WO2021021026A1

WO2021021026A1 - Method to solubilize protein substrate for food formulations

Info

Publication number: WO2021021026A1
Application number: PCT/SG2020/050442
Authority: WO
Inventors: Agata Maria Brzozowska
Original assignee: Agency For Science, Technology And Research
Priority date: 2019-07-30
Filing date: 2020-07-30
Publication date: 2021-02-04

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing an encapsulated, water-dispersible solubilised protein-based product to be used in food and beverages formulations. The method comprises mixing a protein-based powder with a concentrated solution of urea in water and adjusting the pH of the solution to 12 or more, to solubilise the protein- based powder to form a protein solution; forming a water-in-oil-in-ethanol double emulsion using the protein solution; mixing the double emulsion with an aqueous solution of modified starch to allow precipitation of starch at ethanol-oil interface; and separating capsules coated with the precipitated starch to obtain an encapsulated solubilised protein- based product. An protein-based product encapsulated in a water-soluble modified starch material obtained by the process of the present invention is provided. In a preferred embodiment, the solubilised protein-based powder is solubilised fish protein powder obtained from Herring (Clupea harrengus) roe.

Description

METHOD TO SOLUBILIZE PROTEIN SUBSTRATE FOR FOOD FORMULATIONS

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method for producing an encapsulated solubilized protein-based product to be used in food and beverages formulations. In particular, the invention relates to a method for producing an encapsulated solubilized protein-based product to be used in food and beverages formulations by solubilizing protein powder and encapsulating the solubilized protein powder in granular form.

Background

Proteins are known to have many health benefits. They support building strong bones, lean muscles and can even boost our metabolism. Human bodies get supply of proteins from the foods they eat or from protein supplements. Most of the known protein products available commercially are either in tablet, caplet or powder form. When in tablet or caplet form, it is hard and not easy to swallow or absorb by the body. When in powder form, it is not easily soluble in water and can have an unpleasant taste when consumed.

Some proteins are soluble in water, whereas others are insoluble. Soluble proteins may become insoluble as a result of denaturation. Denaturation may result from heat or chemical treatment of the proteins and may happen, for instance, during extraction of proteins from biological materials.

Proteins can be extracted from a main protein source by chemical extraction using ethanol. However, the process of chemical extraction may lead to partial denaturation of proteins and this renders the proteins insoluble, making the final product unsuitable for beverages formulations in its original form. Another commonly applied method to extract proteins, for example fish proteins is enzymatic hydrolysation of fish industry by products (N.R. Galla, et al., Food Chemistry, 135 (2012) 1479-1484). The functional properties of the hydrolytes, including solubility, are improved as compared to the fish protein powder (S.Egerton, et al., Food Chemistry, 245 (2018) 698-706). However, the protein content in hydrolysates is much lower (about 50%) than in the fish protein powder. Moreover, the process of hydrolysation promotes denaturation of proteins (N.R.A. Halim et ai, Trends Food Sci. Technol., 51 (2016) 24-33) and thus, losing their original biological functions.

Therefore, attempts have been made to make insoluble proteins or proteins derivatives more soluble such that they can be applied and used in other foods and beverages formulations or products.

It is therefore desirable to provide a method for producing an encapsulated solubilized protein-based product to be used in food and beverages formulations that seeks to address at least one of the problems described hereinabove, or at least to provide an alternative.

Summary of Invention

The present invention provides a method for producing an encapsulated solubilized protein-based product by solubilizing protein powder and encapsulating the solubilized protein powder in granular form. The method allows solubilisation of protein powder that has limited solubility in aqueous and non-aqueous solvents while preserving the nutritional properties of the protein powder by means of encapsulation, without hydrolysis.

In accordance with a first aspect of this invention, a method of producing an encapsulated solubilized protein-based product to be used in food and beverages formulations is provided. The method comprises mixing a protein-based powder with a concentrated solution of urea in water and adjusting the pH of the solution to 12 or more, to solubilize the protein-based powder to form a protein solution; forming a water-in-oil- in-ethanol double emulsion using the protein solution; mixing the double emulsion with an aqueous solution of modified starch to allow precipitation of starch at ethanol-oil interface; and separating capsules coated with the precipitated starch to obtain an encapsulated solubilized protein-based product.

In one embodiment, the concentrated solution of urea in water has a concentration between 8M to 10M. In one embodiment, the method further comprises grinding the protein-based powder into fine powder prior to solubilizing the protein-based powder in the concentrated urea solution. In another embodiment, the grinding is carried out under cryogenic conditions.

In one embodiment, the step of forming the double emulsion comprises forming a water- oil type primary emulsion by mixing an oil and a first surfactant with the protein solution; and forming a secondary emulsion by dispersing the primary emulsion in ethanol in the presence of a second surfactant.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises drying the capsules coated with the precipitated starch to obtain a dried encapsulated protein-based product in granular form that is dispersible in aqueous media.

In accordance with a second aspect of this invention, an encapsulated protein-based product is provided. The encapsulated protein-based product comprises a solubilized protein powder having a protein content of 80 to 90% by weight as an active ingredient, encapsulated in a water-soluble modified starch material, wherein the encapsulated protein-based product is dispersible in aqueous media.

In one embodiment, the solubilized protein powder is solubilized fish protein powder.

In one embodiment, the encapsulated protein-based product is in dried granular form comprising discrete, solid particles having a diameter of 5 to 35 pm.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The above advantages and features of a method and resulting devices in accordance with this invention are described in the following detailed description and are shown in the drawings:

Figures 1 (a)-(e) are SEM images of the dried encapsulated protein-based products in granular form that contains the fish protein powder as described in Example 1 . Figure (1 a) shows the SEM images of sample S1 in dried granular form before it is dispersed in deionised water; Figure (1 b) shows the SEM images of sample S2 in dried granular form before it is dispersed in deionised water; Figure (1 c) shows the SEM images of sample S3 in dried granular form before it is dispersed in deionised water; Figure (1 d) shows the SEM images of sample S4 in dried granular form before it is dispersed in deionised water; Figure (1 e) shows the SEM images of sample S5 in dried granular form before it is dispersed in deionised water.

Figures 2(a)-(b) are images of (a) suspensions containing Romega® FICP Premium protein powder encapsulated in the different starches listed in Table 1 (Samples S1 to S5); and (b) suspensions containing PArg-TRITC encapsulated in the different starches listed in Table 1 (Samples S6 to S10).

Figure 3(a)-(c) are images showing the sedimentation assay of the encapsulated protein-based product of the present invention in glucose solutions at (a) day 4; (b) day 9; and (c) day 25.

Figure 4(a)-(c) are images showing the sedimentation assay of the encapsulated protein-based product of the present invention in fructose solutions at (a) day 4; (b) day 9; and (c) day 25.

Figure 5(a)-(c) are images showing the sedimentation assay of the encapsulated protein-based product of the present invention in sodium chloride solutions at (a) day 4; (b) day 9; and (c) day 25.

Figure 6(a)-(c) are images showing the sedimentation assay of the encapsulated protein-based product of the present invention in deionised water at (a) day 4; (b) day 9; and (c) day 25.

Detailed Description

The present invention relates to a method of producing an encapsulated solubilized protein-based product to be used in food and beverages formulations by solubilizing protein powder and encapsulating the solubilized protein powder in a granular form. The encapsulation of the solubilized protein powder prevents the solubilized protein powder from degrading so as to preserves the protein nutritional properties and promotes its dispersivity in aqueous media. The encapsulation process includes formation of double, W/O/W-type of emulsion, with ethanol absolute being the non-oil phase in the secondary emulsion. Starch granules are formed by precipitation of starch from water solution at ethanol-oil interface in the final emulsion.

In one embodiment, the method comprises mixing protein-based powder with a concentrated solution of urea in water and adjusting the pH of the solution to 12 or more, to solubilize the protein-based powder to form a protein solution; forming a water-in-oil- in-ethanol double emulsion using the protein solution; mixing the double emulsion with an aqueous solution of modified starch to allow precipitation of starch at ethanol-oil interface; and separating capsules coated with the precipitated starch to obtain starch encapsulated solubilized protein-based product.

“Protein-based powder” as used herein refers to a substrate or protein powder that contains mainly proteins in an amount ranging from 80 to 98% by weight. The substrate or protein powder can be proteins that are extracted or obtained from plant, animal, marine or aquatic sources such as fish, fish roe, seeds and nuts, legumes like beans, animal meat, etc.

In a preferred embodiment, the protein-based powder is fish protein powder. In a further preferred embodiment, the protein-based powder is fish protein powder obtained from Herring ( Clupea harrengus) roe.

In a preferred embodiment, the concentrated solution of urea in water comprises urea and water in a concentration of 8M to 10M.

It is known that denaturated proteins are not easily soluble. In one embodiment, the method includes processing the protein-based powder into fine powder prior to mixing with the concentrated solution of urea solution. The fine powder can have an average particle size of up to a few micrometres, depending on the types of proteins that are being processed. The small particle size of the protein-based powder further aids in full dissolution of the proteins in the concentrated solution of urea in water. The protein- based powder is processed into fine powder using method including, but not limited to, grinding, cryogenic grinding, milling or other methods. In a preferred embodiment, the protein-based powder is processed into fine powder using cryogenic grinding. The use of cryogenic grinding process prevents overheating of the protein-based powder during grinding and thus, prevents further denaturation of the protein-based powder. The protein-based powder is mixed with the concentrated solution of urea in water by any methods known in the art. In an exemplary embodiment, the protein-based powder is mixed under agitation to obtain a homogenous solution.

After the protein-based powder is fully dissolved in the concentrated solution of urea in water, the pH of the solution is adjusted to 12 or more. The pH of the solution can be adjusted by any suitable known methods. In one embodiment, the pH is adjusted by adding a concentrated alkaline solution into the solution. The concentrated alkaline solution can be any suitable concentrated alkaline solution including, but not limited to, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide. In various embodiments, the concentrated alkaline solution has a concentration of 1 M to 2M, preferably about 1 .1 M The alkaline solution helps to solubilize the protein-based powder in the concentrated solution of urea in water to form a protein solution.

In the present invention, the encapsulation involves the formation of the double emulsion and precipitation of starch at ethanol-oil interface in the final emulsion. The water-in-oil- in-ethanol double emulsion is formed using the protein solution. In one embodiment, the step involves forming a water-oil type primary emulsion by mixing an oil and a first surfactant with the protein solution; and forming a secondary emulsion by dispersing the primary emulsion in ethanol in the presence of a second surfactant.

The oil can be any edible oil including, but not limited to, sunflower oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil, or the like.

Surfactants suitable for use in the present invention includes, but are not limited to, alkyl esters, such as sorbitan esters (commonly known as the Spans) and polyoxyethylene sorbitan esters (commonly referred to as the Tweens). Preferred surfactants for use in the water-in-oil-in-ethanol double emulsion of the present invention include sorbitan monooleate (Span-80) and polysorbate 20 (Tween-20).

The second emulsion is formed by dispersing the primary emulsion in ethanol in the presence of a second surfactant to form a double emulsion. The second surfactant can be the same or different from the first surfactant. In a preferred embodiment, the first surfactant is Span-80 and the second surfactant is Tween-20. The double emulsion thus obtained is then mixed with an aqueous solution of modified starch to allow precipitation of starch at ethanol-oil interface. Several types of commercially available starches have been tested and the test results are shown in the Examples herein described below. In one preferred embodiment, the aqueous solution of modified starch is prepared from octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA)-modified starch. Any suitable type of mixing methods can be employed to mix the double emulsion with the aqueous solution of modified starch without departing from the present invention. In an exemplary embodiment, the mixing is carried out by agitation at a speed of 140 to 160 rpm.

While the double emulsion is mixed with the aqueous solution of modified starch, precipitation of starch takes place. Precipitation takes place at the ethanol-oil interface. The gentle mixing continues until precipitation of starch is completed.

After precipitation of starch, the capsules coated with the precipitated starch are separated from the liquid phase to obtain the starch encapsulated solubilized protein- based product, which is dispersible in water. The starch encapsulated, water-dispersible solubilized protein-based product obtained thereto comprises protein in an amount of at least 10% by weight of the encapsulated solubilized protein-based product, encapsulated in the starch material.

The method of the present invention further includes drying the capsules coated with the precipitated starch to obtain a dried encapsulated protein-based product in granular form that is dispersible in aqueous media.

Any suitable methods of drying can be employed without departing from the present invention. The method employed should not cause degradation in the encapsulated solubilized protein-based product. In one embodiment, the precipitated starch is dried under fume hood at room temperature. The dried encapsulated solubilized protein- based product comprises discrete, solid particles with each having a diameter of 5 to 35 pm.

In a second aspect of the present invention, an encapsulated protein-based product produced by the method of the present invention is provided. The encapsulated protein- based product comprises a solubilized protein powder (a substrate) having a protein content of 80 to 90% by weight of the solubilized protein powder as an active ingredient, encapsulated in a water-soluble modified starch material, wherein the encapsulated protein-based product is dispersible in aqueous media.

The solubilized protein powder can be proteins that are extracted or obtained from plant, animal, marine or aquatic sources such as fish, fish roe, seeds and nuts, legumes like beans, animal meat, etc. In one embodiment, the solubilized protein powder is fish protein powder. In a preferred embodiment, the solubilized protein powder is fish protein powder prepared from Herring ( Clupea harrengus) roe of high protein content. The amount of proteins present in the fish protein powder ranges from 80% to 90% by weight of the fish protein powder.

In various embodiments, the encapsulated protein-based product is in dried granular form comprising discrete, solid particles having a diameter of 5 to 35 pm. The encapsulated protein-based product has an overall protein content of at least 10% by weight of the overall weight of the encapsulated protein-based product. Preferably, the total protein content of the encapsulated protein-based product is about 25 to 30% of the overall weight of the encapsulated protein-based product.

There are several advantages associated with the method and the encapsulated protein-based product of the present invention. Firstly, the method can be applied to various protein-based ingredients that have limited solubility in aqueous and non- aqueous solvents, without having to undergo any hydrolysis. This prevents denaturing of the protein-based ingredients and allows the protein-based ingredients to retain its nutritional properties. The method of the present invention does not affect the overall amino acid composition of the proteins. The method is simple and scalable. The particle size of the final encapsulated protein-based product can be modified by adjusting the pressure applied during the emulsification process. This allows customisation of the sizes of the encapsulated protein-based product to cater to different applications of the encapsulated protein-based product in different foods and beverages.

The encapsulated protein-based product of the present invention can be incorporated into food and beverages formulations, with ensured high bioavailability of the proteins. The encapsulated protein-based product forms stable suspensions in aqueous solutions in presence of common food additives. Contrary to the original product, the thus obtained encapsulated protein-based product has neutral fragrance and taste.

To facilitate a better understanding of the present invention, the following examples of specific embodiments are given. In no way should the following examples be read to limit or define the entire scope of the invention. One skilled in the art will recognize that the examples set out below are not an exhaustive list of the embodiments of this invention.

EXAMPLES

Example 1

Materials

In the examples that follow, the following materials were used.

Water soluble potato starch (S2004-5008), Urea (U5378-500g), Span-80 (S6760-250ml), Tween-20 (P7949-100ml), D(-) Fructose (F0127-100g), D-(+)-Glucose (G8270-100g), and Bradford Reagent (B6916-500ml), were purchased form Sigma-Aldrich. Sodium Chloride (1 .06404.1000) was purchased from Merck. Ethanol absolute (20821 .330) was purchased from VWR Chemicals. Starches (Nylon VII, Melojel, Capsul TA, N-Creamer 3334, Flojel 60) were kindly provided by Ingredion; Romega® FICP Premium was supplied by Arctic Nutrition AS, Norway. Sunflower oil (Naturel, 1 L) was purchased in local supermarket. All chemicals were used as received. Deionized (Dl) water was used in all experiments.

Preparation of starch

Starches of the types listed in Table 1 were dissolved in hot, but not boiling water, under gentle agitation, to form 5% w/v solutions. The solutions were cooled down to room temperature and used within 2 days.

Preparation of protein powder In final protocol, Romega® HCP Premium powder was mixed with 10 M Urea to form 100.655 g/l suspension and left to dissolve for at least 48 hours under gentle agitation. The resulting suspension was centrifuged at 4000 rpm for 10 min, and the supernatant was collected. The thus obtained protein solution was considered to be a saturated solution, and was used for encapsulation. When not in use, the solution was stored in a fridge.

A protocol for encapsulation of protein powder

The process of encapsulation requires two steps.

In the first step, a double emulsion was formed, followed by formation of starch capsules in the second step. The primary W/O-type emulsion was formed upon mixing 4.2 ml sunflower oil, 0.7 ml Span-80 and 2.8 ml of the Romega® HCP Premium supernatant for 10 min at setting #4 of high pressure homogenizer (Ultra-Turrax, IKAO T18 basic), and the secondary emulsion was formed by addition of 21 ml of Ethanol absolute mixed with 0.42 ml Tween-20 into the primary emulsion, and homogenization for 10 min at setting #1 of the same homogenizer. To avoid overheating, the sample was placed in an ice-water bath during homogenization. Immediately after the emulsion was formed, 7 ml of starch solution in water was added to the emulsion, and the sample was placed on shaker, set at 150 rpm, to be mixed overnight. After the initial 20 min, ethanol absolute was added to the sample so that the total sample volume was increased to 50 ml. Subsequently, the sample was centrifuged for 5 min at 2,500 rpm and rinsed with ethanol absolute 3-4 times. After rinsing, the sample was left to dry under fume hood, at room temperature (20-21 °C), and was used for further test.

Larger sample volumes were prepared by scaling up the described protocol, keeping the ratio between the ingredients unchanged.

Scanning Electron Microscopy was performed with JEOL SEM JSM6360LA.

Sedimentation assays were performed to evaluate stability of suspensions formed by encapsulated Romega® HCP Premium. The results of the sedimentation tests in Dl water were used as criteria for choice of starch for further development. Results

Formation of starch-based granules

Dried starch granules, containing Romega® HCP Premium were examined using SEM to assess their morphology. The results are shown in Figure 1 . The properties of the starches influence the morphologies of the resulting products. OSA-modified starches (CAPSUL TA (S4) and N-CREAMER 3334 (S5)) form fine particles that tend to aggregate into large chunks upon drying, but re-disperse readily upon addition of water. Corn starches HYLON VII (S1 ) and MELOJEL (S3) form well defined particles with size between 5 and 20 pm. The largest capsules, ranging from 10 to 35 pm, were formed when hydrolysed corn starch FLOJEL 60 (S2) was used.

Loading efficiency

The encapsulation of protein was verified qualitatively and quantitatively. Samples for qualitative loading analysis were prepared by replacing Romega® HCP Premium supernatant with solution of PArg+TRITC (PArg-tetramethylrhodamin isothiocyanate) in 8M Urea, in the above mentioned formulation. The loading efficiency was assessed based on intensity of the pink colour of the washed and dried sample. The thus prepared, dried granules appeared pink in colour confirming the encapsulation of the labelled protein (Figure 2). This experiment has also indicated uneven distribution of the labelled protein within the granules.

Sedimentation assays

The first sedimentation assay was conducted to determine (i) which type of starch provides best sample dispersibility in aqueous solution, (ii) which starch provides the most stable suspension, and (iii) whether properties of simplified sample, loaded with PArg-TRITC, can be used to predict properties of complex systems containing mixture of proteins, like Romega® HCP Premium.

The dried granules was dispersed in Dl water to form suspensions, compositions of which are specified in Table 1 . The thus formed suspensions were left on a lab bench, covered with paper tissue, and undisturbed. Photographic images were taken during period of several days to assess the progress of sedimentation. Table 1 : Composition of suspensions in Dl water used in sedimentation tests. Samples S6 to S10 refer to samples containing labelled PArg as a replacement of Romeaa® HCP Premium.

Figures 2(a)-(b) are images showing (a) suspensions containing Romega® HCP Premium protein powder encapsulated in the different starches listed in Table 1 (Samples S1 to S5); and (b) suspensions containing PArg-TRITC encapsulated in the different starches listed in Table 1 (Samples S6 to S10) on 4^th day of sedimentation experiment.

It was observed that suspensions of granules containing PArg-TRITC (S6 to S10) sediment slightly faster than suspensions of granules containing Romega® HCP Premium (S1 to S5). Most probably, this is due to the partial adsorption of PArg-TRITC on the surface of capsules, leading to their enhanced aggregation. Particles with the strongest colour accumulated at the very bottom of the test vials (S9), indicate that their sedimentation rate was the fastest.

Suspension formed by granules consisting of N-CREAMER 3334 (S5) (OSA-modified starch) appeared most stable against sedimentation during the first 4-day assay as it had the least sediment accumulation at the bottom of the test vial. Thus, this starch was selected for initial scale-up and sedimentation tests in presence of additives. As compared to the previously described samples, the volume of this new batch was increased ten times, while ratio between the ingredients remained unchanged. After synthesis, the granules were washed with ethanol absolute, and dried as described. Subsequently, the batch was divided into samples and dispersed in aqueous solutions of common beverage additives, namely glucose, fructose and sodium chloride, as detailed in Table 2. The range of concentrations of the additives was selected based on content of these ingredients listed in labels of beverages available in local supermarket. Samples were tested in duplicates. Here, only the first 25 days of the experiment are reported, as due to the nature of the sample material and lack of preservatives, samples may undergo bio-degradation that in turn may interfere with the assay results.

Table 2: Composition of samples used for sedimentation experiment in presence of food additives. M1 and M2 refer to mass of dried capsules used in experiment.

The results shown in Figures 3-6 indicate that the granules formed with N-CREAMER 3334 (OSA-modified starch) can be easily dispersed in aqueous solutions, at room temperature, by simple shaking. All suspensions remained stable for first four days of the assay. Subsequently, sedimentation was observed in samples containing fructose and sodium chloride. Precipitation in sodium chloride solution (Figure 5) was the greatest. Significant sedimentation of suspensions in glucose solutions was not observed during the 25-day assay. In summary, presence of salt seem to destabilize the suspension, and addition of glucose seems to stabilize the suspensions, as compared to sedimentation in Dl water.

The above tests show that insoluble protein powder (such as Romega® HCP Premium) was successfully solubilized in 8M and 10M Urea. Subsequently, the protein solution was successfully incorporated in stable water-in-oil-in-ethanol double emulsion and encapsulated in starch materials. Granules formed with N-CREAMER 3334 (OSA- modified starch) formed stable suspension in Dl water as well as in presence of food additives for at least 25 days. Addition of glucose seems to enhance stability of this suspension. All ingredients used in the process of encapsulation are allowed for human consumption provided that they are manufactured as a food grade. For the purpose of the experiments carried out herein described above, ingredients of analytical grade was used, thus, not allowed for human consumption, with the exception of the sunflower oil. Although an embodiment of the present invention have been shown and described, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments. Instead, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, the scope of which is set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for producing an encapsulated solubilized protein-based product to be used in food and beverages formulations, the method comprising:

mixing a protein-based powder with a concentrated solution of urea in water and adjusting the pH of the solution to 12 or more, to solubilize the protein-based powder to form a protein solution;

forming a water-in-oil-in-ethanol double emulsion using the protein solution; mixing the double emulsion with an aqueous solution of modified starch to allow precipitation of starch at ethanol-oil interface; and

separating capsules coated with the precipitated starch to obtain an encapsulated solubilized protein-based product.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the concentrated solution of urea in water has a concentration between 8M to 10M.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of adjusting the pH of the solution comprises adding a concentrated solution of sodium hydroxide in water to the solution.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

grinding the protein-based powder into fine powder prior to solubilizing the protein-based powder in the concentrated urea solution.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the grinding is carried out under cryogenic conditions.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the double emulsion comprises:

forming a water-oil type primary emulsion by mixing an oil and a first surfactant with the protein solution; and

forming a secondary emulsion by dispersing the primary emulsion in ethanol in the presence of a second surfactant.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: drying the capsules coated with the precipitated starch to obtain a dried encapsulated protein-based product in granular form that is dispersible in aqueous media.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the encapsulated solubilized protein-based product comprises discrete, solid particles having a diameter of 5 to 35 pm.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the encapsulated solubilized protein-based product having a protein content of at least 10% by weight of the encapsulated solubilized protein-based product.

10. An encapsulated protein-based product comprising a solubilized protein powder having a protein content of 80 to 90% by weight as an active ingredient, encapsulated in a water-soluble modified starch material, wherein the encapsulated protein-based product is dispersible in aqueous media.

1 1 . The encapsulated protein-based product according to claim 10, wherein the solubilized protein powder is solubilized fish protein powder.

12. The encapsulated protein-based product according to claim 1 1 , wherein the fish protein powder is prepared from Herring ( Clupea harrengus) roe.

13. The encapsulated protein-based product according to claim 10, wherein the encapsulated protein-based product is in dried granular form comprising discrete, solid particles having a diameter of 5 to 35 pm.

14. The encapsulated protein-based product according to claim 10, wherein the encapsulated protein-based product has a protein content of at least 10% by weight of the encapsulated solubilized protein-based product.