HIGH-PROTEIN COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS OF THEIR MAKING AND USE

Abstract

The disclosure provides protein particles (or crisps) that may be used to enhance the protein content of snack products or other food products or as nutritional or dietary supplements. Methods for making the protein particles and for making high-protein, low-fat and low-sodium snack food compositions are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A composition comprising a snack food and a plurality of protein particles, wherein the composition has higher protein content than protein content of said snack food, said protein particles contributing to the higher protein content of said composition, wherein the smallest dimension of the plurality of protein particles is at least 0.5 mm.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the plurality of protein particles are in a geometrical shape selected from the group consisting of round, oval, square, rectangular and polygonal shapes.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the plurality of protein particles are made into a rectangular shape and wherein the length and width of the rectangular shape are each greater than 1 mm.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein proteins from the plurality of protein particles contribute to from about 75% to 100% of the total protein content of said composition.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the plurality of protein particles are prepared from a protein source selected from animal, plant, insect and combination thereof.

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the plurality of protein particles are prepared from poultry.

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein the snack food is selected from the group consisting of a snack bar, a protein bar, a granola bar, a snack mix, a trail mix and combination thereof.

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the snack food is in the shape of a bar and the plurality of protein particles are physically attached to the bar.

9. The composition of claim 1, wherein the plurality of protein particles are subject to a process selected from the group consisting of baking, extrusion, thermal processing, and combination thereof before being added into said composition.

10. The composition of claim 1, wherein the plurality of protein particles are not subject to any thermal or chemical processing before being added to the snack food.

11. The composition of claim 1, wherein the plurality of protein particles are in a loose mix with the snack food but not physically attached to the snack food.

12. The composition of claim 1, wherein the plurality of protein particles comprise one or more peptides having 10 amino acids or fewer.

13. The composition of claim 1, wherein the plurality of protein particles comprise one or more branched chain amino acids.

14. The composition of claim 1, wherein the plurality of protein particles comprise one or more amino acids selected from the group consisting of arginine, lysine, methionine, leucine, isoleucine, valine and combination thereof.

15. The composition of claim 1, wherein the plurality of protein particles comprise L-Arginine.

16. The composition of claim 1, wherein the plurality of protein particles have a water activity (a.sub.w) of less than 0.85.

17. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition has carbohydrate concentration of from 0-5%.

18. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprise greater than 1% fiber.

19. A composition comprising a plurality of protein particles, wherein the plurality of protein particles have higher than 30% protein content and are in a geometrical shape selected from the group consisting of round, oval, square, rectangular and polygonal shapes, wherein the smallest dimension of the plurality of protein particles is at least 0.5 mm.

20. A method of making the composition of claim 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] A snack food is used to generally describe a number of traditional food items that typically have high levels of carbohydrate and calorie but relatively lower protein content. Examples of snack food may include but are not limited to a chocolate candy bar, hard candy, granola and granola bars, potato chips or crisps, crackers, cheese, peanuts, mixed nuts, popcorn, cake, fruit and cream pies, ice cream and ice cream novelties, meat jerky, sausage snacks and many others. The proteins crisps may also be added to nutritional supplement of a snack food or snack bar or nutritional snack food or nutritional supplement. Many snacks, tend to have a relatively high carbohydrate and/or fat load and are therefore viewed as less healthy or unhealthy. Nuts and cheese typically have higher protein content and are viewed as a healthy alternative. However, they usually contain an allergen and cannot be consumed by people with food allergy.

[0025] The present disclosure provides protein crisps having enhanced protein content. The crisps are prepared from animal or plant sources and are shaped into certain geometrical forms that have larger particle size than powder. The term protein crisps refers to such high-protein preparation that is shaped into various forms, and may be referred to as high-protein crisps, protein chips, or particles, etc.

[0026] In one embodiment, the protein crisps may be added to a traditional snack food in a form of a particle of formed shape that contains high protein content or composition. The particle of high protein content or composition is added to a food to obtain an improved composition having higher protein content. A particle of high protein poultry can be formed as a baked, extruded or thermally processed particle to a size and texture to incorporate as the main ingredient or ingredient component in a snack food. In one embodiment, the protein mix is enriched in a poultry protein, such as chicken. In another embodiment, the protein mix is a dehydrated high protein powder or broth prepared from natural meat, such as poultry and the powder is formed into a particle.

[0027] The protein crisps can be formed into desired texture, size and shapes dependent on the snack food. In one embodiment, small round particles of 4 mm can be form and mixed with an adhesive syrup and form a bar shape of 100 mm length by 20 mm wide and 5 mm in depth and either heat treated (cooked) or dried to a final consistency. The texture can be dependent on either the moisture content of the form particle of protein content or composition or in the snack food formula to produce soft and chewy to crunchy.

[0028] In one embodiment, the protein crisps can be made from dehydrated meat powder or they may be prepared from poultry meat, meat on bones, or bones in a mechanical meat separation process. The meat and/or bone may be cooked in slurry and the fraction of fat is removed and the solid protein is collected as well as the water or broth fraction. The protein and broth fractions may be collected and dried by different process methods. Examples of drying process methods may include but are not limited to air drying, spray drying or other methods known in the art.

[0029] In another embodiment, the protein crisps may be derived from a rendering process.

[0030] In one aspect, the protein crisps may contain hydrolyzed protein. In another aspect, the protein crisps may be prepared from acidic or enzymatic treatment. This protein crisps may have an enhanced functionality, which may include, for example, particle size, texture, solubility, ingredient bind, water holding, flavor or other chemical and physical properties. In another aspect, the protein crisps may contain higher content of branched chain amino acids. In another aspect, poultry protein crisps may contain essential amino acids such as L-Arginine.

[0031] In another embodiment, peptides, derivative amino acids and metabolite constituents or compounds may be added to the protein crisps. Examples of such peptides, derivative amino acids and metabolite constituents or compounds may include but are not limited to creatine, creatinine, camosine, taurine, L-camitine and anserine.

[0032] By way of example, a number of embodiments of the present disclosure are listed below: [0033] Item 1A composition comprising a snack food and a plurality of protein particles, wherein the composition has higher protein content than protein content of said snack food, said protein particles contributing to the higher protein content of said composition, wherein the smallest dimension of the plurality of protein particles is at least 0.5 mm. [0034] Item 2The composition of Item 1, wherein the plurality of protein particles are in a geometrical shape selected from the group consisting of round, oval, square, rectangular and polygonal shapes. [0035] Item 3. The composition of any of the preceding Items, wherein the plurality of protein particles are made into a rectangular shape and wherein the length and width of the rectangular shape are each greater than 1 mm. [0036] Item 4. The composition of any of the preceding Items, wherein proteins from the plurality of protein particles contribute to from about 50% to 100% of the total protein content of said composition. [0037] Item 5. The composition of any of the preceding Items, wherein proteins from the plurality of protein particles contribute to from about 75% to 100% of the total protein content of said composition. [0038] Item 6. The composition of any of the preceding Items, wherein the plurality of protein particles are prepared from a protein source selected from animal, plant, insect and combination thereof. [0039] Item 7. The composition of any of the preceding Items, wherein the plurality of protein particles are prepared from poultry. [0040] Item 8. The composition of any of the preceding Items, wherein the snack food is selected from the group consisting of a snack bar, a protein bar, a granola bar, a snack mix, a trail mix and combination thereof. [0041] Item 9. The composition of any of the preceding Items, wherein the snack food is in the shape of a bar and the plurality of protein particles are physically attached to the bar. [0042] Item 10. The composition of any of the preceding Items, wherein the plurality of protein particles are subject to a process selected from the group consisting of baking, extrusion, thermal processing, and combination thereof before being added into said composition. [0043] Item 11. The composition of any of the preceding Items, wherein the plurality of protein particles are not subject to any thermal or chemical processing before being added to the snack food. [0044] Item 12. The composition of any of the preceding Items, wherein the plurality of protein particles are in a loose mix with the snack food but not physically attached to the snack food. [0045] Item 13. The composition of any of the preceding Items, wherein the plurality of protein particles comprise one or more peptides having 10 amino acids or fewer. [0046] Item 14. The composition of any of the preceding Items, wherein the plurality of protein particles comprise one or more branched chain amino acids. [0047] Item 15. The composition of any of the preceding Items, wherein the plurality of protein particles comprise one or more amino acids selected from the group consisting of arginine, lysine, methionine, leucine, isoleucine, valine and combination thereof. [0048] Item 16. The composition of any of the preceding Items, wherein the plurality of protein particles comprise L-Arginine. [0049] Item 17. The composition of any of the preceding Items, wherein the plurality of protein particles have a water activity (a.sub.w) of less than 0.80, less than 0.85 or less than 0.90. [0050] Item 18. The composition of any of the preceding Items, wherein the composition has carbohydrate concentration of from 0-5%. [0051] Item 19. The composition of any of the preceding Items, wherein the composition further comprise greater than 1%, 2%, 4%, or 5% (w/w) fiber. [0052] Item 20. A composition comprising a plurality of protein particles, wherein the plurality of protein particles have higher than 30%, 50%, 70%, or 80% protein content and are in a geometrical shape selected from the group consisting of round, oval, square, rectangular and polygonal shapes, wherein the smallest dimension of the plurality of protein particles is at least 0.5 mm.

EXAMPLES

Example 1: Blueberry Nut Bar

[0053] Extruded poultry protein pieces (crisps) were formed on an extruder with a formula of 32.45% chicken powder, 26.55% pea protein powder, 24.50% long grain rice flour, 15.00% Fiber-Litesse, 1.00% salt, and 0.50% CaCO.sub.3. Extruded pieces were long by wide by 1/16 depth.

[0054] 19.10% protein crisps, 17.80% High Maltose Corn Syrup, 12.90% Almonds-Raw, 12% Dried Blueberries, 10% Roasted Salted Pumpkin Seeds, 8.01% Sunflower Butter, 6.05% Invert Sugar, 1.07% Canola Oil, 0.71% Glycerin, and 0.36% Lecithin were combined, mixed to form a bar shape of 4 by 1 by . The bar was thermally heat treated at 160 F. until an internal temperature of 140 F. was reached and an a, of 0.80 was achieved.

Example 2: High Protein Granola

[0055] A mix of 38% Protein Crisps of Example 1, 24% Rolled Oats, 12% Almonds, 8% Organic Brown Rice Syrup, 6% peanuts, 5% chocolate Chunks, 4% Pumpkin Seeds, 1.5% Maple Syrup, 1.5% Honey was prepared.

[0056] The mix was heat treated at 250 F. for 35 minutes and cooled to room temperature. Tumble to loosen all pieces. Add chocolate chunks and pumpkin seeds and tumble to mix. Water activity (a.sub.w) should be less than 0.85. Package the material.

Example 3: High Protein Granola Bar

[0057] A mix of 38% Protein Crisps of Example 1, 22% Rolled Oats, 10% Almonds, 10% Organic Brown Rice Syrup, 4% peanuts, 5% chocolate Chunks (high melt chocolate), 4% Pumpkin Seeds, 3.5% Honey, 3.0% Maple Syrup, 0.5% Lecithin was prepared.

[0058] The mix was heat treated at 250 F. for 35 minutes and cooled to room temperature. Tumble to loosen all pieces. Add Organic Rice Syrup, lecithin, chocolate chunks and tumble to mix. Form into bars by extrusion or molds and thermally treat 160 F. for 30 minutes. Water activity (a.sub.w) should be less than 0.85. Allow to cool and package.

Example 4: Citrus Bar

[0059] A mix of 19.10% Protein Crisps of Example 1, 17.80% High Maltose Corn Syrup, 12.90% dehydrated pineapple, 6% Dried Apricots, 10% Roasted Salted Pumpkin Seeds, 8.01% Sunflower Butter, 6.05% Invert Sugar, 1.07% Canola Oil, 0.71% Glycerin, and 0.36% Lecithin was prepared. The mix was formed to a bar shape of 4 by 1 by and was thermally heat treated at 160 F. until an internal temperature of 140 F. was reached and an a.sub.w of 0.80 was achieved.

Example 5 Snack Food with Chicken Protein Pieces

[0060] Protein mix containing chicken protein was added to snack mix or snack bars. The protein mix contains chicken protein in the form of crunchy extruded protein chip, cracker or cereal piece and helped achieve 1% or higher protein content in the final product. The snack mix was selected from a wide variety of snack food and may contain nuts, dehydrated fruit or vegetable pieces, popcorn, and other extruded chips, cereals, or grain pieces and may have an added flavor mix, such as barbeque or cinnamon.

Example 6 Snack Food with Chicken Protein Pieces

[0061] Protein mix containing chicken protein was added to snack mix or snack bars. The protein mix contains chicken protein in the form of crunchy extruded protein chip, cracker or cereal piece and helped achieve 1% or higher protein content in the final product. The snack mix was selected from a wide variety of snack food and may contain nuts, dehydrated fruit or vegetable pieces, popcorn, and other extruded chips, cereals, or grain pieces, but did not contain any ingredients that may cause food allergy (e.g., peanut, gluten, etc.) in humans. The snack food may also contain an added flavor mix, such as barbeque or cinnamon.