Title: Acidic edible pectin hydrogel containing colloidally dispersed protein and metaphosphate ions for preventing coagulation of the protein

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Claims: What is claimed is:

1. An edible gel consisting essentially, in parts by weight, of 0.4 to 2.0 parts pectin, an amount of calcium or magnesium sufficient to cause gelling of said pectin, 0.1 to 30 parts of an edible acid, 0.1 to 1.5 parts metaphosphate ions, calculated as sodium metaphosphate, 20 to 98 parts water, and 2 to 70 parts of an edible protein, not more than 40% of the carboxyl groups in said pectin being esterified with methyl, the amount of said acid being sufficient to impart a pH of not more than 6.15 to said gel, and said protein being colloidally dispersed in said gel.

2. A gel as set forth in claim 1, wherein the number of esterified carboxyl groups in said pectin is at least 25% of the total number of carboxyl groups present in said pectin.

3. A gel as set forth in claim 1, wherein the amount of said acid is sufficient to impart a pH of not less than 4.2 to said gel.

4. A gel as set forth in claim 1, wherein said protein is a protein of cow's milk or of soybeans, and contains said calcium or magnesium.

5. A liquid precursor composition converted to the gel set forth in claim 1 when mixed with 25 to 70 parts of cow's milk or soybean milk and consisting essentially of an aqueous solution of 0.4 to 2.0 parts of said pectin, 0.1 to 30 parts of said acid, and 0.1 to 1.5 parts of said metaphosphate ions.

6. A composition as set forth in claim 5, wherein said acid is an organic acid.

7. A composition as set forth in claim 5, wherein said acid is citric, malic, lactic, tartaric, or acetic acid.

8. A solid, particulate precursor composition converted to the gel set forth in claim 1 when mixed with 60 to 98 parts water and consisting essentially of said pectin in readily soluble form, said acid, said metaphosphate ions, said edible protein in readily water-soluble form, and said calcium or magnesium in ionizable form.

9. A composition as set forth in claim 8, wherein said protein consists essentially of powdered milk solids containing said calcium or magnesium.

10. A composition as set forth in claim 8, further containing an amount of sucrose intimately mixed with said pectin and sufficient to facilitate dissolution of said pectin in cold water.
Other info:

Inventors: Sakakibara, Sakuichi (Kobe, JA)
Sugisawa, Ko (Nara, JA)
Kitamura, Yukio (Nara, JA)

Application Number: 791015
Filing Date: 1977-04-26
Publication_date: 1977-11-01
Assignee: House Food Industrial Company Limited (Osaka, JA)
Primary Class(es): 426/577 426/580
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

2910366	Oct, 1959	Leo et al.	426/577.
3367784	Feb, 1968	Waitman et al.	426/577.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Hunter, Jeanette M.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney: Berman; Hans