Patent ID: 7645468

Claim:
A method of forming a canola protein isolate having a protein content of at least about 90 wt % from intact canola seeds which comprises: heat treating the intact canola oil seeds to deactivate enzymes therein, dehulling the 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, wherein said canola oil seed meal is processed to recover said canola protein isolate by the steps of: (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 6.8, (ii) separating the aqueous protein solution from residual canola oil seed meal, (iii) increasing the protein concentration of said aqueous protein solution while maintaining the ionic strength substantially constant by using a selective membrane technique to provide a concentrated protein solution, (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, (vi) recovering the protein micellar mass from supernatant, and (vii) processing the supernatant, on a batch, semi-continuous or continuous basis, to recover additional quantities of canola protein isolate therefrom.