Patent ID: 9687807
Date: 2017-06-27
CPC Classifications: A23L,A23P,A23V,A61K,A61Q,B01J,C08L,C09B

Claim:
1. A process for preparing a dry particulate extrudate comprising an agent encapsulated in a water-insoluble plant protein-rich matrix, said process comprising: (i) mixing said agent, the water-insoluble plant protein-rich mixture, and water in an extruder; (ii) forming a melt by mixing the mixture of (i) at high shearing and pressure to raise the temperature, cooling the melt and extruding at low temperature and high moisture sufficient to minimize browning of said water-insoluble plant protein-rich matrix by the Maillard reaction; (iii) drying the extruded mixture to a moisture content of between 5 to 10% by weight, based on the total weight of said dried extruded mixture, thereby producing an extruded mixture being sufficiently brittle to enable dry milling or grinding of same to a particle size of less than 150 microns; and (iv) milling or grinding said dried extrudate to form said dry particulate extrudate, wherein said water-insoluble plant protein-rich matrix in said dry particulate extrudate comprises at least 70% by weight of extrusion-texturized water-insoluble plant protein, based on the total weight of said water-insoluble plant protein-rich matrix.