A E Staley Manufacturing Company

Michael F Campbell

James E Eastman

Robert V Schanefelt

John F Rasche

Richard J Fiala

Paulette A Howard

James D Wideman

David T Zollinger

A solvent extraction and desolventizing process is disclosed which removes substantially all flavor-bearing substances from a moist vegetable protein concentrate, provides a nitrogen solubility index (NSI) of about 6-15, a Bostwick flow value of less than 10, a water absorbency of the concentrate in the range of 270-350, and a penetrometer reading in the range of 7-30 mm so that said vegetable protein concentrate may be used as a protein-containing ingredient in prepared meats. The process includes extracting defatted vegetable protein flakes with an aqueous alcohol solution to remove soluble carbohydrates and flavors, leaving an extracted product having a moisture and volatiles content of about 50-70% by weight. The alcohol-extracted product which contains about 20-40% by weight water, is thereafter desolventized in a humid gas atmosphere with a relatively low gas temperature of less than about 260.degree. F. (127.degree. C.) for about 1-6 hours. The resulting, desolventized vegetable protein concentrate is very bland and light colored, and is an economical protein ingredient for foods. The desolventizing removes substantially all remaining solvent from the bland product so that the resulting product contains less than about 0.1% (1000 ppm) residual alcohol, and preferably less than 0.01% (100 ppm) alcohol. The process has primary application to vegetable protein concentrates derived from soybeans. Other potential vegetable protein raw materials include rapeseed, sesame seed, safflower seed, cottonseed, sunflower seed, peanut, maize, yellow field pea and horse bean.

Bland vegetable protein product and method of manufacture

Aqueous protein dispersions obtained from vegetable sources are subjected to successive pressure and cavitation cycling (e.g., centrifugal homogenization) at temperatures below the protein heat denaturization and under slightly alkaline pH's (e.g., pH 7.0-8.0) to provide a high NSI product. These high NSI products may be dried to provide a vegetable seed product having functional properties and utility similar to milk proteins. Buffered salt extracts from such spray-dried products reveal a predominant restructuring of the protein constituents into high molecular weight protein aggregates. Low NSI soy concentrates obtained by aqueous alcohol extraction processes are converted into a high NSI product possessing many of the desirable functional attributes of soy isolates plus those of milk proteins.

Water-soluble vegetable protein aggregates

A thin-thick, hydroxypropylated, crosslinked root-type starch derivative for continuous process pressure cooking, which remains stable over a wide pH range (3-7), and maybe used in both neutral and acid food systems. Suitable base starches include waxy maize, waxy milo, waxy sorghum, and any amylopectin-rich starch which is low in amylose contents. These hydroxypropylated starch derivatives are non-jelling, heat stable, freeze-thaw, and are crossed linked to a level at which their aqueous suspensions are initially low in viscosity and then developed full viscosity upon heating in sealed containers, thereby permitting initial rapid heat penetration necessary for the heat sterilizations of canned foods processed in high temperature-short time sterilization (HTST) food canning processes, in which the complete retorting cycle is less than 20 minutes. Use of these starch derivatives greatly facilitates the preparation of heat processed foods, contributing to excellent color, smooth texture, good clarity, flavor and food value. Even delicate, heat sensitive flavors are preserved.

Thin-thick waxy malze based starch derivative for acid and neutral

Growing community of inventors

Decatur, IL, United States of America

Michael F Campbell