Ground meat replicas
Inventors
VARADAN, RANJANI • SOLOMATIN, SERGEY • Holz-Schietinger, Celeste • Cohn, Elysia P. • Klapholz-Brown, Ariel • Shiu, Jennifer Woan-Yi • KALE, Aniket • Karr, Jessica • Fraser, Rachel
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11819041-B2
Publication Date
2023-11-21
Expiration Date
Abstract
This document relates to ground meat replicas, and more particularly to plant-based products that mimic ground meat, including the fibrousness, heterogeneity in texture, beefy flavor, and red-to-brown color transition during cooking of ground meat.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to animal-product-free meat replicas and meat dough comprising an isolated plant protein, an edible fibrous component or fibrous connective tissue component, fat, and a carbohydrate-based gel. The disclosure further includes a heme-containing protein, together with a lactone, a carotenoid, or both, as part of the formulation. The meat replicas are designed to provide meat-like texture and performance behavior when cooked.
The disclosed approach addresses flavor and sensory quality in plant-based meat replicas, including improving flavor depth and reducing grain/off flavors. Flavor-related ingredients include lactone and carotenoid components, and the disclosure also describes yeast extracts, phenylacetic acid, furaneol, 2-Mercapto-3-butanol, oil-soluble garlic, and flavor infusion into RBD coconut oil with LegH and precursor mix components.
The disclosure further describes connective tissue-like texture using soy protein isolate and vital wheat gluten, including a water-assisted extrusion process to form fibrous connective tissue structure. Burger patties are formed and assembled using meat dough, an agar-based carbohydrate gel, and flavored coconut oil that includes LegH and precursor components, with cooking to about 160°F associated with beef-like sensory outcomes and firmer cooked texture.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims are directed to an animal-product-free plant-based meat replica formulation with an isolated plant protein meat dough, an edible fibrous component, fat, and a carbohydrate-based gel, together with a heme-containing protein and a lactone and/or a carotenoid. The claims also require cooked performance at 160°F, including increased firmness relative to before cooking and/or increased perceived juiciness relative to a similar composition lacking the carbohydrate-based gel.
Animal-product-free meat replica formulation
A meat replica comprising about 5% to about 88% by weight of a meat dough, wherein the meat dough comprises an isolated plant protein; about 15% to about 40% by weight of an edible fibrous component; about 5% to about 35% by weight of a fat; about 0.1% to about 18% by weight of a carbohydrate-based gel; and a lactone, a carotenoid, or both a lactone and a carotenoid, wherein the meat replica comprises a heme-containing protein, wherein the meat replica is free of animal products.
Cooking-conditioned firmness at 160°F
After cooking the meat replica to an internal temperature of 160°F, the meat replica is firmer than the meat replica before cooking.
Cooking-conditioned juiciness greater than a comparable composition
After cooking the meat replica to an internal temperature of 160°F, the meat replica exhibits a perceived juiciness greater than a similar composition without the carbohydrate-based gel.
The independent claims jointly require an animal-product-free plant-based meat replica with a meat dough containing an isolated plant protein, an edible fibrous component, fat, and a carbohydrate-based gel, together with a lactone and/or a carotenoid and a heme-containing protein. The claimed performance is cooking-conditioned at 160°F, requiring increased firmness versus before cooking and/or increased perceived juiciness versus a similar composition lacking the carbohydrate-based gel.
Stated Advantages
Improves flavor depth in plant-based meat replicas.
Reduces grain/off flavors using carotenoids including lutein.
Provides beef-like sensory outcomes after cooking to about 160°F.
After cooking to an internal temperature of 160°F, the meat replica is firmer than before cooking.
After cooking to an internal temperature of 160°F, the meat replica exhibits a perceived juiciness greater than a similar composition without the carbohydrate-based gel.
Documented Applications
Plant-based meat replica formulations intended to mimic ground meat texture and performance outcomes upon cooking, including red-to-brown color transition, with evaluation supported by sensory and SPME GC-MS.
Plant-based meat replicas that are free of animal products, including burger patties having beef-like sensory outcomes and connective tissue-like texture.
Flavoring and texture replication in food formulations using LegH, coconut oil flavor infusion, and carotenoid-containing dough and/or replica components.
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