Patent Application
20230106086
This disclosure relates generally to food science, specifically, to a mycoprotein-free engineered food product and methods for making same.
Improvements in process controls and engineered ingredients as well as growing concerns regarding the environmental and health issues associated with animal-based foods, have spurred innovation in the field of vegan (i.e., free of meat, milk, gelatins and other ingredients made from animals) culinary engineering. Recognizing that “traditional” vegan foods, such as Hindu heritage dishes and the soy-based foods found in many supermarkets may have limited appeal to consumers skeptical of vegan food and reluctant to break with entrenched eating habits, significant advances have been made in engineering vegan foods which mimic the properties (for example, taste, appearance, consistency and mouth feel) of the animal-based originals.
Significant progress has been made in engineering alternatives to meat obtained from slaughtered animals, including, without limitation, “cultivated meats” grown in vitro in laboratories from source cells obtained from animals, as well as “meat analogues,” such as those manufactured and sold by Beyond Meat, which use plant-based proteins. Significant progress in developing satisfactory analogues to chicken and other meat proteins has been made using mycoproteins obtained as a byproduct of fermenting fungi spores (for example, Fusarium venenatum) fed with glucose and other nutrients. Mycoprotein fermentation can yield a protein-rich, dough-like substance that can be molded or otherwise formed to produce a reasonable facsimile of certain animal proteins, most notably chicken.
However, recent advances in engineering foods which emulate the taste, protein content and “feel” of certain meats and poultry have not translated into improved emulation of hard-boiled eggs with vegan ingredients. Skilled artisans will appreciate that emulation of egg products with vegan ingredients, in particular, hard boiled eggs, presents unique and significant challenges. Eggs comprise a variety of egg-specific proteins, including, without limitation, ovalbumin, ovotransferrin, ovomucoid, ovomucin and lysozyme, which depending on how the proteins are cross-linked, combined, or otherwise worked, can be used to stiffen (for example, confectionery icing), lighten (for example, baked goods) other foods, or which, can be heated to produce cooked eggs having a variety of consistencies.
Emulating the consistency and appearance presents a variety interrelated technical challenges, where progress on one dimension of desired performance diminishes progress on another dimension of desired performance. As an illustrative example, the texture and color of a cooked albumin (i.e., white) of a hard-boiled egg can be serviceably emulated based on coconut oil or vegetable oil emulsions, the gains come at a nutritional cost (coconut oil is high in cholesterol) and diminished shelf life. As another illustrative example, the texture and color of cooked albumen can also be serviceably approximated using soy compounds, but this approach raises issues of soy allergies for certain users. Similarly, while aspects of a hard-boiled egg can be emulated using predominantly mycoprotein based formulations, this approach may be highly undesirable for certain users, for whom the protein byproducts of fungal fermentation of base sugars are unacceptably overprocessed or otherwise unpalatable.
The technical challenges associated with providing a suitable vegan-ingredient based emulation of a hard-boiled chicken egg further include developing methods producing such “eggs” at scale and with sufficient shelf life to be a legitimate alternative to the animal-based default.
Accordingly, engineering a vegan-ingredient based emulation of a hard-boiled egg which not only provides good performance in terms of replicating the taste and feel of a boiled chicken egg, nutritional value, compatibility with certain food allergies, storage life, and compatibility with large scale production remains a significant source of technical challenges and opportunities for improvement in the art.
This disclosure provides, without limitation, a mycoprotein-free engineered food product and methods for making same.
In a first embodiment, an engineered food product includes a mold tray, a molded egg product disposed in the mold tray. The molded egg product includes a white layer conforming to an interior surface of the mold tray, the white layer comprising an annealed hydrocolloidal mixture of one or more nut milks, a vegan thickener, and a first fired salt and a yolk ball supported by the white layer, the yolk ball comprising a matte volume of a second mixture, the second mixture comprising a nut blend, a vegan colorant and a second fired salt.
In a second embodiment, a method includes combining a nut blend, a first fired salt and a vegan colorant to form a first mixture. The method further includes hydrating the first mixture, mixing the first mixture to diffuse the vegan colorant, freezing a volume of the first mixture to form a yolk ball, wherein the yolk ball is proportioned to fit within a mold tray, combining one or more nut milks, a vegan thickener, a second fired salt and water to form a second mixture, heating the second mixture to a boil, and adding the second mixture to the mold tray to cool to an annealing temperature and form a white layer of an annealed hydrocolloid, at the annealing temperature, floating the yolk ball in the white layer to form an engineered food product, and cooling the engineered food product from the annealing temperature to an ambient temperature.
Other technical features may be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions, and claims.
Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION below, it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document. The term “couple” and its derivatives refer to any direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, whether or not those elements are in physical contact with one another. The terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and/or. The phrase “associated with,” as well as derivatives thereof, means to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, have a relationship to or with, or the like. The phrase “at least one of,” when used with a list of items, means that different combinations of one or more of the listed items may be used, and only one item in the list may be needed. For example, “at least one of: A, B, and C” includes any of the following combinations: A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and A and B and C.
Definitions for other certain words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document. Those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that in many if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases.
For a more complete understanding of this disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to the non-limiting example of
As shown in the illustrative example of
Through the methods described herein, in some embodiments, the yolk ball 115 can be produced to have an exterior surface 120, which has a matte exterior, despite the high concentration of nut flour in the mixture forming yolk ball 115. Controlling, or limiting the separation of oils from nut-based ingredients during mixing and heating has been a perennial problem in food science. While it is possible to completely arrest the separation of oils from nut products by hydrogenating fats in the nut-based ingredients thereby converting unsaturated fats into saturated fats, this approach requires a further chemical treatment and processing of the ingredients, which may be generally unacceptable to consumers of vegan foods. Through judicious ingredient selection and sequenced mixing and cooling of the ingredients forming yolk ball 115, the tendency of oils in the nut flours used to make yolk ball 115 to separate and float to the surface of yolk ball 115 (resulting in an unnatural sheen on exterior surface 120) can be suppressed. In this way, certain embodiments of engineered food product 100 provide the nutritional benefits of a nut flour-based yolk (for example, much lower cholesterol than the yolk of a hard-boiled chicken egg), while retaining a familiar appearance and mouth feel for consumers expecting a close copy of a hard-boiled chicken egg.
Skilled artisans will appreciate the present scale of production and consumption of animal-based proteins is such that, for vegan alternatives to meaningfully offset the environmental and health costs of broad-based animal farming and meat consumption, it may not be enough for such products to provide a convincing emulation of existing animal-based proteins. Rather, to meaningfully offset the environmental and health costs of mega-scale animal protein production and consumption, vegan solutions must also be able to be produced at large scale and at lower environmental costs.
Certain embodiments according to this disclosure facilitate the production of vegan hard-boiled eggs (for example, engineered food product 100 in
Referring to the non-limiting example of
Mold tray 205 comprises at least one or more mold recesses, for example, mold recess 215. According to some embodiments, each mold recess 215 has a profile defining at least part of an outer profile (for example, ovoid half 105 in
As discussed elsewhere in this disclosure, in some embodiments, mold tray 205 provides a forming mold for molded egg products (for example, molded egg product 220), well as a support for downstream operations (for example, cold, or hyperbaric processing), and as part of the packaging for a finished product. In some embodiments, mold tray comprises one or more interstitial spaces 230 in regions between the mold recesses. Interstitial spaces 230 may be proportioned or shaped to facilitate a clean seal between mold tray 205 and an upper mold for casting an upper portion of white layer 210 to fully enclose yolk balls (for example, yolk ball 235) of molded egg product 220. Interstitial spaces 230 may be planar to maximize a sealing area or may include raised or depressed portions to interface and align with mating portions of the upper mold. Mold tray 205 may comprise one or more sidewalls 240 to increase the torsional rigidity of engineered food product 200 and to facilitate serving molded egg product 220.
Referring again to the illustrative example of
Referring to the illustrative example of
The examples of described with reference to
Referring to the non-limiting example of
As noted elsewhere in this disclosure, a persistent technical challenge with nut blends comprising nut flours is avoiding overworking the flour, which, in effect, has a grinding effect on the nut flour grains, causing them to release oil. Excessive mechanical action upon the nut blend at temperatures where liquid nut oil can flow, separates oils from the flour to the point where the exterior surface of the yolk ball is shiny with nut flour oil. For consumers looking for a good emulation of an animal-based hard-boiled egg, such shiny yolks are undesirable, and negatively affect the mouth feel (i.e., by looking and tasting greasy and/or slimy) of the yolk portion of the engineered food product.
To minimize the mechanical action on the nut blend, at operation 305, the remaining ingredients of the yolk ball are combined and pre-mixed separately. In some embodiments, a fired, or “black” salt (for example, kala namak salt (sometimes also referred to as “Himalayan black salt”, or black lava salt) containing traces of one or more sulfur compounds is provided to the mixture. Fired salts may contribute significantly to replicating the “eggy” or mildly sulfurous aromas provided by the naturally occurring sulfur compounds in a hard-boiled animal egg. At operation 305, one or more vegan colorants which, by itself or in combination with other colorants, produces a yolk-like yellow, such as turmeric extract, carrot extract, tomato extract, heme, beet extract, or a sweet potato extract is combined with the fired salt and ingredients other than the nut blend. While turmeric extract is both vegan and imparts a yellow color closely approximating the yellows found in hard-boiled poultry eggs, the high concentration of pigment in turmeric extracts present at the least the following technical challenges. To avoid unnatural variations in the color of the final product, certain vegan colorants, including turmeric extracts need to be thoroughly mixed to ensure uniform concentrations of the colorant. When nut blends are used as a base for the yolk ball, the extensive mixing required to distribute turmeric colorants courts the risk of working the nut blends such that oils in flour separate out, producing an undesirably shiny yolk ball. To mitigate the risk of overworking the nut blend, in certain embodiments, the ingredients combined at operation 305 may further include one or more probiotics, including, without limitation, probiotics containing Pediococcus acidilacti, which has been correlated with improved gut health. In this way, certain embodiments according to this disclosure, may provide a foodstuff which is as palatable to consumers reluctant to give up the taste and consistency of animal-based hard-boiled eggs, but which also provides nutritional benefits not possible in the animal-based originals.
In certain embodiments, a binder, such as flaxseed or refined coconut oil is further added to the yolk ball mixture at operation 305. Additionally, a nutritional yeast product, for example, flakes of deactivated Saccharomyces cerevisae, also added to the mixture at operation 305. In some embodiments, adding nutritional yeast adds to the flavor and nutritional content of the yolk ball, which improving the extent to which the yolk ball exhibits the characteristic crumbliness of the yolk of a hard-boiled chicken egg.
At operation 310, the mixture formed at operation 305 is hydrated with water, and placed in a chiller (for example, a blast chiller, or an air or liquid cooled chiller) at a temperature between 35- and 38-degrees Fahrenheit (1.7-3.3° Celsius) for a predetermined period. In some embodiments, the predetermined period is between 2.5-3.5 hours. In certain embodiments, the predetermined period is between 3.5 and 4.5 hours. In various embodiments, the chilling time may be greater than 4.5 hours. Depending on embodiments, the hydration of the yolk ball mixture at operation 305 may be performed in multiple phases, with a first portion of the water content being introduced prior to the mixture being chilled, and second and subsequent portions of the water content being introduced after the yolk ball mixture has been chilled. Beyond hydrating the nut blends of the material forming the yolk ball, the hydration and chilling performed at operation 310 serves to improve the lubricity of the mixture (thereby reducing internal friction which may cause oils in the nut blend to separate), and to lower the temperature such that the viscosity of the oils in the nut blend is significantly increased, thereby diminishing the tendency of separated nut oils to move within the yolk ball mixture.
Referring to the non-limiting example of
At operation 320, the yolk ball mixture is formed into yolk shaped balls and frozen, semi-frozen or chilled. In some embodiments, the balls may be molded, which contributes to a smooth exterior surface like that of the yolk of a hard-boiled chicken egg. In some embodiments, for example, where throughput and speed are a priority, yolk balls may be formed using a forming machine (for example, a commercial meatball or falafel forming machine). According to certain embodiments, the yolk balls are proportioned to fit within a designated recess (for example, mold recess 215 in
Once formed, the yolk balls may be stored in a chiller or freezer such that the yolk balls become frozen or semi-frozen. As used in this disclosure, the expression “semi-frozen” encompasses a state where the water in an exterior portion of a yolk ball has frozen, while water in an interior portion of the yolk ball is cold, but not yet frozen. According to various embodiments, once formed and frozen (or semi-frozen) the yolk balls may be maintained at or around 32° Fahrenheit for up to 12 hours in readiness for assembling a molded egg product (for example, molded egg product 220 in
Referring to the illustrative example of
According to various embodiments, the one or more nut milks may comprise one or more of a cashew milk, an almond milk, a coconut milk or a pea milk. Cashew milks may be particularly well suited as a base for a hydrocolloidal emulation of the albumen of a hard-boiled poultry egg, in that they yield a white layer of high density, with a slightly “meaty” taste. Almond milks have been found to have a lightening effect on the density of the white layer, and by mixing cashew and almond milks, the consistency of the white layer can be tuned. Advantageously, both cashew milk and almond milk have a white color which substantially matches that of the albumen of a hard-boiled poultry egg. As shown by the example formulations provided in TABLES 1-15, in some embodiments, the at least one nut milk can comprise a coconut milk or a pea milk.
As discussed herein, when used as the base for the set hydrocolloid of the white layer of the engineered food product, nut milks provide multiple benefits, including, without limitation, a similar initial springiness or resistance to compression before breaking as a hard-boiled chicken egg. Additionally, nut milks, like the albumen of a poultry egg, are rich in protein. However, unlike the rice milks, soy milks, and especially vegetable oils used in other vegan egg alternatives, nut milks have high solids contents (for example, between 15-25% by mass, typically between 17-20%) compared to rice and soy milks, whose solids contents are typically on the order of 8-10%. In contrast to soy milks, rice milks, and oils (which have negligible solid content), forming a nut milk based white layer presents unique technical challenges, as the colloidization of the mixture can, if left unchecked, proceed unevenly through the mixture, as the solids in the nut milk may flocculate and form microparticles, or “pellets” of higher or lower density than surrounding regions of the finished hydrocolloid. In practical terms, this results in the finished white layer having a non-uniform, or grainy consistency, which is palpably dissimilar to the highly uniform consistency of the cooked albumen of an animal-based hard-boiled egg. According to some embodiments, the one or more nut milks may comprise coconut milk, whose high oil and fat content adds richness to the white layer and contributes to emulating the soft, smooth sheen characteristic of the cooked white of an animal-based hard-boiled egg.
At operation 325, one or more vegan thickeners may be added to the white layer mixture. Examples of vegan thickeners suitable for use in embodiments of method 300 include, without limitation, agar, psyllium husk powder, arrowroot and tapioca. Further examples of ingredients which may be used as vegan thickeners or as a base for the white layer mixture include rice flours, rice starches, aquafaba, agar and chickpea flour. Additionally, in some embodiments, the nut milks can be pre-thickened through fermentation. For example, the colonies of yeast and lactic acid bacteria found in the kefir grains used to make ayran, yogurts and other preserved milk products can be used to ferment and thicken nut milks. In contrast to gelatin and animal-based thickeners, which can be added to boiling or near-boiling mixtures, certain vegan thickeners such as agar, generally need to be brought up to temperature to operate effectively. Thus, operation 325 is performed at a temperature significantly below the boiling point of the mixture, for example, at between 34°-75° Fahrenheit. According to various embodiments, at operation 325, a fired, or black salt is added to the nut milk mixture, as well as additional water.
At operation 330, the mixture formed at operation 325 is heated from an initial temperature between 34°-75° Fahrenheit to a running boil (for example, to a measured temperature of between 212°-222° Fahrenheit). To ensure uniform colloidization, the mixture is preferably stirred or agitated consistently during the heating process to avoid flocculation of the solids in the one or more nut milks. In certain embodiments, once a running boil has been achieved, the mixture is boiled 2.0-2.5 minutes. In some embodiments, the mixture is boiled between 2.5-3.0 minutes. In certain embodiments, the mixture is boiled between 3.0-5.0 minutes. Subsequently, the heat applied through the kettle is reduced and the mixture is left to simmer for between 1.0-1.5 minutes. In some embodiments, the contents of the kettle may simmer between 1.5-3.0 minutes. As noted above, while in the kettle, the mixture may be continuously agitated or stirred to inhibit flocculation and formation of microparticles in the finished product.
According to certain embodiments, after the white layer mixture has been boiled and simmered, the mixture is cooled to a temperature at or below the thermal deflection temperature of a mold tray (for example, mold tray 205 in
As shown in the illustrative example of
As shown in the explanatory example of
According to various embodiments, at operation 345, the engineered food product comprising the molded egg product(s) and the mold tray is further cooled to the temperature of the ambient atmosphere (for example, between 65°-75° Fahrenheit). In various embodiments, at operation 345, the molded egg product(s) may be finished, such as by trimming excess yolk ball (to achieve a substantially flat surface), or by applying seasonings.
According to various embodiments, at operation 350 the engineered food product is sealed, such that molded egg products are hermetically sealed between the mold tray and a layer of sealing film. The sealed engineered food products may then be cold processed to enhance shelf life. During cold processing, the engineered food products are submerged in cold water (typically between 39°-50° Fahrenheit) in a hyperbaric chamber containing the cold water and a volume of air. The air in the chamber is pressurized to a pressure of between 40,000-90,000 pounds per square inch (“psi”), causing a proportional isostatic pressure to be transmitted to the engineered food product. During cold processing, the pressure exerted upon the engineered food product through the surrounding water exceeds the maximum pressure(s) at which the naturally present bacteria, yeasts, viruses and other spoilants in the engineered food product can no longer survive or remain operationally intact. Cold processing may, in some embodiments, proceed until the engineered food product is fully pasteurized. In some embodiments, cold processing may be cut short at a point where the storage life of the engineered food product is enhanced, but not fully pasteurized. Following cold processing, the engineered food products may be packaged and refrigerated. Certain embodiments according to the present disclosure have been shown to have a refrigerated shelf life of at least 90 days.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that the examples described with reference to
According to some embodiments, the one or more nut milks used to form the white layer may comprise cashew, almond and pea milks.
According to some embodiments, the one or more nut milks used to form the white layer may comprise almond, cashew and/or coconut milks.
According to some embodiments, protein rich, legume-based milks, such as pea milk may be used as the sole nut milk for the white layer.
According to some embodiments, the vegan thickener may be arrowroot and/or psyllium husk powder.
According to various embodiments, dehydrated coconut milk, sometimes referred to as coconut powder, may be used in the white layer formulation.
According to some embodiments, thickening of the nut milks of the white layer may be achieved by fermenting the nut milks, with the vegan thickener comprising a byproduct of the fermentation process.
In various embodiments according to this disclosure, navy bean flour can serve as a vegan thickener and source of nut milk solids in the white layer mixture.
While embodiments herein have been described with reference to nut milks as the source of nut solids for forming the hydrocolloidal white layer, embodiments according to this disclosure are not so limited, and encompass embodiments using pulverized nuts, or whole nuts, which may be soaked and ground as part of the process of forming the white layer mixture.
Similarly, embodiments according to the present disclosure encompass a range of formulations of mixtures for forming a yolk ball, as illustrated by the example formulations set forth in TABLES 16-25.
While engineered food products according to some embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to examples comprising half eggs, or eggs in which the yolk is substantially exposed, the present disclosure is not so limited.
Referring to the non-limiting example of
In certain embodiments, the yield and throughput losses associated with forming “full eggs” in separate molds can be avoided by providing a mold tray and upper mold combination for casting an upper portion of engineered food product 400.
Referring to the non-limiting example of
According to certain embodiments, upper mold 510 comprises a plurality of upper mold cavities (for example, upper mold cavity 515) which define a complementary exterior contour of the engineered food product to a corresponding cavity (for example, mold recess 215 in
In certain embodiments, upper mold 510 comprises one or more interstitial areas 525 disposed between each upper mold cavity 515. The one or more interstitial areas 525 may have a profile contoured to mate with a corresponding interstitial area (for example, interstitial spaces 230 in
According to certain embodiments, a “whole egg” engineered food product may be produced by first creating a “half egg” engineered food product (for example, molded egg product 220 in
In certain embodiments, upper mold 510 is formed of a similar, highly recyclable polymer, such as rPET or HIPS, as mold tray 505. In some embodiments, upper mold 510 may be formed from a polypropylene (for example, PP or PP+). In this way, upper mold 510 may be used as part of the packaging of the end product and provide a further layer of protection and support for the molded food products during cold processing, packaging and beyond. In some embodiments, fill tubes 530 may be removed as part of the packaging process.
In some embodiments, upper mold 510 is formed from culinary-grade metal (for example, CNC-milled stainless steel) and interstitial area 525 comprises air holes or perforations through which a vacuum force to sealingly (i.e., without liquid white material leaking into interstitial spaces) mate mold tray 505 with upper mold 510.
While embodiments according to the present disclosure have been described with respect to examples in which the constituent layers (for example, the white layer and yolk ball) of an engineered food product emulate the uniform consistency of a properly cooked animal-based hard-boiled egg, the present disclosure is not so limited, and includes engineered food products which emulate animal-based eggs with systemic variations within one or more of the constituent layers. Examples of animal-based boiled egg foods which may be emulated by certain embodiments according to this disclosure include, without limitation, soft-boiled, or “runny” eggs, and Japanese soy-sauce eggs (a.k.a., Shoyu tomago).
Examples of engineered food products according to this disclosure include engineered food products comprising a mold tray; a molded egg product disposed in the mold tray, the molded egg product comprising a white layer conforming to an interior surface of the mold tray, the white layer comprising an annealed hydrocolloidal mixture of one or more nut milks, a vegan thickener, and a first fired salt; and a yolk ball supported by the white layer, the yolk ball comprising a matte volume of a second mixture, the second mixture comprising a nut blend, a vegan colorant and a second fired salt.
Examples of engineered food products according to this disclosure include engineered food products, wherein the one or more nut milks comprise at least one of a cashew milk, a coconut milk, an almond milk or a pea milk.
Examples of engineered food products according to this disclosure include engineered food products, wherein the vegan thickener comprises at least one of agar, psyllium husk powder, tapioca, arrowroot, or a byproduct of fermenting the one or more nut milks or liquid components of a white layer.
Examples of engineered food products according to this disclosure include engineered food products, wherein the first fired salt comprises black salt.
Examples of engineered food products according to this disclosure include engineered food products, wherein the white layer does not contain mycoprotein, and wherein the yolk ball does not contain mycoprotein.
Examples of engineered food products according to this disclosure include engineered food products, wherein the nut blend comprises at least one of cashew flour, navy bean flour, pea hull flour, or pasteurized organic cashew meal.
Examples of engineered food products according to this disclosure include engineered food products, wherein the vegan colorant comprises at least one of turmeric extract, carrot extract, sweet potato derivative or tomato powder.
Examples of engineered food products according to this disclosure include engineered food products, wherein the white layer fully surrounds the yolk ball.
Examples of engineered food products according to this disclosure include engineered food products, wherein the yolk ball further comprises at least one of flax seed, refined coconut oil, a probiotic or a nutritional yeast.
Examples of engineered food products according to this disclosure include engineered food products, wherein the yolk ball comprises a first portion submerged in the white layer and a second portion extending above an upper surface of the white layer.
Examples of methods for producing engineered food products according to this disclosure include combining a nut blend, a first fired salt and a vegan colorant to form a first mixture, hydrating the first mixture, mixing the first mixture to diffuse the vegan colorant, freezing a volume of the first mixture to form a yolk ball, wherein the yolk ball is proportioned to fit within a mold tray, combining one or more nut milks, a vegan thickener, a second fired salt and water to form a second mixture, heating the second mixture to a boil, and adding the second mixture to the mold tray to cool to an annealing temperature and form a white layer of an annealed hydrocolloid, at the annealing temperature, floating the yolk ball in the white layer to form an engineered food product, and cooling the engineered food product from the annealing temperature to an ambient temperature.
Examples of methods for producing engineered food products according to this disclosure include methods wherein the cooled engineered food product is cold processed by a hyperbaric high-pressure processor.
Examples of methods for producing engineered food products according to this disclosure include sealingly covering the mold tray with a second mold, adding a second volume of the second mixture at a temperature above the annealing temperature to cover the yolk ball, and cooling the second volume of the second mixture to the annealing temperature.
Examples of methods for producing engineered food products according to this disclosure include methods wherein the second mixture is heated to the boil under constant agitation in a kettle, and wherein the second mixture is cooled from a boiling temperature to a temperature above the annealing temperature when transferred from the kettle to the mold tray.
Examples of methods for producing engineered food products according to this disclosure include methods wherein forming the yolk ball comprises combining the nut blend, the first fired salt, the vegan colorant, flax seed and at least one of coconut oil or avocado to form a third mixture, injecting the third mixture to fill a shell comprising the first mixture and freezing the filled shell.
Examples of methods for producing engineered food products according to this disclosure include methods wherein the one or more nut milks comprise at least one of a cashew milk, a coconut milk, an almond milk or a pea milk.
Examples of methods for producing engineered food products according to this disclosure include methods wherein the vegan thickener comprises at least one of agar, psyllium husk powder, tapioca, arrowroot, or a byproduct of fermenting the one or more nut milks or liquid components of a white layer.
Examples of methods for producing engineered food products according to this disclosure include methods wherein the white layer does not contain mycoprotein, and wherein the yolk ball does not contain mycoprotein.
Examples of methods for producing engineered food products according to this disclosure include methods wherein the first fired salt comprises black salt.
Examples of methods for producing engineered food products according to this disclosure include methods wherein the nut blend comprises at least one of cashew flour, navy bean flour, pea hull fiber, or pasteurized organic cashew meal.
None of the description in this application should be read as implying that any particular element, step, or function is an essential element that must be included in the claim scope. The scope of patented subject matter is defined only by the claims. Moreover, none of the claims is intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless the exact words “means for” are followed by a participle.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/243,609 filed Sep. 13, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63243609 | Sep 2021 | US |
