Expanded protein lattice food product and method of making

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PREPARING AN ECONOMICAL CHUNK-TYPE COMPLETE MAINTENANCE CANNED FOOD COMPOSITION WHICH INCORPORATES EXPANDED SOYBEAN FIBER CHUNKS TO SIMULATE NATURAL MEAT CHUNKS IN FLAVOUR AND MASTICATION PROPERTIES COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: GRINDING RAW ANIMAL MEAT CONTAINING PROTEINACEOUS MATERIALS TO PARTICLES OF A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM SIZE; PRECOOKING THE GROUND MEAT AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 160* TO 175*F.; MIXING EXPANDED SOYBEAN FIBER CHUNKS HAVING AN EXPANDED FIBROUS LATTICE WITH MOISTURE, OILS AND FLAVORS THEREWITH; COOKING SAID CHUNKS WITH SAID PARTICLES OF MEAT, FLAVORS, MOISTURE AND OILS AT A TEMPERATURE OF 160* TO 185*F. FOR A TIME WHICH IS AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO COAGULATE THE NATURAL MEAT PROTEIN PARTICLES TO IMPREGNATE THE EXPANDED FIBROUS LATTICE OF THE SOYBEAN FIBER CHUNKS WITH FLAVOR COMPONENTS OF SAID PARTICLES OF MEAT, FLAVORS, AND OILS TO IMPART THE NATURAL MEAT TEXTURE AND FLAVOR THERETO, SAID MOISTURE CONTENT BEING AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO ALLOW ABSORPTION OF SAID FLAVORS AND OILS AND CAUSE SAID PARTICLES OF MEAT TO ADHERE TO THE SURFACE OF SAID CHUNKS; MIXING SAID IMPREGNATED CHUNKS WITH NUTRITIONAL MATERIALS TO FORM A NUTRITIONALLY BALANCED FOOD COMPOSITION, PACKING SAID FOOD COMPOSITION INTO A CAN; HEATING SAID CAN TO ABOUT 245* - 250*F. AND ABOUT 15 P.S.I. FOR ABOUT 65 MINUTES TO COOK AND STERLIZE SAID FOOD COMPOSITION.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PREPARING AN ECONOMICAL CHUNK-TYPE COMPLETE MAINTENANCE CANNED FOOD COMPOSITION WHICH INCORPORATES EXPANDED SOYBEAN FIBER CHUNKS TO SIMULATE NATURAL MEAT CHUNKS IN FLAVOUR AND MASTICATION PROPERTIES COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: GRINDING RAW ANIMAL MEAT CONTAINING PROTEINACEOUS MATERIALS TO PARTICLES OF A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM SIZE; PRECOOKING THE GROUND MEAT AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 160* TO 175*F.; MIXING EXPANDED SOYBEAN FIBER CHUNKS HAVING AN EXPANDED FIBROUS LATTICE WITH MOISTURE, OILS AND FLAVORS THEREWITH; COOKING SAID CHUNKS WITH SAID PARTICLES OF MEAT, FLAVORS, MOISTURE AND OILS AT A TEMPERATURE OF 160* TO 185*F. FOR A TIME WHICH IS AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO COAGULATE THE NATURAL MEAT PROTEIN PARTICLES TO IMPREGNATE THE EXPANDED FIBROUS LATTICE OF THE SOYBEAN FIBER CHUNKS WITH FLAVOR COMPONENTS OF SAID PARTICLES OF MEAT, FLAVORS, AND OILS TO IMPART THE NATURAL MEAT TEXTURE AND FLAVOR THERETO, SAID MOISTURE CONTENT BEING AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO ALLOW ABSORPTION OF SAID FLAVORS AND OILS AND CAUSE SAID PARTICLES OF MEAT TO ADHERE TO THE SURFACE OF SAID CHUNKS; MIXING SAID IMPREGNATED CHUNKS WITH NUTRITIONAL MATERIALS TO FORM A NUTRITIONALLY BALANCED FOOD COMPOSITION, PACKING SAID FOOD COMPOSITION INTO A CAN; HEATING SAID CAN TO ABOUT 245* - 250*F. AND ABOUT 15 P.S.I. FOR ABOUT 65 MINUTES TO COOK AND STERLIZE SAID FOOD COMPOSITION.

Claim 7

The method of preparing an economical, chunk type, complete maintenance, canned food composition which incorporates expanded soybean fiber chunks having an expanded fibrous meatlike lattice to simulate natural meat chunks in flavor and mastication properties, comprising the steps of: grinding raw animal meat containing proteinaceous material to particles of a substantially uniform size; precooking the ground meat at temperature of about 160* to 175*F.; mixing with said meat particles expanded soybean fiber chunks at about 8 - 10 percent by weight of the food composition to impregnate the expanded meat-like lattice of the chunks, adding moisture in an amount of between about 50 - 94 percent by weight of the food composition''s moisture content, oils, and flavors; cooking said fiber chunks with said particles of meat, flavors, moisture, and oils with steam at a temperature between about 160* to 185*F. for a time which is at least sufficient to coagulate the natural meat protein particles to impregnate said chunks with flavor components of said particles of meat, flavors, and oils and impart a natural meat texture and flavor thereto, said moisture content being at least sufficient to allow absorption of said flavors and oils and cause said particles of meat to adhere to the surface of said chunks; mixing said impregnated chunks with nutritional materials to form a nutritionally balanced food composition, packing said food composition into a can; and heating said can at a temperature of about 250*F. for about 65 minutes to cook and sterilize said food composition.

Claim 8

The method of preparing an economical, chunk type, complete maintenance, canned food composition which incorporates expanded soybean fiber chunks having an expanded fibrous meatlike lattice to simulate natural meat chunks in flavor and mastication properties, comprising the steps of: grinding raw animal meat containing proteinaceous material to particles of a substantially uniform size; precooking the ground meat at temperature of about 160* to 175*F.; mixing with said meat particles expanded soybean fiber chunks at about 8 - 10 percent by weight of the food composition to impregnate the expanded meat-like lattice of the chunks, adding moisture in an amount of between about 50 - 94 percent by weight of the food composition''s moisture content, oils, and flavors; cooking said fiber chunks with said particles of meat, flavors, moisture, and oils with steam at a temperature between about 160* to 185*F. for a time which is at least sufficient to coagulate the natural meat protein particles to impregnate said chunks with flavor components of said particles of meat, flavors, and oils and impart a natural meat texture and flavor thereto, said moisture content being at least sufficient to allow absorption of said flavors and oils and cause said particles of meat to adhere to the surface of said chunks; mixing said impregnated chunks with nutritional materials to form a nutritionally balanced food composition, packing said food composition into a can; and heating said can at a temperature of about 250*F. for about 65 minutes to cook and sterilize said food composition.

Claim 9

The method of preparing an economical chunk-type complete maintenance canned animal food composition which incorporates expanded soybean fiber chunks to simulate natural meat chunks in flavor and mastication properties comprising the steps of: heating a mixture which comprises expanded soybean fiber chunks having an expanded fibrous lattice, moisture, nutritious materials, and flavors to a temperature of between about 160* to 175*F.; adding ground raw animal meat particles of a substantially uniform size to said mixture; cooking said chunks with said particles of meat, flavors and moisture at a temperature of 160* to 185*F. for a time which is at least sufficient to impregnate the expanded fibrous lattice of the fiber chunks with flavor components of said particles of meat to impart a natural meat texture and flavor thereto; said moisture content being at least sufficient to allow absorption of said flavors and cause said particles of meat to adhere to the surface of said chunks; packing said food composition in a can and heating said can to about 245* - 250*F. and about 15 p.s.i. for about 65 minutes to cook and sterilize said food composition.

Claim 10

The method of preparing an economical chunk-type complete maintenance canned animal food composition which incorporates expanded soybean fiber chunks to simulate natural meat chunks in flavor and mastication properties comprising the steps of: heating a mixture which comprises expanded soybean fiber chunks having an expanded fibrous lattice, moisture, nutritious materials, and flavors to a temperature of between about 160* to 175*F.; adding ground raw animal meat particles of a substantially uniform size to said mixture; cooking said chunks with said particles of meat, flavors and moisture at a temperature of 160* to 185*F. for a time which is at least sufficient to impregnate the expanded fibrous lattice of the fiber chunks with flavor components of said particles of meat to impart a natural meat texture and flavor thereto; said moisture content being at least sufficient to allow absorption of said flavors and cause said particles of meat to adhere to the surface of said chunks; packing said food composition in a can and heating said can to about 245* - 250*F. and about 15 p.s.i. for about 65 minutes to cook and sterilize said food composition.