High-bionic artificial meat forming equipment and application
By combining a food 3D printing module, a microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module, and a restricted compression molding module, the problems of fiber structure and flavor preservation in artificial meat production have been solved, achieving a high degree of biomimicry and efficient production.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511166545.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-08-20
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-28
AI Technical Summary
Existing technologies struggle to efficiently and accurately replicate the fibrous structure, texture, and flavor of meat. Furthermore, traditional production processes are inefficient and difficult to adapt to large-scale automated production, leading to flavor loss and textural instability.
By combining a food 3D printing module with a microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module and a restricted compression molding module, the processing method of each step is precisely controlled to simulate the muscle fiber structure and flavor preservation of meat.
It achieves a high degree of biomimicry, ensuring that the texture and taste of artificial meat products are close to those of real meat, while improving production efficiency and flavor retention, and is suitable for large-scale automated production.
Smart Images
Figure CN120836644A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of agricultural product mechanical processing technology, and in particular to a highly biomimetic artificial meat forming equipment and its application. Background Technology
[0002] With increasing global awareness of environmental protection and health, cultured meat has gradually become a research hotspot in the global food industry. Cultured meat can not only reduce dependence on natural resources and lower greenhouse gas emissions, but also provide similar nutritional components and flavors to traditional animal meat, meeting modern consumers' demands for health and sustainable development. However, how to efficiently and accurately replicate the fibrous structure, texture, and flavor of meat during the production process remains a technological challenge.
[0003] Current traditional methods of producing cultured meat, while employing plant proteins and cell culture, face challenges in reconstructing the fibrous structure. Many technologies can only improve the external morphology, failing to fully simulate the real fiber arrangement and muscle tissue of meat. This makes it impossible for existing production methods to completely reproduce the texture and taste of meat. Furthermore, in terms of flavor preservation, traditional processes often result in the loss of significant amounts of volatile flavor components during pretreatment and heating, affecting the flavor of the final product. Especially during high-temperature heating, aroma components are highly volatile, causing the sensory experience and acceptance of cultured meat to fall short of expectations. At the same time, traditional cultured meat production processes largely require significant manual intervention, resulting in low production efficiency and difficulty adapting to large-scale automated production, leading to instability and inefficiency in the process flow.
[0004] While 3D printing technology offers a new solution for reconstructing the fibrous structure of cultured meat, existing technologies still have limitations in reproducing the texture and flavor of meat. To achieve a highly biomimetic effect, current 3D printing technology needs to be combined with more efficient post-processing techniques, such as microwave heating, hot air dehydration, and compression molding, to retain flavor and accurately replicate the texture of meat. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an efficient, automated device capable of precisely controlling flavor and structure to further promote the development of the cultured meat industry. Summary of the Invention
[0005] To address the issues of flavor loss and textural instability during the molding process of highly biomimetic artificial meat in existing technologies, the present invention aims to provide a highly biomimetic artificial meat molding device. This device, through precise control of each processing step, maximizes the preservation of flavor substances and nutrients in the meat, while simultaneously reproducing the fibrous structure and texture of real meat.
[0006] The technical solution of this invention:
[0007] A biomimetic artificial meat forming device includes a food 3D printing module, a conveying module, a microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module 11, and a restricted compression forming module 12;
[0008] The food 3D printing module described herein uses a 3D printing method to deposit food raw materials layer by layer to construct a meat steak with a biomimetic fiber structure, simulating the direction and arrangement of muscle fibers in meat.
[0009] Furthermore, the food 3D printing module is implemented using a food 3D printer 1, employing a food-grade printhead. This printing module can simulate the direction and arrangement of muscle fibers in meat, thereby achieving a structure similar to real meat. The module has a flexible adjustment mechanism, allowing for adjustments to the printing speed, nozzle temperature, and deposition thickness according to the requirements of different meat products, ensuring precise printing of each layer.
[0010] The conveying module is used to transport the printed meat cutlets from the food 3D printing module to the microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module 11 and the restricted compression molding module.
[0011] Furthermore, the conveying module includes a conveyor belt 10, which is made of a high-temperature resistant and corrosion-resistant material and can withstand high temperatures and humidity during long-term operation.
[0012] The microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module 11 can rapidly dehydrate the surface and part of the interior of the meat chops in a short time. Microwave heating can penetrate into the interior of the meat chops, accelerating the evaporation of internal moisture; the hot air circulation system is used to evenly remove moisture from the surface of the meat chops. The combination of microwaves and hot air improves the retention rate of flavor substances, while avoiding flavor loss caused by overheating, thus maximizing the preservation of the natural flavor of the meat.
[0013] Furthermore, the microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module 11 includes a hot air blower 2 and a microwave source 3; the hot air blower 2 and the microwave source 3 are integrated into a single device housing.
[0014] Furthermore, the microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module 11 includes a temperature control system, which is used to adjust the internal temperature of the microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module 11 to ensure that the flavor substances are not overheated or damaged during the dehydration process.
[0015] Furthermore, the device housing has an inlet tunnel 4 and an outlet tunnel 5 in the direction of travel of the conveying module. The meat patties are conveyed by the conveying module and enter and exit the device housing through the inlet tunnel 4 and the outlet tunnel 5.
[0016] The restricted compression molding module 12 compresses the pre-treated meat cutlet.
[0017] Furthermore, the restricted compression molding module 12 includes a spring 6, a compression piston 7, a mold housing 8, and a base 9. The base 9 is positioned below the conveying module, which is located between the base 9 and the meat cutlet. The spring 6 is arranged on the outer periphery of the inner edge of the mold housing 8, with its upper end connected to the mold housing 8. The compression piston 7 is located inside the mold housing 8. When compression is required, the mold housing 8 snaps onto the surface of the conveying module, pushing the compression piston 7 downwards. The compression piston 7 moves downwards while simultaneously squeezing the spring 6, thus completing the compression of the meat cutlet. After compression, the spring 6 returns to its original position, pushing the compression piston 7 back to its original position. The adjustable compression piston of the restricted compression molding module 12 precisely compresses the pre-treated meat cutlet, simulating the muscle fiber structure of meat. The shape of the compression piston 7 is completely consistent with the cross-section of the printed meat cutlet, maintaining its shape and biomimetic structure. This module not only helps improve the fibrous texture of the meat cutlet but also enhances its elasticity, ensuring that the texture and taste of the final product are close to real meat.
[0018] Furthermore, the restricted compression molding module 12 also includes an adjustable pressure device, which can perform directional compression on different types of artificial meat products by adjusting the distance between the compression pistons 7 and the applied pressure, thereby adjusting the thickness and fiber structure density of the meat cutlet.
[0019] Furthermore, the mold housing 8 is made of a rigid material, which can prevent deformation during compression and maintain the structural stability of the meat cutlet.
[0020] Furthermore, the compression piston 7 is made of food-grade alloy or food-grade plastic to ensure durability and hygiene during long-term use.
[0021] The application of a highly biomimetic artificial meat forming device is as follows:
[0022] Step (1): Use 3D printing equipment to print the paste according to the preset fiber direction and structure to obtain artificial meat steak with directional fiber structure;
[0023] Step (2): Perform rapid dehydration treatment on the surface and inside of the 3D-printed artificial meat steak to obtain the dehydrated artificial meat steak;
[0024] Step (3): Place the printed artificial meat patty into a compression mold for mechanical compression. Through external dehydration and internal structural compression, the fiber density and layering are enhanced to obtain a high-fiber artificial meat product.
[0025] Further, prior to step (1), yeast protein and soybean protein are blended in a certain proportion to obtain a blended protein raw material; the blended protein raw material is subjected to high-moisture extrusion texturing treatment using a twin-screw extruder to obtain a protein tissue with a fibrous structure; the protein tissue with the fibrous structure is cooled, freeze-dried, and pulverized to obtain protein powder; the protein powder is mixed with transglutaminase, curcumin, red yeast rice, and water to prepare a paste for 3D printing. Other methods for preparing the paste are also acceptable.
[0026] The beneficial effects of this invention are:
[0027] 1) High biomimetic effect: By combining 3D printing technology with restricted compression molding technology, this invention can precisely control the fiber structure of the meat patty, successfully simulating the direction and arrangement of muscle fibers in real meat, ensuring that the product has the texture and taste of real meat.
[0028] 2) Flavor Preservation: The microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module can effectively preserve the volatile flavor substances of the meat chops while rapidly dehydrating them, avoiding the flavor loss caused by traditional high-temperature heating, and further enhancing the flavor and taste of the final product.
[0029] 3) Energy saving and environmental protection: With the combination of microwave heating and hot air circulation system, this invention not only improves energy efficiency, but also reduces the environmental impact of traditional heating methods, which meets environmental protection requirements.
[0030] This invention achieves highly efficient, stable, and flavor-preserving biomimetic artificial meat production by precisely controlling the processing methods at each stage, solving the problems of unstable texture and flavor loss in traditional artificial meat production. The equipment is easy to operate, highly efficient, and widely applicable to various types of artificial meat production. Attached Figure Description
[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or in the conventional art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0032] Figure 1This is a schematic block diagram of a highly biomimetic artificial meat forming device provided by an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the connection and workflow of each module in the device. The diagram details the 3D printing module, the microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module, and the constrained compression forming module. The components are: 1. Food 3D printer; 2. Hot air blower; 3. Microwave source; 4. Inlet tunnel; 5. Outlet tunnel; 6. Spring; 7. Compression piston; 8. Mold shell; 9. Base; 10. Conveyor belt; 11. Microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module; 12. Constrained compression forming module. Detailed Implementation
[0033] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0034] Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and techniques are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concept of the present invention.
[0035] If the embodiments of the application involve descriptions such as "first" and "second," such descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features; the technical solutions of various embodiments can be combined with each other, based on what can be implemented by those skilled in the art.
[0036] In the embodiments of this application, when A and / or B are mentioned, it means three cases: A and B, and A and B.
[0037] It should be noted that the sequence number mentioned in this application does not necessarily mean that the execution must be strictly in the correct order in the actual implementation process. The sequence number is used to distinguish each step, facilitate explanation, and prevent confusion.
[0038] The accompanying drawings illustrate a layer structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. These drawings are not to scale, and some details have been enlarged for clarity, and some details may have been omitted. The shapes of the various regions and layers shown in the drawings, as well as their relative sizes and positional relationships, are merely exemplary and may deviate from reality due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes, and relative positions as needed.
[0039] In addition, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.
[0040] A biomimetic artificial meat forming device includes a food 3D printing module, a conveying module, a microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module 11, and a restricted compression forming module 12;
[0041] The food 3D printing module is implemented through a food 3D printer 1, which uses a food-grade print head.
[0042] The conveying module includes a conveyor belt 10, which is made of food-grade 316L stainless steel and can withstand high temperatures and humidity during long-term operation.
[0043] The microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module 11 includes a temperature control system, a hot air blower 2, and a microwave source 3; the hot air blower 2 and the microwave source 3 are integrated into a single device housing. The microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module 11 includes a temperature control system used to regulate the internal temperature of the module to ensure that overheating or damage to flavor compounds does not occur during dehydration. The device housing has an inlet tunnel 4 and an outlet tunnel 5 in the direction of travel of the conveying module. The meat patties are conveyed by the conveying module and enter and exit the device housing through the inlet tunnel 4 and the outlet tunnel 5.
[0044] The restricted compression molding module 12 includes a spring 6, a compression piston 7, a mold housing 8, and a base 9. The base 9 is located below the conveying module, which is positioned between the base 9 and the meat cutlet. The spring 6 is arranged on the outer periphery of the inner edge of the mold housing 8, with its upper end connected to the mold housing 8. The compression piston 7 is located inside the mold housing 8. When compression is required, the mold housing 8 snaps onto the surface of the conveying module, pushing the compression piston 7 downwards. The compression piston 7 moves downwards while simultaneously squeezing the spring 6, thus completing the compression of the meat cutlet. After compression, the spring 6 returns to its original position, pushing the compression piston 7 back to its original position. The restricted compression molding module 12 also includes an adjustable pressure device. By adjusting the distance between the compression pistons 7 and the applied pressure, the adjustable pressure device can perform directional compression on different types of artificial meat products, adjusting the thickness and fiber density of the meat cutlet. The mold housing 8 is made of food-grade 316L stainless steel, and the compression piston 7 is made of food-grade alloy or food-grade plastic.
[0045] Example:
[0046] Referring to the accompanying drawings, one embodiment of the present invention is a method for biomimetic meat production with an hourly output of 5 kg. 5 kg of prepared plant protein-based food raw materials are added to a food 3D printing module. Using pre-defined biomimetic structural parameters, the 3D printing head deposits layers sequentially to create a square meat cutlet with a fibrous structure. During the printing process, the nozzle's movement speed, temperature, and deposition thickness can be adjusted according to different formulas and product requirements to ensure distinct layers and a stable structure in the meat cutlet. After printing, the meat cutlet is slowly conveyed into a microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module.
[0047] In the microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module, the meat patties are first heated by penetrating microwaves, promoting rapid evaporation of internal moisture. Subsequently, a hot air circulation system dehydrates the surface of the meat patties evenly at 85°C. Both the temperature and microwave output power are adjusted in real time by an automatic control system to ensure thorough dehydration and flavor preservation.
[0048] The pre-treated meat cutlet enters the restricted compression molding module via a conveyor belt. The compression spacing in this module is adjusted to 10mm, and the shape of the pressure plates is customized according to the model of a square meat cutlet, ensuring the compression space perfectly matches the shape of the printed square meat cutlet. Under the regulation of the automatic control system, the compression piston applies controlled pressure to the meat cutlet, compressing it to a predetermined thickness while further reshaping the biomimetic fiber structure inside, achieving the target parameters for texture and elasticity. The entire compression process lasts 3 minutes. After completion, the formed square artificial meat cutlet is output from the discharge end, ready for direct packaging or downstream processing.
[0049] In this embodiment, highly efficient preparation of biomimetic artificial meat patties was achieved through the coordinated control of multiple stages, including precise 3D printing, microwave-hot air dehydration, and customized compression using a biomimetic model. The resulting product has a uniform structure, rich flavor, good fibrous texture and elasticity, and can effectively simulate the multiple sensory attributes of traditional animal meat products, meeting the diverse market demands for artificial meat.
[0050] Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.
[0051] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention should be included within its protection scope. Furthermore, the appended claims are intended to cover all variations and modifications falling within the scope and boundaries of the appended claims, or their equivalents.
Claims
1. A highly biomimetic artificial meat forming device, characterized in that, It includes a food 3D printing module, a conveying module, a microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module (11), and a restricted compression molding module (12); The food 3D printing module described above uses the 3D printing method to deposit food raw materials layer by layer to construct a meat steak with a biomimetic fiber structure, simulating the direction and arrangement of muscle fibers in meat; The conveying module is used to transport the printed meat cutlet from the food 3D printing module to the microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module (11) and the restricted compression molding module (12); The microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module (11) can quickly dehydrate the surface and part of the interior of the meat in a short time; microwave heating can penetrate into the interior of the meat and accelerate the evaporation of internal moisture; the hot air circulation system is used to uniformly remove moisture from the surface of the meat. The restricted compression molding module (12) compresses the pre-treated meat cutlet.
2. The biomimetic artificial meat forming equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The food 3D printing module is implemented by a food 3D printer (1) and uses a food-grade print head.
3. The biomimetic artificial meat forming equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying module includes a conveyor belt (10), which is made of high temperature and corrosion resistant material and can withstand high temperature and humidity during long-term operation.
4. The biomimetic artificial meat forming equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module (11) includes a hot air blower (2) and a microwave source (3); the hot air blower (2) and the microwave source (3) are integrated into a device housing.
5. The biomimetic artificial meat forming equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module (11) includes a temperature control system for adjusting the internal temperature of the microwave-hot air combined pretreatment module (11) to ensure that the flavor substances are not overheated or damaged during the dehydration process.
6. The biomimetic artificial meat forming equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, The device housing has an inlet tunnel (4) and an outlet tunnel (5) in the direction of travel of the conveying module. The meat patties are conveyed by the conveying module and enter and exit the device housing through the inlet tunnel (4) and the outlet tunnel (5).
7. The biomimetic artificial meat forming equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The restricted compression molding module (12) includes a spring (6), a compression piston (7), a mold housing (8), and a base (9); the base (9) is located below the conveying module, and the conveying module is located between the base (9) and the meat pie; the spring (6) is arranged on the outer periphery of the inner edge of the mold housing (8), and the upper end of the spring (6) is connected to the mold housing (8); the compression piston (7) is located inside the mold housing (8). When compression is required, the mold housing (8) is snapped onto the surface of the conveying module and the compression piston (7) is pushed down. The compression piston (7) moves down and squeezes the spring (6) at the same time, thus completing the compression of the meat pie. After compression is completed, the spring (6) resets and pushes the compression piston (7) to reset.
8. The biomimetic artificial meat forming equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, The restricted compression molding module (12) also includes an adjustable pressure device, which can perform directional compression of different types of artificial meat products by adjusting the distance between the compression pistons (7) and the applied pressure, and adjust the thickness and fiber structure density of the meat patties; the mold shell (8) is made of rigid material, which can prevent deformation during compression and maintain the structural stability of the meat patties; the compression pistons (7) are made of food-grade alloy or food-grade plastic to ensure long-term durability and hygiene.
9. The application of the highly biomimetic artificial meat forming equipment according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The details are as follows: Step (1): Use 3D printing equipment to print the paste according to the preset fiber direction and structure to obtain artificial meat steak with directional fiber structure; Step (2): Perform rapid dehydration treatment on the surface and inside of the 3D-printed artificial meat steak to obtain the dehydrated artificial meat steak; Step (3): Place the printed artificial meat patty into a compression mold for mechanical compression. Through external dehydration and internal structural compression, the fiber density and layering are enhanced to obtain a high-fiber artificial meat product.
10. The application of the highly biomimetic artificial meat forming equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that, Before step (1), yeast protein and soybean protein are compounded in proportion to obtain compound protein raw material; the compound protein raw material is subjected to high moisture extrusion texturing treatment using a twin-screw extruder to obtain protein tissue with fibrous structure; the protein tissue with fibrous structure is cooled, freeze-dried and pulverized to obtain protein powder; the protein powder is mixed with transglutaminase, gellan gum, red yeast rice and water to prepare a paste for 3D printing.