Patent ID: 7579038

Claim:
A method of producing a thermoplastic, protein-based, edible injection-molded article, the method comprising the steps of: mixing a thermoplastic composition comprising: from about 45 to 63 wt. % protein, wherein the protein comprises a mixture of plant-derived protein from about 45 to 63 wt. %, from plants yielding less than about 4.9 wt. % starch to the thermoplastic composition, and animal-derived protein from about 0 to 8 wt. %; about 10 to about 18 wt. % water; about 0.5 to about 6 wt. % flavoring; about 10 to about 25 wt. % edible plasticizer; from 0 to about 15 wt. % fiber reinforcement; from 0 to about 1 wt. % modifier; from 0 to about 1 wt. % mineral additive; from 0 to about 2 wt. % hygiene additive; and from 0 to about 0.5 wt. % coloring agent; introducing and heating the mixed composition via an extruder to yield an extrudate; drying the extrudate until the extrudate has a moisture content of from about 8 to about 11 wt. %; and introducing the dried extrudate, via a heated vertical injection molding machine, into horizontally-oriented molds having cooling jackets.