Process fo Reducing Oil and Fat Content in Cooked Food with Pea Protein

Abstract

A process for cooking a food in oil and/or fat is provided. A dry pea protein mixture or an aqueous pea protein is added to a food prior to cooking. The amount of oil and/or fat absorbed by the food during cooking is substantially reduced.

What is claimed as new is:  
     
         1 . A process for reducing absorption of fat and/or oil into uncooked food using an aqueous pea protein solution during cooking of the food with said fat and/or oil, wherein the aqueous pea protein solution is prepared by bringing a solution of a pea protein powder to a pH that is away from its isoelectric pH, the process comprises the steps of:
 (a) adding to a surface of said uncooked food between 0.03% and 15% by weight of the aqueous pea protein solution, thereby forming a pea protein-added uncooked food, and   (b) frying said pea protein-added uncooked food in an oil and/or fat whereby the protein blocks a percentage of fat from transferring to the cooked food and a percentage of moisture from transferring from the food during said cooking, wherein the percentage of fat blocked from transferring to the cooked food is between 30% and 50% as compared to fat blocked from transferring to food cooked without the protein solution.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said food is taken from the group consisting of fish, shell fish, and shrimp. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said food is taken from the group consisting of turkey, duck, goose, game bird, and chicken. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said food is meat taken from the group consisting of ham, beef, lamb, pork, veal, buffalo, and venison. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said food is taken from the group consisting of a sausage composition and a hot dog composition. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said food is a vegetable. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6  wherein said vegetable is potato or onion. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 7  wherein the source of pea protein is yellow pea. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 6  wherein the source of pea protein is yellow pea. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said food is a flour-based food. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the source of pea protein is yellow pea. 
     
     
         12 . A process for reducing absorption of fat and/or oil into uncooked food during cooking of the food with a fat and/or oil which comprises:
 (a) adding to a surface of said uncooked food between 0.03% and 15% by weight of a dry pea protein composition, thereby forming a pea protein-added uncooked food, and   (b) frying said pea protein-added uncooked food in an oil and/or fat whereby the protein blocks a percentage of fat from transferring to the cooked food and a percentage of moisture from transferring from the food during said cooking, wherein the percentage of fat blocked from transferring to the cooked food is between 30% and 50% as compared to fat blocked from transferring to food cooked without the protein solution.   
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 12  wherein said food is a vegetable. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 13  wherein said vegetable is potato or onion. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 12  wherein said food is a flour-based food. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 12  wherein the source of pea protein is yellow pea. 
     
     
         17 . A process for reducing absorption of fat and/or oil into uncooked food using an aqueous pea protein solution during cooking of the food with said fat and/or oil, wherein the aqueous pea protein solution prepared by bringing a solution of a pea protein powder to a pH that is outside a pH range of between about 4 and about 6, the process comprises the steps of:
 (a) adding to a surface of said uncooked food between 0.03% and 15% by weight of the aqueous pea protein solution, thereby forming a pea protein-added uncooked food, and   (b) frying said pea protein-added uncooked food in an oil and/or fat whereby the protein blocks a percentage of fat from transferring to the cooked food and a percentage of moisture from transferring from the food during said cooking, wherein the percentage of fat blocked from transferring to the cooked food is between 30% and 50% as compared to fat blocked from transferring to food cooked without the protein solution.   
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein said food is taken from the group consisting of fish, shell fish, shrimp, turkey, duck, goose, game bird, chicken, ham, beef, lamb, pork, veal, buffalo, and venison, a sausage composition, a hot dog composition and a vegetable. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein the vegetable is yellow pea protein. 
     
     
         20 . A process for reducing absorption of fat and/or oil into uncooked food using an aqueous pea protein solution during cooking of the food with said fat and/or oil, wherein the aqueous pea protein solution prepared by bringing a solution of a pea protein powder to a pH in which the pea protein powder is substantially solubilized in said solution, the process comprises the steps of:
 (a) adding to a surface of said uncooked food between 0.03% and 15% by weight of the aqueous pea protein solution, thereby forming a pea protein-added uncooked food, and   (b) frying said pea protein-added uncooked food in an oil and/or fat whereby the protein blocks a percentage of fat from transferring to the cooked food and a percentage of moisture from transferring from the food during said cooking, wherein the percentage of fat blocked from transferring to the cooked food is between 30% and 50% as compared to fat blocked from transferring to food cooked without the protein solution.   
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 20  wherein said food is taken from the group consisting of fish, shell fish, shrimp, turkey, duck, goose, game bird, chicken, ham, beef, lamb, pork, veal, buffalo, and venison, a sausage composition, a hot dog composition and a vegetable. 
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the vegetable is yellow pea protein.