Abstract: A food product ingredient formed from a keratinous protein-containing material, e.g, feathers, and methods of making the same. The methods include cleaning the keratinous protein-containing material, combining the keratinous protein-containing material with a cereal bran to form a mixture, and hydrolyzing the mixture to form the food product ingredient. Optionally, of the keratinous protein-containing material is cleaned and/or frozen within 5 hours of collection. The methods generate fewer unpleasant odors, and food product ingredients produced by the method can similarly benefit. The food product ingredient may be incorporated into a food product, such as a pet food product.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a method for enzymatic production of food protein ingredients from keratin-containing proteinaceous materials and the resulting compositions. The process includes treating a proteinaceous containing material with an amount of a reducing agent, followed by hydrolysis of the keratin by a proteolytic enzyme to efficiently and economically convert a keratinaceous protein source into a palatable, highly digestible protein food product.