Soft textured dry protein product and method for forming same

Claim 1

A METHOD OF TREATING A PROTEIN-CONTAINING VEGETABLE MATERIAL TO FORM A SOFT DRY TEXTURED EXPANDED FOOD PRODUCT COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: PROVIDING A PROTEIN SOURCE MATERIAL OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF OILSEED MEALS, ANIMAL. FISH AND POULTRY BY-PRODUCT MEALS. AND MICROBIAL PROTEIN HAVING AN EQUILIBRIUM MOISTURE CONTENT AND A PROTEIN CONTENT BETWEEN ABOUT 30 AND 75% BY WEIGHT, MIXING AN ORGANIC PLASTICIZING SOLVENT WEIGHT IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONISTING OF GLYCEROL, PROPYLENE GLYCOL AND MIXTURES THEREOF AT A LEVEL OF BETWEEN ABOUT 10 AND 50% BY WEIGHT OF THE MIXTURE AND THEREAFTER SAID MIXTURE IS HEATED TO AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE ABOVE 212*F. AND WHILE APPLYING ELEVATED PRESSURES FOR TIME PERIOD SUFFICIENT TO CONVERT SAID MIXTURE INTO A FLOWABLE SUBSTANCE, THEN FORCING THE HEATED, PRESSURIZED, PLASTICIZED, MECHANICALLY WORKED MATERIAL THROUGH FIRST RESTRICTED ORIFICE MEANS, MAINTAINING THE MATERIAL UNDER ELEVATED TEMPERATURES AND PRESSURES AS IT EMERGES FROM SAID FIRST RESTRICTED ORIFICE MEANS, AND THEN EXTRUDING THE MATERIAL THROUGH SECOND RESTRICTED ORIFICE MEANS INTO AN ENVIRONMENT OF A PRESSURE SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN SAID ELEVATED PRESSURES CAUSING EXPANSION OF THE PRODUCT WITH EVAPORATION OF AT LEAST PART OF THE MOISTURE AND THE FORMATION OF THE EXPANDED SAFT DRY FOOD PRODUCT HAVING A RESIDUAL WATER CONTENT OF BETWEEN ABOUT 3-7% BY WEIGHT AS IT EMERGES FROM THE EXTRUDER.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF TREATING A PROTEIN-CONTAINING VEGETABLE MATERIAL TO FORM A SOFT DRY TEXTURED EXPANDED FOOD PRODUCT COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: PROVIDING A PROTEIN SOURCE MATERIAL OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF OILSEED MEALS, ANIMAL. FISH AND POULTRY BY-PRODUCT MEALS. AND MICROBIAL PROTEIN HAVING AN EQUILIBRIUM MOISTURE CONTENT AND A PROTEIN CONTENT BETWEEN ABOUT 30 AND 75% BY WEIGHT, MIXING AN ORGANIC PLASTICIZING SOLVENT WEIGHT IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONISTING OF GLYCEROL, PROPYLENE GLYCOL AND MIXTURES THEREOF AT A LEVEL OF BETWEEN ABOUT 10 AND 50% BY WEIGHT OF THE MIXTURE AND THEREAFTER SAID MIXTURE IS HEATED TO AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE ABOVE 212*F. AND WHILE APPLYING ELEVATED PRESSURES FOR TIME PERIOD SUFFICIENT TO CONVERT SAID MIXTURE INTO A FLOWABLE SUBSTANCE, THEN FORCING THE HEATED, PRESSURIZED, PLASTICIZED, MECHANICALLY WORKED MATERIAL THROUGH FIRST RESTRICTED ORIFICE MEANS, MAINTAINING THE MATERIAL UNDER ELEVATED TEMPERATURES AND PRESSURES AS IT EMERGES FROM SAID FIRST RESTRICTED ORIFICE MEANS, AND THEN EXTRUDING THE MATERIAL THROUGH SECOND RESTRICTED ORIFICE MEANS INTO AN ENVIRONMENT OF A PRESSURE SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN SAID ELEVATED PRESSURES CAUSING EXPANSION OF THE PRODUCT WITH EVAPORATION OF AT LEAST PART OF THE MOISTURE AND THE FORMATION OF THE EXPANDED SAFT DRY FOOD PRODUCT HAVING A RESIDUAL WATER CONTENT OF BETWEEN ABOUT 3-7% BY WEIGHT AS IT EMERGES FROM THE EXTRUDER.

Claim 3

A method of converting a protein-containing material into a soft dry expanded food product comprising the steps of providing a material from the group consisting of oilseed meal, animal, fish and poultry by-product meal, and microbial protein, having a protein content of between about 30 and 75% by weight, and an equilibrium moisture content; mixing an organic plasticizing solvent which is selected from the group consisting of glycerol, propylene glycol and mixtures thereof, at a level of between about 10% by weight but less than about 50% by weight of the mixture, and thereafter mechanically working the mixture while simultaneously heating it to a temperature of at least above 212*F. for a period of time sufficient to convert said mixture into a flowable subsTance while also applying an elevated pressure thereto; and then extruding the mechanically worked, heated and pressurized mixture through restricted orifice means into an environment of a pressure substantially lower than said elevated pressure to expand the material into a soft dry food product having a residual water content of between about 3-7% by weight as it emerges from the extruder.

Claim 4

A method of converting a protein-containing material into a soft dry expanded food product comprising the steps of providing a material from the group consisting of oilseed meal, animal, fish and poultry by-product meal, and microbial protein, having a protein content of between about 30 and 75% by weight, and an equilibrium moisture content; mixing an organic plasticizing solvent which is selected from the group consisting of glycerol, propylene glycol and mixtures thereof, at a level of between about 10% by weight but less than about 50% by weight of the mixture, and thereafter mechanically working the mixture while simultaneously heating it to a temperature of at least above 212*F. for a period of time sufficient to convert said mixture into a flowable subsTance while also applying an elevated pressure thereto; and then extruding the mechanically worked, heated and pressurized mixture through restricted orifice means into an environment of a pressure substantially lower than said elevated pressure to expand the material into a soft dry food product having a residual water content of between about 3-7% by weight as it emerges from the extruder.

Claim 7

A method of producing a soft, dry expanded food product comprising the steps of: providing a protein source material from the group consisting of oilseed meals, animal, fish and poultry by-product meals and microbial protein having an equilibrium moisture content of less than about 12% by weight and a protein content between about 30 and 75% by weight, mixing an edible organic solvent with said material which is selected from the group consisting of glycerol, propylene glycol, and mixtures thereof at a level of between about 10 and 50% by weight of the mixture while maintaining the moisture content of said mixture less than about 12% by weight, applying elevated pressures and simultaneously heating said mixture while the moisture content of said mixture is substantially maintained to an elevated temperature above about 212*F. for a period of time sufficient to convert said material into a flowable substance and then extruding the heated pressurized mixture through restricted orifice means into an environment of substantially lower pressure causing expansion of the material to form an expanded dry food product which is soft in texture.

Claim 8

A method of producing a soft, dry expanded food product comprising the steps of: providing a protein source material from the group consisting of oilseed meals, animal, fish and poultry by-product meals and microbial protein having an equilibrium moisture content of less than about 12% by weight and a protein content between about 30 and 75% by weight, mixing an edible organic solvent with said material which is selected from the group consisting of glycerol, propylene glycol, and mixtures thereof at a level of between about 10 and 50% by weight of the mixture while maintaining the moisture content of said mixture less than about 12% by weight, applying elevated pressures and simultaneously heating said mixture while the moisture content of said mixture is substantially maintained to an elevated temperature above about 212*F. for a period of time sufficient to convert said material into a flowable substance and then extruding the heated pressurized mixture through restricted orifice means into an environment of substantially lower pressure causing expansion of the material to form an expanded dry food product which is soft in texture.

Claim 24

A method of producing a soft, dry expanded food product comprising the steps of: providing a protein source material from the group consisting of oilseed meals, animal, fish and poultry by-product meals and microbial protein having an equilibrium moisture content of less than about 12% by weight and a protein content between about 30 and 75% by weight, preparing a mixture consisting of the protein material, and an edible organic solvent selected from the group consisting of glycerol, propylene glycol and mixtures thereof at a level of about 10-50% by weight of the mixture and thereafter subjecting the mixture to elevated pressure while simultaneously heating the mixture to an elevated temperature above about 212*F. for a period of time sufficient to convert said material into a flowable substance and then extruding the heated pressurized mixture through restricted orifice means into an environment of substantially lower pressure causing expansion of the material to form an expanded dry food product which is soft in texture.

Claim 25

A method of producing a soft, dry expanded food product comprising the steps of: providing a protein source material from the group consisting of oilseed meals, animal, fish and poultry by-product meals and microbial protein having an equilibrium moisture content of less than about 12% by weight and a protein content between about 30 and 75% by weight, preparing a mixture consisting of the protein material, and an edible organic solvent selected from the group consisting of glycerol, propylene glycol and mixtures thereof at a level of about 10-50% by weight of the mixture and thereafter subjecting the mixture to elevated pressure while simultaneously heating the mixture to an elevated temperature above about 212*F. for a period of time sufficient to convert said material into a flowable substance and then extruding the heated pressurized mixture through restricted orifice means into an environment of substantially lower pressure causing expansion of the material to form an expanded dry food product which is soft in texture.