Plant-based instant popping beads and methods of making same

Abstract

The present application is suitable for the technical field of food explosion bead preparation, and provides a plant-based instant explosion bead and a preparation method thereof, which comprises the following steps: step (1), preparing a core material; step (2), preparing a wall material for wrapping the core material; step (3), phase change forming: adopting a double-layer homodirectional hollow shaft to make the explosion bead, adopting a multi-section temperature control technology to make the temperature of the circulating oil periodically change from 20 DEG C to -10 DEG C to 20 DEG C, so that the liquid drop pill is gradually cooled from 80 DEG C to -10 DEG C in the circulating oil, and the solid explosion bead is filtered out, and after the explosion bead is filtered out, the temperature is increased to 20 DEG C for refluxing; step (4), low-temperature dehydration; step (5), compactness treatment; and step (6), disintegration coating. According to the present application, the critical fusion is carried out through humidity control, so that a dense and continuous film is formed on the surface layer of the explosion bead wall material, through the disintegration coating, the explosion bead can rapidly form a super-hydrophilic transition layer on the surface after entering water, the water absorption of the explosion bead skin is accelerated, and the explosion bead can be rapidly disintegrated and released at normal temperature water or after entering the mouth.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food popping bead preparation technology, specifically to a plant-based instant popping bead and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Bursting beads are seamless pellets made by encapsulating fluid contents in a hydrophilic polymer material and then drying them. They are called bursting beads because they produce a popping sound when bursting under pressure. Most plant-based bursting beads commonly used in food release their contents by biting, leaving the outer shell to be swallowed or discarded. The wall material is usually a thermosoluble colloid such as agar, carrageenan, or gellan gum. These colloids have the distinct characteristic of melting into a liquid solution at high temperatures and solidifying into a gel at low temperatures. The resulting bursting beads are also affected by the properties of the colloid itself and will not dissolve in water at room temperature. This prevents them from rapidly disintegrating and crumbling during consumption, and also limits their application in areas requiring low-temperature disintegration.

[0003] In existing technologies, edible gelatin is typically used as the main wall material to achieve rapid disintegration in the human oral cavity, as described in patents CN115413778A and CN118452501A. However, gelatin also has drawbacks; it cannot disintegrate rapidly at room temperature or in cold water, and its use is subject to numerous limitations. Plant-based popping beads, such as those mentioned in patent CN118512037A, use sodium alginate and carrageenan as the main wall material, forming a stable film through ionic cross-linking. This film cannot dissolve in water at room temperature.

[0004] Current droplet technology, particularly the processes using plant-based materials, requires hot-melt cold-forming materials to maintain the strength of the wet droplets for easy drying. This prevents them from rapidly disintegrating and dissolving when consumed or placed in cold water. To address this, this application proposes a plant-based, fast-dissolving droplet and its preparation method. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a plant-based instant-dissolving popping bead and its preparation method to solve the problems in the background art mentioned above.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: The first aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing plant-based instant-dissolving popping beads, comprising the following steps:

[0007] Step (1), prepare the core material;

[0008] Step (2), prepare the wall material to wrap the core material:

[0009] A high-concentration, low-viscosity wall material solution is prepared by mixing and dispersing room-temperature soluble plant-based polymer materials in hot water.

[0010] Step (3), phase transformation:

[0011] The bursting beads are made using a double-layered, co-directional hollow shaft. The circulating oil uses multi-stage temperature control technology, which makes its temperature change periodically from 20℃ to -10℃ to 20℃. This allows the liquid droplets to be cooled from 80℃ to -10℃ in the cooling circulating oil, turning them into solid bursting beads that are then filtered out. After the bursting beads are filtered out, the temperature is raised to 20℃ for reflux.

[0012] Step (4), low-temperature dehydration:

[0013] After phase transformation, the popping beads are put into a freeze-drying equipment for dehydration and drying, with the water content controlled at 10-15%.

[0014] Step (5), densification treatment:

[0015] After dehydration, the popping beads enter a humidity-controlled rotating drum for critical rehydration and welding, which forms a dense and continuous film on the surface of the capsule, achieving good coating effect and mechanical strength.

[0016] Step (6), disintegration of the coating:

[0017] After the densification process is completed, the popping beads are put into a coating pan for surface densification disintegration treatment, so that a large-area superhydrophilic structure is formed on the surface of the popping beads the moment they are put into water.

[0018] Preferably, the moisture-controlled welding in step (5) requires the use of intermittent induced draft with a humidity of 60-100% for critical melting treatment to form a dense and continuous layer.

[0019] Preferably, step (6) has the following specific steps:

[0020] After the critical welding is completed, a high-expansion alginate is applied as a first coating to make the surface of the burst beads uniformly coated with a layer of high-expansion alginate powder, with a coating weight ratio of 2-5%.

[0021] A secondary coating is performed using baking soda and dextrin, with a coating weight ratio of 5-10%.

[0022] After two coating processes, the popping beads are subjected to a three-stage coating and hardening treatment using 80% maltose syrup, with a coating weight ratio of 1-3%.

[0023] Preferably, the core material is a liquid oil, and the wall material encapsulating the core material is a hydrophilic plant polysaccharide.

[0024] Preferably, the core material includes, but is not limited to, one or more of algal oil, MCT, and soybean oil; the wall material includes, but is not limited to, one or more of gum arabic, pullulan, and guar gum.

[0025] Preferably, the phase transformation circulating oil is a low-melting-point grease.

[0026] Preferably, the low-temperature dehydration in step (4) is carried out using low-temperature freeze-drying technology, so that the wall material forms a supportable frame structure.

[0027] Preferably, the densification process in step (5) employs critical welding technology to transform the porous framework structure into a dense, continuous film.

[0028] A second aspect of the present invention provides a plant-based instant soluble bursting bead, wherein the plant-based instant soluble bursting bead is prepared by the method described in the first aspect of the present invention.

[0029] The third aspect of the present invention provides an application of the plant-based instant bursting beads described in the second aspect of the present invention, wherein the plant-based instant bursting beads can be applied in the food or health product fields.

[0030] The present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0031] This invention provides a plant-based instant bursting bead and its preparation method. By controlling humidity and performing critical welding, a dense and continuous film is formed on the surface of the bursting bead wall material. Through disintegration coating, a super-hydrophilic transition layer can be rapidly formed on the surface of the bursting bead after it is immersed in water, which accelerates the water absorption of the bursting bead skin and allows the bursting bead to quickly disintegrate and release in room temperature water or after being ingested. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] This embodiment provides a method for preparing plant-based instant burst beads, including the following steps:

[0035] 1. MCT is used as the core material.

[0036] 2. Mix 10 parts gum arabic, 1 part guar gum, 4 parts pullulan, and 85 parts hot water at 80°C. Add all ingredients evenly to the hot water and stir to dissolve for 30 minutes to prepare the outer skin solution. All figures are by weight.

[0037] 3. The bursting beads are made using a double-layered co-directional hollow shaft. The circulating oil adopts a multi-stage temperature control technology, which makes its temperature change periodically from 20℃→-10℃→20℃. This causes the liquid droplets to be cooled down from 80℃ to -10℃ in the cooling circulating oil, turning them into solid bursting beads that are then filtered out. After the bursting beads are filtered out, the temperature is raised to 20℃ and refluxed. After phase transformation and solidification in the segmented cooling circulating pipe, 500g of bursting beads are obtained.

[0038] The phase transformation circulating oil uses low-melting-point greases such as white oil and dimethyl silicone oil.

[0039] 4. Freeze-dry the cured popping beads, taking samples every 10 minutes to test the moisture content of the outer skin of the popping beads until the moisture content of the outer skin reaches 10%.

[0040] 5. Place the dried popping beads in a rotating drum with a sealed chamber, use a circulating fan with humidification function to perform critical welding of the popping beads, treat with 60% humidity cold air for 30 minutes, then switch to 40% humidity cold air for drying, repeat the treatment 3 times to obtain 130g of popping beads.

[0041] 6. After the critical welding is completed, the popping beads are placed in a coating pan for the first coating, and the amount of high-expansion alginic acid added is 2.6g.

[0042] 7. After the first coating is completed, the popping beads are coated a second time with a mixture of baking soda and dextrin, with an addition amount of 6.5g.

[0043] 8. After the second coating is completed, use 80% maltose syrup for a third hardening coating, with an addition amount of 1.3g.

[0044] 9. 140g of finished product was obtained.

[0045] Example 2

[0046] This embodiment provides a method for preparing plant-based instant burst beads, including the following steps:

[0047] 1. Soybean oil is used as the core material.

[0048] 2. Mix 10 parts gum arabic, 1 part guar gum, 4 parts pullulan, and 85 parts hot water at 80°C. Add all ingredients evenly to the hot water and stir to dissolve for 30 minutes to prepare the outer skin solution. All figures are by weight.

[0049] 3. The bursting beads are made using a double-layered co-directional hollow shaft. The circulating oil adopts a multi-stage temperature control technology, which makes its temperature change periodically from 20℃→-10℃→20℃. This causes the liquid droplets to be cooled down from 80℃ to -10℃ in the cooling circulating oil, turning them into solid bursting beads that are then filtered out. After the bursting beads are filtered out, the temperature is raised to 20℃ and refluxed. After phase transformation and solidification in the segmented cooling circulating pipe, 500g of bursting beads are obtained.

[0050] The phase transformation circulating oil uses low-melting-point greases such as white oil and dimethyl silicone oil.

[0051] 4. Freeze-dry the cured popping beads, taking samples every 10 minutes to test the moisture content of the outer skin until the moisture content of the outer skin reaches 12%.

[0052] 5. Place the dried popping beads in a rotating drum with a sealed chamber, use a circulating fan with humidification function to perform critical welding of the popping beads, treat with 80% humidity cold air for 30 minutes, then switch to 40% humidity cold air for drying, repeat the treatment 3 times to obtain 135g of popping beads.

[0053] 6. After the critical welding is completed, the popping beads are placed in a coating pan for the first coating, and the amount of high-expansion alginic acid added is 3.1g.

[0054] 7. After the first coating is completed, add a mixture of baking soda and dextrin for a second coating, with an addition amount of 10g.

[0055] 8. After the second coating is completed, use 80% maltose syrup for a third hardening coating, with an addition amount of 2.7g.

[0056] 9. 150g of finished product is obtained.

[0057] Example 3

[0058] This embodiment provides a method for preparing plant-based instant burst beads, including the following steps:

[0059] 3. Algal oil is used as the core material.

[0060] 4. Mix 10 parts gum arabic, 1 part guar gum, 4 parts pullulan, and 85 parts hot water at 80°C. Add all ingredients evenly to the hot water and stir to dissolve for 30 minutes to prepare the outer skin solution. All figures are by weight.

[0061] 3. The bursting beads are made using a double-layered co-directional hollow shaft. The circulating oil adopts a multi-stage temperature control technology, which makes its temperature change periodically from 20℃→-10℃→20℃. This causes the liquid droplets to be cooled down from 80℃ to -10℃ in the cooling circulating oil, turning them into solid bursting beads that are then filtered out. After the bursting beads are filtered out, the temperature is raised to 20℃ and refluxed. After phase transformation and solidification in the segmented cooling circulating pipe, 500g of bursting beads are obtained.

[0062] The phase transformation circulating oil uses low-melting-point greases such as white oil and dimethyl silicone oil.

[0063] 4. Freeze-dry the cured popping beads, taking samples every 10 minutes to test the moisture content of the outer skin until the moisture content of the outer skin reaches 15%.

[0064] 5. Place the dried popping beads in a rotating drum with a sealed chamber, use a circulating fan with humidification function to perform critical welding of the popping beads, treat with 100% humidity cold air for 30 minutes, then switch to 40% humidity cold air for drying, repeat the treatment 3 times to obtain 137g of popping beads.

[0065] 6. After the critical welding is completed, the popping beads are placed in a coating pan for the first coating, and the amount of high-expansion alginic acid added is 6.8g.

[0066] 7. After the first coating is completed, the popping beads are coated a second time with a mixture of baking soda and dextrin, with an addition amount of 13.7g.

[0067] 8. After the second coating is completed, use 80% maltose syrup for a third hardening coating, with an addition amount of 4.1g.

[0068] 9. 153g of finished product was obtained.

[0069] Comparative Example 1

[0070] A method for preparing plant-based instant popping beads is provided, comprising the following steps:

[0071] 1. Soybean oil is used as the core material.

[0072] 2. Mix 5 parts low-temperature soluble agar, 1 part sodium alginate, 0.5 parts gellan gum, 0.5 parts pullulanose, and 90 parts 80℃ hot water. Add all materials evenly to the hot water and stir to dissolve for 1 hour to prepare the outer coating solution. All figures are by weight.

[0073] 3. Use a double-layered, co-directional hollow shaft to make popping beads, obtaining 500g of wet popping beads.

[0074] 4. Place the popping beads in a drying drum for drying. During this process, take samples every 10 minutes to test the moisture content and adhesiveness of the popping bead skin until the moisture content of the skin reaches 10%.

[0075] 5. Place the dried popping beads into a boiling dryer and continue drying until the moisture content of the outer skin of the popping beads is 15%, obtaining 150g of popping beads.

[0076] 6. After drying, the popping beads are placed in a coating pan for the first coating, with 3g of high-expansion alginic acid added.

[0077] 7. After the first coating is completed, the popping beads are coated a second time with a mixture of baking soda and dextrin, with an addition amount of 7.5g.

[0078] 8. After the second coating is completed, use 80% maltose syrup for a third hardening coating, with an addition amount of 1.5g.

[0079] 9. 160g of finished product was obtained.

[0080] The softening time of the products prepared in Examples 1-3 and Comparative Example 1 was tested, and the results are as follows:

[0081] Example 1 50s 41s 16s 8s 2s Example 2 47s 32s 14s 7s 2s Example 3 31s 19s 11s 5s 1s Comparative Example 1 Unmelted Unmelted Unmelted 10min 1min

[0082] In the solution provided by this invention, the dried beaded wall material still has a wet frame structure. It needs to be critically welded by controlling the humidity to make the wall material shrink and form a dense wall material film. The humidity of the air is 60-100%, and the dry and wet air is alternated for 15-30 minutes.

[0083] This invention uses phase transition technology to solidify and dry room-temperature water-soluble plant-based polymer materials. The finished popping beads still retain the cold water rapid dissolution performance of the wall material raw materials, and can achieve rapid dissolution in room-temperature aqueous solutions or in the mouth, while avoiding the limitations of gelatin.

[0084] This invention performs a physical phase transformation treatment on the liquid outer skin of the burst beads to make it dryable. Through humidity control, critical welding is performed to form a dense and continuous film on the surface of the burst bead wall material. Through disintegration coating, a super-hydrophilic transition layer can be rapidly formed on the surface of the burst beads after they are immersed in water, which accelerates the water absorption of the outer skin of the burst beads and allows the burst beads to quickly disintegrate and release in room temperature water or after being ingested.

[0085] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or basic characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered exemplary and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be included within the present invention.

[0086] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for preparing plant-based instant burst beads, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step (1): Prepare the core material, wherein the core material is selected from liquid oils; the core material includes one or more of algal oil, MCT, and soybean oil; Step (2), prepare the wall material to wrap the core material: A high-concentration, low-viscosity wall material solution is prepared by mixing and dispersing room-temperature soluble plant-based polymer materials in hot water; the wall material includes gum arabic, pullulan, and guar gum. Step (3), phase transformation: The explosion beads are made using a double-layered hollow shaft in the same direction. The circulating oil uses multi-stage temperature control technology to make its temperature change periodically from 20℃→-10℃→20℃. This allows the liquid droplets to be cooled down from 80℃ to -10℃ in the cooling circulating oil, turning them into solid explosion beads that are then filtered out. After the explosion beads are filtered out, the circulating oil is heated back to 20℃ for recirculation. Step (4), low-temperature dehydration: After phase transformation, the popping beads are put into a freeze-drying equipment for dehydration and drying, with the water content controlled at 10-15%. Step (5), densification treatment: After dehydration, the popping beads enter a humidity-controlled rotating drum for critical rehydration and fusion, which forms a dense and continuous film on the surface of the capsule, achieving good coating effect and mechanical strength. The critical rehydration and fusion requires treatment with cold air at 60%-100% humidity for 30 minutes, followed by drying with cold air at 40% humidity. This process is repeated three times, with intermittent airflow for critical rehydration and fusion to form a dense and continuous layer. Step (6), disintegrating coating: After the densification treatment, the burst beads are put into a coating pan for surface disintegration coating treatment, so that a large-area superhydrophilic structure is formed on the surface of the burst beads upon immersion in water. Specifically, after the critical rehydration and fusion, a high-expansion alginate coating is performed to uniformly coat the surface of the burst beads with a layer of high-expansion alginate powder, with a coating weight ratio of 2-5%. A secondary coating process using baking soda and dextrin is employed, with a coating weight ratio of 5-10%. After two coating processes, the popping beads are subjected to a three-stage coating and hardening treatment using 80% maltose syrup, with a coating weight ratio of 1-3%.

2. The method for preparing plant-based instant burst beads according to claim 1, characterized in that, The phase transformation circulating oil uses low-melting-point grease.

3. The method for preparing plant-based instant burst beads according to claim 1, characterized in that, The low-temperature dehydration step (4) uses low-temperature freeze-drying technology to form a supportable frame structure for the wall material.

4. The method for preparing plant-based instant burst beads according to claim 1, characterized in that, The densification process in step (5) uses critical rehydration fusion technology to transform the porous framework structure into a dense continuous film.

5. A plant-based instant bursting bead, characterized in that, The plant-based instant burst beads are prepared by the method described in any one of claims 1-4.

6. An application of the plant-based instant bursting beads as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The plant-based instant bursting beads can be used in the food or health product industries.