides and living body constituents composed mainly thereof to an alkali solution in which up to 50 parts by weight of an undissolved cellulose is swollen and dispersed per 100 parts by weight of a dissolved cellulose, directly or after dissolution in an aqueous solution of an alkali, to form a dope in which at least 50% by weight of the total guest component is dissolved, extruding the dope through an extruder, coagulating the extrudate, and neutralizing, water-washing and, if necessary, drying the extrudate.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An edible body consisting essentially of a structural body comprising a cellulose having a crystal form of cellulose II, which is regenerated from an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide, and at least one guest component selected from the group consisting of a polypeptide and an edible polysaccharide;

said polypeptide being selected from the group consisting of soybean protein, casein, albumin, globulin and gelatin, their sodium, potassium and calcium salts, and their hydrolyzed products, and said edible polysaccharide being selected from the group consisting of gum arabic, arabinogalactan, alginic acid, gum ghatti, carrageenin, karaya gum, xanthane gum, guar gum, devil's-tongue powder, tamarind gum, tala gum, tragacanth gum, furcellaran, pullulane, pectin, chitin, locust bean gum, xylan, mannan and starches, and sodium, potassium and calcium salts thereof;
wherein the structural body is in the form of islands-in-the-sea and the cellulose II or a homogeneous mixture of the cellulose II and the polysaccharide is present as the sea component or a continuous phase in an amount of at least 10% based on the structural body.

A process for the preparation of an edible body, which comprises the steps of:

dissolving cellulose in an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide to prepare a cellulose solution in which the cellulose is completely dissolved or in which up to 50 parts by weight of swollen and undissolved cellulose is dispersed per 100 parts by weight of dissolved cellulose,
incorporating with the cellulose solution at least one guest component selected form the group consisting of a polypeptide, an edible polysaccharide and an edible material which is derived from a plant, an animal or a microorganism and mainly composed of polypeptide or polysaccharide;
said polypeptide being selected from the group consisting of soybean protein, casein, albumin, globulin and gelatin, their sodium, potassium and calcium salts, and their hydrolyzed products, and said edible polysaccharide being selected from the group consisting of gum arabic, arabino galactan, alginic acid, gum ghatti, carrageenan, karaya gum, xanthane gum, guar gu, devil's-tongue powder, tamarind gum, tala gum, tragacanth gum, phaseleran, pulleulane, pecytin, chitin, locust beam gum, furcellaran and starches, and sodium, potassium and calcium salts thereof, said gudiest component being incorporated directly or in the form of a solution in an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide, to form a dope in which at least 50% by weight of the total guest component is dissolved;
extruding the dope through an extruder;
coagulating the extrudate;
and
neutralizing, water-washing and optionally drying the extrudate.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Edible body and process for preparation thereof

Life of this patent

Edible body and process for preparation thereof

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19