High fat extruded protein products and methods of making same

Abstract

A method of making a high fat extruded protein product includes feeding water, a first fat, and a vegetable protein blend to an extruder to produce an extruded protein mixture. The extruded protein mixture is directed through a cooling mold and divided into segments, which are then rolled over with oil. The resulting high fat extruded protein product will have a total fat of at least 15-23% by weight and exhibit a desirable fat precipitation effect upon cooking (e.g., making people associate with conventional Italian spicy sausage products). The plant protein blend preferably comprises soy protein, wheat bran, and a cereal or starch-based component and comprises at least 40-50% by weight of the high fat extruded protein product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to extruded protein products and methods of making extruded protein products. More specifically, the present invention also relates to extruded protein products having a high fat content and methods of achieving a high fat content in an extruded protein product. Background Art

[0002] Meat products such as pepperoni, sausage, ham, etc. have been and continue to be popular products for adding flavor to many cooked dishes, such as pizza. However, ingredient cost is a concern for producing a batch of meat products, and has reached a limit in terms of streamlined costs based on standard cuts of meat. For example, producing a batch of pepperoni or dry / semi-dry sausage products, typically made from pork and beef (or in some cases, poultry), traditionally involves multiple steps and takes multiple days. An example of this method is shown in Figure 1 In the method, a raw meat material 1 (e.g., pork, beef and / or poultry) is coarsely ground 3 before being mixed with additional ingredients 4 (e.g., salt and curing agents, acid-producing cultures and / or acidulants, seasonings, optional binders) to form an intermediate mixture 11. Of course, the type of meat and additional ingredients used depends on the type of product desired. The intermediate mixture 11 is then finely ground 12 and formed or extruded 13 into casings. The formed material then undergoes fermentation 14 until, for example (if applicable), a certain pH (e.g., a pH below 5.2, a pH between 4.6 and 5.0) is reached and fermentation is stopped. The fermented material is cooked 15 and then dried 16 (if applicable), sized 17 (e.g., sliced ​​or diced) and frozen 18 (if applicable). Traditionally made pepperoni or similar products contain about 30-35% fat and have a very greasy mouthfeel and a very strong fatty taste. A characteristic attribute of pepperoni or similar products, and one that is desirable to consumers, is the exudation of fat therefrom during cooking (also known as "fat bleeding"), a phenomenon often experienced when cooking and eating, for example, pepperoni pizza.

[0003] As a result of the multi-step process, the preparation of pepperoni or similar products is expensive. Of course, ingredient costs are an issue, particularly for food manufacturers, when producing a batch of meat-containing pepperoni or similar products. To address this issue, it has been proposed to use cost-effective plant proteins to give the product a meat-like texture and functionality similar to traditional meat products. In fact, extrusion technology has been used to produce protein products with a pleasant texture while eliminating the use of animal proteins. In short, these products are intended to imitate whole meat or ground meat and are intended to replace the consumption of meat. Advantageously, extrusion technology enables a continuous production process. However, since the amount of fat that can be incorporated and stabilized during the extrusion process is limited, a common problem in extruded protein products is the difficulty in obtaining a fat level of more than 10%. Typically, extruded protein products reach a level of 6-8% fat. When high levels of fat are attempted (for example, attempting to increase the fat content from 6% to 14%), a large amount of unincorporated fat leaks out at the outlet of the extruder, thereby reducing the potential fat level of the final product. In the case of, for example, pepperoni substitutes, the inability to achieve the desired fat content of the final product prevents the final product from exhibiting the desired grease precipitation characteristics. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention provides a method of preparing a high fat extruded protein product, and the resulting protein product. The method includes the steps of feeding water, a first fat, and a vegetable protein blend to an extruder to produce an extruded protein mixture. The extruded protein mixture is divided into segments, and the segments are tumbled with oil. Preferably, the high fat extruded protein product will have at least 15-23% total fat by weight and exhibit a fat-out effect when cooked (e.g., reminiscent of a traditional pepperoni product).

[0005] In some embodiments, the plant protein blend comprises soy protein, wheat bran, and may additionally contain cereal or starch-based ingredients, such as rice flour or oat flour. Preferably, the high fat extruded protein product comprises at least 40-50% by weight of the plant protein blend. In certain embodiments, the plant protein blend is a dry blend to which fat and water are subsequently added.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment, the method of preparing a high fat extruded protein product further comprises the step of cooling the extruded protein mixture by passing the extruded protein mixture through a cooling die. Preferably, the melting point of the fat fed to the extruder is higher than the temperature of the cooling die. Preferably, the method of preparing a high fat extruded protein product comprises maintaining the temperature of the cooling die below the melting point of the fat fed to the extruder, and cooling the protein mixture (or product) to a temperature below the melting point of the fat fed to the extruder.

[0007] In some embodiments, tumbling the extruded segment with oil comprises vacuum tumbling the extruded segment with oil.

[0008] In some embodiments, after tumbling the segments with oil, the method of making a high fat extruded protein product comprises freezing the segments.

[0009] In another embodiment, the method includes adding a second fat at a later stage of extrusion to form fat pockets in the segments.

[0010] In some embodiments, the method of preparing a high fat extruded protein product comprises cooking the segments, whereby the segments exhibit oil release properties (eg, similar to pepperoni). Of course, any or all of these embodiments may be combined.

[0011] The high fat extruded protein product of the present invention may comprise a vegetable protein blend comprising soy protein, wheat bran, and may additionally contain a cereal or starch-based ingredient, such as rice or oat flour, and at least 15-23% total fat by weight, wherein upon cooking the product exhibits a grease release effect (e.g., reminiscent of a traditional Italian pepperoni product). Optionally, the product may further comprise meat, wherein the meat accounts for no more than 30% of the weight of the high fat extruded protein product. Preferably, the vegetable protein blend accounts for at least 40-50% of the weight of the high fat extruded protein product. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the total fat comes from injected oil. In another embodiment, at least a portion of the total fat comes from blended lard. In another embodiment, at least a portion of the total fat comes from hard fat that forms fat pockets in the protein product. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a prior art process for producing a traditional pepperoni or dry / semi-dry sausage product.

[0013] Figure 2 is a flow chart of a method for producing a high fat extruded protein product according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of an apparatus for producing a high-fat extruded protein product according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 4 is a graph illustrating the effect of a vegetable protein blend on the percentage of fat obtained in an extruded protein product according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 5is a graph illustrating the effect of a specific order of addition on the percentage of fat obtained in an extruded protein product according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 6 is a graph illustrating the effect of tumbling or vacuum tumbling on the percentage of fat obtained in an extruded protein product according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 7 - Fig. 9 is a photomicrograph of a segment of an extruded protein product produced using a vegetable protein blend, order of addition, and cooling die according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 and Fig. 9 The fragments are optimized by rolling after extrusion, while Figure 7 This is not the case with the snippet.

[0019] Fig.10 is a graph illustrating the synergistic effect of various parameters on the fat percentage achieved in an extruded protein product according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Fig.11 is a photomicrograph of a fragment of an extruded protein product not prepared according to the invention.

[0021] Fig.12 is a photomicrograph of a fragment of an extruded protein product prepared according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The present invention discloses specific embodiments of products and methods. However, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of methods, which can be implemented in various forms. Therefore, the specific functional details disclosed in the present invention should not be interpreted as limiting, but only as a basis for the claims, as representative examples for teaching those skilled in the art to use the present disclosure in various ways.

[0023] As used in the present invention, "about", "approximately" and "substantially" should be understood to refer to a value within a certain numerical range, such as -10% to +10% of the reference value, preferably -5% to +5% of the reference value, and more preferably -1% to +1% of the reference value. All percentages expressed in the present invention are by weight.

[0024] Compared with the conventional method of preparing similar meat products, the continuous method provided by the present invention can form an extruded protein product with a high fat characteristic (for example, to match the fat characteristic of Italian pepperoni) and save costs. As used in the present invention, the term "extruded protein product" refers to a food product or a fragment thereof, all or most of its total protein from a non-animal protein source, similar to a meat product made of mostly animal protein, and having at least some ingredients gathered together by an extrusion process. The extruded protein product may optionally contain animal protein from meat. The extruded protein product may use vegetable proteins (such as soy protein and gluten) to help achieve the appearance, texture and physical structure of the meat product. Preferably, the extruded protein product of the present invention is produced in a manner that forms fat deposits in the voids of the protein structure of the product. As will be described in more detail below, the present invention includes a synergistic combination of specific methods and ingredient parameters that produces a cost-effective and high-fat extruded protein product. As used herein, the term "high fat extruded protein product" refers to an extruded protein product having a high total fat content (e.g., a combination of fat and oil together), specifically at least 15-23% total fat by weight, wherein the resulting high fat protein product has a "grease-out" attribute.

[0025] exist Figure 2 30, a process according to the present invention is generally indicated. In a preferred embodiment, the process 30 begins by feeding water 36, a dry blend 38, and a first fat 40 (and optionally meat 41) to a twin screw extruder 34. Figure 3 The order in which these ingredients are added to the extruder is described in detail. Preferably, if the meat 41 included is cost-effective meat, such as mechanically separated chicken. However, other types of animal proteins that provide meat 41 can be used, depending on the desired product and the desired cost. In a preferred embodiment, if included, meat constitutes no more than 30% of the weight of the high-fat extruded protein product. More importantly, the dry blend 38 is formulated with a plant protein component, which preferably accounts for at least 40-50% of the weight of the extruded protein product. In particular, the plant protein component of the dry blend 38 is a plant protein blend containing soy protein, wheat bran, and may also contain cereal or starch-based ingredients, such as rice flour. At this point, it should be noted that a dry blend containing only wheat bran as a plant protein component is undesirable, that is, a functional extruded protein product for the purpose of the present invention will not be produced. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that a strong protein structure is required to make the extruded protein product have a higher fat level. According to a highly preferred form of the present invention, a strong protein structure and a desired texture are achieved by combining soy protein with wheat bran and adding an optimized plant protein component of a cereal or starch-based ingredient (such as rice flour). As shown the results of experimental extruded protein products (e.g., "V1", "V1T", etc.) Figure 4As demonstrated by the graph shown in , the use of the protein blend of the preferred embodiment of the present invention (primarily soy protein and wheat bran as the main protein source, and additional cereal or starch-based ingredients, such as rice flour, which is added mainly as a binder) has a significant impact on the fat percentage obtained in the extruded protein product compared to the use of soy alone as the vegetable protein component. Other minor ingredients, such as salt, flavoring and color ingredients, and acids for curing may also be added.

[0026] Back to Figure 2 The first fat 40 preferably comprises blended lard as the fat source in process 30, but other fats may also be used. Preferably, the fat source is an animal fat having a relatively high melting point, such as those shown in Table 1 (Trushenski et al., Potential, Implications and Solutions Regarding the Use of Rendered Animal Fats in Aquafeeds, American Journal of Animal and Veterinary Sciences 4 (4), April 2009).

[0027] Table 1

[0028]

[0029] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3As shown, water 36 and a first fat 40 are added to the twin screw extruder 34 in a unique order, which is actually an order of addition in reverse order ("OOA") than previously used. More specifically, the fat is added to the dry blend first, followed by a post extruder water addition, as opposed to a prior extrusion addition order of adding water and fat / oil simultaneously or adding oil later. In the preferred embodiment shown, the twin screw extruder includes seven barrels 51-57, which are grouped into five zones 61-65. Although a twin screw extruder is preferred, another known type of extruder that applies a large amount of shear and mixing may alternatively be used. The extruder 34 applies a forward conveying force to the provided ingredients to move the ingredients from the inlet to the outlet. In the first zone 61, the dry blend 38 is added to the first barrel 51, which is an open barrel, without heating, and the first fat 40 (e.g., liquid fat) is added through an injection port in the second barrel 52. In the second zone 62, mixing occurs at high shear and high heat in the second barrel 52 (180-220°F) and in the third and fourth barrels 53, 54 (290-350°F). In the third zone 63, water is injected in the fifth barrel 55 using a syringe, and an optional second fat 70 may be added. The second fat, for example in the form of fat flakes or other hard fats, may be added at this stage of the extrusion process to create fat chunks that are intended to simulate the "fat pockets" commonly found in high-fat meat products. If the optional second fat 70 is added, the second fat may be added through an open feed port in the barrel 55, or through a side feeder connected to the barrel 55. In the fourth zone 64, minimal mixing occurs at low shear and lower temperatures (100-190°F) in the sixth barrel 56 and the seventh barrel 57 to form a cohesive mass / protein mixture. Finally, pressure is built up in the fifth zone 65, and the cohesive mass / protein mixture is compressed and transferred to the cooling die 42. Table 2 shows exemplary temperatures of barrels 51-57 in the process of the present invention (reverse OOA) compared to barrels in a standard OOA process.

[0030] Table 2

[0031] Standard OOA Reverse OOA °F °F Barrel 51 temperature Room temperature Room temperature Barrel 52 temperature 180 190 Barrel 53 temperature 210 350 Barrel 54 temperature 250 350 Barrel 55 temperature 290 190 Barrel 56 temperature 290 190 Barrel 57 temperature 200 190

[0032] In fact, it has been found that the above-mentioned reverse OOA has a significant impact on the ability to advantageously increase the percentage of fat retained in an extruded protein product. More specifically, as Figure 5As demonstrated by the graphs shown in , which show the results of experimental extruded protein products (e.g., "V1", "V1T", etc.), the reverse OOA according to the most preferred embodiment of the present invention has a significant impact on the final percentage of fat achieved in the extruded protein product compared to the standard or conventional OOA. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that combining the dry blend with the fat (e.g., the first fat 40) in the early stages of the extrusion process and without water allows for more rigorous mixing, which causes the fat to penetrate and adhere to the formed protein matrix. Water is then added and lightly mixed, just enough to blend without excessive shear to avoid fat displacement from the formed protein product. Ideally, the fat does not leak out when leaving the extruder.

[0033] Cooling occurs prior to or concurrently with the injection of water 36 (e.g., the water undergoes some cooling, and the barrel temperature in barrels 55-57 may be adjusted, e.g., between 100-190°F, to provide additional cooling) so that the optional second fat 70 added to simulate fat pockets in the extruded protein product does not melt (or undergoes only partial melting), but rather fuses as fat lumps. Other ingredients may be incorporated into the extruded protein product (e.g., via injection ports) as desired. For example, an emulsifier (e.g., an oil-soluble or water-soluble emulsifier or combination thereof; lecithin, mono- and di-glycerides, etc.) may be included, which is used to drive higher fat levels in the extruded protein product or a protein with high fat binding capacity. Preferably, such a protein is used at a lower rate than the textured vegetable protein component of the dry blend 38 described above.

[0034] Back to Figure 2 and Figure 3At the exit of the extruder 34, a cooling die 42 cools the extruded protein mixture. The cooling die 42 may be maintained at a constant temperature. Preferably, the cooling die 42 is maintained at a temperature below the melting point of the one or more fats fed to the extruder. Alternatively, the cooling die 42 may present a temperature profile along the path of the mixture as the extrudate moves through the cooling die 42. To this end, the cooling die 42 may include one or more integrated cooling circuits, as well as one or more temperature sensors to sense the temperature within the cooling die 42. It is believed that the use of large amounts of vegetable protein (e.g., at least 40-50% of the weight of the extruded protein product) in the present invention is at least partially enabled by the large amount of shear and heat in the first portion of the extruder 34 (i.e., barrels 51-54) and the minimal mixing cooling provided in the second portion of the extruder 34 (i.e., barrels 55-57) and the cooling die 42. In summary, the combination of these features enhances the creation and / or maintenance of cracks and voids in the protein structure, which in turn enables high fat / oil absorption in the finished product. Furthermore, in the extruded protein mixture, the fat is distributed over its entire surface and remains solid and does not leak out due to the above-mentioned cooling characteristics.

[0035] The extruded protein mixture exiting the cooling die 42 is then cut into chunks or otherwise divided into extruded protein product segments of desired shape and size at 44. The extruded protein product segments are then tumbled with oil at 46. In particular, this tumbling serves to drive additional fat (in the form of oil) into the interior of the segments (e.g., into the aforementioned cracks and voids in the protein structure). It has been found that vacuum tumbling even further enhances this oiling operation. Although a variety of oils may be used, and the oils may be animal-based or plant-based, the oils are edible and liquid at room temperature. In practice, oil selection may be based on, for example, nutritional characteristics, compatibility with the extrusion process and / or equipment, desired texture and / or mouthfeel imparted to the extruded product, and / or price. As shown in the results of the experimental extruded protein products (e.g., "V1", "V2", etc.), Figure 6 As evidenced by the graphs shown, added tumbling in oil or tumbling in oil under vacuum conditions as performed in preferred embodiments of the present invention has a significant impact on the percentage of total fat achieved in the extruded protein product compared to no tumbling. Figure 6 The result of Figure 7 - Fig. 9 Photomicrographs of supplemental extruded protein product fragments, where the darker areas represent visible fat. Figure 7 - Fig. 9 Each of the segments was prepared using the preferred vegetable protein blends, reverse OOA and cooler outlet temperatures described above. However, Figure 8 , Fig. 9 and Figure 7The difference between the two is that the extruded protein product mass is tumbled or vacuum tumbled, respectively. Apparently, tumbling or vacuum tumbling results in higher fat absorption in the extruded protein product. Figure 2 In process 30, the tumbled extruded protein product segments are preferably frozen (eg, by individual quick freezing (IQF)).

[0036] In some embodiments, methods of preparing a high fat extruded protein product include cooking the extruded protein fragments so that the fragments exhibit desirable oil release properties.

[0037] As described above, a series of individual operations in the production of extruded protein products were found to have a significant impact on the formation of a high percentage of fat in the resulting extruded protein product (e.g., optimized vegetable protein blend, reverse OOA, cooling temperature control, and tumbling in oil). In fact, when two or more of the above parameters are combined, synergistic effects are evident, such as Fig.10 4. For example, the combination of a preferred vegetable protein blend, reverse OOA, and application of a lower temperature by cooling die 42 can result in an extruded protein product having at least 15% total fat by weight. Increases to over 20% total fat weight (total fat including tumbling oil) can be achieved by further adding a tumbling step. The total fat levels of at least 15-23% achieved by the present invention are significantly higher than the typical 6-8% achieved in other extruded protein products and achieve the desired "grease release" characteristic. Fig.10 The result is accompanied by Fig.11 and Fig.12 Photomicrograph of an extruded protein product fragment where the dark areas represent visible fat. Fig.12 The fragments of are made by the overall combination of the above parameters, and Fig.11 The fragments are not made by the combination of the above parameters. Obviously, the combination of the above parameters leads to significantly higher fat absorption in the extruded protein product. As mentioned above, the optional post-stage second fat addition step can further increase the final / total fat percentage. In addition to this advantage, the entire process of the present invention represents a continuous production process, in particular a streamlined and cost-effective process for producing extruded protein products with high fat content so that the resulting high-fat extruded protein products successfully exhibit the desired grease release characteristics when cooked. Although described with reference to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the present invention is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a high-fat extruded protein product, comprising: feeding water, a first fat, and a vegetable protein blend into an extruder to produce an extruded protein mixture; dividing the extruded protein mixture into segments; as well as The segments were tumbled with oil to drive the oil into the segments.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The vegetable protein blend comprises soy protein, wheat bran, and a grain or starch-based ingredient.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The vegetable protein blend consists of soybean protein, wheat bran and rice flour.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The method also includes feeding meat to an extruder, wherein the meat comprises no more than 30% by weight of the high fat extruded protein product and the vegetable protein blend comprises at least 40-50% by weight of the high fat extruded protein product.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The vegetable protein blend is a dry blend, and the first fat is mixed with the dry blend before the water.

6. The method of any one of claims 1-3, further comprising cooling the extruded protein mixture by passing the extruded protein mixture through a cooling die.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: Passing the extruded protein mixture through a cooling die includes maintaining the temperature of the cooling die below the melting point of the first fat.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: Tumbling the segments with oil includes vacuum tumbling the segments with oil.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The first fat and the oil together constitute 15-23% by weight of the high fat extruded protein product.

10. The method of any one of claims 1-3, further comprising freezing the segments after tumbling the segments with oil.

11. The method of any one of claims 1-3, further comprising cooking the segments, whereby the segments exhibit grease release properties.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising adding a second fat at a later stage of extrusion to form fat pockets in the segments.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The vegetable protein blend is a dry blend and comprises soy protein, wheat bran, and a cereal or starch-based ingredient, the first fat is mixed with the dry blend, only water is added at a later stage, and the first fat and the oil together constitute 15-23% by weight of the high fat extruded protein product.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising cooking the segments, whereby the segments exhibit grease release properties.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising adding a second fat at a later stage of extrusion to form fat pockets in the segments.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: High-fat extruded protein products constitute meat analogs on pizza.

17. A high fat extruded protein product comprising: Plant protein blend containing: Soy protein, Wheat bran, and Grain or starch-based ingredients; and At least 15-23% total fat by weight, wherein upon cooking of the protein product, the protein product exhibits a fat release effect.

18. The high fat extruded protein product of claim 17, further comprising meat, wherein the meat accounts for no more than 30% by weight of the high fat extruded protein product, and the vegetable protein blend accounts for at least 40-50% by weight of the high fat extruded protein product.

19. The high fat extruded protein product of claim 18, wherein: At least a portion of the total fat comes from injected oil.

20. The high fat extruded protein product of claim 19, wherein: At least a portion of the total fat comes from blended lard.

21. The high fat extruded protein product according to any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein At least part of the total fat comes from hard fat which forms fat pockets in the protein product.

22. The high fat extruded protein product of claim 17, wherein: The cereal or starch-based component constitutes rice flour.

23. The high fat extruded protein product according to any one of claims 17 to 22, wherein High-fat extruded protein products constitute meat analogs on pizza.

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