Meat-based flours and related methods
Various aspects of this disclosure relate to flours that comprise ground meat powder, which may be used as a flour substitute in baked goods. The flours generally comprise a water activity of less than 0.65 at room temperature and a minimal fat content such as less than 25 percent fat by mass, which synergistically inhibit the ground meat powder from clumping and cohering. The ground meat powders may be prepared, for example, by trimming fat from meat, cooking and dehydrating the meat, and then grinding the lean, dehydrated meat into a powder.
1 . A flour that is a dry, solid powder, the flour comprising:
a ground meat powder at a concentration of at least 70 percent by mass, wherein at least 50 percent of the powder by mass has a particle size of at least 75 microns and up to 850 microns;
fat at a concentration of up to 15 percent by mass;
protein at a concentration of at least 30 percent and up to 95 percent by mass;
at least 2 and up to 6 food calories per gram;
potassium at a concentration of at least 0.5 percent and up to 2.5 percent by mass;
phosphorous at a concentration of at least 0.6 percent and up to 1.2 percent by mass; and
a water activity of at least 0.35 and up to 0.6 at 70 degrees Fahrenheit,
wherein the powder has a surface-area-to-volume ratio of at least 800 per meter and up to 110,000 per meter.
2 . A flour that is a dry, solid powder, the flour comprising:
a ground meat powder at a concentration of at least 70 percent by mass, wherein at least 50 percent of the powder by mass has a particle size of at least 10 microns and up to 1,000 microns;
fat at a concentration of up to 15 percent by mass;
protein at a concentration of at least 30 percent and up to 95 percent by mass;
at least 2 and up to 6 food calories per gram; and
a water activity of up to 0.6 at 70 degrees Fahrenheit,
wherein the powder has a surface-area-to-volume ratio of at least 800 per meter and up to 110,000 per meter.
3 . The flour of claim 1 or 2 , wherein:
the ground meat powder consists of beef;
the flour comprises fat at a concentration of at least 1 percent and up to 15 percent by mass;
the flour comprises protein at a concentration of at least 30 percent and up to 60 percent by mass;
the flour comprises at least 2 and up to 6 food calories per gram; and
the flour comprises cholesterol at a concentration of up to 0.5 percent by mass.
4 . The flour of claim 1 or 2 , wherein:
the ground meat powder consists of beef;
the flour comprises fat at a concentration of at least 1 percent and up to 15 percent by mass;
the flour comprises saturated fat at a concentration of at least 1 percent and up to 3 percent by mass;
the flour comprises protein at a concentration of at least 30 percent and up to 60 percent by mass;
the flour comprises at least 2.5 and up to 5.5 food calories per gram;
the flour comprises potassium at a concentration of at least 0.5 percent and up to 2.0 percent by mass;
the flour comprises calcium at a concentration of at least 250 parts per million by mass;
the flour comprises iron at a concentration of at least 40 parts per million by mass;
the flour comprises copper at a concentration of at least 1 part per million by mass;
the flour comprises zinc at a concentration of at least 50 parts per million by mass;
the flour comprises phosphorous at a concentration of at least 0.6 percent by mass; and
the flour comprises cholesterol at a concentration of up to 0.5 percent by mass.
5 . The flour of claim 1 or 2 , wherein:
the ground meat powder comprises one, two, or each of heart, liver, and kidney;
the flour comprises iron at a concentration of at least 40 parts per million by mass; and
the flour comprises copper at a concentration of at least 10 parts per million by mass.
6 . The flour of claim 1 or 2 , wherein:
the ground meat powder consists of chicken;
the flour comprises fat at a concentration of at least 2 percent and up to 15 percent by mass;
the flour comprises protein at a concentration of at least 35 percent and up to 70 percent by mass;
the flour comprises at least 2 and up to 6 food calories per gram; and
the flour comprises cholesterol at a concentration of 0 percent and up to 0.5 percent by mass.
7 . The flour of claim 1 or 2 , wherein:
the ground meat powder consists of chicken;
the flour comprises fat at a concentration of at least 2 percent and up to 15 percent by mass;
the flour comprises saturated fat at a concentration of 0 percent and up to 2 percent by mass;
the flour comprises protein at a concentration of at least 35 percent and up to 70 percent by mass;
the flour comprises carbohydrates at a concentration of 0 percent and up to 2 percent by mass;
the flour comprises at least 2 and up to 6 food calories per gram;
the flour comprises potassium at a concentration of at least 0.5 percent and up to 2.0 percent by mass;
the flour comprises iron at a concentration of at least 20 parts per million by mass;
the flour comprises zinc at a concentration of at least 10 parts per million by mass;
the flour comprises phosphorous at a concentration of at least 0.6 percent by mass; and
the flour comprises cholesterol at a concentration of 0 parts per million and up to 0.4 percent by mass.
8 . The flour of claim 1 or 2 , wherein the ground meat powder consists of one or more of fish, chicken, poultry, rabbit, pork, mutton, chevon, venison, veal, and beef.
9 . The flour of claim 1 or 2 , wherein the flour comprises carbohydrates at a concentration of 0 percent and up to 2 percent by mass.
10 . A food made using the flour of claim 1 or 2 .