Dried food products formed from cultured muscle cells

• US 9,332,779 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2015
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fork & Goode, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Modern Meadow, Inc.
• Inventors: Marga, Francoise Suzanne
• Primary Examiner(s): GWARTNEY, ELIZABETH A
• Application Number:
  US14/615,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20150216216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 13/00 Meat products; Meat meal; Preparation or treatment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 13/422 Addition of natural plant hydrocolloids, e.g. gums of cellulose derivatives or of microbial fermentation gums
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 13/428 Addition of flavours, spices, colours, amino acids or their salts, peptides, vitamins, yeast extract or autolysate, nucleic acid or derivatives, organic acidifying agents or their salts or acidogens, sweeteners, e.g. sugars or sugar alcohols; Addition of alcohol-containing products
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 10/00 Shaping or working of foodstuffs characterised by the products
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs

Abstract

Dehydrated, edible, high-protein food products formed of cultured muscle cells that are combined (e.g., mixed) with a hydrogel (e.g., a plant-derived polysaccharide) are described. These food products may be formed into a chip (e.g., snack chip), that has a protein content of greater than 50%. One or more flavorants may also be included.

Claims

1. A method of forming an edible snack chip, the method comprising:

culturing muscles cells;

combining the cultured muscle cells and plant-derived polysaccharide-based hydrogel to form a mixture; and

dehydrating the mixture to form an edible sheet of material;

wherein the cultured muscle cells are combined with the plant-derived polysaccharide-based hydrogel and allowed to set immediately before dehydrating.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding a flavorant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein culturing comprises culturing the muscle cells with an edible microcarrier onto which the cultured muscle cells are grown.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein combining comprises adding a flavorant to the mixture of muscle cells and plant-derived polysaccharide-based hydrogel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein combining comprises combining one or more of cultured skeletal myocytes, satellite cells, smooth myocytes, and cardiac myocytes with the plant-derived polysaccharide-based hydrogel to form the mixture.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein combining comprises combining cultured muscle cells and plant-derived polysaccharide-based hydrogel, and a calcium chloride solution and allowing the plant-derived polysaccharide-based hydrogel to gel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein combining comprises combining cultured muscle cells and plant-derived polysaccharide-based hydrogel, flavorant and a calcium chloride solution.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising harvesting the cultured cells from a tissue culture chamber and washing the cells before combining with the plant-derived polysaccharide-based hydrogel.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising spreading the mixture onto a surface and allowing the mixture to gel before dehydrating.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein dehydrating comprises dehydrating the mixture to form a brittle chip.

11. The method of claim 1, further wherein dehydrating the mixture comprises dehydrating the mixture to form the edible snack chip having a thickness of between about 0.1 mm and 10 mm.

12. A method of forming an edible snack chip, the method comprising:

combining cultured muscle cells and plant-derived polysaccharide-based hydrogel to form a mixture;

spreading the mixture onto a surface;

allowing the mixture to set; and

dehydrating the mixture to form a chip, wherein the cultured muscle cells are combined with the plant-derived polysaccharide and allowed to set immediately before hydrating.

13. A method of forming an edible snack chip, the method comprising:

culturing muscle cells;

combining the cultured muscle cells and a plant-derived polysaccharide-based hydrogel to form a mixture;

spreading the mixture onto a surface;

allowing the mixture to set; and

dehydrating the mixture to form a chip having a thickness of between about 0.1 mm and 10 mm,

wherein the cultured muscle cells are combined with the plant-derived polysaccharide and allowed to set immediately before dehydrating.