EDIBLE INSECT DERIVED PRODUCTS AND PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND USE THEREOF

• US 20180310591A1
• Filed: 10/21/2016
• Published: 11/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C-fu FOODS, Inc.
• Original Assignee: C-fu FOODS, Inc.
• Inventors: CADESKY, Lee
• Granted Patent: US 10,912,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A23J 3/04 Animal proteins
• CPC Class Codes: A23J 3/28 using coagulation from or in a bath, e.g. spun fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 13/10 Meat meal or powder; Granules, agglomerates or flakes
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 33/17 Amino acids, peptides or proteins
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs

Abstract

Edible food protein products derived from insects, such as edible textured insect proteins, insect protein concentrates and insect whey protein concentrates, and processes to produce those products, are described. For example, described is a process for producing an edible protein product derived from at least one insect that comprises: processing the at least one insect to produce an insect milk by combining the at least one insect with an extraction buffer solution containing at least one of a monovalent salt, a divalent salt and a phosphate salt, and reducing the at least one insect into a plurality of insect particles of a desired particle size; adjusting a pH level of the insect milk; and heating the insect milk is to coagulate the insect milk to form whey and at least one curd. In some embodiments, the insect protein concentrates and insect whey protein concentrates are in powder form.

Claims

1. A process for producing an edible protein product derived from at least one insect, the process comprising:

processing the at least one insect to produce an insect milk by

combining the at least one insect with an extraction buffer solution containing at least one of a monovalent salt, a divalent salt and a phosphate salt, and

reducing the at least one insect into a plurality of insect particles of a desired particle size;

adjusting the pH level of the insect milk; and

heating the insect milk to coagulate the insect milk to form whey and at least one curd.

2. An edible textured insect protein product produced according to a process comprising the process of claim 1, wherein the edible textured insect protein product is substantially absent of exogenous gelling agents.

3. An edible textured insect protein product produced according to a process comprising the process of claim 1, wherein the edible textured insect protein product has a storage modulus of at least about 10̂

4 Pa over a temperature of about 4°

C. to about 40°

C.

4. An edible textured insect protein product produced according to a process comprising the process of claim 1, wherein the edible textured insect protein product has a protein content greater than 10%.

8. An edible insect protein concentrate produced according to a process comprising the process of claim 1, wherein the edible insect protein concentrate has a protein content greater than about 30%.

9. The process of claim 1 further comprising:

adding at least one of a bulking agent, a protein concentrate, a protein isolate, an antioxidant and a gelling agent to the insect milk.

10. The process of claim 1 further comprising:

prior to the adjusting of the pH level, separating the insect milk into at least one of a fat fraction and a liquid fraction.

11. The process of claim 1, wherein after the adjusting the pH level, the adjusted pH level of the insect milk is in the range of at least one of:

about 5 to about 9;

about 6.5 to about 7.1; and

about 8 to about 9.

12. The process of claim 1, wherein the extraction buffer solution contains the monovalent salt at a concentration of about 0.25 to about 2%.

13. The process of claim 1, wherein the monovalent salt is one of sodium chloride and potassium chloride.

14. The process of claim 1, wherein the extraction buffer solution contains the divalent salt at a concentration of about 0.25 to about 2%.

15. The process of claim 1, wherein the divalent salt is one of calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, calcium lactate and magnesium lactate.

16. The process of claim 1, wherein the extraction buffer solution is one of acidic or alkaline.

17. The process of claim 1 further comprising:

prior to the heating, filtering the insect milk to remove an insoluble fraction from the insect milk, wherein the insoluble fraction comprises chitin from the at least one insect.

18. The process of claim 1 further comprising:

applying an expelling pressure to the at least one curd to expel additional whey from the at least one curd.

19. The process of claim 1 further comprising:

after the heating, filtering the insect milk to separate the whey from the at least one curd.

20. The process of claim 1 further comprising:

drying the insect whey protein concentrate to produce an insect whey protein concentrate powder.

21. The process of claim 1, wherein the heating comprises heating the insect milk to a temperature of about 60°

C. to 100°

C.

5. An edible insect whey protein concentrate having a protein content greater than about 30%.

6. An edible insect protein concentrate having a protein solubility greater than about 35%, wherein the edible insect protein concentrate comprises enzyme treated insect milk.

7. A process for producing an edible protein product derived from at least one insect, the process comprising:

processing the at least one insect to produce an insect milk by

combining the at least one insect with an extraction buffer solution containing at least one antioxidant, and

reducing the at least one insect into a plurality of insect particles of a desired particle size; and

treating the insect milk with a proteolytic enzyme to hydrolyze proteins of the insect milk.

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