Plant-based shredded meat product and production method thereof

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to methods of forming fibrous food products. In some aspects, a method can include mixing a composition with a solvent to form a first solution comprising between about 15% and about 40% by weight of the composition, the composition comprising a vegetable protein and a polysaccharide. The method further includes spraying the second solution in a jet, collecting the jet of the second solution in the precipitation bath, thereby forming a fibrous aggregate, drying the fibrous aggregate, and tearing the fibrous aggregate, and adding fat and flavouring to the fibrous aggregate to form the fibrous food product. In some embodiments, the method may further include heating the second solution to a temperature between about 40 DEG C and about 90 DEG C during mixing and / or causing ejection.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 346,172, filed on May 26, 2022, entitled “Plant-Based Shredded Meat Products, and Methods of Producing the Same,” the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0003] Statement Regarding Federally Funded Research

[0004] This invention was made with government support under Grant No. 2112169 awarded by the National Science Foundation. The government has certain rights in this invention. Technical Field

[0005] Embodiments described herein relate to plant-based shredded meat products and methods of producing the same.

[0006] background

[0007] Shredded meat products or "pulled" meat products are featured in dishes all over the world. American "pulled pork" barbecue is a prominent example. Slow cooking, smoking or pressure cooking are often used to soften meat pieces, making them easier to tear or rip apart. The ability to tear or rip meat comes from the fibrous structure of muscle tissue. Most of the composition of meat comes from the muscle tissue of animals, and muscles contain elongated bundles of cells called muscle fibers. When the connective tissue that holds the fibers together is broken down by cooking (e.g., pressure cooking or slow cooking), the muscle fibers can be easily torn apart, resulting in the unique softness and stringy mechanical properties of pulled meat or shredded meat. Animal-free substitutes for pulled pork usually use plants with an inherent fibrous texture (e.g., jackfruit) to recreate the fibrous texture of muscle tissue. Some specific fiber plant sources limit the types of protein sources that can be incorporated into pulled meat products.

[0008] Overview

[0009] Embodiments described herein relate to methods for forming fiber foods. In some aspects, a method may include mixing a substance with a solvent to form a first solution, wherein the first solution includes the substance between about 15% by weight and about 40% by weight, and the substance includes vegetable protein and polysaccharides. The method also includes spraying the second solution with a jet, collecting the jet of the second solution in a precipitation bath, thereby forming a fiber assembly, drying the fiber assembly, and tearing the fiber assembly apart, and adding fat and flavoring to the fiber assembly to form a fiber food. In some embodiments, the method may also include heating the second solution to a temperature between about 40°C and about 90°C during mixing and / or causing the spraying. In some embodiments, the method may also include adding an acid to the first solution so that the first solution includes less than about 5% by weight of the acid. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] All optional items in the figures are indicated by dashed lines.

[0012] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a method for producing a plant-based shredded meat product according to an embodiment.

[0013] Figure 2 is a block diagram of a fiber food according to an embodiment.

[0014] Figure 3A-3D A fiber scaffold having highly aligned, densely packed individual vegetable fibers is shown, along with orientation data associated therewith.

[0015] Figure 4 A microscopic view of plant-based fibers is shown.

[0016] Figure 5A-Figure 5B A microscopic view of the fibers of a plant-based product compared to meat floss fibers is shown.

[0017] Figure 6A-6E A comparison of raw steak and plant-based fiber is shown.

[0018] Figure 7A-7B A microscopic view of an individual vegetable fiber is shown.

[0019] Figure 8A-8B A comparison of the plant-based fiber scaffold and commercially available beef jerky is shown.

[0020] Detailed Description

[0021] To recreate the fibrous texture of muscle tissue, animal-free pulled pork substitutes use plants with fibrous textures (e.g., jackfruit) or other texturizing technologies. When specific plants are used for texture, they also bring undesirable organoleptic properties that distinguish them from animal meat products. To overcome the limitations of fibrous plant supply, the methods described herein combine multiple non-animal proteins into a nutritional fiber-forming material blend that can be extruded, aligned, bundled, and packaged together into a fibrous meat substitute with realistic texture and tearing properties.

[0022] Alternatively, texturing techniques can be applied to vegetable protein blends to produce a fibrous texture similar to that of shredded meat. Texturing techniques include high moisture extrusion. High moisture extrusion is a continuous process that can include mixing a solution in a barrel and then feeding it to a twin screw extruder. The twin screw extruder can be operated in a temperature range of 100-175°C, with a residence time in the twin screw extruder between about 2 minutes and about 5 minutes. Such processes can result in a mostly layered structure. Wet texturing has become common, such as the combination of twin screw extrusion with chemical and physical methods (thermomechanical cooking and die fiberization) that produces a more fibrous structure and meat-like texture of the resulting product.

[0023] Texturizing technology aims to broaden the available protein precursors, but there are several disadvantages. First, high-moisture extrusion can give plant-based materials a fibrous texture, but it cannot produce individual fibers, such as those found in meat made from animals. This is a significant limitation of industry-standard technology because it cannot reproduce this important structural feature of animal meat.

[0024] Shear cell technology is an emerging technology that uses high temperature conical shearing to produce fibrous structure. Shear cell technology is a batch process that can be operated in a temperature range of about 90°C to about 140°C with a residence time in the shearing device of at least about 20 minutes. Shear cell technology uses a high temperature conical shearing cell to produce fibrous texture, but this technology is subject to the same key limitations as high moisture extrusion in that it does not produce individual fibers and therefore cannot reproduce the fine structure of meat muscle.

[0025] Wet spinning is also a process in which a protein solution is extruded into a coagulation bath containing a solvent to promote coagulation and fiber formation. Wet spinning throughput may be too low for food production because throughput is inversely proportional to fiber diameter, and fine fibers (e.g., less than about 100 μm in diameter) are an important component of shredded meat products.

[0026] 3D printing and fiber spinning technologies have been investigated to recreate the fiber structure of animal meat using plant proteins. 3-D printing is a nozzle extrusion system in which the extrusion head or substrate can move relative to each other during extrusion. Fiber manufacturing methods include electrospinning, air spinning, and jet spinning. For 3D printing, production volume is inversely proportional to the extrusion nozzle size. This makes the production of individual 20-150μm fibers impractical and economically unfeasible.

[0027] High moisture extrusion and shear cell technologies are generally less suitable for shredded meat products because they cannot produce individual protein fibers at the scale of animal muscle fibers. Of the above texturizing methods, only 3D printing or fiber manufacturing methods produce individual protein fibers with diameters in the range of animal muscle fibers. The industry's reliance on a small number of fibrous plant sources may limit the variety of proteins that can be incorporated into shredded meat products.

[0028] Fiber manufacturing methods include electrospinning, air-blowing spinning, and jet spinning. Of these fiber manufacturing methods, jet spinning has been shown to be able to produce micron-sized fibers at sufficient speeds for food production. In addition, fiber spinning methods that rely on evaporative fiber formation mechanisms can be limited to the use of volatile solvents, which significantly limits the range of plant materials that can be converted into fiber form using food-safe processes. The use of volatile solvents can also degrade protein structure, making electrospinning and air-blowing spinning unattractive for plant-based meat formulations designed to retain protein structure and nutrition.

[0029] Embodiments described herein include plant-based products intended to imitate pork, pulled pork, mammalian meat, poultry, fish, crustacean meat, mollusc meat, or combinations thereof.

[0030] Some embodiments described herein relate to methods including rotary jet spinning to produce fibrous food products. Examples of jet spinning methods are described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 11,174,571, entitled "Immersed Rotary Jet Spinning (iRJS) Devices and Uses Thereof" ("the '571 patent"), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0031] As used in this specification, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, the term "a member" is intended to mean a single member or a combination of members, and "a material" is intended to mean one or more materials or a combination thereof.

[0032] When used in conjunction with "cylindrical," "linear," and / or other geometric relationships, the term "substantially" is intended to convey that the structure so defined is nominally cylindrical, linear, etc. As an example, a portion of a support member described as "substantially linear" is intended to convey that, while linearity of the portion is desired, some nonlinearity may occur in the "substantially linear" portion. Such nonlinearity may result from manufacturing tolerances or other practical considerations (e.g., pressure or forces applied to the support member). Thus, a geometric configuration modified by the term "substantially" includes such geometric properties within a tolerance of plus or minus 5% of the geometric configuration. For example, a "substantially linear" portion is a portion that defines an axis or centerline that is within plus or minus 5% of linearity.

[0033] As used herein, the terms "group" and "plurality" can refer to multiple features or a single feature having multiple parts. For example, when referring to a group of fibers, the group of fibers can be considered to be an electrode having multiple parts, or the group of electrodes can be considered to be multiple different fibers. Thus, a group of parts or multiple parts can include multiple parts that are continuous or discontinuous with each other. Multiple particles or multiple materials can also be made from multiple items that are produced separately and then combined together (e.g., by mixing, adhesives, or any suitable method).

[0034] The term "progenitor cell" is used herein to refer to a cell that has a cellular phenotype that is more primitive (e.g., at an earlier step in a developmental pathway or process than a fully differentiated cell) relative to the cell that it can produce by differentiation. Typically, progenitor cells also have a significant or very high proliferation potential. Depending on the developmental pathway and the environment in which the cell develops and differentiates, progenitor cells can give rise to a variety of different differentiated cell types or a single differentiated cell type.

[0035] The term "stem cell" as used herein refers to an undifferentiated cell that can proliferate and produce more progenitor cells, which can produce a large number of mother cells, which can produce differentiated or differentiable daughter cells. The daughter cells themselves can be induced to proliferate and produce offspring, which subsequently differentiate into one or more mature cell types, while also retaining one or more cells with parental developmental potential. The term "stem cell" refers to a subpopulation of progenitor cells, which has the ability or potential to differentiate into a more specialized or differentiated phenotype under certain circumstances, and retains the ability to proliferate and not differentiate substantially in certain cases. In one embodiment, the term stem cell generally refers to a naturally occurring mother cell, whose offspring (daughter) is differentiated, for example, by obtaining completely individualized features, usually specialized in different directions, as occurs in the progressive diversification of embryonic cells and tissues. Cell differentiation is a complex process, usually occurring through many cell divisions. Differentiated cells can be derived from pluripotent cells, which themselves are derived from pluripotent cells, etc. Although each of these pluripotent cells can be considered as a stem cell, the range of each cell type that can be produced can vary considerably. Some differentiated cells also have the ability to produce cells with greater developmental potential. This ability can be natural, or it can be artificially induced after being treated with various factors. In many biological examples, stem cells are also "multipotent" because they can produce offspring that are more than a different cell type, but this is not necessary for "stemness". Self-renewal is another classical part of the definition of stem cells. In theory, self-renewal can occur by any of two main mechanisms. Stem cells can split asymmetrically, with one offspring maintaining a stem cell state, and the other offspring expressing some different other specific functions and phenotypes. Alternatively, some stem cells in a colony can be symmetrically divided into two stem cells, thereby maintaining some stem cells in a colony as a whole, and other cells in the colony only produce differentiated offspring. Formally speaking, cells that begin as stem cells may develop to a differentiated phenotype, but then "reverse" and re-express the stem cell phenotype, a term that is generally referred to as "dedifferentiation" or "reprogramming" or "reverse differentiation".

[0036] The term "embryonic stem cell" is used to refer to the pluripotent stem cells of the inner cell mass of the embryonic blastocyst (see U.S. Patent Nos. 5,843,780 and 6,200,806, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference). Such cells can be obtained from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst derived from somatic cell nuclear transplantation (see, e.g., U.S. Patent Nos. 5,945,577, 5,994,619 and 6,235,970, the patents of which are incorporated herein by reference). The distinguishing features of embryonic stem cells define the embryonic stem cell phenotype. Therefore, if a cell has one or more unique features of an embryonic stem cell so that the cell can be distinguished from other cells, the cell has the phenotype of an embryonic stem cell. Exemplary distinguishing embryonic stem cell features include, but are not limited to, gene expression profiles, proliferation capacity, differentiation capacity, karyotype, responsiveness to specific culture conditions, etc.

[0037] The term "adult stem cell" or "ASC" is used to refer to any pluripotent stem cell derived from non-embryonic tissue, including fetal tissue, infant tissue, and adult tissue. Stem cells have been isolated from a variety of adult tissues including blood, bone marrow, brain, olfactory epithelium, skin, pancreas, skeletal muscle, and myocardium. Each of these stem cells can be characterized based on gene expression, factor responsiveness, and morphology in culture. Exemplary adult stem cells include neural stem cells, neural crest stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, and pancreatic stem cells.

[0038] Figure 1 1 is a block diagram of a method 10 for producing a fiber food according to an embodiment. As shown, method 10 includes mixing a composition with a solvent to form a first solution in step 11. Method 10 optionally includes adding an acid and / or a base to the first solution. Method 10 also includes spraying the second solution with a jet in step 13, and collecting the jet of the second solution in a precipitation bath in step 14 to form a fiber assembly. Method 10 optionally includes heating the second solution in step 15. Method 10 optionally includes drying the fiber assembly in step 16. Method 10 optionally includes adding biological cells to the fiber assembly in step 17, heating the fiber assembly in step 18, and adding salt, mercaptan and / or mercaptoethanol to the fiber assembly in step 19. In step 20, method 10 includes tearing the fiber assembly and adding fat and flavoring to the fiber assembly to form a fiber food.

[0039] Step 11 includes mixing the composition with a solvent to form a first solution. The composition may include plant protein. In some embodiments, the plant protein may include rice, peas, soybeans, barley, rice, pearl barley, beans, broad beans, gluten, tempeh, edamame, lentils, chickpeas, nutritional yeast, spelt, teff, seeds, amaranth, quinoa, spirulina, green peas, oats, Ezekiel bread, wild rice, nuts, chia seeds, mycoprotein or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the composition may include fungal protein. In some embodiments, the composition may include bacterial protein. In some embodiments, the composition may include polysaccharides. Polysaccharides contribute to the gelation of fiber foods. In some embodiments, polysaccharides may include cellulose, curdlan, starch, glycogen, sucrose, dextrin, hemicellulose, polydextrose, inulin, glucan, beta-glucan, pectin, psyllium husk mucilage, galactomannan, gum, beta-mannan, carob, fenugreek, guar gum, tara gum, methylcellulose, glucomannan gum, konjac gum, gum arabic, gum karaya, pullulan, tragacanth, arabic xylan gum, xanthan gum, agar, alginate, carrageenan, chitin, chitosan, trehalose, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, plant proteins may be fermented. In some embodiments, plant proteins may be produced by microorganisms such as yeast, rather than in plants.

[0040] In some embodiments, the composition may include a powder. In some embodiments, the powder may have a particle size of at least about 500 nm, at least about 600 nm, at least about 700 nm, at least about 800 nm, at least about 900 nm, at least about 1 μm, at least about 2 μm, at least about 3 μm, at least about 4 μm, at least about 5 μm, at least about 6 μm, at least about 7 μm, at least about 8 μm, at least about 9 μm, at least about 10 μm, at least about 20 μm, at least about 30 μm, at least about 40 μm, at least about 50 μm, at least about 60 μm, at least about 70 μm, at least about 80 μm, at least about 90 μm, at least about 100 μm, at least about 200 μm, at least about 300 μm, at least about 400 μm, at least about 500 μm, at least about 600 μm, at least about 700 μm, at least about 800 μm, or at least about 900 μm. In some embodiments, the powder can have a particle size of no more than about 1 mm, no more than about 900 μm, no more than about 800 μm, no more than about 700 μm, no more than about 600 μm, no more than about 500 μm, no more than about 400 μm, no more than about 300 μm, no more than about 200 μm, no more than about 100 μm, no more than about 90 μm, no more than about 80 μm, no more than about 70 μm, no more than about 60 μm, no more than about 50 μm, no more than about 40 μm, no more than about 30 μm, no more than about 20 μm, no more than about 10 μm, no more than about 9 μm, no more than about 8 μm, no more than about 7 μm, no more than about 6 μm, no more than about 5 μm, no more than about 4 μm, no more than about 3 μm, no more than about 2 μm, no more than about 1 μm, no more than about 900 nm, no more than about 800 nm, no more than about 700 nm, or no more than about 600 nm.

[0041] Combinations of the above-recited particle sizes are also possible (eg, at least about 500 nm and no more than about 1 mm or at least about 30 μm and no more than about 300 μm), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the powder may have a particle size of about 500 nm, about 600 nm, about 700 nm, about 800 nm, about 900 nm, about 1 μm, about 2 μm, about 3 μm, about 4 μm, about 5 μm, about 6 μm, about 7 μm, about 8 μm, about 9 μm, about 10 μm, about 20 μm, about 30 μm, about 40 μm, about 50 μm, about 60 μm, about 70 μm, about 80 μm, about 90 μm, about 100 μm, about 200 μm, about 300 μm, about 400 μm, about 500 μm, about 600 μm, about 700 μm, about 800 μm, about 900 μm, or about 1 mm.

[0042] In some embodiments, the solvent of the first solution may include water. In some embodiments, the solvent of the first solution may include water, ethanol, glycerol, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the first solution may be food safe. In some embodiments, the first solution may be organic (i.e., related to or derived from living matter). In some embodiments, the first solution may be certified as organic, as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In some embodiments, the first solution may be composed of ingredients produced by methods supervised by the National Organic Program (NOP) of the United States Department of Agriculture, and / or its certified preparations. In some embodiments, the ingredients of the first solution may be produced in accordance with the provisions of the organic properties of the certified ingredients of the USDA. In some embodiments, the components of the first solution may be produced using "permitted substances" for organic certification as specified by the USDA in 7 U.S.C. §205 (g). In some embodiments, the first solution may include 100% organic ingredients by weight, as defined by the USDA, except salt and water (i.e., the ingredients may meet the standards of the "100% organic" label of the USDA). In some embodiments, the first solution may include 95% by weight organic ingredients, excluding salt and water, as defined by the USDA (i.e., the ingredients may meet the USDA's "organic" labeling standards). In some embodiments, the first solution may include 70% by weight organic ingredients, excluding salt and water, as defined by the USDA (i.e., the ingredients may meet the USDA's "Made from Organic_____" labeling standards).

[0043] In some embodiments, the solvent of the first solution may include a mixture of water and ethanol in various proportions (e.g., about 10% by weight, about 20% by weight, about 30% by weight, about 40% by weight, about 50% by weight, about 60% by weight, about 70% by weight, about 80% by weight, about 90% by weight of water, including all values ​​and ranges therebetween). In some embodiments, the composition may constitute at least about 10% by weight, at least about 15% by weight, at least about 20% by weight, at least about 25% by weight, at least about 30% by weight, at least about 35% by weight, at least about 40% by weight, or at least about 45% by weight of the first solution. In some embodiments, the composition may constitute no more than about 50% by weight, no more than about 45% by weight, no more than about 40% by weight, no more than about 35% by weight, no more than about 30% by weight, no more than about 25% by weight, no more than about 20% by weight, or no more than about 15% by weight of the first solution. Combinations of the above weight percentages are also possible (e.g., at least about 10 wt % and no more than about 50 wt % or at least about 20 wt % and no more than about 40 wt %), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the composition may constitute about 10 wt %, about 15 wt %, about 20 wt %, about 25 wt %, about 30 wt %, about 35 wt %, about 40 wt %, about 45 wt %, or about 50 wt % of the first solution.

[0044] In some embodiments, oil can be added to the first solution. In some embodiments, oil can constitute at least about 0 weight %, at least about 1 weight %, at least about 2 weight %, at least about 3 weight %, at least about 4 weight %, at least about 5 weight %, at least about 6 weight %, at least about 7 weight %, at least about 8 weight %, at least about 9 weight %, at least about 10 weight %, at least about 11 weight %, at least about 12 weight %, at least about 13 weight % or at least about 14 weight % of the first solution. In some embodiments, oil can constitute no more than about 15 weight %, no more than about 14 weight %, no more than about 13 weight %, no more than about 12 weight %, no more than about 11 weight %, no more than about 10 weight %, no more than about 9 weight %, no more than about 8 weight %, no more than about 7 weight %, no more than about 6 weight %, no more than about 5 weight %, no more than about 4 weight %, no more than about 3 weight %, no more than about 2 weight % or no more than about 1 weight % of the first solution. The combination of above-mentioned weight percentage is also possible (for example, at least about 0 weight % and be no more than about 15 weight % or at least about 2 weight % and be no more than about 12 weight %), including all values ​​and scopes therebetween.In some embodiments, oil can constitute about 0 weight %, about 1 weight %, about 2 weight %, about 3 weight %, about 4 weight %, about 5 weight %, about 6 weight %, about 7 weight %, about 8 weight %, about 9 weight %, about 10 weight %, about 11 weight %, about 12 weight %, about 13 weight %, about 14 weight % or about 15 weight % of the first solution.In some embodiments, oil can be organic. In some embodiments, the oil can include coconut oil, rapeseed oil, linseed oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil, palm oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, almond oil, beech nut oil, Brazil nut oil, cashew oil, hazelnut oil, macadamia oil, Mongolian nut oil, pecan oil, pine nut oil, pistachio oil, walnut oil, pumpkin seed oil, or any combination thereof.

[0045] In some embodiments, heating can be performed during or after mixing the first solution. In some embodiments, heating can be performed by a hot plate, a heated stirring tank, and / or by providing a heated atmosphere in a housing. In some embodiments, temperature increase can be used to dissolve the powder and improve blending before fiber formation. This can be accomplished by stirring the first solution in a mixing container while heating by a heat transfer plate. In some embodiments, heating can reach a temperature of at least about 30°C, at least about 35°C, at least about 40°C, at least about 45°C, at least about 50°C, at least about 55°C, at least about 60°C, at least about 65°C, at least about 70°C, at least about 75°C, at least about 80°C, at least about 85°C, at least about 90°C, or at least about 95°C. In some embodiments, heating can reach a temperature of no more than about 100°C, no more than about 95°C, no more than about 90°C, no more than about 85°C, no more than about 80°C, no more than about 75°C, no more than about 70°C, no more than about 65°C, no more than about 60°C, no more than about 55°C, no more than about 50°C, no more than about 45°C, no more than about 40°C, or no more than about 30°C. Combinations of the above temperatures are also possible (e.g., at least about 30°C and no more than about 100°C or at least about 50°C and no more than about 70°C), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, heating can reach a temperature of about 30°C, about 35°C, about 40°C, about 45°C, about 50°C, about 55°C, about 60°C, about 65°C, about 70°C, about 75°C, about 80°C, about 85°C, about 90°C, about 95°C, or about 100°C.

[0046] In some embodiments, heating can last for at least about 30 seconds, at least about 1 minute, at least about 5 minutes, at least about 10 minutes, at least about 30 minutes, at least about 1 hour, at least about 2 hours, at least about 4 hours, at least about 6 hours, at least about 8 hours, at least about 10 hours, at least about 12 hours or at least about 18 hours. In some embodiments, heating can last for no more than about 24 hours, no more than about 18 hours, no more than about 12 hours, no more than about 10 hours, no more than about 8 hours, no more than about 6 hours, no more than about 4 hours, no more than about 2 hours, no more than about 1 hour, no more than about 30 minutes, no more than about 10 minutes, no more than about 5 minutes or no more than about 1 minute. The combination of the above-mentioned time periods is also possible (for example, at least about 30 seconds and no more than about 24 hours or at least about 1 hour and no more than about 10 hours), including all values ​​and scopes therebetween. In some embodiments, the heating can last for about 30 seconds, about 1 minute, about 5 minutes, about 10 minutes, about 30 minutes, about 1 hour, about 2 hours, about 4 hours, about 6 hours, about 8 hours, about 10 hours, about 12 hours, about 18 hours, or about 24 hours. In some embodiments, the first solution can be cooled (e.g., by a refrigerant).

[0047] Step 12 is optional and includes adding acid and / or base to the first solution. In some embodiments, the acid and / or base can be food safe. In some embodiments, the acid and / or base can be organic. In some embodiments, the acid can include acetic acid, carbonic acid, citric acid, ascorbic acid, fumaric acid, lactic acid, phosphoric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, folic acid, hydrochloric acid or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the base can include sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the acid and / or base can change protein particle aggregation, dissolution and molecular unfolding and conformation.

[0048] In some embodiments, the acid can be added to the first solution in a proportion such that the first solution contains at least about 0.1 wt %, at least about 0.2 wt %, at least about 0.3 wt %, at least about 0.4 wt %, at least about 0.5 wt %, at least about 0.6 wt %, at least about 0.7 wt %, at least about 0.8 wt %, at least about 0.9 wt %, at least about 1 wt %, at least about 1.5 wt %, at least about 2 wt %, at least about 2.5 wt %, at least about 3 wt %, at least about 3.5 wt %, at least about 4 wt %, or at least about 4.5 wt % acid. In some embodiments, the acid can be added to the first solution in a proportion such that the first solution comprises no more than about 5 wt %, no more than about 4.5 wt %, no more than about 4 wt %, no more than about 3.5 wt %, no more than about 3 wt %, no more than about 2.5 wt %, no more than about 2 wt %, no more than about 1.5 wt %, no more than about 1 wt %, no more than about 0.9 wt %, no more than about 0.8 wt %, no more than about 0.7 wt %, no more than about 0.6 wt %, no more than about 0.5 wt %, no more than about 0.4 wt %, no more than about 0.3 wt %, or no more than about 0.2 wt % of the acid. Combinations of the foregoing weight percentages are also possible (e.g., at least about 0.1 wt % and no more than about 5 wt % or at least about 1 wt % and no more than about 3 wt %), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the acid can be added to the first solution in a proportion such that the first solution contains about 0.1 wt %, about 0.2 wt %, about 0.3 wt %, about 0.4 wt %, about 0.5 wt %, about 0.6 wt %, about 0.7 wt %, about 0.8 wt %, about 0.9 wt %, about 1 wt %, about 1.5 wt %, about 2 wt %, about 2.5 wt %, about 3 wt %, about 3.5 wt %, about 4 wt %, about 4.5 wt %, or about 5 wt % of the acid.

[0049] In some embodiments, after the addition of the acid, the pH of the first solution may be at least about 2, at least about 2.5, at least about 3, at least about 3.5, at least about 4, at least about 4.5, at least about 5, at least about 5.5, at least about 6, at least about 6.5, at least about 7, at least about 7.5, at least about 8, at least about 8.5, at least about 9, or at least about 9.5. In some embodiments, after the addition of the acid, the pH of the first solution may be no more than about 10, no more than about 9.5, no more than about 9, no more than about 8.5, no more than about 8, no more than about 7.5, no more than about 7, no more than about 6.5, no more than about 6, no more than about 5.5, no more than about 5, no more than about 4.5, no more than about 4, no more than about 3.5, no more than about 3, or no more than about 2.5. Combinations of the above pH values ​​are also possible (e.g., at least about 2 and no more than about 10 or at least about 3 and no more than about 6), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, after adding the acid, the pH of the first solution may be about 2, about 2.5, about 3, about 3.5, about 4, about 4.5, about 5, about 5.5, about 6, about 6.5, about 7, about 7.5, about 8, about 8.5, about 9, about 9.5, or about 10.

[0050] In some embodiments, the base can be added to the first solution in a proportion such that the first solution contains at least about 0.1 wt %, at least about 0.2 wt %, at least about 0.3 wt %, at least about 0.4 wt %, at least about 0.5 wt %, at least about 0.6 wt %, at least about 0.7 wt %, at least about 0.8 wt %, at least about 0.9 wt %, at least about 1 wt %, at least about 1.5 wt %, at least about 2 wt %, at least about 2.5 wt %, at least about 3 wt %, at least about 3.5 wt %, at least about 4 wt %, or at least about 4.5 wt % base. In some embodiments, alkali can be added to the first solution in such a ratio that the first solution comprises no more than about 5 wt %, no more than about 4.5 wt %, no more than about 4 wt %, no more than about 3.5 wt %, no more than about 3 wt %, no more than about 2.5 wt %, no more than about 2 wt %, no more than about 1.5 wt %, no more than about 1 wt %, no more than about 0.9 wt %, no more than about 0.8 wt %, no more than about 0.7 wt %, no more than about 0.6 wt %, no more than about 0.5 wt %, no more than about 0.4 wt %, no more than about 0.3 wt % or no more than about 0.2 wt % alkali. Combinations of the above weight percentages are also possible (e.g., at least about 0.1 wt % and no more than about 5 wt % or at least about 1 wt % and no more than about 3 wt %), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the base can be added to the first solution in a proportion such that the first solution includes about 0.1 wt %, about 0.2 wt %, about 0.3 wt %, about 0.4 wt %, about 0.5 wt %, about 0.6 wt %, about 0.7 wt %, about 0.8 wt %, about 0.9 wt %, about 1 wt %, about 1.5 wt %, about 2 wt %, about 2.5 wt %, about 3 wt %, about 3.5 wt %, about 4 wt %, about 4.5 wt %, or about 5 wt % base.

[0051] In some embodiments, after adding the base, the pH of the first solution may be at least about 4, at least about 4.5, at least about 5, at least about 5.5, at least about 6, at least about 6.5, at least about 7, at least about 7.5, at least about 8, at least about 8.5, at least about 9, at least about 9.5, at least about 10, at least about 10.5, at least about 11, or at least about 11.5. In some embodiments, after adding the base, the pH of the first solution may be no more than about 12, no more than about 11.5, no more than about 11, no more than about 10.5, no more than about 10, no more than about 9.5, no more than about 9, no more than about 8.5, no more than about 8, no more than about 7.5, no more than about 6.5, no more than about 6, no more than about 5.5, no more than about 5, or no more than about 4.5. Combinations of the above pH values ​​are also possible (e.g., at least about 4 and no more than about 12 or at least about 5 and no more than about 8), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, after adding the base, the pH of the first solution may be about 4, about 4.5, about 5, about 5.5, about 6, about 6.5, about 7, about 7.5, about 8, about 8.5, about 9, about 9.5, about 10, about 10.5, about 11, about 11.5, or about 12.

[0052] Step 13 includes making the spray of the second solution. In some embodiments, the spray of the second solution can be caused by rotating the first solution. In some embodiments, the concentration of the second solution can be higher than the concentration of the first solution. In some embodiments, the second solution can have the same or substantially similar concentration as the first solution. In some embodiments, the second solution can be the same or substantially similar to the first solution, but in different parts of method 10 (i.e., during fiber formation). In some embodiments, the second solution can have a viscoelasticity different from the first solution. In some embodiments, the second solution can have a higher viscosity than the first solution. In some embodiments, the viscosity of the second solution can be at least about 1.1 times, at least about 1.2 times, at least about 1.3 times, at least about 1.4 times, at least about 1.5 times, at least about 1.6 times, at least about 1.7 times, at least about 1.8 times, at least about 1.9 times or at least about 2 times the viscosity of the first solution, including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In other words, the second solution can have a lower solvent weight percentage than the first solution. In some embodiments, the spraying can be carried out by extrusion. In some embodiments, the spraying can be carried out by traditional extrusion. In some embodiments, extrusion may include single screw extrusion or twin screw extrusion (co-rotating or counter-rotating screws). In some embodiments, the injection of the second solution can be carried out by iRJS, electrostatic spinning, air blowing spinning, solution air blowing spinning, wet spinning, jet spinning or its any combination. In some embodiments, the diameter of the fiber formed can be controlled or affected by the performance of the iRJS spinneret (such as the diameter of the hole in the spinneret radius and the spinneret wall). In some embodiments, the diameter of the fiber formed can be controlled or affected by the iRJS rotation rate. In some embodiments, iRJS can operate under any parameter described in the '571 patent.

[0053] In some embodiments, the spraying of the second solution can be carried out at a pressure of at least about 25 kPa (gauge pressure), at least about 50 kPa, at least about 100 kPa, at least about 200 kPa, at least about 300 kPa, at least about 400 kPa, at least about 500 kPa, at least about 600 kPa, at least about 700 kPa, at least about 800 kPa, or at least about 900 kPa. In some embodiments, the spraying of the second solution can be carried out at a pressure of no more than about 1,000 kPa, no more than about 900 kPa, no more than about 800 kPa, no more than about 700 kPa, no more than about 600 kPa, no more than about 500 kPa, no more than about 400 kPa, no more than about 300 kPa, no more than about 200 kPa, no more than about 100 kPa, or no more than about 50 kPa. Combinations of the above pressures are also possible (e.g., at least about 25 kPa and no more than about 1,000 kPa or at least about 300 kPa and no more than about 700 kPa), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the spraying of the second solution can be performed at a pressure of about 25 kPa, about 50 kPa, about 100 kPa, about 200 kPa, about 300 kPa, about 400 kPa, about 500 kPa, about 600 kPa, about 700 kPa, about 800 kPa, about 900 kPa, or about 1,000 kPa.

[0054] In some embodiments, the spraying of the second solution can be performed through a nozzle. In some embodiments, the nozzle can have a diameter of at least about 0.1 mm, at least about 0.2 mm, at least about 0.3 mm, at least about 0.4 mm, at least about 0.5 mm, at least about 0.6 mm, at least about 0.7 mm, at least about 0.8 mm, at least about 0.9 mm, at least about 1 mm, at least about 1.5 mm, at least about 2 mm, at least about 2.5 mm, at least about 3 mm, at least about 3.5 mm, at least about 4 mm, or at least about 4.5 mm. In some embodiments, the nozzle can have a diameter of no more than about 5 mm, no more than about 4.5 mm, no more than about 4 mm, no more than about 3.5 mm, no more than about 3 mm, no more than about 2.5 mm, no more than about 2 mm, no more than about 1.5 mm, no more than about 1 mm, no more than about 0.9 mm, no more than about 0.8 mm, no more than about 0.7 mm, no more than about 0.6 mm, no more than about 0.5 mm, no more than about 0.4 mm, no more than about 0.3 mm, or no more than about 0.2 mm. Combinations of the above nozzle diameters are also possible (e.g., at least about 0.1 mm and no more than about 5 mm or at least about 1 mm and no more than about 3 mm), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the nozzle may have a diameter of about 0.1 mm, about 0.2 mm, about 0.3 mm, about 0.4 mm, about 0.5 mm, about 0.6 mm, about 0.7 mm, about 0.8 mm, about 0.9 mm, about 1 mm, about 1.5 mm, about 2 mm, about 2.5 mm, about 3 mm, about 3.5 mm, about 4 mm, about 4.5 mm, or about 5 mm.

[0055] Step 14 includes collecting the jet of the second solution in the precipitation bath. In some embodiments, the precipitation bath can surround the ejector device, and the second solution is ejected from the ejector device. The precipitation bath can be food safe. In some embodiments, the precipitation bath can be organic. In some embodiments, the precipitation bath can include water. In some embodiments, the precipitation bath can include a coagulant and / or a flocculant. In some embodiments, the precipitation bath can include salts or other additives to promote the formation of fibers by the second solution. In some embodiments, the precipitation bath can include a vortex bath. In some embodiments, the solvent of the first solution can include water and ethanol, so that the fiber assembly is formed in the precipitation bath by water-ethanol exchange. In some embodiments, the precipitation bath can include water with monovalent ions, divalent ions, salts of monovalent ions, salts of divalent ions, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, monovalent ions and / or divalent ions can be cations, anions, or mixtures thereof. In some embodiments, salts can include calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, magnesium lactate. In some embodiments, salts can include protons (or hydronium ions) or hydroxide ions that adjust pH. In some embodiments, the polysaccharides from the first solution and the second solution may undergo ionic gelation in the precipitation bath.

[0056] In some embodiments, the second solution can be acidic (e.g., having a pH of less than about 7, less than about 6.5, less than about 6, less than about 5.5, less than about 5, less than about 4.5, less than about 4, less than about 3.5, or less than about 3 (including all values ​​and ranges therebetween)). In some embodiments, the second solution can be acidic, and the precipitation bath can include an alkaline solution so that the fiber assembly is formed by acid / base exchange. In some embodiments, fiber gelation can occur by ion exchange. For example, polysaccharides such as alginate gels can be gelled by ion exchange. In addition, sodium alginate spun into a vortex bath containing calcium can be gelled by sodium-calcium exchange. When the polysaccharide interacts with the precipitation bath containing calcium, ion exchange can solidify and stabilize the fibers. This can be achieved by ionic gelation.

[0057] Step 15 is optional and includes heating the second solution. In some embodiments, the heating of the second solution can be carried out after the second solution has been sprayed into the precipitation bath. Heating can help kill the bacteria in the second solution. In some embodiments, heating can be carried out at least in part with the second solution being sprayed into the precipitation bath. In other words, step 15 can be carried out at least in part with step 14 simultaneously. In some embodiments, the second solution can be heated by a heat gun, or heated in a heated atmosphere or shell. In some embodiments, the second solution can be cooled (for example, by a refrigerant).

[0058] In some embodiments, heating can be to a temperature of at least about 30° C., at least about 35° C., at least about 40° C., at least about 45° C., at least about 50° C., at least about 55° C., at least about 60° C., at least about 65° C., at least about 70° C., at least about 75° C., at least about 80° C., at least about 85° C., at least about 90° C., or at least about 95° C. In some embodiments, heating can be to a temperature of no more than about 100° C., no more than about 95° C., no more than about 90° C., no more than about 85° C., no more than about 80° C., no more than about 75° C., no more than about 70° C., no more than about 65° C., no more than about 60° C., no more than about 55° C., no more than about 50° C., no more than about 45° C., no more than about 40° C., or no more than about 30° C. Combinations of the above temperatures are also possible (e.g., at least about 30° C. and no more than about 100° C. or at least about 50° C. and no more than about 70° C.), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, heating may be to a temperature of about 30°C, about 35°C, about 40°C, about 45°C, about 50°C, about 55°C, about 60°C, about 65°C, about 70°C, about 75°C, about 80°C, about 85°C, about 90°C, about 95°C, or about 100°C.

[0059] In some embodiments, heating can last for at least about 30 seconds, at least about 1 minute, at least about 5 minutes, at least about 10 minutes, at least about 30 minutes, at least about 1 hour, at least about 2 hours, at least about 4 hours, at least about 6 hours, at least about 8 hours, at least about 10 hours, at least about 12 hours or at least about 18 hours. In some embodiments, heating can last for no more than about 24 hours, no more than about 18 hours, no more than about 12 hours, no more than about 10 hours, no more than about 8 hours, no more than about 6 hours, no more than about 4 hours, no more than about 2 hours, no more than about 1 hour, no more than about 30 minutes, no more than about 10 minutes, no more than about 5 minutes or no more than about 1 minute. The combination of the above-mentioned time periods is also possible (for example, at least about 30 seconds and no more than about 24 hours or at least about 1 hour and no more than about 10 hours), including all values ​​and scopes therebetween. In some embodiments, heating may last for about 30 seconds, about 1 minute, about 5 minutes, about 10 minutes, about 30 minutes, about 1 hour, about 2 hours, about 4 hours, about 6 hours, about 8 hours, about 10 hours, about 12 hours, about 18 hours, or about 24 hours.

[0060] Step 16 is optional and includes drying the fiber assembly. Controlling the drying process can have a significant impact on the structure of the resulting fiber, especially the support structure and porosity of the fiber. In some embodiments, drying can be at least partially performed simultaneously with step 14 and / or step 15. In other words, heating can be performed during the drying process. In some embodiments, drying can include extruding and / or rotating the fiber assembly. In some embodiments, drying can be performed by a rotary dryer. In some embodiments, the heating in step 15 can at least partially contribute to the drying of the fiber assembly. In some embodiments, drying can be only partial, so that the fiber assembly is still surrounded by a stabilizing liquid after drying.

[0061] Step 17 is optional and includes adding biological cells to the fiber assembly. In some embodiments, the biological cells may include mammalian cells, fish cells, avian cells, avian muscle myoblasts, mammalian muscle myoblasts, fish muscle myoblasts, fibroblasts, adipocytes, endothelial cells, epithelial cells, keratinocytes, stem cells, cells from crustaceans, cells from molluscs, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the biological cells may be anchorage dependent. In other words, when the biological cells are allowed to attach to a solid surface, they may experience an increase in proliferation. In some embodiments, the biological cells may be added to the fiber assembly in an amount such that the biological cells comprise at least about 0.5 weight percent, at least about 1 weight percent, at least about 1.5 weight percent, at least about 2 weight percent, at least about 2.5 weight percent, at least about 3 weight percent, at least about 3.5 weight percent, at least about 4 weight percent, at least about 4.5 weight percent, at least about 5 weight percent, at least about 5.5 weight percent, at least about 6 weight percent, at least about 6.5 weight percent, at least about 7 weight percent, at least about 7.5 weight percent, at least about 8 weight percent, at least about 8.5 weight percent, at least about 8 weight percent, at least about 8.6 weight percent, at least about 8.7 weight percent, at least about 8.8 weight percent, at least about 8.9 weight percent, at least about 8.1 weight percent, at least about 8.2 weight percent, at least about 8.3 weight percent, at least about 8.4 weight percent, at least about 8.6 weight percent, at least about 8.7 weight percent, at least about 8.8 weight percent, at least about 8.9 weight percent, at least about 8.8 weight percent, at least about 8.9 weight percent, at least about 8.5 weight percent, at least about 8.6 weight percent, at least about 8.8 weight percent, at least about 8.9 weight percent, at least about At least about 9 weight %, at least about 9.5 weight %, at least about 10 weight %, at least about 11 weight %, at least about 12 weight %, at least about 13 weight %, at least about 14 weight %, at least about 15 weight %, at least about 16 weight %, at least about 17 weight %, at least about 18 weight %, at least about 19 weight %, at least about 20 weight %, at least about 21 weight %, at least about 22 weight %, at least about 23 weight %, at least about 24 weight %, at least about 25 weight %, at least about 26 weight %, at least about 27 weight %, at least about 28 weight %, or at least about 29 weight %.In some embodiments, the biological cells may be added to the fiber assembly in an amount such that the biological cells comprise no more than about 30 weight percent, no more than about 29 weight percent, no more than about 28 weight percent, no more than about 27 weight percent, no more than about 26 weight percent, no more than about 25 weight percent, no more than about 24 weight percent, no more than about 23 weight percent, no more than about 22 weight percent, no more than about 21 weight percent, no more than about 20 weight percent, no more than about 19 weight percent, no more than about 18 weight percent, no more than about 17 weight percent, no more than about 16 weight percent, no more than about 15 weight percent, no more than about 14 weight percent, no more than about %, no more than about 13 wt %, no more than about 12 wt %, no more than about 11 wt %, no more than about 10 wt %, no more than about 9.5 wt %, no more than about 9 wt %, no more than about 8.5 wt %, no more than about 8 wt %, no more than about 7.5 wt %, no more than about 7 wt %, no more than about 6.5 wt %, no more than about 6 wt %, no more than about 5.5 wt %, no more than about 5 wt %, no more than about 4.5 wt %, no more than about 4 wt %, no more than about 3.5 wt %, no more than about 3 wt %, no more than about 2.5 wt %, no more than about 2 wt %, no more than about 1.5 wt % or no more than about 1 wt %.

[0062] Combinations of the foregoing weight percentages are also possible (e.g., at least about 0.5 weight percent and no more than about 30 weight percent or at least about 2 weight percent and no more than about 4 weight percent), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the biological cells may be added to the fiber assembly in an amount such that the biological cells constitute about 0.5 weight percent, about 1 weight percent, about 1.5 weight percent, about 2 weight percent, about 2.5 weight percent, about 3 weight percent, about 3.5 weight percent, about 4 weight percent, about 4.5 weight percent, about 5 weight percent, about 5.5 weight percent, about 6 weight percent, about 6.5 weight percent, about 7 weight percent, about 7.5 weight percent, about 8 weight percent, about 8. %, about 5 wt %, about 9 wt %, about 9.5 wt %, about 10 wt %, about 11 wt %, about 12 wt %, about 13 wt %, about 14 wt %, about 16 wt %, about 17 wt %, about 18 wt %, about 19 wt %, about 20 wt %, about 21 wt %, about 22 wt %, about 23 wt %, about 24 wt %, about 25 wt %, about 26 wt %, about 27 wt %, about 28 wt %, about 29 wt % or about 30 wt %.

[0063] Step 18 is optional and includes heating the fiber assembly. Heating can promote further drying of the fiber assembly. Heating also helps to kill the microbial community in the fiber assembly. In some embodiments, heating can be carried out in an oven. In some embodiments, heating can be carried out in a furnace. In some embodiments, heating can reach a temperature of at least about 100°C, at least about 110°C, at least about 120°C, at least about 130°C, at least about 140°C, at least about 150°C, at least about 160°C, at least about 170°C, at least about 180°C, at least about 190°C, at least about 200°C, at least about 210°C, at least about 220°C, at least about 230°C, at least about 240°C, at least about 250°C, at least about 260°C, at least about 270°C, at least about 280°C, or at least about 290°C. In some embodiments, heating may be to a temperature of no more than about 300° C., no more than about 290° C., no more than about 280° C., no more than about 270° C., no more than about 260° C., no more than about 250° C., no more than about 240° C., no more than about 230° C., no more than about 220° C., no more than about 210° C., no more than about 200° C., no more than about 190° C., no more than about 180° C., no more than about 170° C., no more than about 160° C., no more than about 150° C., no more than about 140° C., no more than about 130° C., no more than about 120° C., or no more than about 110° C. Combinations of the above temperatures are also possible (e.g., at least about 100° C. and no more than about 300° C. or at least about 150° C. and no more than about 250° C.), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the heating can reach a temperature of about 100°C, about 110°C, about 120°C, about 130°C, about 140°C, about 150°C, about 160°C, about 170°C, about 180°C, about 190°C, about 200°C, about 210°C, about 220°C, about 230°C, about 240°C, about 250°C, about 260°C, about 270°C, about 280°C, about 290°C, or about 300°C.

[0064] In some embodiments, heating can last for at least about 15 minutes, at least about 30 minutes, at least about 1 hour, at least about 2 hours, at least about 4 hours, at least about 6 hours, at least about 8 hours, at least about 10 hours, at least about 12 hours or at least about 18 hours of time period.In some embodiments, heating can last for no more than about 24 hours, no more than about 18 hours, no more than about 12 hours, no more than about 10 hours, no more than about 8 hours, no more than about 6 hours, no more than about 4 hours, no more than about 2 hours, no more than about 1 hour or no more than about 30 minutes of a period of time.The combination of the above-mentioned time period is also possible (for example, at least about 15 minutes and no more than about 24 hours or at least about 4 hours and no more than about 8 hours), including all values ​​and scopes therebetween.In some embodiments, heating can last for about 15 minutes, about 30 minutes, about 1 hour, about 2 hours, about 4 hours, about 6 hours, about 8 hours, about 10 hours, about 12 hours or about 18 hours of a period of time.In some embodiments, fiber assembly can cool (for example, by refrigerant) fiber assembly.

[0065] Step 19 is optional and includes adding salt, thiol and / or mercaptoethanol to the fiber assembly. Salt, thiol and / or mercaptoethanol can break disulfide bonds in the fiber assembly, resulting in disulfide bond breakage and opening of the protein tertiary structure. In some embodiments, the breakage can be performed at a pH of at least about 7, at least about 7.5, at least about 8, at least about 8.5, at least about 9, at least about 9.5, at least about 10, at least about 10.5, or at least about 11 (including all values ​​and ranges therebetween).

[0066] Step 20 includes tearing the fiber assembly and adding fat and flavoring to the fiber assembly to form a fibrous food. In some embodiments, tearing the fiber assembly can occur at least partially simultaneously with adding fat and flavoring to the fiber assembly. In some embodiments, tearing the fibers can be automatic. In some embodiments, tearing the fiber assembly and adding fat and flavoring to the fiber assembly can be performed at different times. In some embodiments, the fibers can be torn manually. In some embodiments, the fibers can be torn by a machine. In some embodiments, the fibers can be torn by hand. Tearing the fiber assembly can effectively divide the fiber assembly into multiple fiber "sub-bundles". The fiber sub-bundles have a larger surface area-to-volume ratio than the original fiber bundle, so that the fat added to the fibers can be diffused deeper and more thoroughly into the fiber assembly.

[0067] In some embodiments, the fat added to the fiber at step 20 may include oil. In some embodiments, the oil may be food safe. In some embodiments, the oil may be organic. In some embodiments, the oil may include coconut oil, rapeseed oil, linseed oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil, palm oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, almond oil, beechnut oil, Brazil nut oil, cashew oil, hazelnut oil, macadamia oil, Mongolian nut oil, pecan oil, pine nut oil, pistachio oil, walnut oil, pumpkin seed oil, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the fiber assembly may be at least partially immersed in a stabilizing liquid. In some embodiments, the oil may be distributed between the fiber and the stabilizing liquid. In some embodiments, the flavoring agent may include one or more salts. In some embodiments, the flavoring agent may include a flavor enhancer. In some embodiments, the color enhancer may be added to the fiber assembly at step 20. In some embodiments, the flavoring agent may include one or more spices. In some embodiments, the flavoring agents may include salt, black pepper, chili powder, oregano, anise, celery seeds, cinnamon, catnip, cardamom seeds, caraway seeds, burnet, brown mustard, borage, black pepper, mustard seeds, cumin, bergamot, basil, bay leaves, asafoetida, anise, angelica, allspice, cayenne pepper, chervil, endive, chili pepper, cinnamon bark, cilantro, cloves, coriander, tansy, curry, dill, fennel, fenugreek, fi lé, ginger, grains of paradise, grains of paradise paradise), holy basil, summer grass, horseradish, hyssop, lavender, lemon mint, lemongrass, lemon verbena, liquorice, angelica, mace, oregano, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, parsley, mint, rosemary, rue, saffron, sage, savory, sesame, sorrel, star anise, spearmint, tarragon, thyme, turmeric, vanilla, mustard, or any combination thereof.

[0068] In some embodiments, the fibers in the fiber food can be at least partially nonwoven. The nonwoven fiber structure can enable the fibers to be entangled and held together in a random or disordered manner, similar to whole muscle meat products, and then shredded. This can prevent the fibers from spreading or being easily torn.

[0069] Figure 21 is a block diagram of a fiber food 100 according to an embodiment. As shown, the fiber food 100 may include a stabilizing liquid 110 (including water 150) in which fibers 120 are dispersed. The fibers 120 include plant protein 130, polysaccharides 140, water 150, and oil 160. In some embodiments, the oil 160 may be distributed between the fibers 120 and the stabilizing liquid 110 so that the oil 160 is present in both parts. In some embodiments, the fibers 120 may include biological cells 170 disposed therein.

[0070] The stabilizing liquid 110 includes water 150. In some embodiments, the stabilizing liquid 110 may include alcohol, additives, acids, bases, salts, flavoring agents, spices, coagulants, flocculants, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the stabilizing liquid 110 may contain calcium. In some embodiments, the stabilizing liquid 110 may constitute at least about 1% by weight, at least about 2% by weight, at least about 3% by weight, at least about 4% by weight, at least about 5% by weight, at least about 6% by weight, at least about 7% by weight, at least about 8% by weight, at least about 9% by weight, at least about 10% by weight, at least about 11% by weight, at least about 12% by weight, at least about 13% by weight, at least about 14% by weight, at least about 15% by weight, at least about 16% by weight, at least about 17% by weight, at least about 18% by weight, or at least about 19% by weight of the fiber food 100. In some embodiments, the stabilizing liquid 110 may constitute no more than about 20 weight %, no more than about 19 weight %, no more than about 18 weight %, no more than about 17 weight %, no more than about 16 weight %, no more than about 15 weight %, no more than about 14 weight %, no more than about 13 weight %, no more than about 12 weight %, no more than about 11 weight %, no more than about 10 weight %, no more than about 9 weight %, no more than about 8 weight %, no more than about 7 weight %, no more than about 6 weight %, no more than about 5 weight %, no more than about 4 weight %, no more than about 3 weight %, or no more than about 2 weight % of the fibrous food 100. Combinations of the above weight percentages are also possible (e.g., at least about 1 weight % and no more than about 20 weight % or at least about 5 weight % and no more than about 15 weight %), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, stabilizing liquid 110 may constitute about 1 wt %, about 2 wt %, about 3 wt %, about 4 wt %, about 5 wt %, about 6 wt %, about 7 wt %, about 8 wt %, about 9 wt %, about 10 wt %, about 11 wt %, about 12 wt %, about 13 wt %, about 14 wt %, about 15 wt %, about 16 wt %, about 17 wt %, about 18 wt %, about 19 wt %, or about 20 wt % of fibrous food 100.

[0071] In some embodiments, flavoring agent may include flavoring agent.In some embodiments, flavoring agent may include flavoring agent.In some embodiments, fiber food 100 may include flavoring agent, coloring agent, flavoring agent or its any combination.In some embodiments, flavoring agent, coloring agent and flavoring agent can be combined to constitute fiber 120 less than about 15 % by weight, less than about 14 % by weight, less than about 13 % by weight, less than about 12 % by weight, less than about 11 % by weight, less than about 10 % by weight, less than about 9 % by weight, less than about 8 % by weight, less than about 7 % by weight, less than about 6 % by weight, less than about 5 % by weight, less than about 4 % by weight, less than about 3 % by weight, less than about 2 % by weight or less than about 1 % by weight, including all values ​​and scopes therebetween.In some embodiments, fiber food 100 may not contain any cell derived from live animals.

[0072] As shown, fiber 120 includes plant protein 130, polysaccharide 140, water 150, oil 160, and optional biological cells 170. In some embodiments, fiber 120 may include dietary fiber, insoluble fiber, soluble fiber, prebiotic fiber, fermentable fiber, viscous fiber, resistant starch, or any combination thereof.

[0073] In some embodiments, fibers 120 may have a thickness of at least about 10 μm, at least about 20 μm, at least about 30 μm, at least about 40 μm, at least about 50 μm, at least about 60 μm, at least about 70 μm, at least about 80 μm, at least about 90 μm, at least about 100 μm, at least about 110 μm, at least about 120 μm, at least about 130 μm, at least about 140 μm, at least about 150 μm, at least about 160 μm, at least about 170 μm, at least about 180 μm, or at least about 190 μm. In some embodiments, the fiber 120 may have a thickness of no more than about 200 μm, no more than about 190 μm, no more than about 180 μm, no more than about 170 μm, no more than about 160 μm, no more than about 150 μm, no more than about 140 μm, no more than about 130 μm, no more than about 120 μm, no more than about 110 μm, no more than about 100 μm, no more than about 90 μm, no more than about 80 μm, no more than about 70 μm, no more than about 60 μm, no more than about 50 μm, no more than about 40 μm, no more than about 30 μm, or no more than about 20 μm. Combinations of the above fiber thicknesses are also possible (e.g., at least about 10 μm and no more than about 200 μm or at least about 50 μm and no more than about 100 μm), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the fiber 120 may have a thickness of about 10 μm, about 20 μm, about 30 μm, about 40 μm, about 50 μm, about 60 μm, about 70 μm, about 80 μm, about 90 μm, about 100 μm, about 110 μm, about 120 μm, about 130 μm, about 140 μm, about 150 μm, about 160 μm, about 170 μm, about 180 μm, about 190 μm, or about 200 μm.

[0074] In some embodiments, the fiber 120 can have a length of at least about 1 mm, at least about 2 mm, at least about 3 mm, at least about 4 mm, at least about 5 mm, at least about 6 mm, at least about 7 mm, at least about 8 mm, at least about 9 mm, at least about 1 cm, at least about 2 cm, at least about 3 cm, at least about 4 cm, at least about 5 cm, at least about 10 cm, at least about 15 cm, at least about 20 cm, or at least about 25 cm. In some embodiments, the fiber 120 can have a length of no more than about 30 cm, no more than about 25 cm, no more than about 20 cm, no more than about 15 cm, no more than about 10 cm, no more than about 5 cm, no more than about 4 cm, no more than about 3 cm, no more than about 2 cm, no more than about 1 cm, no more than about 9 mm, no more than about 8 mm, no more than about 7 mm, no more than about 6 mm, no more than about 5 mm, no more than about 4 mm, no more than about 3 mm, or no more than about 2 mm. Combinations of the above lengths of fiber 120 are also possible (e.g., at least about 1 mm and no more than about 30 cm or at least about 5 mm and no more than about 10 cm), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, fiber 120 may have a length of about 1 mm, about 2 mm, about 3 mm, about 4 mm, about 5 mm, about 6 mm, about 7 mm, about 8 mm, about 9 mm, about 1 cm, about 2 cm, about 3 cm, about 4 cm, about 5 cm, about 10 cm, about 15 cm, about 20 cm, about 25 cm, or about 30 cm.

[0075] In some embodiments, the fiber 120 may constitute at least about 80% by weight, at least about 81% by weight, at least about 82% by weight, at least about 83% by weight, at least about 84% by weight, at least about 85% by weight, at least about 86% by weight, at least about 87% by weight, at least about 88% by weight, at least about 89% by weight, at least about 90% by weight, at least about 91% by weight, at least about 92% by weight, at least about 93% by weight, at least about 94% by weight, at least about 95% by weight, at least about 96% by weight, at least about 97% by weight, at least about 98% by weight, or at least about 99% by weight of the fibrous food 100. In some embodiments, the fiber 120 may constitute no more than about 100 weight %, no more than about 99 weight %, no more than about 98 weight %, no more than about 97 weight %, no more than about 96 weight %, no more than about 95 weight %, no more than about 94 weight %, no more than about 93 weight %, no more than about 92 weight %, no more than about 91 weight %, no more than about 90 weight %, no more than about 89 weight %, no more than about 88 weight %, no more than about 87 weight %, no more than about 86 weight %, no more than about 85 weight %, no more than about 84 weight %, no more than about 83 weight %, no more than about 82 weight %, or no more than about 81 weight % of the fiber food 100. Combinations of the above weight percentages are also possible (e.g., at least about 80 weight % and no more than about 100 weight % or at least about 85 weight % and no more than about 95 weight %), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the fiber 120 may constitute about 80%, about 81%, about 82%, about 83%, about 84%, about 85%, about 86%, about 87%, about 88%, about 89%, about 90%, about 91%, about 92%, about 93%, about 94%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, about 99%, or about 100% by weight of the fiber food 100.

[0076] In some embodiments, fiber 120 may include ions. In some embodiments, ions may include sodium ions, calcium ions, magnesium ions or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, fiber 120 may include macromolecules. In some embodiments, ions and / or macromolecules may constitute about 0.5 weight %, about 1 weight %, about 1.5 weight %, about 2 weight %, about 2.5 weight %, about 3 weight %, about 3.5 weight %, about 4 weight %, about 4.5 weight %, about 5 weight %, about 5.5 weight %, about 6 weight %, about 6.5 weight %, about 7 weight %, about 7.5 weight %, about 8 weight %, about 8.5 weight %, about 9 weight %, about 9.5 weight % or about 10 weight % of fiber 120, including all values ​​and scopes therebetween. In some embodiments, fiber 120 may be nonwoven at least in part. In other words, fiber 120 can be tangled together and provide tear resistance.

[0077] The plant protein 130 is included in the fiber 120. In some embodiments, the plant protein 130 may include proteins derived from rice, peas, soy, barley, rice, pearl barley, beans, beans, gluten, tempeh, edamame, lentils, chickpeas, nutritional yeast, spelt, teff, seeds, amaranth, quinoa, spirulina, green peas, oats, Ezekiel bread, wild rice, nuts, chia seeds, mycoprotein, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the plant protein 130 may include one or more amino acids. In some embodiments, the plant protein 130 may include alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, valine, or any combination thereof.

[0078] In some embodiments, the plant protein 130 may constitute at least about 5% by weight, at least about 10% by weight, at least about 15% by weight, at least about 20% by weight, at least about 25% by weight, at least about 30% by weight, at least about 35% by weight, at least about 40% by weight, at least about 45% by weight, at least about 50% by weight, at least about 55% by weight, at least about 60% by weight, at least about 65% by weight, at least about 70% by weight, at least about 75% by weight, at least about 80% by weight, at least about 85% by weight, at least about 90% by weight, at least about 95% by weight, at least about 96% by weight, at least about 97% by weight, at least about 98% by weight, or at least about 99% by weight of the fiber 120. In some embodiments, the plant protein 130 may constitute no more than about 100%, no more than about 99%, no more than about 98%, no more than about 97%, no more than about 96%, no more than about 95%, no more than about 90%, no more than about 85%, no more than about 80%, no more than about 75%, no more than about 70%, no more than about 65%, no more than about 60%, no more than about 55%, no more than about 50%, no more than about 45%, no more than about 40%, no more than about 35%, no more than about 30%, no more than about 25%, no more than about 20%, no more than about 15%, or no more than about 10% by weight of the fiber 120. Combinations of the foregoing weight percentages are also possible (e.g., at least about 5% and no more than about 100% by weight or at least about 70% and no more than about 90% by weight), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the plant protein 130 may constitute about 5%, about 10%, about 15%, about 20%, about 25%, about 30%, about 35%, about 40%, about 45%, about 50%, about 55%, about 60%, about 65%, about 70%, about 75%, about 80%, about 85%, about 90%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, about 99%, or about 100% by weight of the fiber 120.

[0079] Polysaccharides 140 are also included in the fibers 120. In some embodiments, the polysaccharides may include cellulose, starch, glycogen, sucrose, dextrin, hemicellulose, polydextrose, inulin, glucan, beta-glucan, pectin, psyllium husk mucilage, galactomannan, gum, beta-mannan, carob, fenugreek, guar gum, tara gum, methylcellulose, glucomannan gum, konjac gum, gum arabic, gum karaya, pullulan, gum tragacanth, gum arabic xylan, xanthan gum, agar, alginate, carrageenan, chitin, chitosan, trehalose, or any combination thereof.

[0080] In some embodiments, polysaccharide 140 may constitute up to at least about 0.25 wt %, at least about 0.5 wt %, at least about 0.75 wt %, at least about 1 wt %, at least about 2 wt %, at least about 3 wt %, at least about 4 wt %, at least about 5 wt %, at least about 6 wt %, at least about 7 wt %, at least about 8 wt %, at least about 9 wt %, at least about 10 wt %, at least about 11 wt %, at least about 12 wt %, at least about 13 wt %, at least about 14 wt %, at least about 15 wt %, at least about 16 wt %, at least about 17 wt %, at least about 18 wt %, at least about 19 wt %, at least about 20 wt %, at least about 21 wt %, at least about 22 wt %, at least about 23 wt %, at least about 24 wt %, at least about 25 wt %, at least about 26 wt %, at least about 27 wt %, at least about 28 wt %, at least about 29 wt %, at least about 30 wt %, at least about 30 wt %, at least about 31 wt %, at least about 32 wt %, at least about 33 wt %, at least about 34 wt %, at least about 35 wt %, at least about 36 wt %, at least about 37 wt %, at least about 38 wt %, at least about 39 wt %, at least about , at least about 18 weight %, at least about 19 weight %, at least about 20 weight %, at least about 21 weight %, at least about 22 weight %, at least about 23 weight %, at least about 24 weight %, at least about 25 weight %, at least about 26 weight %, at least about 27 weight %, at least about 28 weight %, at least about 29 weight %, at least about 30 weight %, at least about 31 weight %, at least about 32 weight %, at least about 33 weight %, at least about 34 weight %, at least about 35 weight %, at least about 36 weight %, at least about 37 weight %, at least about 38 weight %, or at least about 39 weight %. In some embodiments, the polysaccharide 140 may constitute no more than about 40% by weight, no more than about 39% by weight, no more than about 38% by weight, no more than about 37% by weight, no more than about 36% by weight, no more than about 35% by weight, no more than about 34% by weight, no more than about 33% by weight, no more than about 32% by weight, no more than about 31% by weight, no more than about 30% by weight, no more than about 29% by weight, no more than about 28% by weight, no more than about 27% by weight, no more than about 26% by weight, no more than about 25% by weight, no more than about 24% by weight, no more than about 23% by weight, no more than about 22% by weight, or no more than about 23% by weight of the fiber 120. %, no more than about 15 wt %, no more than about 16 wt %, no more than about 15 wt %, no more than about 16 wt %, no more than about 17 wt %, no more than about 18 wt %, no more than about 19 ...1 wt %, no more than about 12 wt %, no more than about 12 wt %, no more than about 11 wt %, no more than about 10 wt %, no more than about 9 wt %, no more than about 8 wt %, no more than about 7 wt %, no more than about 6 wt %, no more than about 5 wt %, no more than about 4 wt %, no more than about 3 wt %, no more than about 2 wt %, no more than about 1 wt %, no more than about 0.75 wt %, or no more than about 0.5 wt %. Combinations of the above weight percentages are also possible (e.g., at least about 0.25 wt % and no more than about 40 wt % or at least about 5 wt % and no more than about 15 wt %), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween.In some embodiments, polysaccharide 140 may constitute about 0.25%, about 0.5%, about 0.75%, about 1%, about 2%, about 3%, about 4%, about 5%, about 6%, about 7%, about 8%, about 9%, about 10%, about 11%, about 12%, about 13%, about 14%, about 15%, about 16%, about 17%, about 18%, about 19%, about 20%, about 21%, about 22%, about 23%, about 24%, about 25%, about 26%, about 27%, about 28%, about 29%, about 30%, about 31%, about 32%, about 33%, about 34%, about 35%, about 36%, about 37%, about 38%, about 39%, about 40%, about 41%, about 42%, about 43%, about 44%, about 45%, about 46%, about 47%, about 48%, about 49%, about 50%, about 51%, about 52%, about 53%, about 54%, about 55%, about 56%, about 57%, about 58%, about 59%, about 60%, about 61%, about 62%, about 63%, about 64%, about 65%, about 66%, about 67%, about 68%, about 69%, about 70%, about 71%, about 72%, about 73%, about 74%, about 75%, about 76%, about 77%, about 78%, about 79%, about 80%, about %, about 18 wt %, about 19 wt %, about 20 wt %, about 21 wt %, about 22 wt %, about 23 wt %, about 24 wt %, about 25 wt %, about 26 wt %, about 27 wt %, about 28 wt %, about 29 wt %, about 30 wt %, about 31 wt %, about 32 wt %, about 33 wt %, about 34 wt %, about 35 wt %, about 36 wt %, about 37 wt %, about 38 wt %, about 39 wt % or about 40 wt %.

[0081] Water 150 is contained in the fiber 120. In some embodiments, the water 150 may be distributed between the stabilizing liquid 110 and the fiber 120. Oil 160 is contained in the fiber 120. In some embodiments, the oil 160 may be distributed between the fiber 120 and the stabilizing liquid 110. In some embodiments, the oil 160 may constitute at least about 1%, at least about 1.5%, at least about 2%, at least about 2.5%, at least about 3%, at least about 3.5%, at least about 4%, at least about 4.5%, at least about 5%, at least about 5.5%, at least about 6%, at least about 7.5%, at least about 8%, at least about 8.5%, at least about 9%, at least about 9.5%, at least about 10%, at least about 15%, at least about 20%, at least about 25%, at least about 30%, at least about 35%, at least about 40%, at least about 45%, at least about 50%, or at least about 55% by weight of the fibers 120. In some embodiments, the oil 160 may constitute no more than about 60 weight percent, no more than about 55 weight percent, no more than about 50 weight percent, no more than about 45 weight percent, no more than about 40 weight percent, no more than about 35 weight percent, no more than about 30 weight percent, no more than about 25 weight percent, no more than about 20 weight percent, no more than about 15 weight percent, no more than about 10 weight percent, no more than about 9.5 weight percent, no more than about 9 weight percent, no more than about 8.5 weight percent, no more than about 8 weight percent, no more than about 7.5 weight percent, no more than about 7 weight percent, no more than about 6.5 weight percent, no more than about 6 weight percent, no more than about 5.5 weight percent, no more than about 5 weight percent, no more than about 4.5 weight percent, no more than about 4 weight percent, no more than about 3.5 weight percent, no more than about 3 weight percent, no more than about 2.5 weight percent, no more than about 2 weight percent, or no more than about 1.5 weight percent. Combinations of the foregoing weight percentages are also possible (e.g., at least about 1 wt % and no more than about 60 wt % or at least about 3 wt % and no more than about 8 wt %), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, oil 160 may constitute about 1 wt %, about 1.5 wt %, about 2 wt %, about 2.5 wt %, about 3 wt %, about 3.5 wt %, about 4 wt %, about 4.5 wt %, about 5 wt %, about 5.5 wt %, about 6 wt %, about 7.5 wt %, about 8 wt %, about 8.5 wt %, about 9 wt %, about 9.5 wt %, about 10 wt %, about 15 wt %, about 20 wt %, about 25 wt %, about 30 wt %, about 35 wt %, about 40 wt %, about 45 wt %, about 50 wt %, about 55 wt %, or about 60 wt % of fiber 120.

[0082] In some embodiments, biological cells 170 may include mammalian cells, fish cells, avian cells, avian muscle myoblasts, mammalian muscle myoblasts, fish muscle myoblasts, fibroblasts, adipocytes, endothelial cells, epithelial cells, keratinocytes, stem cells, cells from crustaceans, cells from molluscs, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, biological cells 170 may constitute about 0.5%, about 1%, about 1.5%, about 2%, about 2.5%, about 3%, about 3.5%, about 4%, about 4.5%, about 5%, about 5.5%, about 6%, about 6.5%, about 7%, about 7.5%, about 8%, about 8.5%, about 9%, about 9.5%, or about 10% by weight of fibers 120, including all values ​​and ranges therebetween.

[0083] In some embodiments, fiber food 100 can be heart healthy according to the "heart health" definition provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) according to 21CFR§101 (Volume 2). In other words, fiber food 100 can be certified with the heart check mark of the American Heart Association (AHA). For example, each portion (e.g., 50g) of fiber food 100 can include less than 6.5g of fat, less than 1g of saturated fat (or less than 15% of its calories from saturated fat), less than 0.5g of trans fat, less than 20mg of cholesterol, less than 20mg of sodium and at least 10% of the daily value of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, protein or dietary fiber.

[0084] In some embodiments, the fibrous food 100 may have a hardness value of at least about 2N, at least about 2.1N, at least about 2.2N, at least about 2.3N, at least about 2.4N, at least about 2.5N, at least about 2.6N, at least about 2.7N, at least about 2.8N, at least about 2.9N, at least about 3N, at least about 3.1N, at least about 3.2N, at least about 3.3N, at least about 3.4N, at least about 3.5N, at least about 3.6N, at least about 3.7N, at least about 3.8N, or at least about 3.9N in terms of texture properties on a food scale. In some embodiments, the fibrous food 100 may have a hardness value of no more than about 4 N, no more than about 3.9 N, no more than about 3.8 N, no more than about 3.7 N, no more than about 3.6 N, no more than about 3.5 N, no more than about 3.4 N, no more than about 3.3 N, no more than about 3.2 N, no more than about 3.1 N, no more than about 3 N, no more than about 2.9 N, no more than about 2.8 N, no more than about 2.7 N, no more than about 2.6 N, no more than about 2.5 N, no more than about 2.4 N, no more than about 2.3 N, no more than about 2.2 N, or no more than about 2.1 N. Combinations of the above hardness values ​​are also possible (e.g., at least about 2 N and no more than about 4 N or at least about 2.3 N and no more than about 3.5 N), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the fiber food 100 may have a hardness value of about 2N, about 2.1N, about 2.2N, about 2.3N, about 2.4N, about 2.5N, about 2.6N, about 2.7N, about 2.8N, about 2.9N, about 3N, about 3.1N, about 3.2N, about 3.3N, about 3.4N, about 3.5N, about 3.6N, about 3.7N, about 3.8N, about 3.9N, or about 4N.

[0085] In some embodiments, the fibrous food 100 may have an elasticity value of at least about 6N, at least about 6.1N, at least about 6.2N, at least about 6.3N, at least about 6.4N, at least about 6.5N, at least about 6.6N, at least about 6.7N, at least about 6.8N, or at least about 6.9N on a food-scale texture property. In some embodiments, the fibrous food 100 may have an elasticity value of no more than about 7N, no more than about 6.9N, no more than about 6.8N, no more than about 6.7N, no more than about 6.6N, no more than about 6.5N, no more than about 6.4N, no more than about 6.3N, no more than about 6.2N, or no more than about 6.1N. Combinations of the above elasticity values ​​are also possible (e.g., at least about 6N and no more than about 7N or at least about 6.1N and no more than about 6.9N), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the fibrous food 100 may have an elasticity value of about 6N, about 6.1N, about 6.2N, about 6.3N, about 6.4N, about 6.5N, about 6.6N, about 6.7N, about 6.8N, about 6.9N, or about 7N.

[0086] In some embodiments, the fibrous food 100 can have a cohesion value of at least about 0.4, at least about 0.41, at least about 0.42, at least about 0.43, at least about 0.44, at least about 0.45, at least about 0.46, at least about 0.47, at least about 0.48, at least about 0.49, at least about 0.5, at least about 0.51, at least about 0.52, at least about 0.53, at least about 0.54, at least about 0.55, at least about 0.56, at least about 0.57, at least about 0.58, or at least about 0.59 on a food-scale texture property. In some embodiments, the fiber food can have a cohesion value of no more than about 0.6, no more than about 0.59, no more than about 0.58, no more than about 0.57, no more than about 0.56, no more than about 0.55, no more than about 0.54, no more than about 0.53, no more than about 0.52, no more than about 0.51, no more than about 0.5, no more than about 0.49, no more than about 0.48, no more than about 0.47, no more than about 0.46, no more than about 0.45, no more than about 0.44, no more than about 0.43, no more than about 0.42, or no more than about 0.41. Combinations of the above cohesion values ​​are also possible (e.g., at least about 0.4 and no more than about 0.6 or at least about 0.45 and no more than about 0.55), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the fibrous food 100 can have a cohesion value of about 0.4, about 0.41, about 0.42, about 0.43, about 0.44, about 0.45, about 0.46, about 0.47, about 0.48, about 0.49, about 0.5, about 0.51, about 0.52, about 0.53, about 0.54, about 0.55, about 0.56, about 0.57, about 0.58, about 0.59, or about 0.6.

[0087] In some embodiments, the fibrous food 100 may have a tackiness value of at least about 1, at least about 1.1, at least about 1.2, at least about 1.3, at least about 1.4, at least about 1.5, at least about 1.6, at least about 1.7, at least about 1.8, or at least about 1.9 on a food-scale texture property. In some embodiments, the fibrous food 100 may have a tackiness value of no more than about 2, no more than about 1.9, no more than about 1.8, no more than about 1.7, no more than about 1.6, no more than about 1.5, no more than about 1.4, no more than about 1.3, no more than about 1.2, or no more than about 1.1. Combinations of the above tackiness values ​​are also possible (e.g., at least about 1 and no more than about 2 or at least about 1.1 and no more than about 1.9), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the fibrous food 100 can have a stickiness value of about 1, about 1.1, about 1.2, about 1.3, about 1.4, about 1.5, about 1.6, about 1.7, about 1.8, about 1.9, or about 2.

[0088] In some embodiments, the fibrous food 100 may have a chewiness value of at least about 0.5, at least about 0.6, at least about 0.7, at least about 0.8, at least about 0.9, at least about 1, at least about 1.1, at least about 1.2, at least about 1.3, or at least about 1.4 on the texture property of the food scale. In some embodiments, the fibrous food 100 may have a chewiness value of no more than about 1.5, no more than about 1.4, no more than about 1.3, no more than about 1.2, no more than about 1.1, no more than about 1, no more than about 0.9, no more than about 0.8, no more than about 0.7, or no more than about 0.6. Combinations of the above chewiness values ​​are also possible (e.g., at least about 0.5 and no more than about 1.5 or at least about 0.6 and no more than about 1.3), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the fibrous food 100 can have a chewiness value of about 0.5, about 0.6, about 0.7, about 0.8, about 0.9, about 1, about 1.1, about 1.2, about 1.3, about 1.4, or about 1.5.

[0089] In some embodiments, the fibrous food 100 may have a Werner-Bratsler shear strength of at least about 0.25 kg, at least about 0.5 kg, at least about 1 kg, at least about 1.5 kg, at least about 2 kg, at least about 2.5 kg, at least about 3 kg, at least about 3.5 kg, at least about 4 kg, at least about 4.5 kg, at least about 5 kg, or at least about 5.5 kg. In some embodiments, the fibrous food 100 may have a Werner-Bratsler shear strength of no more than about 6 kg, no more than about 5.5 kg, no more than about 5 kg, no more than about 4.5 kg, no more than about 4 kg, no more than about 3.5 kg, no more than about 3 kg, no more than about 2.5 kg, no more than about 2 kg, no more than about 1.5 kg, no more than about 1 kg, or no more than about 0.5 kg. Combinations of the above-mentioned Werner-Bratsler shear strengths are also possible (e.g., at least about 0.25 kg and no more than about 6 kg or at least about 0.5 kg and no more than about 5 kg), including all values ​​and ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the fibrous food 100 can have a Werner-Bratsler shear strength of about 0.25 kg, about 0.5 kg, about 1 kg, about 1.5 kg, about 2 kg, about 2.5 kg, about 3 kg, about 3.5 kg, about 4 kg, about 4.5 kg, about 5 kg, about 5.5 kg, or about 6 kg.

[0090] Figure 3A-3D A fiber scaffold with highly aligned, densely packed individual vegetable fibers, and orientation data associated therewith, is shown. The fiber scaffold was formed by mixing 7 parts (by mass) of vegetable protein with 2 parts of polysaccharide and 1 part of red-brown colorant in watter to form a dispersion, and spraying the dispersion by rotary spinning.

[0091] Figure 3A A cross section of a fiber scaffold is shown, where the scale bar is 1 cm. Figure 3B The image is shown for orientation analysis using the OrientationJ plugin of ImageJ software. Figure 3A The cropped part. Figure 3B The scale bar in the figure is 1 cm. Figure 3C Shows coverage Figure 3B Vector field on the image shown. Figure 3D The distribution of fiber orientations in a fiber scaffold is shown. As shown, the fiber orientation is highly localized at 0 degrees, indicating that the fibers are highly aligned.

[0092] Figure 4 A microscopic view of a vegetable fiber is shown. The vegetable fiber is formed by mixing 7 parts of vegetable protein with 3 parts of polysaccharide in water to form a dispersion, and then spraying the dispersion by rotary jet spinning. As shown, the distance between the short black lines on the ruler is 10 μm. The vegetable fiber has a variable thickness between about 30 μm and about 50 μm.

[0093] Figure 5A-Figure 5B Shows plant fiber (through and for Figure 4 Comparison of microscopic views of pork fibers) and pork fibers formed by the same method as described. Figure 5A Shows plant fiber, and Figure 5B Pork fibers are shown. A 20 μm scale bar is shown for scale. As shown, plant-based fibers have similar diameters and appearance compared to pork fibers, with only minor differences in texture.

[0094] Figure 6A-6E A comparison of raw steak fiber and plant-based fiber is shown. Fig. 6A A microscope slide is shown containing a small portion of raw steak and a plant-based fiber assembly formed by iRJS. The plant-based iRJS fibers are shown within the black frame, while the steak sample is outside the black frame. The plant-based iRJS sample was dyed with food coloring and was almost indistinguishable from raw beef. Figure 6B A section of steak tissue with densely packed muscle fibers is shown. Figure 6B The scale bar in is 100 μm. Figure 6C A bundle of plant-based fibers produced by iRJS is shown. Figure 6C The scale bar in is 200 μm. Fig.6D Shown are individual, curled muscle fibers emerging from raw steak tissue. Fig.6D The scale bar in the figure is 50 μm. Fig. 6E A single fiber produced by iRJS is shown. Fig. 6EThe scale bar in the figure is 50 μm. As shown in the figure, the plant-based fibers are virtually indistinguishable from raw beef muscle fibers at both the macroscopic and microscopic levels.

[0095] Figure 7A-7B A microscopic view of an individual vegetable fiber is shown. Fig. 7A A bundle of vegetable fibers is shown soaked in water and agitated to release the individual fibers. Fig. 7A The scale bar in the figure is 50 μm. Figure 7B Shown is a plant fiber dispersed on a microscope slide containing microscale engravings, where individual scale lines are 10 μm apart. Figure 7A-7B The average fiber diameter of the fibers shown was 24.7 ± 5.68 μm (standard error of the mean (sem), N = 9).

[0096] Table 1 shows the fiber diameter of the vegetable fibers compared to raw beef steak fibers. Sample A vegetable fibers were formed by mixing 7 parts vegetable protein with 3 parts polysaccharide in water to form a dispersion and then spraying the dispersion by rotary jet spinning. Sample B vegetable fibers were formed using slightly less protein than sample A. As shown, the vegetable fibers are only slightly thicker than raw beef steak fibers.

[0097] Table 1. Fiber diameters of plant fibers and raw steak fibers

[0098] sample Fiber diameter (μm) ± sem count Sample A: Plant Fiber 24.7±5.68 9 Sample B Plant Fiber 55.87±2.84 23 Raw steak 16.5±1.19 20

[0099] Figure 8A-8B A comparison of the plant-based fiber scaffold and commercially available beef jerky is shown. Fig. 8A A fiber scaffold of a plant-based fiber assembly is shown. After soaking in red food dye and drying for two days, the fibers were formed by rotary jet spinning. Figure 8B Commercially available Baja traditional beef jerky is shown. Both the vegetable product and the beef jerky are torn apart to reveal their fibrous interiors. Fig. 8A and Figure 8B Scale bars of 1 μm are shown in all figures.

[0100] Various concepts can be embodied as one or more methods, wherein at least one example has been provided.The actions performed as a part of the method can be ordered in any suitable manner.Therefore, embodiments can be constructed, wherein the actions are performed in a sequence different from that shown, which can include performing some actions simultaneously, even if shown as sequential actions in illustrative embodiments.In other words, it should be understood that such features may not necessarily be limited to a specific execution order, but may be threads, processes, services, servers, etc. of any number that can be performed serially, asynchronously, concurrently, in parallel, simultaneously, synchronously and / or similarly in a manner consistent with the present disclosure.Therefore, some of these features may be contradictory because they cannot appear in a single embodiment at the same time.Similarly, some features are applicable to an aspect of innovation, but not to other aspects.

[0101] In addition, the present disclosure may include other innovations not currently described. The applicant reserves all rights to such innovations, including the right to implement such innovations, submit additional applications, continuations, partial continuations, sub-items, etc. Therefore, it should be understood that the advantages, implementation schemes, examples, functions, features, logic, operations, organizations, structures, topologies, and / or other aspects of the present disclosure should not be considered as limitations of the present disclosure defined by the implementation schemes or limitations of the equivalents of the implementation schemes. Depending on the specific expectations and / or features of individual and / or enterprise users, database configurations and / or relational models, data types, data transmissions, and / or network frameworks, grammatical structures, etc., the various embodiments of the technology disclosed herein can be implemented in a manner that realizes a large amount of flexibility and customization as described herein.

[0102] All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and / or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

[0103] As used herein, in certain embodiments, the term "about" or "approximately" when preceding a numerical value represents a range of that value plus or minus 10%. Where a numerical range is provided, it is understood that, unless the context clearly specifies otherwise, each intermediate value (to one tenth of the unit of the lower limit) between the upper and lower limits of the range and any other specified value or intermediate value in the range are encompassed in the present disclosure. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may be independently included in the smaller ranges, which are also encompassed in the present disclosure, subject to any specifically excluded limitations in the range. When the range includes one or both of the limits, the range excluding either or both of these included limits is also encompassed in the present disclosure.

[0104] The phrase "and / or" as used herein in the specification and embodiments should be understood to mean "either or both" of the elements so combined, i.e., elements that are present in combination in some cases and separately in other cases. Multiple elements listed with "and / or" should be interpreted in the same manner, i.e., "one or more" of the elements so combined. In addition to the elements specifically pointed out by the "and / or" clause, other elements may optionally be present, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically pointed out. Thus, as a non-limiting example, in one embodiment, when used in conjunction with open language such as "comprising", a reference to "A and / or B" may refer only to A (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, only to B (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); and so on.

[0105] As used in this article in the specification and in the embodiments, "or" should be understood to have the same meaning as "and / or" defined above. For example, when separating the items in the list, "or" or "and / or" should be interpreted as inclusive, i.e. including at least one element in a plurality of or a series of elements, but also including more than one element of a plurality of or a series of elements, and optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms that clearly indicate the opposite, such as "only one of them" or "just one of them", or when used in the embodiments, "consisting of..." will refer to including just one element in a plurality of or a series of elements. Generally speaking, the term "or" used herein should only be interpreted as indicating exclusive selection (i.e., "one or the other, but not both") when an exclusive term (such as "any one", "one of them", "only one of them" or "just one of them") is present in front. When used in the embodiments, "essentially consisting of..." should have the common meaning used in the field of patent law.

[0106] As used herein in the specification and in the embodiments, with respect to a list of one or more elements, the phrase "at least one" should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed in the list of elements, and not excluding any combination of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements other than the elements specifically identified in the list of elements referred to by the phrase "at least one" may optionally exist, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, "at least one of A and B" (or equivalently, "at least one of A or B", or equivalently "at least one of A and / or B") may refer to at least one (optionally including more than one) A, without B (and optionally including elements other than B) in one embodiment; in another embodiment, to at least one (optionally including one) B, without A (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one (optionally including more than one) A and at least one (optionally including more than one) B (and optionally including other elements); and so on.

[0107] In the embodiments and in the above description, all transitional phrases, such as "comprising", "including", "carrying", "having", "containing", "involving", "maintaining", "consisting of", etc., should be understood as open-ended, that is, meaning including but not limited to. As described in Section 2111.03 of the U.S. Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures, only the transitional phrases "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of" are closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively.

[0108] Although the specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been summarized above, many replacements, modifications and variations are obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the embodiments set forth herein are illustrative, rather than restrictive. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Where the methods and steps described above indicate specific events occurring in a particular order, those of ordinary skill in the art who benefit from the present disclosure will recognize that the order of specific steps may be modified, and such modifications are consistent with variations of the present invention. In addition, when possible, certain steps may be performed simultaneously in a parallel process, as well as sequentially as described above. Embodiments have been specifically shown and described, but it should be understood that various changes in form and detail may be made.

Claims

1. A method for forming a fiber food, the method comprising: mixing the composition with a solvent to form a first solution, the first solution comprising between about 15% and about 40% by weight of the composition comprising a plant protein and a polysaccharide and between about 0% and about 15% by weight of oil; spraying the second solution in a jet; collecting the jet of the second solution in a precipitation bath to form an assembly of fibers; drying the fiber assembly; as well as tearing apart the fiber assembly; as well as Fat and flavoring agents are added to the fiber assembly to form a fiber food.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: The fiber assembly is dried.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: During mixing and / or causing spraying, the second solution is heated to a temperature between about 40°C and about 90°C.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: An acid is added to the first solution such that the first solution comprises less than about 5% by weight of the acid.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the acid comprises acetic acid.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: A base is added to the first solution such that the first solution comprises less than about 5% by weight of the base.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the polysaccharide comprises at least one of sodium alginate, β-glucan, carrageenan, methylcellulose, alginate, chitosan, dextran, pectin, konjac, pullulan, starch, curdlan, or trehalose.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the fat comprises at least one of coconut oil, rapeseed oil, linseed oil, or sunflower oil.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Biological cells are added to the fiber assembly.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the biological cell is anchorage-dependent.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the biological cell comprises at least one of a mammalian muscle myoblast, a fish muscle myoblast, an avian muscle myoblast, an avian cell, a fibroblast, an adipocyte, an endothelial cell, an epithelial cell, a keratinocyte, a crustacean cell, a mollusk cell, or a stem cell.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the drying is performed by at least one of squeezing or spinning.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising: After drying, the assembly of fibers is heated to a temperature of at least about 150°C for at least about 20 minutes.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the plant protein is from at least one of rice, peas, soy, barley, rice, pearl barley, beans, beans, gluten, tempeh, edamame, lentils, chickpeas, nutritional yeast, spelt, teff, seeds, amaranth, quinoa, spirulina, green peas, oats, Ezekiel bread, wild rice, nuts, chia seeds, or mycoprotein.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said fibrous food comprises at least about 60% by weight of said plant protein.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising: At least one of salt, mercaptan or mercaptoethanol is added to the fiber assembly to break disulfide bonds in the fibers.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the solvent comprises water.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the solvent further comprises ethanol, so that the fiber assembly is formed in the precipitation bath by water-ethanol exchange.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the first solution is an acidic solution, the method further comprising: The acidic solution is sprayed into the precipitation bath, which includes an alkaline solution, so that the fiber assembly in the precipitation bath is formed by acid / alkali exchange.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the spraying of the second solution is performed by extrusion.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the extruding is performed by co-rotating or counter-rotating single screw extrusion, twin screw extrusion.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the spraying of the second solution is performed by at least one of electrospinning, air-blow spinning, wet spinning, or jet spinning.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the assembly of fibers is formed in a nonwoven configuration.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises a powder.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the fiber food is heart healthy as defined by FDA regulations at 21 CFR §101, Vol.

2.

26. A fiber food comprising: An assembly of fibers suspended in a stabilizing liquid and having a diameter ranging from about 10 μm to about 150 μm, the assembly of fibers comprising: at least about 20% by weight vegetable protein; and Polysaccharides between about 0% and about 80% by weight water; and an oil at least partially impregnated into the fiber assembly, wherein the fiber food is heart healthy as defined by FDA regulations at 21 CFR §101, Vol.

2.

27. The fiber food of claim 26, further comprising: A stabilized solution containing an acid.

28. The fibrous food of claim 26, wherein the oil comprises at least one of coconut oil, canola oil, linseed oil, or sunflower oil.

29. The fibrous food of claim 26, wherein the plant protein is from at least one of rice, peas, soy, barley, rice, pearl barley, beans, beans, gluten, tempeh, edamame, lentils, chickpeas, nutritional yeast, spelt, teff, seeds, amaranth, quinoa, spirulina, green peas, oats, Ezekiel bread, wild rice, nuts, chia seeds, or mycoprotein.

30. The fibrous food of claim 26, wherein the polysaccharide comprises from about 0.25% to about 30% by weight of the fiber assembly.

31. The fiber food of claim 26, wherein the polysaccharide comprises at least one of sodium alginate, β-glucan, carrageenan, methylcellulose, alginate, chitosan, dextran, pectin, konjac, pullulan, or trehalose.

32. The fibrous food of claim 26, wherein the fibrous food has a hardness value of about 2.3 to about 3.5 N, an elasticity value of about 6.1 to about 6.9 N, a cohesion value of about 0.45 to about 0.55, a stickiness value of about 1.1 to about 1.9 N, and a chewiness value of about 0.6 to about 1.3 J on the food scale texture properties.

33. The fiber food of claim 26, wherein the fiber food comprises at least one of a flavor enhancer, a color enhancer, or a taste enhancer.

34. The fiber food of claim 33, wherein the flavor enhancer, color enhancer and / or taste enhancer is present in the fiber food in a proportion of less than about 10% by weight.

35. The fibrous food of claim 26, wherein the fibrous food does not contain any cells derived from living animals.

36. The fiber food of claim 26, further comprising biological cells.

37. The fibrous food of claim 26, wherein the fibrous food has a Werner-Bratsler shear strength of about 0.5 kg to about 5 kg.

38. The fibrous food of claim 26, wherein the fibrous food comprises a plurality of nonwoven fibers.

39. The fiber food of claim 26, wherein the fiber assembly comprises calcium.

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