Patent ID: 6921548

Claim:
A method for preparing a shelf-stable food composition, said method comprising the steps of: (a) heating a first desired amount of water; (b) blending a desired amount of a stabilizer with the heated water to form a first solution; (c) blending a desired amount of a protein source into the first solution; (d) heating the first solution in preparation for a first homogenization; (e) homogenizing the first solution using a two-stage homogenizer with a minimum total pressure of 3000 psi; (f) cooling the first solution to a temperature of less than about 50° F.; (g) in a separate container, heating a second desired amount of water; (h) slowly adding a pectic substance to the second amount of heated water to form a second solution; (i) combining the first solution and second solution to form a final solution; (j) bringing the final solution to a temperature of between about 45° to about 55° F.; (k) slowly adding an edible acid to the final solution to bring the final solution to a pH of between about 2.0 to about 5.5; (l) heating the final solution in preparation for a second homogenization; (m) homogenizing the final solution using a two stage homogenizer with a minimum total pressure of 3000 psi; (n) cooling the final solution to less than 45° F.; and (o) sterilizing the food composition.