MICROBIAL BIOMASS COMPRISING FOOD PRODUCTS
Provided are food products that have meat-like structure, texture, and properties, and that comprise substantial amounts of microbial biomass. Also provided are methods and processes for producing such food products.
1 . A meat structured protein product, wherein the meat structured protein product has a moisture content of at least 30% by weight and wherein such meat structured protein product, further, comprises
a) protein fibers that are substantially aligned; and
b) at least 2% by weight of microbial biomass.
2 . A meat structured protein product of claim 1 which comprises between about 5% and about 70% of microbial biomass.
3 . A meat structured protein product of claim 1 which comprises between about 4% and about 10% of microbial biomass.
4 . A meat structured protein product of claim 1 wherein the microbial biomass is an algae biomass.
5 . A meat structured protein product of claim 1 wherein the microbial biomass is a fungi biomass.
6 . A meat structured protein product of claim 1 wherein the microbial biomass is a bacteria biomass.
7 . A meat structured protein product of claim 1 wherein the microbial biomass further comprises at least 2% by weight of whole cell microbes.
8 . A meat structured protein product of claim 1 wherein at least about 50% of the microbial biomass comprises whole cell microbes.
9 . A meat structured protein product of claim 1 wherein at least about 95% of the microbial biomass comprises whole cell microbes.
10 . A meat structured protein product of claim 1 which further comprises between about 5% and about 68% by weight of non-microbial protein, between about 0.5% and about 10% by weight of non-microbial lipid, and between about 0.5% and about 20% by weight of non-microbial carbohydrate.
11 . A meat structured protein product of claim 1 which is a protein fibrous product.
12 . A protein fibrous product of claim 4 which has a moisture content between about 40% and about 60% by weight.
13 . A meat structured protein product of claim 1 which is a hydrated protein fibrous product.
14 . A hydrated protein fibrous product of claim 13 which has a moisture content between about 60% and about 80%.
15 . A meat structured protein product of claim 1 , further comprising less than about 20% of an animal meat to provide an extended meat product.
16 . A meat structured protein product of claim 1 , further comprising at least about 50% of an animal meat to provide an extended meat product.
17 . A process for producing a meat structured protein product comprising protein fibers that are substantially aligned, wherein the process comprises:
a) combining water and a microbial biomass comprising microbial protein;
b) shearing and heating the dough so as to denature the proteins in the microbial protein material and produce protein fibers that are substantially aligned in a fibrous structure; and
c) setting the dough to fix the fibrous structure previously obtained, thereby obtaining a meat structured protein product having a moisture content of at least 30% by weight and comprising at least 2% by weight of microbial biomass.
18 . A process of claim 17 wherein the meat structured protein product produced is a protein fibrous product.
19 . A process of claim 18 wherein the protein fibrous product produced has a moisture content of between about 40% and about 60% by weight and which further comprises combining with the water and microbial biomass comprising microbial protein (a) non-microbial protein, (b) non-microbial lipid, and (c) non-microbial carbohydrate so as to obtain a protein fibrous product comprising between about 5% and about 68% by weight of non-microbial protein, between about 0.5% and about 10% by weight of non-microbial lipid, and between about 0.5% and about 20% by weight of non-microbial carbohydrate.
20 . A process of claim 17 which further comprises the step of subjecting the meat structured protein product produced by setting the dough to fix the fibrous structure to post-processing.
21 . A process of claim 20 wherein the meat structured protein product produced is a hydrated protein fibrous product.
22 . A process of claim 21 wherein the hydrated protein fibrous product produced has a moisture content of between about 60% and about 80% by weight and which further comprises combining with the water and microbial biomass comprising microbial protein (a) non-microbial protein, (b) non-microbial lipid, and (c) non-microbial carbohydrate so as to obtain a protein fibrous product comprising between about 5% and about 68% by weight of non-microbial protein, between about 0.5% and about 10% by weight of non-microbial lipid and between about 0.5% and about 20% by weight of non-microbial carbohydrate.