Abstract: A process for preparing a proteinaceous food product comprises passing a wet dough of a mammalian and/or avian meat protein, at least part of which is functionally inert protein, between a pair of oppositely rotating rollers to form a sheet of said food product. The functionally inert protein may have been cooked or otherwise treated to impart to the protein one or more characteristics of cooked protein and/or may comprise inert scleroprotein.

Abstract: Thermo-irreversible aqueous gels are prepared by subjecting a gellable combination of xanthan gum and a glucomannan gum, preferably from the corms of an Amorphophallus species at a pH above 6 to a heat treatment under conditions of temperature and time to cause the gel to become thermo irreversible. The pH is preferably between 6 and 10 and more especially between 6 and 8. The preferred ratio of xanthan gum to glucomannan is in the range of from 5:95 to 95:5, more especially 1:10 to 10:1 and the preferred concentration of xanthan gum and glucomannan in the aqueous phase is 0.02% to 6%, more preferably 0.5 to 4%, by weight. The thermo irreversible gels of the invention, with the inclusion of food materials, such as minced meat, fruit and vegetables, simulate the texture of natural meat offals and other food structures.