Functional protein products

Claim 2

A functional protein product produced by the steps comprising: (a) base-treating nucleic acid-containing microbial yeast cells as an aqueous suspension of about 10 to 25 weight percent cells with ammonium or alkali metal hydroxide at a pH of about 9 to 9.5, a temperature of about 90° to 95° C., for a time of about 20 to 40 minutes, (b) water-washing the base-treated cells with water, (c) acid-treating the washed base-treated cells as an aqueous suspension of about 10 to 25 weight percent cells with sulfuric acid at a pH of about 3 to 5 for about 20 to 50 minutes at a temperature of about 80° to 95° C., (d) water-washing the acid-treated base-treated cells, (e) creaming the acid-treated base-treated microbial yeast cells by admixing with sufficient water to prepare a cream containing about 10 to 25 weight percent cells, and (f) heat-shocking said cream under heat-shock conditions at a temperature of about 110° C. to 160° C. for a time of about 40 to 200 seconds. thereby preparing a functional protein product.

Claim 3

The functional protein product according to claim 1 dried as a dried product.

Claim 4

A functional protein product according to claim 2 further including a food-grade colorant.

Claim 5

A functional protein product according to claim 2 admixed with water.

Claim 6

A functional protein product emulsion comprising said admixture of claim 51 in further admixture with at least one of a gas and an edible oil sufficient to produce a protein product emulsion.

Claim 7

A foodstuff incorporating the emulsion product of claim 5.

Claim 8

A functional protein product according to claim 1 further including a food-grade colorant.

Claim 9

A functional protein product emulsion comprising an admixture of said heat-shocked cream of claim 1 admixed with an edible oil sufficient to form therewith an emulsion of increased protein content.

Claim 10

A foodstuff containing the protein product emulsion of claim 8.

Claim 11

A functional protein product emulsion comprising said heat-shocked cream of claim 1 in admixture with at least one of a gas, an edible oil, and a food-grade colorant, sufficient to form a protein product emulsion.

Claim 12

A foodstuff containing the protein product emulsion of claim 10.

Claim 13

A foodstuff employing the protein product according to claim 1 wherein said dried functional protein product is admixed with a foodstuff to thereby augment the protein content of said foodstuff.

Claim 14

A functional protein product according to claim 1 wherein said yeast cells are from a genus of yeast selected from the group consisting of Candida, Hansenula, Torulopsis, Saccharomyces, Pichia, Kluyveromyces, and Kloeckera.

Claim 15

The functional protein product according to claim 13 wherein said microbial yeast cells are selected from species selected from the group consisting of: ______________________________________ Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Torulopsis methanosorbosa, Candida boidinii, Torulopsis methanothermo, Candida methanolica, Pichia lindnerii, Candida tropicalis, Pichia pastoris, Candida utilis, Pichia pinus, Torulopsis methanolovescens, Hansenula polymorpha, and Torulopsis methanophiles, Kluyveromyces fragilis. ______________________________________

Claim 16

The functional protein product according to claim 13 wherein said yeast cells are from species selected from the group consisting of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida utilis, and Pichia pastoris.

Claim 17

The functional protein product according to claim 1 wherein said cream in said step (e) contains about 12 to 20 weight percent cells, and wherein said heat-shocking step (f) is conducted at heat-shock conditions of about 120° to 140° C. temperature for a time of about 80 to 120 seconds.

Claim 18

The process of preparing a functional protein product by the steps comprising: (a) base-treating nucleic acid-containing microbial yeast cells as an aqueous suspension of about 10 to 25 weight percent cells with ammonium or alkali metal hydroxide at a pH of about 9 to 9.5, a temperature of about 90° to 95° C., for a time of about 20 to 40 minutes, (b) water-washing the base-treated cells, (c) acid-treating the washed base-treated cells as an aqueous suspension of about 10 to 25 weight percent cells with sulfuric acid at a pH of about 3 to 5 for about 20 to 50 minutes at a temperature of about 80° to 95° C., (d) water-washing the acid-treated base-treated cells, (e) creaming the acid-treated base-treated microbial yeast cells by admixing with sufficient water to prepare a cream containing about 10 to 25 weight percent cells, and thereby preparing a functional protein product.

Claim 19

The process of preparing a functional protein product by the steps comprising: (a) base-treating nucleic acid-containing microbial yeast cells as an aqueous suspension of about 10 to 25 weight percent cells with ammonium or alkali metal hydroxide at a pH of about 9 to 9.5, a temperature of about 90° to 95° C., for a time of about 20 to 40 minutes, (b) water-washing the base-treated cells, (c) acid-treating the washed base-treated cells as an aqueous suspension of about 10 to 25 weight percent cells with sulfuric acid at a pH of about 3 to 5 for about 20 to 50 minutes at a temperature of about 80° to 95° C., (d) water-washing the acid-treated base-treated cells, (e) creaming the acid-treated base-treated microbial yeast cells by admixing with sufficient water to prepare a cream containing about 10 to 25 weight percent cells, and thereby preparing a functional protein product.

Claim 20

The process according to claim 17 further drying said product as a dried product.

Claim 21

A process according to claim 18 further incorporating a food-grade colorant into the dried product.

Claim 22

The process of claim 18 further admixing said dried product with water, thereby forming a reconstituted cream.

Claim 23

The process according to claim 20 further whipping said reconstituted cream with at least one of a gas, an edible oil, and a food-grade colorant, to produce a protein product emulsion.

Claim 24

The process of claim 13 further incorporating said emulsion into a foodstuff.

Claim 25

A process according to claim 17 further incorporating food-grade colorant into the functional protein product.

Claim 26

The process according to claim 17 wherein said functional protein product is admixed with an edible oil to produce an emulsified edible oil.

Claim 27

The process according to claim 17 wherein said functional protein product is admixed with a foodstuff to thereby augment the protein content of said foodstuff.

Claim 28

The process according to claim 17 wherein said functional protein product further is admixed with at least one of a gas, an edible oil and a food-grade colorant to thereby form an emulsion.

Claim 29

The process according to claim 26 wherein said emulsion further is employed in admixture with a foodstuff.

Claim 30

The process of claim 64 further incorporating said functional protein product into a foodstuff.

Claim 31

The process according to claim 17 wherein said yeast cells are from a genus of yeast selected from the group consisting of Candida, Hansenula, Torulopsis, Saccharomyces, Pichia, Kluyveromyces, and Kloeckera.

Claim 32

The process according to claim 29 wherein said yeast cells are from species selected from the group consisting of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida utilis, and Pichia pastoris.

Claim 33

The process according to claim 17 wherein said cream contains about 12 to 20 weight percent cells, and said heat-shocking step (f) is conducted at heat-shock conditions of about 120° to 140° C. temperature for a time of about 80 to 120 seconds.