US-12616224-B2 - Structured high-protein meat analogue compositions

Abstract

Structured food compositions, such as meat analogue compositions, which include protein products from microorganisms, such as microorganism-derived protein hydrolysates, are described. Methods of making such products are also described.

Inventors

• John Reed
• Dan Robertson
• Kripa Rao

Assignees

• AIR PROTEIN, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20210630

Claims (15)

1. 1 . A dough composition for production of a structured meat analogue product for human or animal consumption, the dough composition comprising (i) a first protein product from a first microorganism, (ii) a second protein product comprising one or more of gluten, soy, pea, rice, wheat, algae, or another non-animal protein, (iii) one or more oils, and (iv) a nutritional source for the first microorganism that is produced from a second microorganism, wherein the first protein product comprises protein fiber networks or aligned protein fibers that produce meat-like texture, and wherein the second microorganism comprises a microorganism of the genus Cupriavidus, Rhodococcus, Hydrogenovibrio, Rhodopseudomonas, Hydrogenobacter, Gordonia, Arthrobacter, Streptomycetes, Rhodobacter , or Xanthobacter , or microorganisms of a consortium of the genera thereof.
2. 2 . The dough composition according to claim 1 , wherein the first protein product comprises a single cell protein, a cell lysate, a protein isolate, a protein extract, a protein hydrolysate, a free amino acid, a peptide, an oligopeptide, or a combination thereof.
3. 3 . The dough composition according to claim 2 , wherein the first protein product comprises the protein hydrolysate.
4. 4 . The dough composition according to claim 3 , wherein the protein hydrolysate is produced under conditions that retain undenatured globular protein.
5. 5 . The dough composition according to claim 4 , wherein the conditions that retain undenatured globular protein comprise cell lysis and physical separation of soluble components from cell debris.
6. 6 . The dough composition according to claim 3 , wherein the protein hydrolysate combines with the second protein product to promote structuring or fiber formation.
7. 7 . The dough composition according to claim 1 , wherein the water content of the dough composition is from about 40% (w/w) to about 80% (w/w) of the dough composition.
8. 8 . The dough composition according to claim 1 , wherein the shear strength of the dough composition is greater than about 1000 psig.
9. 9 . The dough composition according to claim 1 , wherein the structured meat analogue product comprises from about 5% to about 25% by weight of the first protein product.
10. 10 . The dough composition according to claim 1 , wherein the structured meat analogue product is a structured beef, poultry, pork, fish, or seafood analogue product.
11. 11 . The dough composition according to claim 1 , further comprising hemp, canola, or buckwheat.
12. 12 . The dough composition according to claim 1 , further comprising a heme-containing polypeptide.
13. 13 . The dough composition according to claim 3 , wherein the average molecular weight of all peptides in the protein hydrolysate is from about 800 to about 1500 Da.
14. 14 . The dough composition according to claim 1 , wherein the second microorganism is a non-GRAS microorganism.
15. 15 . The dough composition according to claim 3 , wherein an average molecular weight of all proteins in the protein hydrolysate is from about 5 kDa to about 10 kDa.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of PCT Application No. PCT/US2021/20147, filed on Feb. 28, 2021, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/984,253, filed on Mar. 2, 2020, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to structured food compositions that include protein products from microorganisms, such as structured meat analogue compositions that are suitable for human or animal consumption and which closely mimic the properties of meat and function as meat analogue products. BACKGROUND Eating meat derived from animal sources is a part of everyday life for many people. Adverse impacts of a meat-based diet on human health and on the environment have been well documented. There is a growing consumer demand for alternative protein-rich foods that are not derived from animals but that provide similar textural and flavor characteristics of animal meat, and similar functional properties of animal meat, without unhealthy components associated with meat, such as saturated fatty acids and cholesterol, and without the harmful environmental effects of animal agriculture. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Structured food products, such as structured meat products, e.g., structured meat analogue products, and methods of producing such products, are disclosed herein. In one aspect, a structured food product, including a protein product from a microorganism, is provided. In some embodiments, the microorganism comprises or consists of one or more chemoautotrophically grown microorganism. In one embodiment, the microorganism, e.g., chemoautotrophically grown microorganism, comprises or consists of a Cupriavidus microorganism. In some embodiments, the structured food product includes a protein product derived from a first microorganism grown on a nutritional source that includes a protein product from a second microorganism. In one embodiment, the second microorganism comprises or consists of a Cupriavidus microorganism. For example, the first microorganism may be a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) microorganism, and optionally, the second microorganism may be a microorganism that is not GRAS. In some embodiments, the structured food product includes a protein product from a microorganism that is a non-genetically modified organism (non-GMO). In some embodiments, the structured food product does not contain animal-derived biomolecules, such as animal-derived proteins, lipids, and/or carbohydrates. In some embodiments, the structured food product includes a protein product that includes one or more of single cell protein, cell lysate, protein isolate, protein extract, protein hydrolysate, free amino acids, peptides, oligopeptides, or combinations thereof, from one or more microorganisms. In one embodiment, the protein product comprises or consists of a protein hydrolysate from one or more microorganisms. In some embodiments, the structured food product includes at least about 5% to about 50%, or about 10% to about 50%, or about 20% to about 50%, or about 30% to about 50% protein by weight from the microorganism protein product. In some embodiments, the structured food product includes a non-animal protein ingredient comprising or consisting of single cell protein, cell lysate, protein isolate, protein extract, protein hydrolysate, free amino acids, peptides, oligopeptides, or combinations thereof, wherein such protein ingredient provides one or more beneficial functional properties to the structured food product. In some embodiments, the structured food product is a structured meat analogue product, such as, but not limited to, a structured beef, poultry, pork, fish, lamb or seafood analogue product. For example, the structured meat analogue product may reproduce a texture and/or organoleptic characteristic of natural meat. In some embodiments, the meat analogue product mimics the structure of ground or muscle meat. In certain embodiments, the structured meat analogue product includes one or more flavorant, such as a flavohemoprotein flavorant. In an embodiment, the structured meat analogue includes a flavohemoprotein flavorant that is produced by the microorganism. In some embodiments, the structured meat analogue product includes a protein product that is derived from a chemoautotrophically grown microorganism, or derived from a microorganism that is grown in a medium that includes a protein product derived from a chemoautotrophically grown microorganism. In one embodiment, the chemoautotrophically grown microorganism comprises or consists of a Cupriavidus microorganism. In some embodiments, the structured food product, such as, but not limited to, a structured meat analogue product, is supplemented with one or more substance, such as vitamin, nutrient, or substance with a beneficial functional property. For example, the supplemental substance(s) may include one or more of