A E Staley Manufacturing Company

Walter C Yackel, Jr

William F Lehnhardt

Daniel K Tang

Charles E Streaty

Ho S Yang

William E Hebenstreit

Vegetable protein extrudates substantially free from internal voids with a densely compacted stratum of laminae may be used to prepare imitation products which simulate the tender, succulent textural properties of freshly cooked natural products such as cooked mushrooms and shellfish products. The extrudates are prepared by the thermoplastic extrusion of proteinaceous feed material slurry containing more than 50% by weight water under conditions which prevent internal void formation and provide a highly laminated extrudate structure. The textural properties are imparted to the extrudate by retorting in the presence of pH 5.5-6.5 saline solutions.

Preparation of imitation foods of a tender texture from proteinaceous

Vegetable proteins may be converted into isolates which are useful for preparing imitation cheese products. These unique isolates are characterized in general as: having an NSI of at least 90, having not been subjected to enzymatic or chemical hydrolysis, forming an insoluble gel when reconstituted in water at a 15% by weight protein isolate concentration and heated to 85.degree. C. for 30 minutes, and yielding a melt value of at least 15 cm.sup.2. The isolates are prepared under conditions which precondition the protein molecules so that they may be converted, upon heat treatment, into protein aggregates which simulate the hydrocolloidal attributes of caseinate. The heat treatment causes restructuring of the proteinaceous molecules into large molecular weight aggregates. Soy isolates prepared in accordance with this invention may be utilized to replace from about 20% to 60% or higher of the caseinate in an imitation cheese recipe without adversely affecting the melt characteristics of the imitation cheese product.

Soy isolate suitable for use in imitation cheese

Soy isolate in meltable imitation cheese

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Oreana, IL, United States of America

Walter C Yackel, Jr