Process of manufacturing edible microextruded product comprising protein,composition thereby obtained and the use thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to edible microextruded products with compressive and tensile Young's moduli resembling the mechanical properties of meat, said edible products comprising several layers of microextruded elements made of a viscoelastic composition, said viscoelastic composition comprising in an appropriate edible solvent, high amounts of protein and an edible pseudoplastic polymer. The invention discloses also particular processes for obtaining such edible microextruded products, in particular a 3D printing method. Particular uses of edible products are also listed, including the use as meat-replacers. The invention discloses also new edible viscoelastic compositions comprising proteins and pseudoplastic polymers.

1 . A process for the manufacturing of an edible microextruded product comprising two or more layers of viscoelastic microextruded elements, wherein each extruded element comprises protein, an edible pseudoplastic polymer and an appropriate edible solvent, comprising the steps of:
 (i) providing a viscoelastic composition comprising in an appropriate edible solvent, protein and an edible pseudoplastic polymer, said viscoelastic composition comprising a percentage by weight of protein from 19% to 49%, and at least 45% of edible solvent, both percentages in relation with total weight of the viscoelastic composition, said edible solvent balancing up to 100% by weight of the viscoelastic composition;   (ii) microextruding the viscoelastic composition through an orifice with a width or diameter of from 10 μm to 1000 μm to obtain one or more microextruded elements; and   (iii) stacking the two or more layers comprising microextruded elements in such a way that a vertical section of the edible microextruded product shows intersected microextruded elements within a layer, or microextruded elements superimposed and differentially oriented between the different layers; or alternatively the two or more layers are stacked in such a way that mixcroextruded elements between layers are oriented in parallel.   
     
     
         2 . The process according to  claim 1 , further comprising after any one of steps (ii) and (iii), a step (iv) of adding one or more additives selected from the list consisting of emollients, flavour compounds, aromatizing compounds, lipids, colourants, metal chelants, oligoelements, vitamins, mineral salts, cells and extracts of said cells, and combinations of all these compounds and/or cells and/or cell extracts. 
     
     
         3 . The process according to any of  claims 1 - 2 , further comprising after any one of steps (ii) and (iii), a step (v) of adding between microextruded elements within a layer and/or on a layer of microextruded elements, a composition comprising a fat selected from one or more triglycerides, cholesterol, one or more phospholipids, one or more fatty acids and combination thereof; and/or a composition comprising cartilaginous material; and/or a composition comprising bone material. 
     
     
         4 . The process according to any of  claims 1 - 3 , wherein the viscoelastic composition comprises, an edible pseudoplastic polymer, a percentage by weight of protein from 19% to 49% w/w, and at least 45% w/w of an edible solvent, both percentages in relation with total weight of the viscoelastic composition and the said solvent balancing up to 100% w/w of the viscoelastic composition, said viscoelastic composition having an homogeneous distribution of particle sizes from lower than 6 μm to lower than 600 μm, and being obtainable by:
 (a) mixing the proteins, the edible pseudoplastic polymer and the edible solvent in a container; and 
 (b) applying one or more agitation cycles to a centrifugal force from 10 g to 4000 g, optionally in more than one direction, while raising the temperature from 20° C. to a temperature lower than 95° C., and maintaining agitation and temperature for a period of time from 1 minute to 30 minutes. 
 
     
     
         5 . The process according to any of  claims 1 - 4 , wherein the said viscoelastic composition has a storage modulus G′ higher than the loss modulus G″ when measured at a frequency of 0.16 Hz and at a temperature of 23° C. in a pair of parallel serrated plates and with a solvent amount in the edible microextrudable composition from 45% to 90% w/w; being the storage modulus G′ equal to or higher than 1700 Pa and the loss modulus G″ equal to or higher than 350 Pa, and the ratio G″/G′ in the viscoelastic composition being from 0.24 to 0.88. 
     
     
         6 . The process according to  claim 5 , wherein storage modulus G′ of the viscoelastic composition is from 1700 Pa to 140000 Pa, and the loss modulus G″ of the viscoelastic composition is from 350 Pa to 40000 Pa; and wherein the ratio G″/G′ in the viscoelastic composition is from 0.24 to 0.88. 
     
     
         7 . The process according to any one of  claims 1 - 6 , wherein the percentage by weight of protein is from 25% to 49%, and the percentage by weight of edible solvent is at least 45%. 
     
     
         8 . The process according to any one of  claims 1 - 7 , wherein the protein is selected from animal origin protein, plant origin protein, algae origin protein, yeast origin protein, bacterial origin protein, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The process according to  claim 8 , wherein the protein is animal protein. 
     
     
         10 . The process according to  claim 9 , wherein animal protein is insect protein. 
     
     
         11 . The process according to  claim 8 , wherein the protein is selected from plant origin protein, algae origin protein, yeast origin protein, bacterial origin protein, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The process according to any one of  claims 1 - 11 , wherein the percentage by weight of edible pseudoplastic polymer in relation with total weight of the viscoelastic composition, is from 0.2% to 40%, and the percentage by weight of edible solvent is at least 45%. 
     
     
         13 . The process according to any one of  claims 1 - 12 , wherein the edible pseudoplastic polymer is selected from a polysaccharide, a pseudoplastic protein, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The process according to  claim 13 , wherein the pseudoplastic polymer is a polysaccharide selected from alginic acid, and an edible salt of alginic acid, xanthan gum, glycosaminoglycans, agarose, gellan gum, pectin, carrageenan and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The process according to any one of  claims 1 - 14 , wherein the viscoelastic composition further comprises cells and/or extracts of said cells. 
     
     
         16 . An edible microextruded product obtainable by a method as defined in any of  claims 1 - 15 , comprising two or more layers of viscoelastic microextruded elements and wherein the compressive elastic modulus of the edible microextruded product is from 1.0×10 3  Pa to 5.0×10 6  Pa and the tensile Young's modulus of the edible microextruded product is from 5.0×10 3  Pa to 11.0×10 6  Pa, said compressive elastic and the tensile Young's moduli measured in a servo-hydraulic test system with a clamp displacement rate equal to 1 mm/min, at 23° C. and with a solvent amount in the edible microextruded product from 45% to 90% w/w. 
     
     
         17 . The edible microextruded product according to  claim 16 , wherein the microextruded elements are selected from microextruded sheets, microextruded filaments and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The edible microextruded product according to any one of  claims 16 - 17 , comprising between two or more of the microextruded elements of each layer and/or between one or more of the layers of microextruded elements, a composition comprising a fat selected from one or more triglycerides, cholesterol, one or more phospholipids, one or more fatty acids and combination thereof; and/or a composition comprising cartilaginous material; and/or a composition comprising bone material. 
     
     
         19 . Use of an edible microextruded product as defined in any one of  claims 16 - 18 , as a meat replacer. 
     
     
         20 . Use of an edible microextruded product as defined in any one of  claims 16 - 18  as a meat analogue. 
     
     
         21 . Edible viscoelastic microextrudable composition comprising, in an appropriate edible solvent, protein in a percentage by weight in relation with the total weight of the viscoelastic composition from 19% to 49%, said protein selected from plant-origin protein, insect protein, algae-origin protein, bacterial origin protein, and combinations thereof; and an edible pseudoplastic polysaccharide selected from alginate, xanthan gum, glycosaminoglycans, agarose, gellan gum, pectin, carrageenan and combinations thereof, in a percentage by weight, in relation with the total viscoelastic composition, from 0.5% to 40%; and wherein the viscoelastic composition comprises at least 45% by weight of edible solvent, in relation with the total weight of the composition. 
     
     
         22 . The edible viscoelastic microextrudable composition according to  claim 16 , which has a storage modulus G′ higher than the loss modulus G″ when measured at a frequency of 0.16 Hz and at a temperature of 23° C. in a pair of parallel serrated plates, and with a solvent amount in the edible microextrudable composition from 45% to 90% w/w, being the storage modulus G′ higher than 1700 Pa and the loss modulus G″ higher than 350 Pa, and wherein and the ratio G″/G′ in the viscoelastic composition being from 0.24 to 0.88. 
     
     
         23 . A viscoelastic microextrudable composition comprising, an edible pseudoplastic polymer, a percentage by weight of protein from 19% to 49% w/w, and at least 45% w/w of an edible solvent, said solvent balancing up to 100% w/w of the viscoelastic composition, both percentages in relation with total weight of the viscoelastic composition, said viscoelastic composition having an homogeneous distribution of particle sizes from lower than 6 μm to lower than 600 μm, and being obtainable by:
 (a) mixing the proteins, the edible pseudoplastic polymer and the edible solvent in a container; and 
 (b) applying one or more agitation cycles to a centrifugal force from 10 g to 4000 g, optionally in more than one direction, while raising the temperature from 20° C. to a temperature lower than 95° C., and maintaining agitation and temperature for a period of time from 1 minute to 30 minutes. 
 
     
     
         24 . An edible composite product comprising a portion of the edible microextruded product according to any one of  claims 16 - 18 , and a portion of a solidified composition comprising a fat selected from one or more triglycerides, cholesterol, one or more phospholipids, one or more fatty acids and combination thereof; and/or a portion of a solidified composition comprising cartilaginous material; and/or a portion comprising bone material, said portion of composition comprising fat and/or cartilaginous material and/or bone material, adjacently and in contact with the portion of the edible microextruded product.