The Uab Research Foundation

University of Bristol

Bioelastics Research, Ltd.

Umamaheswara Prasad Kari

Dan W Urry

Peter R Shewry

The invention provides a method for improving the texture of a food product by incorporating in the food product or a precursor of the food product a bioelastic polypeptide in an amount sufficient to increase the elasticity of the food product, the bioelastic polypeptide having tetrapeptide or pentapeptide repeating units or mixtures thereof and the repeating units existing in a conformation having a .beta.-turn. The invention also provides a method for binding a food product precursor by adding a bioelastic polypeptide in an amount sufficient to bind the food product precursor, the bioelastomer having tetrapeptide or pentapeptide repeating units or mixtures thereof and the repeating units existing in a conformation having a .beta.-turn. The present invention further provides a food adjunct containing a bioelastic polypeptide having tetrapeptide or pentapeptide repeating units or mixtures thereof where the repeating units exist in a conformation having a .beta.-turn, and an edible material suitable for human or animal consumption.

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Hatfield, PA, United States of America

Umamaheswara Prasad Kari