The present invention relates to the creation of meat-analogs, including bacon or jerky. The present invention further can relate to the use of hydrocolloid gels or films as structural components of meat analog food products. Hydrocolloid gels or films are used in order to improve the similarity of meat analog food products to whole muscle cuts of meat and seafood, including animal sourced bacon.

Presented herein are barrier film compositions that can be used to extend the shelf life of agricultural products. The barrier film compositions can comprise a monoglyceride, a fatty acid or a salt thereof, a biopolymer, and water and have a yield stress of at least 0.1 Pa.

The present invention includes a method and meat product made by contacting an emulsion with a meat product for a time sufficient to, wherein the emulsion comprises by weight: 10% to 50% water, 0.1 to 4.0% Quillaja, 0.1% to 8% meat flavoring, 60% to 85% high oleic sunflower oil, meat seasoning, 0-2.0% salt, and optionally one or more stabilizers.

The present invention is a food product and a method of creating the food product that satisfies the need for a homogenized dispersion that disperses throughout meat, wherein the particle size of macromolecular ingredients within the dispersion is reduced to form a more stable homogenized dispersion with increased ingredient functionality. This permeated meat offers added health benefits such as the substitution of the anti-oxidant rich olive oil for problematic animal fat.

The present invention addresses the problem of developing a fat-processed starch which is excellent in terms of all of three properties, i.e., “workability during the preparation of a coating material for fries,” “function required of coating materials for fries (adhesion to ingredients)” and “moderate slurry viscosity.” The fat-processed starch of the present invention is produced by a process comprising the steps: adding a fat with which an emulsifying agent has been mixed to a starch having a water content adjusted to 25 to 45 mass %, in an amount of 0.02 to 0.4 mass % in terms of the weight of the fat excluding the emulsifying agent relative to the weight of dry matter of the starch, and mixing the fat and the starch; adjusting the water content of the mixture is 0.2 to 0.5 time that of the starch before the addition of the fat; and aging the starch having the adjusted water content.

A cooked slice of a meat mass formed of a ground meat mixture and expanded pellets of cellular material provides a crispy, light meat snack product. In some embodiments, the pellets are rendered skin having a low pre-expansion moisture content. A method of making the meat snack product includes making a meat form by adding pellets of cellular material having a moisture content of less than 10% by weight to a ground meat mixture, batch cooking, chilling and slicing the meat form, and cooking the slices of the meat form to expand the pellets of cellular material to result in a crispy meat form slice.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus and method for automated food preparation systems for coating food items with a coating material. An example device comprises a first subsystem, a second subsystem, a compression device, and an item retrieval lift. The compression device is configured to assist with combining a coating material to the food item.

The invention provides methods and systems for molding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff. The systems include a rotatable drum provided with mold holders that accept removable molds that are filled with the mass of foodstuff to form the three-dimensional products. The method includes use of the system to fill removable molds in filling operations to form the three-dimensional products.

A plant protein-based whole-cut fried chicken nugget is prepared from raw materials including peanut protein, wheat protein, seasonings, water-retaining agent, and coating flour in proportions measured in parts by weight. The preparation method of the plant protein-based whole-cut fried chicken nugget includes mixing the raw materials uniformly according to the proportions, subjecting to high-moisture extrusion treatment, boiling the resulted extrudate with water for an appropriate period, then coating with flour, placing in a frying pan at an appropriate temperature, and frying for an appropriate period. The plant protein-based whole-cut fried chicken nugget has a golden surface, a strong aroma, a crispy outside and tender inside, good elasticity and chewiness, no beany taste, high protein content, and rich nutrition.

This invention relates to an alginate composition for coating food products, in particular cooked meat products such as sausages and a method for producing the alginate composition. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for producing coated food products with the use of the alginate composition of the invention.