Preparation method for making 3D printing snacks based on insect protein powder

Abstract

The invention provides a preparation method for making 3D printing snacks based on insect protein powder. The preparation method comprises the following steps: mixing degreased insect protein powder with a thermal stability tackifier; adding composite liquid containing glycerol and sodium citrate, and shearing to form gel-like paste; a preliminary thermal response structure is constructed through low-temperature curing; carrying out layer-by-layer deposition printing by utilizing temperature control food 3D printing equipment; and after printing, normal-temperature standing is performed to realize structure self-stabilization. According to the preparation method disclosed by the invention, the compound polysaccharide and the protein structure stabilizer are combined for use, a supporting framework with thermal response crosslinking capability is introduced in a raw material mixing stage, and a gel-like paste with viscoelasticity and rheological stability is formed by matching a compound liquid containing sodium citrate and a controlled shearing technology; and preliminary establishment of a three-dimensional microstructure network is realized through low-temperature curing, so that the anti-bleeding capability and the thermal structure maintaining capability of the paste in the heating and deposition processes are effectively improved, and the problems of line fracture and interlayer separation in a traditional scheme are avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of 3D printed snacks, and in particular to a preparation method of 3D printed snacks based on insect protein powder. Background Art

[0002] With the development of personalized nutrition and sustainable food concepts, 3D printed food has gradually demonstrated its unique industrial potential. Compared with traditional food processing methods, 3D printing technology can achieve the production and fine control of complex shapes and structures, and is particularly suitable for the development of customized snacks, such as designing fun-shaped snacks for children or tailoring healthy foods with nutritional ratios for specific groups of people. In addition, 3D printed snacks based on insect protein powder not only have the advantages of high protein and low carbon emissions, but also can reduce raw material waste during the printing process, which is in line with the trend of green and sustainable development. At present, some food companies and research institutions have begun to deploy the field of insect protein 3D printing, and have tried to launch customized printed products for fitness, the elderly or vegetarians, reflecting the good market prospects and industrial scalability of this technology.

[0003] At present, the common method for preparing 3D printed snacks based on insect protein powder is to mix the protein powder with water or other auxiliary materials (such as glycerin, gelatin) to prepare an extrudable paste printing material, and then print it through a food 3D printing device based on the fused deposition principle.

[0004] However, due to the thermal denaturation characteristics of insect protein and its poor water absorption, water precipitation, protein shrinkage, or thermal coagulation are prone to occur within the print head temperature control range of 30-50°C. This can lead to unstable printing paste structure, reduced interlayer bonding during printing, broken printed lines, and even overall printing failure. To this end, a preparation method for 3D printed snacks based on insect protein powder is proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a preparation method for 3D printed snacks based on insect protein powder to solve or alleviate the technical problems existing in the prior art and at least provide a beneficial option.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention is achieved as follows: a method for preparing 3D printed snacks based on insect protein powder, comprising the following steps: Step S1, uniformly mixing defatted insect protein powder and an edible heat-stable viscosity-increasing agent according to a preset mass ratio, wherein the heat-stable viscosity-increasing agent comprises a cross-linkable polysaccharide substance and a protein structure stabilizer; Wherein, the polysaccharide substance is selected from xanthan gum, konjac gum or a combination thereof; the protein structure stabilizer is selected from calcium lactate, casein phosphopeptide or a combination thereof; and is used to enhance the cross-linked viscoelastic structure stability of the gel-like paste under elevated temperature conditions; Step S2, slowly adding a composite liquid to the mixture obtained in step S1, wherein the composite liquid includes water, glycerin, and 0.1-0.5 wt% of sodium citrate, controlling the overall moisture content of the resulting gel-like paste to be within the range of 35%-45%, and subjecting the mixture to high-speed shearing at a shear speed of 8000-12000 rpm for 10-30 minutes to fully disperse the components and form a gel-like paste with a controllable particle size distribution; Step S3, aging the gel-like paste obtained in step S2 at 4-10° C. for 1-3 hours to induce partial ionic crosslinking and preliminary construction of non-covalent structures; Step S4: loading the gel-like paste processed in step S3 into a temperature-controlled food 3D printing device, controlling the printing nozzle temperature to be within a range of 35-50° C. and the printing speed to be within a range of 20-40 mm / s, and constructing the target snack structure by layer-by-layer deposition. During the printing process, the thermally responsive network of the gel-like paste is used to suppress water precipitation and protein shrinkage. Step S5: Place the printed snack product in an environment of 20-25°C and let it stand for 0.5-1 hour, so that the thermally stable structural network constructed in steps S1-S3 can spontaneously complete the stable structural reformation.

[0007] Further preferably, the defatted insect protein powder in step S1 is selected from yellow mealworm powder, barley worm powder or cricket powder, and its particle size is controlled within the range of 80 to 200 mesh; the mass ratio of the defatted insect protein powder to the heat-stable tackifier is 3:1 to 5:1, and continuous homogeneous mixing is performed by a twin-screw mixer.

[0008] Further preferably, the composite liquid in step S2 is pre-treated at a constant temperature of 45° C. before being added, and is continuously added dropwise to the mixture at a flow rate of 0.5 to 1.5 mL / s through a peristaltic pump, and the rotation speed is controlled at 8000 to 12000 rpm during the shearing process to promote the formation of a gel-like paste with uniform viscoelasticity.

[0009] Further preferably, the aging process in step S3 is a combination of static aging and intermittent stirring, with stirring every 30 minutes, each stirring for 5 minutes, and a stirring speed of 200 rpm, which is used to induce the directional construction of the preliminary gel network and prevent the separation of the aqueous phase.

[0010] Further preferably, the aperture of the printing nozzle in step S4 is controlled at 0.6-1.0 mm, the printing path adopts a spiral inward-rotating progressive trajectory, and the substrate temperature control system is used to control the temperature of the printing platform at 18-22°C to inhibit premature collapse between printed layers.

[0011] Further preferably, the temperature-controlled food 3D printing device used for printing in step S4 is equipped with a paste viscosity online detection module, which operates based on a rotary shear viscosity detector and is used to monitor the rheological change trend of the paste in real time and dynamically adjust the nozzle feed speed when the viscosity exceeds a set range.

[0012] Further preferably, during the stable structure formation process in step S5, non-covalent complex cross-linking occurs between the heat-stable viscosity enhancer and the protein in the gel-like paste, specifically including hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions and calcium ion-induced cross-linking, and the stable closure of the protein structure network can be completed without relying on exogenous heat sources or chemical catalysts.

[0013] Further preferably, the method further comprises a flavor modification step performed after S5, wherein a natural spice micro-coating treatment is performed on the surface of the formed food, wherein the natural spice is cinnamon powder, vanilla extract or edible mint oil, which is used to mask the original smell of the insect protein.

[0014] The embodiment of the present invention adopts the above technical solution, which has the following advantages: The present invention uses a combination of complex polysaccharides and protein structure stabilizers, introduces a support frame with thermal responsive cross-linking ability during the raw material mixing stage, and cooperates with a composite liquid containing sodium citrate and controlled shear technology to form a gel-like paste with viscoelasticity and rheological stability. The initial establishment of a three-dimensional microstructure network is achieved through low-temperature maturation, which effectively improves the paste's ability to resist water precipitation and maintain thermal structure during heating and deposition. In the printing process, the temperature-controlled nozzle is combined with the platform temperature control, and the printing path design is linked with the online viscosity monitoring module to achieve uniformity and continuity of the gel-like paste during the deposition process, avoiding the problems of line breakage and interlayer detachment in traditional solutions.

[0015] The above summary is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments and features described above, further aspects, embodiments and features of the present invention will be readily apparent by reference to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0017] Figure 1It is a flow chart of the preparation steps of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Hereinafter, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the described embodiments may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings and description are to be considered as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

[0019] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] Example 1 This embodiment provides a basic formula path based on barley worm protein powder to optimize the paste structure uniformity and molding stability, specifically including the following steps: Step S1: using defatted barley worm protein powder with a particle size controlled at 120 mesh and a protein content of not less than 58%, mixing the barley worm protein powder with a heat-stable viscosity-increasing agent at a mass ratio of 4:1, wherein the heat-stable viscosity-increasing agent is a composite liquid of xanthan gum and calcium lactate, wherein the xanthan gum accounts for 3% by mass and the calcium lactate accounts for 2% by mass, and the mixing is carried out in a twin-screw mixer to improve homogeneity and dispersion efficiency; Step S2: Subsequently, a composite liquid pre-treated at a constant temperature of 45° C. is slowly added, wherein the composite liquid consists of distilled water, glycerol, and 0.3 wt % sodium citrate. The composite liquid is continuously added dropwise at a rate of 1.0 mL / s using a peristaltic pump and subjected to high-speed shearing at a shear speed of 10,000 rpm for 20 minutes to fully disperse the composite liquid and form a gel-like paste with uniform particle size. The moisture content of the gel-like paste is controlled at 40%. Step S3, placing the gel-like paste at 4° C. and aging for 2 hours, with intermittent stirring at 200 rpm every 30 minutes to induce the formation of a directional microgel network and prevent stratification of the aqueous phase; Step S4: The matured gel-like paste is loaded into a temperature-controlled food 3D printing device, using a 0.8 mm diameter nozzle, a nozzle temperature set to 40°C, a printing speed of 30 mm / s, a spiral inward-rotating progressive printing path, and a printing substrate temperature controlled at 20°C; The integrated online viscosity detection module monitors the viscosity changes of the gel-like paste through a rotary shear viscosity sensor. When it deviates from the target range, the feed rate is automatically adjusted to ensure printing continuity. Step S5: After printing is completed, the snack product is placed at 22°C and allowed to stand for 1 hour. Relying on the thermally responsive cross-linking network constructed by S1 to S3, the stable reorganization of the protein-polysaccharide composite structure is achieved, and finally a protein printed snack with stable layer shape, smooth surface and no structural collapse is obtained.

[0021] Example 2: Structural enhancement based on mealworm protein powder This embodiment aims to improve printing stability and resistance to thermal denaturation by enhancing cross-linking ability and viscoelastic properties, and specifically includes the following steps: Step S1, employing particle diameter are 180 mesh defatted mealworm protein powders, are mixed with konjac gum and casein phosphopeptide in mass ratio 3: 1, wherein konjac gum accounts for 4%, and casein phosphopeptide accounts for 1%, and mixing operation is carried out by twin-screw mixer to obtain good initial dispersibility; Step S2: adding a composite liquid (containing 0.5 wt % sodium citrate) preheated at 45° C. at a dropping rate of 1.2 mL / s, and subjecting the mixture to high-speed shearing at 12,000 rpm for 15 minutes. The resulting gel-like paste has a water content of 37%; Step S3: the gel paste is placed at 6° C. and matured for 1 hour without stirring to promote the uniform formation of the natural colloidal structure and improve the molding stability and viscoelastic properties; Step S4: The gel-like paste is loaded into a food 3D printing device equipped with a viscosity monitoring module, with a nozzle diameter of 0.6 mm, a nozzle temperature of 38° C., a platform temperature of 18° C., a closed curve for the printing path, and a printing speed of 25 mm / s.

[0022] Step S5: After printing, the product is allowed to stand naturally for 1 hour. This allows the cross-linked network to undergo hydrophobic aggregation and calcium ion-induced cohesion, completing the stable reconstruction of the protein-polysaccharide composite network without the need for exogenous catalysis. The resulting finished product exhibits tight interlayer bonding, good resistance to thermal denaturation, and excellent morphological retention.

[0023] Example 3: Cricket protein powder combined with flavor modification This embodiment optimizes flavor acceptance and enhances consumer experience while maintaining structural stability, specifically including the following steps: Step S1: using defatted cricket flour with a particle size of 100 mesh and a protein content of about 60%, mixing it with a xanthan gum and calcium lactate complex at a mass ratio of 5:1, wherein the xanthan gum is 2.5% and the calcium lactate is 2%, and processing is performed using a twin-screw mixer to optimize the premixed dispersion state; Step S2: a composite liquid consisting of distilled water, glycerol, and 0.4 wt% sodium citrate was added dropwise to the mixture at a rate of 0.8 mL / s, and the shear rate was controlled at 9000 rpm for 30 minutes to convert the mixture into a uniform gel-like paste with a water content of 42%; Step S3: aging at 5°C for 2 hours, with gentle stirring (150 rpm) for 5 minutes every 45 minutes to assist in the development of a stable structure and prevent the precipitation of the water phase; Step S4: Printing uses a 1.0 mm nozzle, a nozzle temperature of 45° C., a printing speed of 35 mm / s, a platform temperature of 22° C., and a concentric spiral printing trajectory.

[0024] Step S5: After printing is completed, the product is allowed to stand naturally for 1 hour, and cinnamon oil (0.05 g / piece) is sprayed on the surface for flavor modification, which effectively masks the smell of the original insect protein and improves the taste acceptance.

[0025] In this embodiment, the "gel-like paste" refers to a semi-fluid three-dimensional network material with certain structural stability, thermal response and extrudable properties, formed by the combined action of insect protein powder and heat-stable viscosity enhancers (xanthan gum, konjac gum) through liquid shear and ion stabilizers (calcium lactate, casein phosphopeptide); “Thermoresponsive network” refers to a physically cross-linked structure constructed in a gel-like paste that can maintain its morphology or self-stabilize and reform under heating or static conditions; "Stable structural reformation" refers to the shaping process after molding, which is formed by slow cross-linking and solidification of the protein-polysaccharide network without heating or adding exogenous catalysts.

[0026] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various modifications and substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and such modifications and substitutions are intended to be within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be subject to the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for preparing 3D printed snacks based on insect protein powder, characterized by: The steps include: Step S1, uniformly mixing defatted insect protein powder and an edible heat-stable viscosity-increasing agent according to a preset mass ratio, wherein the heat-stable viscosity-increasing agent comprises a cross-linkable polysaccharide substance and a protein structure stabilizer; Wherein, the polysaccharide substance is selected from xanthan gum, konjac gum or a combination thereof; the protein structure stabilizer is selected from calcium lactate, casein phosphopeptide or a combination thereof; and is used to enhance the cross-linked viscoelastic structure stability of the gel-like paste under elevated temperature conditions; Step S2, slowly adding a composite liquid to the mixture obtained in step S1, wherein the composite liquid includes water, glycerin, and 0.1-0.5 wt% of sodium citrate, controlling the overall moisture content of the resulting gel-like paste to be within the range of 35%-45%, and subjecting the mixture to high-speed shearing at a shear speed of 8000-12000 rpm for 10-30 minutes to fully disperse the components and form a gel-like paste with a controllable particle size distribution; Step S3, aging the gel-like paste obtained in step S2 at 4-10° C. for 1-3 hours to induce partial ionic crosslinking and preliminary construction of non-covalent structures; Step S4: loading the gel-like paste processed in step S3 into a temperature-controlled food 3D printing device, controlling the printing nozzle temperature to be within a range of 35-50° C. and the printing speed to be within a range of 20-40 mm / s, and constructing the target snack structure by layer-by-layer deposition. During the printing process, the thermally responsive network of the gel-like paste is used to suppress water precipitation and protein shrinkage. Step S5: Place the printed snack product in an environment of 20-25°C and let it stand for 0.5-1 hour, so that the thermally stable structural network constructed in steps S1-S3 can spontaneously complete the stable structural reformation.

2. The method for preparing 3D printed snacks based on insect protein powder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The defatted insect protein powder in step S1 is selected from yellow mealworm powder, barley worm powder or cricket powder, and its particle size is controlled in the range of 80 to 200 mesh; the mass ratio of the defatted insect protein powder to the heat-stable tackifier is 3:1 to 5:1, and continuous homogeneous mixing is performed by a twin-screw mixer.

3. The method for preparing 3D printed snacks based on insect protein powder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The composite liquid in step S2 is pre-treated at a constant temperature of 45° C. before being added, and is continuously added dropwise to the mixture at a flow rate of 0.5 to 1.5 mL / s through a peristaltic pump, and the rotation speed is controlled at 8000 to 12000 rpm during the shearing process to promote the formation of a gel-like paste with uniform viscoelasticity.

4. The method for preparing 3D printed snacks based on insect protein powder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The aging process in step S3 is a combination of static aging and intermittent stirring, with stirring every 30 minutes, each stirring for 5 minutes, and a stirring speed of 200 rpm, which is used to induce the directional construction of the preliminary gel network and prevent the separation of the water phase.

5. The method for preparing 3D printed snacks based on insect protein powder according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S4, the aperture of the printing nozzle is controlled at 0.6-1.0 mm, the printing path adopts a spiral inward-rotating progressive trajectory, and the substrate temperature control system is used to control the temperature of the printing platform at 18-22° C. to suppress premature collapse between printed layers.

6. The method for preparing 3D printed snacks based on insect protein powder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The temperature-controlled food 3D printing equipment used for printing in step S4 is equipped with an online paste viscosity detection module. The online paste viscosity detection module works based on a rotary shear viscosity detector and is used to monitor the rheological change trend of the paste in real time and dynamically adjust the nozzle feed speed when the viscosity exceeds the set range.

7. The method for preparing 3D printed snacks based on insect protein powder according to claim 1, characterized in that: During the stable structure formation process in step S5, non-covalent complex cross-linking occurs between the heat-stable viscosity enhancer and the protein in the gel-like paste, specifically including hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions and calcium ion-induced cross-linking, and the stable closure of the protein structure network can be completed without relying on external heat sources or chemical catalysts.

8. The method for preparing 3D printed snacks based on insect protein powder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further includes a flavor modification step performed after S5, in which a natural spice micro-coating is performed on the surface of the formed food, wherein the natural spice is cinnamon powder, vanilla extract or edible mint oil, which is used to mask the original smell of the insect protein.

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