GB1604677A

GB1604677A - Edible product containing protein fibres

Info

Publication number: GB1604677A
Application number: GB4525077A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Biotechnical Processes Ltd
Current assignee: Biotechnical Processes Ltd
Priority date: 1978-05-31
Filing date: 1978-05-31
Publication date: 1981-12-16

Description

(54) EDIBLE PRODUCT CONTAINING PROTEIN FIBRES (71) We, BIOTECHNICAL PROCESSES L1MITED, a British Company of Hffisborough House, Ashley, Tiverton, Devon EX16 5PA, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a process for the production of a texturised protein composition which involves the utilization of a combination of short and long protein fibres, and is an improvement in or modification of the invention disclosed in Patent Application 13709/76 and 14779/76 (Serial No. 1596271).

In the specifications of our Patent Application 13709/76 and 14779/76 (Serial No.

1596271) there is described and claimed a process for the preparation of a texturised protein composition from spun protein fibres which comprises stacking or winding a plurality of spun protein fibres in the form of grouped fibres formations, as defined therein, or assemblies of grouped fibre formations, in substantially planar sheet form, incorporating therebetween discrete layers of largely untexturised matrix comprising a binding agent with or without inclusion of chopped spun fibres to form a layered structure comprising alternate layers of fibres and matrix, the fibre layers being either continuous or discontinuous, and additionally either (i) incorporating in the said product natural edible vegetable fibres that are not substantially aligned with the spun protein fibres or (ii) incorporating in the said product chopped lengths of spun protein fibres which are only partially aligned with each other or are randomly orientated or (iii) orientating the fibres in the said product, so that one or more grouped fibre formations, or a plurality or layer of grouped fibres formations, is or are set at an angle to at least one other grouped fibre formation, or plurality or layer of grouped fibre formations, or (iv) any combination of two or more of steps (i), (ii) or (iii).

The said process is effective in imparting to the texturised protein composition a very satisfactory degree of meat resemblance.

A grouped fibre formation is defined as a group of spun protein fibres of any length and any cross-sectional size and shape that satisfies the following criteria: (1) the individual fibres it contains are close together and are substantially parallel to each other throughout substantially their entire length; (2) the number of fibres in the group is similar throughout substantially the entire length of the group; (3) most of the individual fibres run continously from one end of the group to the other; (4) most of the fibres in the group were formed at substantially the same time and (5) the length of the longest fibres approximates to the greatest dimension of the group.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a process for the production of a texturised protein composition which comprises orientating a plurality of spun protein fibres in one or more grouped fibre formations, as herein defined, the grouped fibre formations being surrounded by, interspersed with or interleaved with protein fibres of much shorter length, as herein defined, that have been produced by methods other than spinning and which are only partially aligned with each other or are randomly orientated.

The said protein fibres of shorter length optionally may be distributed within a major amount of non-fibrous interfibre matrix that surrounds or is interposed between the grouped fibre formations.

With reference to the drawings accompanying the provisional specification of Application 13709/76 (Serial No. 1596271), Figures 1 to 7 inclusive would all represent embodiments of the present invention subject to the condition that the interfibre matrix illustrated therein must contain some lengths of protein fibres that are produced by methods other than spinning, are incompletely aligned with each other and are short relative to the grouped fibre formations.

The shapes, conformations and orientations of the grouped fibre formations may include any of those described or included in the main patent. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention one or more of the grouped fibre formations is or are rolled, folded, twisted or rendered tortuous or contorted to produce non alignment of some parts of the length of the formation with other parts of the formation.

The non-fibrous interfibre matrix has the same role as that described in the main patent; it may be heat-settable and it may contain heatcoagulable protein and/or a substantially waterinsoluble elastic protein or binder such as wheat gluten and/or homogenised meat, emulsified meat, soluble meat protein or blood protein.

In addition to the relatively short protein fibres produced by methods other than spinning the non-fibrous matrix may have distributed within it natural edible vegetable fibres such as wheat bran, meat fibres or chopped spun protein fibres or any combination of these.

Protein fibres of "much shorter length" are defined as being fibres of less than half the length of the grouped fibre formations at the time when the product is assembled.

In one embodiment of the invention the shorter protein fibres produced by non-spinning methods are used in admixture in any ratio with chopped spun protein fibres.

In another embodiment of the invention the product may be asembled by orientating the relatively long grouped fibre formations along with the much shorter fibres in the form of a slab, block or cylinder and subsequently, after assembly, the product may be segmented, diced, minced or ground in a way that cuts through the ground fibre formations so that there is no longer any marked difference of length between the fibres of the grouped fibre formations and the other, originally shorter fibres, that have been inserted around or between the grouped fibre formations.

In practice the advantages of operating the process are minor unless the length of the shorter fibres is less than 15cm; moreover, the shorter fibres make little contribution to texture if their length is less than 0.1cm.

Therefore the range 0.1cm to 15cm is a practical operating range for the shorter fibres used in this process, and preferably more than 75% by weight of the shorter fibres are between 0.1 and 15cm. in length. Within this range a preferred narrower set of limits for the shorter fibres is from 0.3cm to 3.0cm, and preferably more than 75two by weight of the shorter fibres are between 0.3 and 3.0cm. in length.

The dry weight of the matrix ingredients preferably exceeds severalfold the total of the dry weight of the spun protein fibres and the dry weight of the protein fibres produced by the methods other than spinning. In a preferred embodiment the dry weight ratio of matrix solids to spun protein fibres is at least two to one.

The matrix may be applied to the grouped fibre formations by any of the methods described in the main Patent Application, for example, in dry form or in the form of a paste.

The grouped fibre formations may be juxtaposed by any of the methods described in the main Patent Application.

Edible oils, fat and/or flavourings may be added to the composition in accordance with the main Patent Application.

In embodiments utilising grouped fibre formations in the shape of a sheet, any of the devices described in the main Patent Application may be used to ensure that the fibres are produced initially in a planar orientation.

The products may be heat-set at above 750C to render their structure firm.

The spun protein fibres that comprise the grouped fibre formations may be produced by any technique of spinning, including those described in the main Patent Application or in our co-pending application 16084/76 (Serial No. 1579823).

The protein fibres produced by methods other than spinning may be obtained by any technique, subject to the condition that the fibres used must be discrete individual lengths.

Thermoplastic extrusion of protein produces solidified expanded masses of protein which, although they may contain fibres, are not discrete individual lengths and hence, thermoplastic extrusion is unsuitable. Suitable protein fibres produced by methods other than spinning are available commercially and one of these commercial products was employed in Examples 1 and 2 below.

The advantage of the present invention is that of increasing flexibility and choice in formulating texturised food products and in some instances it is economically advantageous to employ short lengths of protein fibre produced by methods other than spinning rather than employing chopped lengths of spun protein fibre. Optimum effects may be attained in some instances by distributing through the interfibre matrix a mixture of spun and nonspun fibres both relatively short in length.

EXAMPLES Elongated sheets of spun protein fibres 12cm wide were prepared in accordance with the technique described in Example 1 of Patent Application 13709/76 (Serial No. 1596271) except that the spinneret holes were of circular cross-section and the protein used for spinning consisted of potato protein concentrate (4 parts) and wheat gluten (1 part). The elongated sheets were cut into 12cm squares which were then used to build up a textured food product manually by placing the squares on top of each other with the fibres of alternate squares running at right angles to each other. A layer of paste, comprising interfibre matrix admixed with short fibres, was interposed between the layers of spun fibres. The composition of the paste was compounded roast beef flavour (Glentham Essence Co.) (0.5% w/v), lightly homogenised fibrous meat (3.5% w/v, dry solids basis), protein fibres (McAuley Edwards Ltd., Purina Protein 200) (6% w/v, dry solids basis), wheat bran (6% w/v), hydrolysed maize protein (0.8% w/v) and soya isolate (3.5% w/v). This operation was continued until a solid block of material 12cm thick had been built up, which was then heat set in an oven using a minimum final temperature at the centre of the product block of 800 C. The resulting product was sliceable, markedly fibrous with a good meatlike texture and flavour.

EXAMPLE 2 The procedure of Example 1 was followed exactly except that the paste, comprising interfibre matrix admixed with short fibres, contained potato protein concentrate (8% w/v), wheat gluten (2% w/v), wheat bran (3% w/v), defatted soya flour (2% w/v), wheat flour (2% w/v), chopped spun protein fibres (1.5% w/v, dry solids basis), protein fibres (McAuley Edwards Ltd., Purina Protein 200, 1.5% w/v dry solids basis) hydrolysed maize protein (0.8% w/v) and compounded roast beef flavour (Glenthan Essence Co., 0.5% w/v). The finished product retained good textural quality in spite of the reduced content of protein fibres compared with Example 1.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A process for the production of a texturised protein composition which comprises orientating a plurality of spun protein fibres in one or more grouped fibre formations (as hereinbefore defined), the grouped fibre formations being surrounded by, interspersed with or interleaved with protein fibres of much shorter length (as hereinbefore defined) that have been produced by methods other than spinning and which are only partially aligned with each other or are randomly orientated.

2. A process according to Claim 1 in which the grouped fibre formations are surrounded by, interspersed with or interleaved with a non-texturised interfibre matrix or binding agent within which the shorter lengths of protein fibres are distributed.

3. A process according to Claim 1 or 2 in which one or more of the grouped fibre formations is or are straight.

4. A process according to any of the preceding claims in which one or more of the grouped fibre formations is or are rolled, folded, twisted or rendered tortuous or contorted to produce non-alignment of some parts of the length of the formation with other parts of the formation.

5. A process according to Claim 2 in which the interfibre matrix or binding agent is heat settable or contains heat-coagulable protein.

6. A process according to any of the preceding claims in which an interfibre matrix or binding agent is present that contains one or more from among wheat gluten, homogenised meat, emulsified meat, soluble meat protein, blood protein, meat fibres, wheat bran or other edible natural vegetable fibres.

7. A process according to any of the preceding claims in which the shorter protein fibres produced by non-spinning methods are used in admixture in any ratio with chopped spun protein fibres.

8. A process according to any of the preceding claims in which the dry weight ratio of matrix solids to spun protein fibres is at least two to one.

9. A process according to any of the preceding claims in which more than 75% by weight of the shorter fibres are between 0.1 and 15.0 cms in length.

10. A process according to Claim 9 in which more than 75% by weight of the shorter fibres are between 0.3 and 3.0 cms in length.

11. A process according to any of the preceding Claims in which a product formed in accordance with those Claims is subsequently sub-divided or comminuted.

12. A process according to any one of the Claims 2 to 11 in which a matrix or binding agent is deposited in the form of a paste or slurry between successive layers from which the composition is built up.

13. A process according to any one of the preceding claims in which the composition contains edible fat or oil.

14. A process according to any one of the Claims 2 to 13 in which the matrix or part of the matrix is applied to the fibres in dry form.

15. A process according to any one of the preceding claims in which added flavouring agents are incorporated into the composition.

16. A process according to Claim 15 in which the flavouring agents are included in the matrix or binder.

17. A process according to any one of the preceding claims in which the composition is heated to a temperature above 75"C to heat-set protein.

18. A process according to any one of the preceding claims in which the long spun fibres are in one or more grouped fibre formations each having the form of a planar sheet.

19. A process for the preparation of a texturised protein composition substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Examples 1 and 2.

20. A texturised protein composition whenever prepared by a process according to any one of the preceding claims.

21. A composition according to Claim 20 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings accompanying the provisional specification of Application No.

13709/76 (Serial No. 1596271).

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. operation was continued until a solid block of material 12cm thick had been built up, which was then heat set in an oven using a minimum final temperature at the centre of the product block of 800 C. The resulting product was sliceable, markedly fibrous with a good meatlike texture and flavour. EXAMPLE 2 The procedure of Example 1 was followed exactly except that the paste, comprising interfibre matrix admixed with short fibres, contained potato protein concentrate (8% w/v), wheat gluten (2% w/v), wheat bran (3% w/v), defatted soya flour (2% w/v), wheat flour (2% w/v), chopped spun protein fibres (1.5% w/v, dry solids basis), protein fibres (McAuley Edwards Ltd., Purina Protein 200, 1.5% w/v dry solids basis) hydrolysed maize protein (0.8% w/v) and compounded roast beef flavour (Glenthan Essence Co., 0.5% w/v). The finished product retained good textural quality in spite of the reduced content of protein fibres compared with Example 1. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A process for the production of a texturised protein composition which comprises orientating a plurality of spun protein fibres in one or more grouped fibre formations (as hereinbefore defined), the grouped fibre formations being surrounded by, interspersed with or interleaved with protein fibres of much shorter length (as hereinbefore defined) that have been produced by methods other than spinning and which are only partially aligned with each other or are randomly orientated.

13709/76 (Serial No. 1596271).