ES378568A1 - Protein fibre formation - Google Patents

Abstract

Protein fibres suitable for use in the preparation of foodstuffs are produced by a process in which a confined, flowing slurry of a proteinaceous material, suitably of vegetable, animal, microbial or petro-protein, is heated under a pressure and at a temperature sufficient to coagulate the protein, thereby forming fibres in the slurry which emerges through an. orifice into a collecting zone. Preferably the slurry is an aqueous one containing 0.3 to 35% by weight solids, of which at least 70% by weight is protein, which flows through a pipe, whose smallest diameter is between 0À2 and 0À5 inch, under a pressure of at least 50 p.s.i.g. and at a temperature of not less than 165 F. To assist the reaction, which is believed to involve the inter-reaction of protein molecules to form elongated multi-molecular polymers which are oriented into an elongated fibre structure by the shear involved in the flow of the slurry in the pipe, cross-linking agents, suitably salts or hydroxides of bi- or tri-valent metals, and trisodium phosphate may be added to the slurry, the pH of which is preferably adjusted to be in the range 4-11. In examples aqueous slurries of soy protein, from soybean flakes or flour, containing calcium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide or sodium phosphate are treated with sulphuric, citric or phosphoric acid to lower their pH to between 4 and 6 and pumped at pressures of from 200 to 5000 p.s.i.g. and temperatures between 240 and 310 F. through a narrow bore tube to produce protein fibres. Other examples relate to similar treatment of hydrochloric acid-precipitated casein and turkey meat.