Meat-Like Food Compositions Using Cross-Linking and Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food compositions with a meat-like appearance, feel, and texture require high water content to maintain softness, making them unsuitable for dry forms without preservatives, which leads to spoilage and loss of texture, compromising their palatability and shelf stability.
Innovation Solution
Development of food compositions comprising 40-90% functional proteins, 0.05-2% cross-linking agents, and 60-10% meat slurry with a specific humectant plasticizer ratio, heated and expanded to create a realistic meat-like texture and appearance, eliminating the need for artificial preservatives and maintaining moisture and water activity for shelf stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If water is added to create soft meat-like appearance and texture, then the food composition achieves realistic meat-like appearance and texture, but the food composition becomes unsuitable for dry forms and requires preservatives for shelf stability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling moisture content within specific ranges (4-20% for dry compositions, 20-70% for wet compositions) and adjusting water activity levels to achieve both realistic meat-like texture and shelf stability. This resolves the contradiction by finding optimal parameter values that satisfy both appearance/texture requirements and storage stability requirements without requiring preservatives.
2Shape
If water is added to maintain soft texture in dry food compositions, then the food composition maintains soft texture, but the food composition quickly loses moisture and loses its meat-like appearance and texture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs parameter changes by establishing specific moisture content ranges (4-20% for dry compositions) and controlling water activity levels to prevent both excessive moisture loss and microbial growth. This resolves the contradiction by identifying critical parameter thresholds that maintain soft meat-like texture while ensuring long-term moisture retention and shelf stability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The resulting food compositions are highly palatable, maintain a realistic meat-like texture and appearance, and have a moisture content that minimizes spoilage, enhancing their palatability and shelf stability without the need for artificial preservatives.
Implementation Method 1
from about 0.05 to about 2% of one or more cross-linking agents
Implementation Method 2
meat and one or more humectant plasticizers
Implementation Method 3
heating a preconditioned mixture of the food components under pressure
Implementation Method 4
expanding the healed composition to form the food composition
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides novel food compositions having a realistic meat-like appearance, feel, and texture. The compositions comprise from about 40 to about 90% functional proteins, from about 0.05 to about 2% of one or more cross-linking agents, and from about 60 to about 10% of a meat slurry, wherein the meat slurry comprises meat and one or more humectants plasticizers in a meat:humectant plasticizer ratio of from about 20:80 to about 80:20. The compositions are produced by heating a preconditioned mixture of the food components under pressure and then expanding the heated composition to form the food composition.