Food products resembling whole muscle meat and seafood

Abstract

The present invention relates to the creation of meat-analogs, including bacon or jerky. The present invention further can relate to the use of hydrocolloid gels or films as structural components of meat analog food products. Hydrocolloid gels or films are used in order to improve the similarity of meat analog food products to whole muscle cuts of meat and seafood, including animal sourced bacon.

1 . The meat analog food product of  claim 1 , wherein the adjacent layers of dough and inner hydrocolloid film are held in said shape by an additional outer hydrocolloid film that surrounds the dough and inner hydrocolloid film. 
     
     
         1 - 53 . (canceled) 
     
     
         54 : A bacon analog comprising a fat portion and a meat portion, wherein the fat portion comprises a first partially dehydrated oil-in-hydrocolloid gel which comprises a first oil located within a first hydrocolloid gel; and the meat portion comprises a second partially dehydrated oil-in-hydrocolloid gel which comprises a second oil located within a second hydrocolloid gel;
 wherein the hydrocolloid gel is:
 not a modified cellulose derivative; and 
 not a heat-set gel; 
   and further wherein, the hydrocolloid gel is:
 a naturally occurring polysaccharide which is selected from the group consisting of agar, carrageenan, alginate, pectin, gellan gum, or mixtures thereof, and 
   wherein the bacon analog has a water activity of between about 0.5 and about 0.95.   
     
     
         55 : The bacon analog of  claim 54 , which is comprised of only the meat portion. 
     
     
         56 : The bacon analog of  claim 55 , which is a jerky. 
     
     
         57 : The bacon analog of claim  6 , wherein the jerky mimics that of beef, turkey, bison, elk, venison, pork, chicken, duck, goose, and ostrich. 
     
     
         58 - 59 . (canceled) 
     
     
         60 : The bacon analog of  claim 54 , further comprising a colorant, wherein the colorant is reddish in color. 
     
     
         61 : The bacon analog of  claim 54 , further comprising a colorant, wherein the colorant is phycoerythrin. 
     
     
         62 : The bacon analog of  claim 54 , wherein the first and/or the second hydrocolloid gel is derived from seaweed. 
     
     
         63 . (canceled) 
     
     
         64 : The bacon analog of  claim 54 , wherein the first and/or the second hydrocolloid gel comprises agar. 
     
     
         65 : The bacon analog of  claim 54 , wherein the hydrocolloid gel of one or both the meat and fat portions are hydrated or dehydrated. 
     
     
         66 . (canceled) 
     
     
         67 . The bacon analog of  claim 54 , wherein the meat portion changes from a reddish color to a reddish-brown color when heated to between 160° F. and 400° F. 
     
     
         68 : The bacon analog of  claim 60 , wherein the colorant in the meat portion does not migrate into the fat portion in storage or during cooking. 
     
     
         69 : The bacon analog of  claim 60 , wherein the colorant is a seaweed protein. 
     
     
         70 - 134 . (canceled) 
     
     
         135 : The bacon analog of  claim 54 , which has a water concentration of no more than 29 wt %. 
     
     
         136 : The bacon analog of  claim 54 , which is free of egg albumen. 
     
     
         137 : The bacon analog of  claim 54 , which is free of surfactants or free of starches. 
     
     
         138 : The bacon analog of  claim 54 , further comprising a colorant which is comprised of a protein derived from seaweed. 
     
     
         139 : The bacon analog of  claim 54 , further comprising a flavoring agent. 
     
     
         140 : The bacon analog of  claim 54 , wherein at least one or both of the first and second oils is comprised of a vegetable oil. 
     
     
         141 : The bacon analog of  claim 54 , wherein at least one of the hydrocolloid gels does not melt when cooked at temperatures of about 300° F. to about 450° F. 
     
     
         142 : The bacon analog of  claim 54 , wherein one or both of the meat portion and fat portion is comprised of a plurality of hydrocolloid films separating oil-containing layers and arranged in an orientation that produces a pattern resembling animal tissue on the surface of the bacon analog.