Microfragmented ionic polysaccharide/protein complex dispersions

A method for producing microfragmented ionic polysaccharide/protein complex dispersions comprising the steps of forming an aqueous suspension of a syneresed molecularly intimately entangled complexed ionic polysaccharide/protein complex precipitate, conducting said syneresed complex suspension through a zone of high shear to fragment the complex under sufficient conditions of shear and duration to reduce substantially all of said complex to ionic polysaccharide/protein complex microfragments having a maximum dimension of less than about 15 microns.

A method for preparing a smooth, creamy dispersion of ionic polysaccharide/protein complex particles of very small size comprising the steps of forming an aqueous complex generating solution of a solubilized protein component and a complexing ionic polysacchrride component for the protein component, comprising from about 1 to about 30 weight percent solids based on the toal weight of the solution, providing a hydrophobic working liquid which is immiscible with the aqueous complex generating solution, forming a water-in-oil liquid emulsion of the aqueous-complex-generating solution in the hydrophobic working liquid, adjusting the pH of the emulsified aqueous complex-generating solution emulsified in the hydrophobic working liquid to form precipitated complex particles in the emulsified aqueous phase and separating the precipitated complex particles from the hydrophobic liquid to provide a polysaccharide/protein complex having a very small particle size.

A method for manufacturing edible lambda carrageenan/protein complex fibers comprising the steps of providing an aqueous fiber generating solution comprising a solubilized edible protein component and a solubilized lambda carrageenan component, the weight ratio of said carrageenan to said protein component being in the range of from about 1:2 to about 1:15 and wherein the total weight of said solubilized edible protein component and said solubilized lambda carrageenan component is in the range of from about 0.1 to about 8 weight percent, based on the total weight of said aqueous fiber generating solution, adjusting the pH of the fiber generating solution to the isoelectric point of an insoluble lambda carrageenan/protein complex while mixing said fiber generating solution to precipitate carrageenan/protein complex fibers and provide a whey solution, and separating the fibers from the whey solution.

A method for manufacturing edible carboxymethyl cellulose/protein complex fibers comprising the steps of providing an aqueous fiber generating solution comprising a solubilized edible protein component and a solubilized carboxymethyl cellulose component having a degree of substitution of about 0.9, the weight ratio of said carboxymethyl cellulose component to said protein component being in the range of from about 1:2 to about 1:15 and wherein the total weight of said solubilized edible protein component and said solubilized carboxymehtyl cellulose component is in the range of from about 0.1 to about 8 weight percent, based on the total weight of said aqueous fiber generating solution, adjusting the pH of the fiber generating solution to the isoelectric point of an insoluble carboxymethyl cellulose/protein complex while mixing said fiber generating solution to precipitate carboxymethyl cellulose/protein complex fibers and provide a whey solution, and separating the fibers from the whey solution.

An aqueous, microfragmented ionic polysaccharide/protein complex dispersion comprising from about 1 to about 50 weight percent of an insolubilized, hydrated, microfragmented ionic polysaccharide/protein complex discontinuous phase dispersed throughout a continuous aqueous phase, said discontinuous microfragmented ionic polysaccharide/protein complex phase comprising irregularly shaped microfragments of a hydrated complex having an ionic polysaccharide to protein weight ratio in the range of from about 2:1 to about 1:15, said ionic polysaccharide/protein microfragments having a particle size distribution such that substantially all of said microfragments have a maximum dimension of less than about 15 microns.

An aqueous, microfragmented anisotropic xanthan/protein complex dispersion comprising from about 1 to about 50 weight percent of an insolubilized, hydrated, microfragmented anisotropic xanthan/protein discontinuous phase dispersed throughout a continuous aqueous phase, said discontinuous microfragmented xanthan/protein complex phase comprising irregularly shaped microfragments of an anisotropic hydrated complex having a xanthan to protein weight ratio in the range of from about 2:1 to about 1:15, said xanthan/protein microfragments having a particle size distribution such that substantially all of said microfragments have a maximum dimension of less than about 15 microns.

An aqueous, microfragmented anisotropic carboxymethyl cellulose/protein complex dispersion comprising from about 1 to about 50 weight percent of an insolubilized, hydrated, microfragmented anisotropic carboxymethyl cellulose/protein discontinuous phase dispersed throughout a continuous aqueous phase, said discontinuous microfragmented carboxymethyl cellulose/protein complex phase comprising irregularly shaped microfragments of an anisotropic hydrated complex having a carboxymethyl cellulose to protein weight ratio in the range of from about 2:1 to about 1:15, said carboxymethyl cellulose/protein microfragments having a particle size distribution such that substantially all of said microfragments have a maximum dimension of less than about 15 microns, and wherein at least about 90 percent by weight of hydrated microfragments of the aqueous dispersion have a volume of less than 5.times.10.sup.10 cubic centimeters and have a maximum linear dimension of less than about 7 microns.

A frozen dessert composition comprising from about 10 percent edible fat, from about 1 to about 10 percent microfragmented carboxymethyl cellulose/protein complex dispersion or carrageenan/protein complex dispersion, from about 1 to about 9 percent by weight of protein, from about 10 to about 30 percent by weight of a saccharide component, and from about 45 percent to about 85 percent water.

A food dressing comprising from about 0.25 to about 30 percent by weight of a microfragmented carboxymethyl cellulose/protein complex dispersion or carrageenan/protein complex dispersion, from about 0 to about 50 percent by weight of edible oil or fat, and from about 20 to about 96 percent by weight water.

A processed comminuted meat product comprising from about 5 to about 16 weight percent of meat or vegetable protein, from about 0 to about 25 weight percent animal or vegetable fat, from about 2 to about 30 weight percent of a microfragmented ionic polysaccharide/protein complex, and from about 35 to about 75 weiqht percent water, based on the total weight of said comminuted meat product.

A baked sweet dough product having reduced shortening content, comprising a product baked from a sweet dough comprising from about 15 to about 60 percent flour, from about 1 to about 3 percent yeast, from about 10 to about 15 to about 40 percent water, from a bout 3.5 to about 15 percent of a sugar, or mixture of sugars, and from about 1 to about 10 percent by weight of a microfragmented ionic polysaccharide/protein complex dispersion, less than about 5 weight percent of triglycerides, and having a water activity of greater than 0.9.