The present disclosure provides a process for producing cookable, fibrous meat analogs employing directional freezing. The process includes subjecting an ingestible hydrocolloid to directional freezing for inducing formation of elongated ice crystals in which the elongated ice crystals are aligned in a given direction in the directionally frozen hydrocolloid. Following this, elongated ice crystals are removed and are replaced by proteins and any other additives such as supplements which are located in the aligned channels originally containing the aligned ice crystals. Once the desired amount of protein loading is achieved, the protein-loaded hydrocolloid is subjected to conditions suitable to induce gelling of some of proteins to form protein gels in the aligned elongated channels.

The present disclosure provides a process for producing cookable, fibrous meat analogs employing directional freezing. The process includes subjecting an ingestible hydrocolloid to directional freezing for inducing formation of elongated ice crystals in which the elongated ice crystals are aligned in a given direction in the directionally frozen hydrocolloid. Following this, elongated ice crystals are removed and are replaced by proteins and any other additives such as supplements which are located in the aligned channels originally containing the aligned ice crystals. Once the desired amount of protein loading is achieved, the protein-loaded hydrocolloid is subjected to conditions suitable to induce gelling of some of proteins to form protein gels in the aligned elongated channels.

The present invention concerns sugar beet pulp which is capable of absorbing and/or holding an amount of water that is at least 14 times the dry weight of the sugar beet pulp.

The present invention further concerns a method for improving the water absorption capacity and/or water holding capacity of sugar beet pulp, comprising the steps of: (a) providing sugar beet material; (b) optionally extracting mono- and disaccharides from the sugar beet material provided in step (a) at a temperature below 75 C. to provide spent sugar beet pulp; (c) subjecting the sugar beet material provided in step (a) or the spent sugar beet pulp provided in step (b) to a heating step at a temperature of at least 85 C. to obtain sugar beet pulp with improved water absorption capacity and/or water holding capacity; (d) optionally removing mono- and disaccharides from the sugar beet pulp obtained in step (c).

The present invention concerns sugar beet pulp which is capable of absorbing and/or holding an amount of water that is at least 14 times the dry weight of the sugar beet pulp.

The present invention further concerns a method for improving the water absorption capacity and/or water holding capacity of sugar beet pulp, comprising the steps of: (a) providing sugar beet material; (b) optionally extracting mono- and disaccharides from the sugar beet material provided in step (a) at a temperature below 75 C. to provide spent sugar beet pulp; (c) subjecting the sugar beet material provided in step (a) or the spent sugar beet pulp provided in step (b) to a heating step at a temperature of at least 85 C. to obtain sugar beet pulp with improved water absorption capacity and/or water holding capacity; (d) optionally removing mono- and disaccharides from the sugar beet pulp obtained in step (c).