An animal protein can be stabilized in a liquid of a pH of 5.5 to 8.0 against precipitation induced by heat-treatment or bivalent cations or both by incorporating into the liquid a carboxy-C1-C3-alkyl cellulose, having a particle size such that no more than 15 weight percent of the particles pass a 63 micrometer mesh screen, no more than 40 weight percent of the particles pass a 200 micrometer mesh screen and not more than 10 weight percent of the particles are retained on a 1000 micrometer mesh screen, in an amount of 0.005 to 0.055 g of carboxy-C1-C3-alkyl cellulose per g of animal protein.