Patent ID: 8021703

Claim:
A method of forming a canola protein isolate having a protein content of at least about 90 wt % (N×6.25) from intact canola oil seeds, which comprises: heat treating the intact canola oil seeds at a temperature of approximately 90° C. for about to 5 to about 10 minutes to deactivate enzymes therein, dehulling the heat-treated canola oil seeds, removing canola oil from the heat treated and dehulled oil seeds to provide a canola oil seed meal, and processing the canola oil seed meal to recover therefrom the canola, protein isolate by the steps: (i) extracting the canola oil seed meal with an aqueous salt solution to cause solubilization of canola protein in said the canola protein seed meal to form an aqueous canola protein solution having a pH of about 5 to about 8, (ii) separating the aqueous protein solution from residual canola oil seed meal, (iii) increasing the protein concentration of aqueous protein solution while maintaining the ionic strength substantially constant by using a selective membrane technique to provide a concentrated protein solution, preferably by ultrafiltration to provide a concentrated protein solution having a protein of concentration of at least about 200 g/L, (iv) diluting the concentrated canola protein isolate into chilled water having a temperature of below about 15° C. to cause the formation of discrete protein particles in the aqueous phase in the form of micelles, (v) settling the protein micelles to form an amorphous, sticky, gelatinous, gluten-like protein micellar mass, and (vi) recovering the protein micellar from supernatant, the protein micellar mass having a protein content of at least about 90 wt %, as determined by Kjeldahl nitrogen ×6.25 on a dry weight basis.