Protein partial degradation products

A food product comprising:

• (a) a food-stuff;
• and
• (b) a protein partial degradation product that is derived from a grain protein selected from the group consisting of wheat protein, barley protein, corn protein, bean protein, and combinations of the foregoing wherein the protein partial degradation product is a powder characterized by:
• (i) a weight average molecular weight, according to the Gel filtration method, of from 670-79,000;
• (ii) an ultraviolet absorption .lambda.max of from about 260 to about 280 nm and an infrared absorption of about 1400, 1630, and 3400 cm.sup.-1 ;
• (iii) an isoelectric point of from about pH 3.9 to about pH 5.0;
• (iv) a buffering action such that 2-25 ml of IN-hydrochloric acid is required to lower the pH of 100 ml of a 5% by weight aqueous solution of the protein partial degradation product from 6 to 2;
• (v) solubility in water and insolubility in methanol, ethanol, acetone and ethyl ether;
• (vi) a pale yellow to red brown color;
• (vii) showing coloration Xanthoprotein reaction and Ninhydrin reaction;
• (viii) a surface tension-reducing capacity such that the surface tension of pure water at 25.degree. C. is reduced to 50 dyne/cm or less, as measured by du Noiiy's tensiometer, by adding 0.1% by weight of the protein partial degradation product to the pure water;
• and
• (ix) an emulsifying capacity such that 100 g of a mixture of water and soya bean oil, containing at least 30% by weight of soya bean oil, can be emulsified completely by adding 1 g. of the protein partial degradation product to the mixture.