Food package

摘要

Packages (see Division B8) suitable for heating in an electric toaster contain bacon-like slices made from natural vegetable protein held together by an edible binder. The vegetable protein may be molecularly oriented man made fibres of protein, for example, spun and stretched soybean or sesame seed protein fibres, 3/4 "-5/yF in length containing 60% moisture and having pH 5.9. The binder is preferably an aqueous dispersion of albumin and an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal soya proteinate, such as sodium, potassium or calcium soya proteinate. A suitable binder is made by mixing together neutralized soya sodium proteinate binder, albumin, autolyzed and hydrolyzed yeast extract (with salt, spices and vegetable extract (celery and onion) added), monosodium glutamate, smoked torula yeast (with hydrolyzed vegetable protein and salt added), vegetable gum, red colouring, caramel and water. The vegetable gum may be guar gum, locust bean gum or a seaweed extract. Maize oil is added to the binder and mixed in. The protein fibres are then mixed in, and the dough rolled into a layer about 3/8 " thick. A similar layer is made with the exception of the red colouring, and a bacon like slab is built up of alternative red and white layers. The slab is set by placing in an oven for about 70 minutes at a temperature of 165 DEG F., and is then sliced and smoked. The slices are dehydrated so that their moisture content is between 5% and 9% by weight. This can be done by convection currents in a hot oven (500 DEG F.), by an infra-red heater, or by subjection to a moving stream of nitrogen. The slices are then ready to be packaged.