Food product compositions and methods for producing the same

Abstract

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides methods for producing a food product containing single-cell organisms. Methods may comprise providing a reactor with a colony forming organism, sugar-containing material, and nitrogen-containing material and permitting the single-cell organism to grow to produce the food product. In an aspect, the present disclosure provides compositions for consumption. Compositions for consumption may comprise materials derived from unicellular organisms, plants, insects, and animals. Unicellular organisms may be produced from fermentation of sugar-containing materials and nitrogen-containing materials.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for producing a food product for animal consumption, comprising:
 (a) combining at least (i) a fungus-containing product and (ii) one or more members selected from the group consisting of a flour, an oil, a flavoring agent, and a nutritional supplement, to form a mixture, wherein said mixture comprises said fungus-containing product at greater than or equal to about 3% by wet weight; and   (b) heating said mixture at a temperature of greater than or equal to about 150° C. at an ambient pressure for a period of time of at least about 10 seconds, thereby generating said food product for animal consumption, wherein said food product has a water content of less than or equal to about 30% by weight.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a reactor comprising (i) a fungal colony and (ii) a feedstock comprising a nitrogen-containing material and a sugar-containing material, and permitting said fungal colony to grow in presence of said feedstock to yield said fungus-containing product. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said fungus-containing product comprises one or more fungi selected from the group consisting of  Aspergillus oryzae, Fusarium venenatum, Geotrichum candidum, Penicillium camemberti, Penicillium roqueforti, Saccharomyces cerevisiae , and a derivative thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said fungus-containing product is  Aspergillus oryzae.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said fungus-containing product comprises  Aspergillus oryzae  and  Saccharomyces cerevisiae.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said  Aspergillus oryzae  and  Saccharomyces cerevisiae  are present at an  Aspergillus oryzae  to  Saccharomyces cerevisiae  ratio from about 1:5 to 1:2. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said fungus-containing product is a whole cell product. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said fungus-containing product is a protein concentrate containing from about 60% to 90% protein by dry weight. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said fungus-containing product is a protein isolate containing greater than or equal to about 90% protein by dry weight. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an amount of said fungus-containing product in said food product is greater than or equal to about 30% by dry weight. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said amount is greater than or equal to about 40% by dry weight. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, prior to (b), combining said mixture with a heme-containing protein. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, prior to (b), subjecting said mixture to conditions sufficient to ferment said mixture, which conditions comprise heating said mixture at an ambient temperature from about 30 minutes to 60 minutes. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said food product does not contain an animal protein. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said food product does not contain an animal oil. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said water content is from about 15% to 30% by weight. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said water content is less than or equal to about 15% by weight. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said temperature is greater than or equal to about 175° C. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said period of time is greater than or equal to about 15 minutes. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein heating said mixture at said temperature of greater than or equal to about 150° C. for said period of time yields an intermediate product, which intermediate product is subjected to one or more processes to yield said food product. 
     
     
         21 . A method for producing a food product for animal consumption, comprising:
 (a) providing a reactor comprising (i) a fungal colony and (ii) a feedstock comprising a nitrogen-containing material and a sugar-containing material;   (b) permitting said fungal colony to grow in presence of said feedstock to yield a fungus-containing product, wherein said fungus-containing product is not treated to reduce a concentration of ribonucleic acids (RNA); and   (c) combining said fungus-containing product with one or more members selected from the group consisting of a flour, an oil, a flavoring agent, and a nutritional supplement, thereby generating said food product for animal consumption, wherein said food product comprises greater than or equal to about 3% by wet weight of said fungus-containing product, and wherein said food product does not contain an animal protein.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said fungal colony grows in absence of a support media. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said fungal colony comprises  Aspergillus oryzae.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said fungus-containing product comprises  Aspergillus oryzae  and  Saccharomyces cerevisiae.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said  Aspergillus oryzae  and  Saccharomyces cerevisiae  are present at an  Aspergillus oryzae  to  Saccharomyces cerevisiae  ratio from about 1:5 to 1:2. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said fungus-containing product is a whole cell product. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said concentration of RNA in said fungus-containing food product is greater than or equal to about 4% by dry weight. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein said concentration of RNA in said fungus-containing food product is greater than or equal to about 6% by dry weight. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said fungus-containing product is not added to said food product as a spray or a coating. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising heating said fungus-containing product and said one or more members selected from the group consisting of said flour, said oil, said flavoring agent, and said nutritional supplement at a temperature of greater than or equal to about 150° C. at an ambient pressure for a period of time of at least about 10 seconds to reduce a water content of said food product.