Method and apparatus for the manufacture of meat analogue product

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a texturised proteinaceous meat analogue product, including: subjecting, in a food extruder, a mixture containing: about 40 to 95 % by weight edible proteinaceous materials selected from the group consisting of predetermined mixtures of defatted soy flour, soy meal, soy concentrate, cereal gluten in vital or starch-containing form and egg white, and up to about 7 % by weight of edible mineral binding and cross-linking compounds; to mechanical pressure and added heat sufficient to convert the mixture into a hot, viscous protein lava; extruding the protein lava through and from a temperature controlled cooling die which cools and reduces the viscosity of the protein lava to obtain a cohesive, texturised, extrudate slab or ribbon in which vapour-flashing is substantially inhibited; and subjecting the solidified extrudate slab or ribbon to mechanical shredding in a hammer mill having a cage plate with a plurality of elongate discharge openings and a plurality of hammer bars hinged to discs attached to a rotating shaft, so as to obtain a plurality of extrudate shreds that resemble in consistency and texture flaked or shredded meat.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates broadly to the production of edible protein products, especially texturized protein products (TPP (texturised protein product)) for human and / or animal consumption. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and a device for producing a fibrous meat substitute using cooking-extrusion technology, and to the meat substitute obtained by such a method and device. Background technique [0002] The industrial production of meat substitutes from protein-rich raw materials is already practiced today. Among others, raw materials include those based on ingredients such as cereal gluten (wheat, rice or corn; predominantly or with residual starch), defatted oilseeds, cereal and soy flours, meals and derivatives thereof (e.g. defatted soy flour, soy protein concentrate , wheat flour) or based on animal products such as meat by-products obtained by mechanical concentration, fish, dried protein and ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

For example, the residence time and insufficient cooling of the extrudate in the flash expansion constrained cooling mold can lead to the degree of fluff and texture of the TPP extrudate, which will adversely increase the absorption of humidity in the subsequent production process, and Can lead to a mushy consistency in the final product, not meaty at all (compare e.g. US Patent 3,968,268 (Sair et al.))

[0009] Similarly, the formulation of TPP (i.e., the use of different protein source materials and their relative proportions in the material mixture) and the presence of nutritional additives, flavoring and preservatives, initial moisture content, etc. will affect the internal structure and tissue, and thus affect its sensitivity to imitate certain types of meat

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