Extrusion of agro-food industry byproducts and protein concentrates into value-added foods

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for preparing an edible foodstuff from food industry waste stream byproducts. This process involves the steps of: (i) combining, in an extruder, an extrusion formulation comprising a first food byproduct and at least one additional ingredient; (ii) introducing supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) into the extruder to mix with the first food byproduct and the at least one additional ingredient; and (iii) producing an edible foodstuff containing the first food byproduct and the at least one additional ingredient, where the edible foodstuff comprises an extrudate prepared under supercritical fluid extrusion (SCFX) conditions. The present invention also relates to a process for preparing an edible foodstuff from a protein concentrate. The present invention further relates to edible foodstuffs produced by the various processes disclosed herein.

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A process for preparing an edible foodstuff from a protein concentrate, said process comprising the steps of:
 providing, in an extruder, an extrusion formulation comprising a protein concentrate in either liquid or powder form; and   extruding the protein concentrate from the extruder in the form of an expanded extrudate using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO 2 ) under supercritical fluid extrusion (SCFX) conditions,   thereby yielding an edible foodstuff comprising the expanded extrudate of the protein concentrate.   
     
     
         26 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the protein concentrate is milk protein concentrate (MPC). 
     
     
         27 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the protein concentrate is yogurt protein concentrate. 
     
     
         28 . The processing according to  claim 25 , wherein wherein the extrusion formulation further comprises fruit or vegetable pomace. 
     
     
         29 . An edible foodstuff produced by the process according to  claim 25 .