TVP Amino Acid Composition for Meat-Like Texture

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional alternative meats fail to replicate the texture attributes of real meat, such as juiciness and mouthfeel, despite the addition of blending materials like gluten, starch, and fiber, necessitating improved methods for producing textured vegetable protein (TVP) that can mimic meat-like texture.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating basic amino acids, such as arginine, histidine, and lysine, along with cysteine, into the composition for producing textured vegetable protein, and using a microbial fermentation process, chemical methods, or hydrolysis to enhance texture, combined with extrusion and quick freezing to create meat-like texture.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If conventional blending materials such as gluten, starch, and fiber are added to defatted soybean flour and isolated soybean protein, then tissue cohesion and chewiness are improved, but juiciness and mouthfeel remain insufficient to match real meat

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetissue cohesionVSAvoidinsufficient juiciness and mouthfeel
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by introducing basic amino acids (arginine, histidine, lysine) and cysteine to the TVP formulation. These amino acids modify the protein structure and interaction properties, enabling improved juiciness and mouthfeel while maintaining tissue cohesion, thus resolving the contradiction between structural strength and sensory quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite material system combining vegetable protein with specific amino acids (basic amino acids and cysteine). This composite approach allows the material to exhibit both the structural properties needed for tissue cohesion and the functional properties required for juiciness and mouthfeel, effectively resolving the contradiction between these opposing requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Adaptability or versatility

If various blending materials are added to improve texture attributes, then alternative meat becomes more viable, but the complexity of the composition increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeat-like texture attributesVSAvoidcomposition complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and isolates the key functional components (basic amino acids and cysteine) that are responsible for meat-like texture attributes. By identifying and using only these essential components rather than multiple blending materials, the formulation achieves meat-like texture while reducing overall composition complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent simplifies the composition by changing the approach from using multiple macro-components (gluten, starch, fiber) to using specific amino acid components. This parameter change in the chemical composition reduces the number of ingredients needed while achieving the same or better texture attributes, thereby reducing composition complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 composition significantly improves the texture of TVP by increasing hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, and chewiness, as evidenced by an anisotropy index of 1 or more, surpassing conventional methods that rely on gluten and starch.

Implementation Method 1

the composition for producing textured vegetable protein may further include cysteine (Cys)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDisulfide bond formation: Chemical Bonding

Implementation Method 2

The basic amino acid may be an amino acid including a basic side chain and may dissociate in a neutral pH range so that the side chain has a (+) charge

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrostatic interaction: Ion Repulsion/Attraction

Implementation Method 3

a method for producing textured vegetable protein including: extruding a mixture of the composition for producing textured vegetable protein and a vegetable protein raw material

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectExtrusion: Extrusion

Implementation Method 4

using a microbial fermentation process, chemical methods, or hydrolysis to enhance texture, combined with extrusion and quick freezing to create meat-like texture

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFreezing: Freezing

Data Source

PatentEP4691267A1Composition for improving texture of texturized vegetable protein
Publication Date: 2026.02.11 CJ CHEILJEDANG CORP
  • EP4691267A1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4691267A1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4691267A1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Provided are a composition for producing textured vegetable protein (TVP), a composition for improving texture of textured vegetable protein, textured vegetable protein including the composition for producing textured vegetable protein, a method for producing textured vegetable protein, and a method for improving texture of textured vegetable protein.