FOOD PRODUCTS CONTAINING ZEIN, AND RELATED PROCESSES
Described are food compositions and methods of preparing food compositions, the food compositions containing a zein protein material that includes alpha-zein, beta-zein, and gamma-zein.
1 . A food product comprising a structural matrix defining openings between structural matrix walls, the structural matrix comprising zein present as a continuous phase of the structural matrix, the food product containing at least 6 weight percent total zein on a dry basis.
2 . A food product as recited at claim 1 , comprising flour and a concentrated zein ingredient.
3 . A food product as recited at claim 1 , comprising concentrated zein ingredient that contains at least 80 weight percent zein.
4 . A food product as recited at claim 1 , comprising less than one percent gluten.
5 . A food product as recited at claim 1 wherein the zein contains from 40 to 88 weight percent alpha-zein, from 12 to 60 weight percent combined beta-zein and gamma-zein.
6 . A food product as recited at claim 1 wherein the zein contains from 55 to 70 weight percent alpha-zein, from 2 to 8 weight percent beta-zein, and from 5 to 25 weight percent gamma-zein.
7 . A food product as recited at claim 1 wherein the zein contains from 60 to 70 weight percent alpha-zein, from 3 to 7 weight percent beta-zein, and from 10 to 20 weight percent gamma-zein.
8 . An edible dough mixture comprising zein that contains from 40 to 88 weight percent alpha-zein and from 12 to 60 weight percent combined beta-zein and gamma-zein.
9 . A dough mixture as recited at claim 8 comprising at least 5 weight percent zein on a dry basis.
10 . A dough mixture as recited at claim 8 comprising from 5 to 40 weight percent zein on a dry basis.
11 . A dough mixture as recited at claim 8 wherein the dough mixture contains a concentrated zein ingredient comprising at least 80 weight percent zein on a dry basis.
12 . A dough mixture as recited at claim 8 wherein the zein contains from 60 to 70 weight percent alpha-zein, from 3 to 7 weight percent beta-zein, and from 10 to 20 weight percent gamma-zein.
13 . A dough mixture as recited at claim 8 wherein the zein contains from about 55 to 70 weight percent alpha-zein, from about 2 to about 8 weight percent beta-zein, and from about 5 to 25 weight percent gamma-zein.
14 . A dough mixture as recited at claim 8 , comprising less than one percent gluten on a dry basis.
15 . A method of preparing an expanded food product comprising a structural matrix defining openings between structural matrix walls, the method comprising
providing a dough mixture comprising zein,
heating the dough mixture,
extruding the heated dough mixture, and
drying the extruded dough mixture to form a dried expanded food product.
16 . A method as recited at claim 15 wherein the dried expanded food product comprises a structural matrix defining openings between structural matrix walls, the structural matrix comprising zein present as a continuous phase of the structural matrix.
17 . A method as recited at claim 15 wherein the dried expanded food product contains at least 6 weight percent zein on a dry basis.
18 . A method as recited at claim 15 wherein the dough mixture comprising flour and a concentrated zein ingredient.
19 . A method as recited at claim 18 wherein the concentrated zein ingredient contains at least 80 weight percent zein.
20 . A method as recited at claim 15 wherein the zein contains from 40 to 88 weight percent alpha-zein, from 12 to 60 weight percent combined beta-zein and gamma-zein.