Protein enhanced gelatin-like dessert

Abstract

Various compositions for producing translucent to opaque protein enhanced dessert gels are disclosed. In general, the dessert gels comprise a gelling system plus flavorings, colorings, and nutritional additives. Exemplary embodiments of the gelling system comprise water, sweetener, carrageenan, and various proteins such as soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, whey, and sodium caseinate.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A gelatin-like dessert, comprising a gelling agent, a water soluble protein component, and a water based liquid component which form a gelling system, wherein said gelling system comprises at least 0.38 percent by weight of said protein component, and said protein component comprises at least 50% by weight of protein.  
     
     
         2 . The gelatin-like dessert of  claim 1 , wherein said protein component comprises at least 69% by weight of protein.  
     
     
         3 . The gelatin-like dessert of  claim 1 , wherein said protein component comprises at least 90% by weight of protein.  
     
     
         4 . The gelatin-like dessert of  claim 1 , wherein said protein component comprises from about 69% by weight to about 94% by weight of protein.  
     
     
         5 . The gelatin-like dessert of  claim 4 , wherein said gelling system comprises about 0.38% by weight to about 0.67% by weight of said protein component.  
     
     
         6 . The gelatin-like dessert of  claim 1 , wherein said gelling system comprises about 0.38% by weight to about 0.67% by weight of said protein component.  
     
     
         7 . The gelatin-like dessert of  claim 1 , wherein said protein component comprises at least 90% by weight of protein, and said gelling system comprises about 0.38% by weight to about 0.67% by weight of said protein component.  
     
     
         8 . The gelatin-like dessert of  claim 1 , wherein said gelling agent consists essentially of carrageenan, and said protein component consists essentially of soy protein isolate.  
     
     
         9 . The gelatin-like dessert of  claim 1 , wherein said gelling agent consists essentially of carrageenan, and said protein component comprises a soy protein selected from the group consisting of soy protein isolate and soy protein concentrate.  
     
     
         10 . The gelatin-like dessert of  claim 1 , wherein said gelling agent consists essentially of carrageenan, and said protein component comprises a protein selected from the group consisting of soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, whey, and sodium caseinate.  
     
     
         11 . The gelatin-like dessert of  claim 1 , wherein said gelling agent consists essentially of carrageenan, and said gelling system comprises at least 0.43% by weight of said gelling agent.  
     
     
         12 . The gelatin-like dessert of  claim 1 , wherein said gelling agent consists essentially of carrageenan, and said gelling system comprises from about 0.43% by weight to about 1.204% by weight of said gelling agent.  
     
     
         13 . The gelatin-like dessert of  claim 1 , wherein said gelling agent consists essentially of carrageenan, and said gelling system comprises from about 0.62% by weight to about 0.85% by weight of said gelling agent.  
     
     
         14 . The gelatin-like dessert of  claim 1 , wherein said gelling agent consists essentially of carrageenan, and said gelling system comprises from about 0.806% to about 0.85% by weight of said gelling agent.  
     
     
         15 . The gelatin-like dessert of  claim 1 , wherein after 60 minutes of holding at a temperature below the gelation temperature for said gelling system, said gelling system has a storage modulus G′ of at least 300 Pa and a loss modulus G″ of less than 200 Pa.  
     
     
         16 . The gelatin-like dessert of  claim 1 , wherein after 60 minutes of holding at a temperature below the gelation temperature for said gelling system, said gelling system has a storage modulus G′ of at least 350 Pa and a loss modulus G″ of less than 100 Pa.  
     
     
         17 . The gelatin-like dessert of  claim 1 , wherein said gelling system has a gelation temperature between about 19° C. and about 24° C., and has a melting temperature between about 15° C. and about 18° C.  
     
     
         18 . The gelatin-like dessert of  claim 1 , further comprising a nutritional additive selected from the group of nutritional additives comprising vitamins and minerals.  
     
     
         19 . The gelatin-like dessert of  claim 1 , further comprising a nutritional additive selected from the group of nutritional additives comprising isoflavones, calcium, and ascorbic acid.  
     
     
         20 . A dry dessert mix that when combined with a specified amount of water and cooled for a specified amount of time produces a gelatin-like dessert comprising sweetener, flavoring, at least 0.38 percent by weight of a protein component that comprises at least 50% by weight of protein, and at least 0.43% by weight of a gelling agent,  
     
     
         21 . The dry dessert mix of  claim 20 , wherein said protein component comprises at least 90% by weight of protein.  
     
     
         22 . The dry dessert mix of  claim 20  which produces a gelatin-like dessert comprising about 0.38% by weight to about 0.67% by weight of said protein component.  
     
     
         23 . The dry dessert mix of  claim 20  which produces a gelatin-like dessert comprising about 0.38% by weight to about 0.67% by weight of said protein component, wherein said protein component comprises at least 90% by weight of protein.  
     
     
         24 . The dry dessert mix of  claim 20 , wherein said gelling agent consists essentially of carrageenan, and said protein component consists essentially of soy protein isolate.  
     
     
         25 . The dry dessert mix of  claim 20 , wherein said gelling agent consists essentially of carrageenan, and said protein component comprises a soy protein selected from the group consisting of soy protein isolate and soy protein concentrate.  
     
     
         26 . The dry dessert mix of  claim 20 , wherein said gelling agent consists essentially of carrageenan, and said protein component comprises a protein selected from the group consisting of soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, whey, and sodium caseinate.  
     
     
         27 . The dry dessert mix of  claim 26  which produces a gelatin-like dessert comprising at least 0.43% by weight of said gelling agent.  
     
     
         28 . The dry dessert mix of  claim 26  which produces a gelatin-like dessert comprising from about 0.43% by weight to about 1.204% by weight of said gelling agent.  
     
     
         29 . The dry dessert mix of  claim 26  which produces a gelatin-like dessert comprising from about 0.62% by weight to about 0.85% by weight of said gelling agent.  
     
     
         30 . The dry dessert mix of  claim 26  which produces a gelatin-like dessert comprising from about 0.806% to about 0.85% by weight of said gelling agent.  
     
     
         31 . The dry dessert mix of  claim 20  which produces a gelatin-like dessert that after 60 minutes of holding at a temperature below the gelation temperature for said gelatin-like dessert results in said gelatin-like dessert having a storage modulus G′ of at least 300 Pa and a loss modulus G″ of less than 200 Pa.  
     
     
         32 . The dry dessert mix of  claim 20  which produces a gelatin-like dessert that after 60 minutes of holding at a temperature below the gelation temperature for said gelatin-like dessert results in said gelatin-like dessert having a storage modulus G′ of at least 350 Pa and a loss modulus G″ of less than 100 Pa.  
     
     
         33 . The dry dessert mix of  claim 20  which produces a gelatin-like dessert having a gelation temperature between about 19° C. and about 24° C., and having a melting temperature between about 15° C. and about 18° C.  
     
     
         34 . The dry dessert mix of  claim 20 , further comprising a nutritional additive selected from the group of nutritional additives comprising vitamins and minerals.  
     
     
         35 . The dry dessert mix of  claim 20 , further comprising a nutritional additive selected from the group of nutritional additives comprising isoflavones, calcium, and ascorbic acid.