Plant-based artificial meat processing system and method

Abstract

The invention provides a plant-based artificial meat processing system and method, and relates to the field of food processing. The treatment system comprises: a housing provided with a feed port, a discharge port and an exhaust hole; the spiral conveyor is provided with a feeding end and a discharging end, the feeding end is arranged at the end, provided with the feeding port, of the shell, and the discharging end is arranged at the end, provided with the discharging port, of the shell and used for conveying materials; the ethanol sprayer comprises a liquid inlet pipe and a nano spray head which are connected with each other, and the nano spray head is arranged above the spiral conveyor and is used for carrying out ethanol spraying treatment on the materials conveyed by the spiral conveyor; the heating device is used for heating the materials conveyed by the spiral conveyor; and the exhaust device is communicated with the interior of the shell through the exhaust hole and is used for exhausting gas in the shell. According to the system, multiple means are integrated in the same system, continuous directional migration from dissolution and evaporation to thorough removal of peculiar smell substances is achieved, and the peculiar smell substances causing bad flavor in the plant-based artificial meat are deeply removed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food processing, and specifically to a system and method for processing plant-based artificial meat. Background Technology

[0002] The resource pressures brought about by rapid global population growth, the limitations of traditional plant protein sources, and the market's continued pursuit of nutritious and healthy diets have jointly driven consumers' urgent demand for novel alternative protein resources. Against this backdrop, plant protein, as an important component of sustainable protein resources, has received widespread attention in the food industry in recent years. However, most plant protein raw materials, especially soy protein, generally possess unpleasant characteristic flavors, such as beany, grassy, ​​and bitter tastes. These undesirable flavors severely affect the sensory quality of plant-based meat products and consumer acceptance.

[0003] Currently, there are relatively few devices and methods specifically designed to improve the sensory quality of plant-based meat. Most research focuses on flavor improvement methods for plant protein raw materials, which can be broadly categorized into physical, biological, and chemical methods. Among physical methods, heat treatment is the most commonly used, but excessively high temperatures can denature proteins, reducing their functional properties, and have limited effectiveness in removing certain flavor precursors. Biological methods, especially enzymatic treatment, offer advantages such as mild conditions and high specificity, but are more expensive and have limited overall improvement effects on complex flavor systems. In chemical methods, organic solvent extraction can effectively remove lipids and fat-soluble odor substances, but there is a risk of solvent residue and it may affect the structure and functional properties of proteins. Among them, the traditional solvent soaking method is simple to operate, but when applied to the processing of block-shaped plant-based artificial meat products, the static contact mode leads to large solvent consumption, low extraction efficiency, and long processing time, making it impossible to achieve large-scale and continuous processing, and it is difficult to achieve uniform and thorough extraction. The block structure is more likely to cause the solvent to form a concentration gradient inside the material, and the risk of protein denaturation and solvent residue due to prolonged soaking increases. Even when combined with methods such as forced air drying or vacuum drying, these risks cannot be significantly reduced.

[0004] Therefore, providing a system and method that can specifically improve the sensory quality of plant-based artificial meat and enable large-scale, continuous processing has become an urgent problem for those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the solvent soaking method in the prior art, which cannot effectively improve the sensory quality of plant-based artificial meat and cannot achieve large-scale and continuous processing, thereby providing a processing system and method for plant-based artificial meat.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a processing system for plant-based artificial meat, comprising: The shell has an internal cavity, and the shell has an inlet, an outlet and an exhaust port, with the exhaust port located near the outlet. A screw conveyor has a feed end and a discharge end. The feed end is located at the end of the housing where the feed port is opened, and the discharge end is located at the end of the housing where the discharge port is opened, for conveying materials. An ethanol sprayer includes an inlet pipe and a nano nozzle connected to each other. The nano nozzle is positioned above the screw conveyor and is used to convert liquid ethanol into nano droplets to spray the material being transported by the screw conveyor. A heating device for heating the material conveyed by the screw conveyor; An exhaust device, which communicates with the interior of the housing through the exhaust port, is used to exhaust the gas inside the housing.

[0008] Furthermore, the length of the screw conveyor is 3 to 7 m, preferably 5 m.

[0009] Furthermore, the screw conveyor uses a single screw for conveying.

[0010] Furthermore, the nano-nozzle is positioned at one end near the feed inlet.

[0011] Furthermore, the number of the nano-nozzles and the liquid inlet pipes is at least one set, arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the spiral conveyor.

[0012] Furthermore, the heating element of the heating device is a hot water pipe.

[0013] Furthermore, the exhaust device is positioned above the screw conveyor.

[0014] Furthermore, the plant-based artificial meat processing system also includes a screw motor connected to the screw conveyor for driving the screw conveyor to rotate in order to transport materials.

[0015] Furthermore, the plant-based artificial meat processing system also includes a spray controller connected to the nano-nozzle for controlling the opening, closing, and spray volume of the nano-nozzle.

[0016] Furthermore, the plant-based artificial meat processing system also includes: a liquid inlet controller, connected to the liquid inlet pipe, for controlling the opening, closing and liquid inlet volume of the liquid inlet pipe.

[0017] Furthermore, the plant-based artificial meat processing system further includes a temperature sensor, a cold water circulation device, and a temperature controller, wherein the temperature controller is connected to the temperature sensor, the heating device, and the cold water circulation device, respectively.

[0018] Furthermore, the cold water circulation device is located below the screw conveyor.

[0019] Furthermore, the plant-based artificial meat processing system also includes an exhaust controller connected to the exhaust device for controlling the opening, closing, and exhaust volume of the exhaust device.

[0020] Furthermore, the plant-based artificial meat processing system further includes a screw conveyor connected to the discharge port for discharging material from the discharge end of the screw conveyor.

[0021] Furthermore, the discharge port is connected to a downwardly inclined discharge pipe, which is connected to the screw conveyor.

[0022] Furthermore, the length of the screw conveyor is 0.2~0.6 m.

[0023] Furthermore, the axis of the screw conveyor is at an angle of 15° to 25° to the horizontal plane.

[0024] Furthermore, the plant-based artificial meat processing system further includes: a protective shell disposed on the upper surface of the shell, forming an interlayer between the shell and the protective shell, wherein the liquid inlet pipe and / or the vent hole are disposed within the interlayer.

[0025] Furthermore, the plant-based artificial meat processing system further includes: a bottom shell, disposed on the bottom surface and / or side surface of the shell, forming a heating layer between the bottom shell and the shell, wherein the heating element of the heating device is disposed within the heating layer.

[0026] Furthermore, the cold water circulation pipe of the cold water circulation device is located within the heating layer.

[0027] Furthermore, the exhaust device includes a gas collection hood, an exhaust pipe, and an exhaust fan. The gas collection hood is connected to the interlayer, and the exhaust pipe is connected to both the gas collection hood and the exhaust fan.

[0028] Furthermore, the plant-based artificial meat processing system also includes a support frame connected to the outer surface of the shell.

[0029] Furthermore, the length of the screw conveyor is 3 to 7 m.

[0030] Furthermore, the number of the nano-nozzles and the liquid inlet pipes is 1 to 6 sets.

[0031] Furthermore, each group of inlet pipes is equipped with 1 to 4 nano-nozzles.

[0032] Secondly, the present invention provides a method for processing plant-based artificial meat, based on the aforementioned plant-based artificial meat processing system, the method comprising the following steps: S1. The plant-based artificial meat material to be processed is fed into the screw conveyor through the inlet, conveyed from the inlet end to the outlet end of the screw conveyor, and discharged through the outlet. S2. Ethanol enters through the inlet pipe and is sprayed out through the nano nozzle, forming an ethanol nano spray that acts on the material on the screw conveyor to extract volatile odor substances from the material. S3. The material conveyed by the screw conveyor is heated to promote the extraction and diffusion of the volatile odor substances; S4. A negative pressure is created inside the housing using an exhaust device, and ethanol vapor and the volatile odor substances extracted by ethanol are discharged through the exhaust port.

[0033] Furthermore, in step S1, the feeding speed of the screw conveyor is 5~25 kg / h, preferably 20 kg / h.

[0034] Furthermore, in step S1, the plant-based artificial meat to be processed is prepared using a low-moisture extrusion process.

[0035] Furthermore, in step S1, before feeding, the plant-based artificial meat to be processed is cut to a size of 1~3 cm×1~3 cm×1~2 cm, preferably 2 cm×2 cm×1 cm.

[0036] Furthermore, in step S2, the ratio of the hourly ethanol spray volume to the hourly feed volume, in L / kg, is 1~2:1~2, preferably 1:1.

[0037] Further, in step S2, the volume concentration of the ethanol is not less than 70%, preferably not less than 80%, more preferably not less than 90%, and most preferably anhydrous ethanol.

[0038] Furthermore, in step S2, the spray volume of each group of nano-nozzles is 1~10 L / h, preferably 5 L / h.

[0039] Furthermore, in step S3, the heating temperature is 80~90 ℃, preferably 80 ℃.

[0040] Further, in step S4, the exhaust volume of the exhaust device is 500~2000 m³. 3 / h, preferably 1000 m 3 / h.

[0041] Furthermore, the method for processing plant-based artificial meat further includes the following step: driving the screw conveyor to rotate via a screw motor connected to the screw conveyor to transport materials.

[0042] Furthermore, the method for processing plant-based artificial meat further includes the following steps: controlling the opening, closing, and spray volume of the nano-nozzle through a spray controller connected to the nano-nozzle.

[0043] Furthermore, the method for processing plant-based artificial meat further includes the following steps: controlling the opening, closing and liquid inlet volume of the liquid inlet pipe through a liquid inlet controller connected to the liquid inlet pipe.

[0044] Furthermore, the method for processing plant-based artificial meat further includes the following step: regulating the temperature inside the shell using a temperature controller connected to a temperature sensor and a heating device, respectively.

[0045] Furthermore, the processing method for plant-based artificial meat further includes the following steps: regulating the temperature inside the shell by means of a temperature controller connected to a temperature sensor, a cold water circulation device, and a heating device respectively.

[0046] Furthermore, the method for processing plant-based artificial meat further includes the following steps: controlling the opening, closing, and exhaust volume of the exhaust device via an exhaust controller connected to the exhaust device.

[0047] Furthermore, the method for processing plant-based artificial meat further includes the following step: discharging the material from the discharge end of the screw conveyor through a screw feeder connected to the discharge port.

[0048] Furthermore, the discharge speed of the screw conveyor is 5~25 kg / h, preferably 20 kg / h.

[0049] Furthermore, the discharge speed of the screw conveyor is not lower than the feed speed of the screw conveyor.

[0050] The technical solution of this invention has the following advantages: 1. The plant-based artificial meat processing system provided by this invention innovatively incorporates an ethanol sprayer, which not only significantly improves the mass transfer efficiency of solvent diffusion into the interior and odor molecules migration outward, shortening the processing time, but also precisely controls the amount of solvent used, effectively reducing consumption and subsequent recycling costs.

[0051] 2. The plant-based artificial meat processing system provided by this invention integrates multiple methods such as ethanol spray extraction, heating to promote extraction and evaporation, and exhaust to promote discharge into the same system. The synergistic processing of multiple methods achieves continuous directional migration of odor substances from dissolution and evaporation to complete removal. This results in the deep removal of odor substances that cause unpleasant flavors in plant-based artificial meat. At the same time, its protein structure is beneficially adjusted in the process. The processing of this system has no significant impact on the color of artificial meat. The textural characteristics of artificial meat can be maintained by heating and drying, and its chewiness can be improved. Finally, a final product with pure flavor and optimized texture is obtained.

[0052] 3. The plant-based artificial meat processing system provided by this invention is highly adaptable and easy to maintain. It can be used as a post-processing system for the extrusion process of plant-based artificial meat, directly and continuously transporting the product obtained from the extrusion process to the processing system for sensory quality improvement. This achieves deep integration of the extrusion process and the sensory improvement process, combining high efficiency, stability and economy. It is suitable for large-scale continuous industrial production, provides an innovative solution for the high-value development of plant protein, and promotes the application of plant protein in high-end foods.

[0053] 4. The plant-based artificial meat processing method provided by this invention constructs an "extraction-elution" dynamic process. In the early stage, the extraction effectively releases off-odor substances in the protein matrix that cause unpleasant flavors. In the subsequent processing, under the action of heat drive and negative pressure, the off-odor substances and residual ethanol solvents are thoroughly removed, and the ethanol residue is stably controlled at a level that is imperceptible to the senses. The odor removal is highly efficient and thorough, eliminating odor residue and rebound, fundamentally improving the flavor quality of the product, ensuring stable and controllable product quality, precise control of solvent residue, safe and environmentally friendly production, and in line with the clean label trend.

[0054] 5. The plant-based artificial meat processing method provided by this invention, by establishing a complete process of extraction-heating-negative pressure exhaust, successfully solves the long-standing technical problem in the field of flavor improvement of plant-based artificial meat, resolves the key contradiction between removing off-odors and controlling solvent residues, and has the advantages of safety, environmental protection, and high production efficiency. This method significantly reduces the content of undesirable flavor substances such as beany odor and their odor activity value, while controlling ethanol solvent residues at a low level, thereby maximizing the overall appeal of the product.

[0055] 6. The plant-based artificial meat processing method provided by this invention avoids additional steps and costs based on integrated technology, simplifies the production process, realizes continuous and automatic process operation, and has outstanding production efficiency and economic benefits. The final plant-based artificial meat product has a pure flavor and significantly reduced off-odors, providing solid technical support for expanding its application in high-quality healthy foods. Attached Figure Description

[0056] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0057] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the plant-based artificial meat processing system provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 2 This is the electronic nose radar image from Experimental Example 1 of this invention; Figure 3 This is the principal component analysis diagram in Experimental Example 1 of this invention; Figure 4 This is the GC-MS thermal image from Experimental Example 2 of this invention; Figure 5 This is the GC-MS spectrum in Experimental Example 2 of this invention; Figure 6 This is the sensory evaluation radar chart in Experiment Example 3 of this invention.

[0058] Figure label: 1-Shell; 2-Inlet; 3-Outlet; 4-Exhaust port; 5-Screw conveyor; 6-Liquid inlet pipe; 7-Nano nozzle; 8-Heating controller; 9-Support; 10-Protective shell; 11-Screw motor; 12-Liquid inlet and spray controller; 13-Cold water circulation controller; 14-Bottom shell; 15-Gas collection hood; 16-Screw discharger; 17-Discharge pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0059] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. 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.

[0060] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", "horizontal", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0061] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0062] Furthermore, 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.

[0063] Where specific experimental steps or conditions are not specified in the embodiments, they can be performed according to the conventional experimental steps or conditions described in the literature in this field. All raw materials or instruments used are commercially available conventional products, including but not limited to those used in the embodiments of this application.

[0064] The following provides a detailed description of the optional embodiments of the technical solution provided by the present invention.

[0065] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a processing system for plant-based artificial meat, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the processing system includes: The housing 1 has an internal cavity. The housing 1 is provided with a feed inlet 2, a discharge outlet 3 and an exhaust hole 4. The exhaust hole 4 is located at the end near the discharge outlet 3. The screw conveyor 5 has a feed end and a discharge end. The feed end is located at the end of the housing 1 where the feed port 2 is opened, and the discharge end is located at the end of the housing 1 where the discharge port 3 is opened, and is used to convey materials. An ethanol sprayer includes an inlet pipe 6 and a nano nozzle 7 connected to each other. The nano nozzle 7 is located above the screw conveyor 5 and is used to convert liquid ethanol into nano droplets to spray the material conveyed by the screw conveyor 5 with ethanol. A heating device is used to heat the material conveyed by the screw conveyor 5; The exhaust device, through the exhaust port 4, is connected to the discharge port 3 inside the housing 1, and is used to discharge the gas inside the housing 1.

[0066] (a) Shell 1 The shell 1 has an internal cavity to provide space for the transportation and handling of materials.

[0067] This invention does not limit the shape and material of the housing 1; anything that can achieve the above objectives is within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0068] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the feed port 2 is opened on the upper surface near the left end of the housing 1, and the discharge port 3 is opened on the lower surface near the right end of the housing 1 or near the bottom of the right end face. This arrangement is more conducive to feeding and discharging.

[0069] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the housing 1 is in the shape of a cuboid, with the long side of the cuboid arranged in the horizontal direction, or it is in the shape of a cylinder, with the axis of the cylinder arranged in the horizontal direction.

[0070] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the shell 1 is made of food-grade 304 stainless steel, 316L stainless steel, aluminum alloy or titanium alloy.

[0071] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the processing system further includes a support 9 connected to the outer surface of the housing 1. The present invention does not limit the number, shape, material, etc., of the support 9; any arrangement capable of providing stable support for the housing 1 itself and other components, devices, or apparatuses installed within or outside it is within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

[0072] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the processing system further includes a protective shell 10, disposed on the upper surface of the shell 1, forming an interlayer between the shell 1 and the protective shell 1, with the liquid inlet pipe 6 and / or the vent hole 4 disposed within the interlayer. The present invention does not limit the area, thickness, shape, material, etc., of the protective shell 10; anything that achieves the above-mentioned objectives is acceptable. For example, the protective shell 10 may be made of food-grade 304 stainless steel, 316L stainless steel aluminum alloy, or titanium alloy.

[0073] (ii) Screw conveyor 5 The screw conveyor 5 is used for continuous material conveying. Due to its axial length, it can accept material handling operations while conveying.

[0074] The screw conveyor 5 is an existing device. This invention will not elaborate on or limit its specific structure and working mechanism, as long as it can achieve the above objectives.

[0075] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the length of the screw conveyor 5 is 3 to 7 m, preferably 5 m.

[0076] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the screw conveyor 5 uses a single screw for conveying.

[0077] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the screw conveyor 5 is arranged in the horizontal direction.

[0078] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the processing system further includes a screw motor 11 connected to the screw conveyor 5 for driving the screw conveyor 5 to rotate in order to transport materials. The screw motor 11 is a power device, specifically an explosion-proof motor, which is connected to the central shaft of the screw conveyor 5 and drives the rotation of the central shaft to achieve continuous material propulsion.

[0079] (iii) Ethanol sprayer The ethanol atomizer includes an inlet pipe 6 and a nano-nozzle 7. The inlet pipe 6 introduces ethanol into the nano-nozzle 7, which converts the liquid ethanol into micron to nano-sized droplets. Combined with the heating function of the heating device, some of the ethanol is rapidly vaporized and applied to the plant-based artificial meat material conveyed by the screw conveyor 5. Through atomized droplets and ethanol vapor, dynamic and efficient contact is achieved with the material, enhancing the diffusion ability and penetration depth of ethanol on the surface and internal pores of the artificial meat matrix. By breaking hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces, it efficiently extracts and binds volatile odor substances (such as hexanal and furan) embedded in the protein network, dissolving and extracting a large amount of the originally tightly bound potential odor substances to the surface, completing the initial transfer of odor substances.

[0080] This invention does not impose any restrictions on the position or number of the liquid inlet pipe 6 and the nano nozzles 7; anything that can achieve the above objectives is acceptable.

[0081] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the nano-nozzle 7 is disposed at one end near the feed inlet 2. This arrangement allows the material entering the screw conveyor 5 to be treated with ethanol spray from the start of conveying, which is beneficial to improving processing efficiency.

[0082] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the number of nano-nozzles 7 and liquid inlet pipes 6 is at least one set, arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the spiral conveyor 5. For example, 1 to 6 sets (preferably 4 sets) of nano-nozzles 7 and liquid inlet pipes 6 are provided, and each set of liquid inlet pipes 6 is provided with 1 to 4 nano-nozzles 7.

[0083] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the processing system further includes a spray controller connected to the nano-nozzle 7 for controlling the opening, closing and spray volume of the nano-nozzle 7.

[0084] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the processing system further includes a liquid inlet controller connected to the liquid inlet pipe 6, used to control the opening and closing of the liquid inlet pipe 6 and the liquid inlet volume.

[0085] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the processing system further includes a liquid inlet and spray controller 12, which is connected to the nano nozzle 7 and the liquid inlet pipe 6 respectively, for simultaneously controlling the opening, closing and spray volume of the nano nozzle 7 and the opening, closing and liquid inlet volume of the liquid inlet pipe 6.

[0086] The aforementioned spray controller, liquid inlet controller, and liquid inlet and spray controller 12 are all components with controllability. They have the ability to receive external commands and control the corresponding controlled devices. The implementation of their functions belongs to the prior art, and their specific composition and settings will not be described in detail in this invention.

[0087] (iv) Heating device The heat provided by the heating device not only accelerates the penetration and exchange process of ethanol, but more importantly, it provides a key driving force for the escape of extracted volatile odor substances. On the one hand, it significantly increases their vapor pressure, promoting their transformation from the liquid or adsorbed phase to the gas phase and evaporation. On the other hand, it increases the diffusion rate of these odor substances in the artificial meat matrix, driving them to migrate from the inside to the surface, thus achieving systematic and directional elution.

[0088] This invention does not impose any restrictions on the location of the heating device or the heating method, as long as the above objectives can be achieved.

[0089] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the heating device includes a heating element and a heating controller 8 connected thereto.

[0090] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the heating element of the heating device is a hot water pipe, and a water bath heating method is adopted.

[0091] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the heating controller 8 is disposed below the housing 1. In another optional embodiment, the processing system further includes a temperature sensor, a cold water circulation device, and a temperature controller, with the temperature controller connected to the temperature sensor, the cold water circulation device, and the heating device respectively. The temperature sensor is disposed inside the housing 1 and is used to monitor the heating temperature inside the housing 1 in real time. The cold water circulation device is used to reduce the temperature to a preset temperature by circulating water when the temperature exceeds a predetermined range. While a heating device alone may not provide precise temperature control, a cold water circulation device is preferred. Synchronous control of the heating device and the cold water circulation device by the temperature controller further facilitates precise temperature control within the housing 1, thereby stabilizing the processing temperature. The temperature controller is a component with control functions such as receiving signals, calculating, and outputting commands. It receives the temperature value detected by the temperature sensor, compares it with a preset temperature value, calculates and generates commands, and outputs them to the heating device and the cold water circulation device to further adjust their operation, thus maintaining a stable temperature inside the housing 1. The implementation of this function is prior art, and its specific composition and arrangement will not be described in detail in this invention.

[0092] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the temperature controller is connected to the heating controller 8.

[0093] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the cold water circulation device includes a cold water circulation pipe and a cold water circulation controller 13 connected thereto.

[0094] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the cold water circulation controller 13 is disposed below the housing 1.

[0095] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the temperature controller is connected to the cold water circulation controller 13.

[0096] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the processing system further includes: a bottom shell 14, disposed on the bottom surface and / or side surface of the housing 1, forming a heating layer between the bottom shell 1 and the housing 1, wherein the heating element of the heating device and / or the cold water circulation pipe of the cold water circulation device are disposed within the heating layer.

[0097] (v) Exhaust system The exhaust device is used to establish and maintain a stable negative pressure environment within the housing 1. This negative pressure is constructed and promoted by fluid dynamics to form a directional airflow, which can actively, timely and quickly force the volatile odor substances that have migrated to the surface and gas phase, along with ethanol vapor, out of the housing 1, further preventing the re-adsorption or condensation backflow of odor substances.

[0098] This invention does not limit the type of exhaust device; any device that can achieve the above objectives is acceptable. It is understood that the exhaust port 4 is located near the outlet 3, spatially spaced from the ethanol sprayer located near the inlet 2. This arrangement allows sufficient time for ethanol extraction, enabling the extraction process to be completed in the first half of the transport, and the ethanol vapor and extracted odorous substances to be discharged in the second half.

[0099] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the exhaust device is disposed above the screw conveyor 5. It is understood that if the discharge port 3 is located on the lower surface or right end face of the housing 1 near the lower part, it is more appropriate to dispose of the exhaust device above.

[0100] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the system further includes an exhaust controller connected to the exhaust device for controlling the opening and closing of the exhaust device and the exhaust volume. The exhaust controller is a component with regulatory capabilities, capable of receiving external commands and regulating the corresponding controlled device (exhaust device). The implementation of its functions is prior art, and its specific composition and configuration will not be described in detail in this invention.

[0101] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the exhaust device includes a gas collection hood 15, an exhaust pipe, and an exhaust fan. The gas collection hood 15 is connected to the interlayer, and the exhaust pipe is connected to both the gas collection hood 15 and the exhaust fan. The exhaust fan drives the fan blades to rotate via a motor, discharging the gas inside the housing 1 into the interlayer through the exhaust port 4, further collecting the gas through the gas collection hood 15, and then discharging it through the exhaust pipe.

[0102] (vi) Screw feeder 16 As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the system further includes a screw conveyor 16 connected to the discharge port 3 for discharging material from the discharge end of the screw conveyor 5.

[0103] The purpose of connecting the screw feeder 16 at the discharge port 3 is to extend the distance between the exhaust device (or exhaust hole 4) and the actual discharge port 3, so as to avoid the direct exposure of the discharge port 3 causing the exhaust device to suck in external gas from the housing 1 during operation and reduce the exhaust efficiency.

[0104] The present invention does not impose any restrictions on the configuration of the screw feeder 16; any configuration that achieves the above objectives is acceptable.

[0105] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the discharge port 3 is connected to the downwardly inclined discharge pipe 17, and the discharge pipe 17 is connected to the screw conveyor 16.

[0106] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the length of the screw conveyor 16 is 0.2~0.6 m, preferably 0.4 m; the axis of the screw conveyor 16 should be installed at an angle of 15°~25° to the horizontal plane. This angle makes full use of gravity to assist in conveying and can reduce the pushing resistance of the screw blades and material residue.

[0107] Secondly, the present invention provides a method for processing plant-based artificial meat, based on the aforementioned plant-based artificial meat processing system, the method comprising the following steps: S1. The plant-based artificial meat material to be processed is fed into the screw conveyor 5 through the inlet 2, and is conveyed from the inlet end to the outlet end of the screw conveyor 5, and discharged through the outlet 3. S2. Ethanol enters through the inlet pipe 6 and is sprayed out through the nano nozzle 7, forming an ethanol nano spray that acts on the material on the screw conveyor 5 to extract volatile odor substances from the material. S3. Heating the material conveyed by the screw conveyor 5 to promote the extraction and diffusion of volatile odor substances; S4. Using the exhaust device to create a negative pressure inside the housing 1, the ethanol vapor and volatile odor substances extracted by ethanol are discharged through the exhaust port 4.

[0108] (a) Step S1 As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the feeding speed of the screw conveyor 5 is 5~25 kg / h, preferably 20 kg / h.

[0109] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the plant-based artificial meat to be processed is prepared using a low-moisture extrusion process.

[0110] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, before feeding, the method further includes: cutting the plant-based artificial meat to be processed to a size of 1~3 cm × 1~3 cm × 1~2 cm, preferably 2 cm × 2 cm × 1 cm. Preferably, the cutting is performed using a rotary cutter.

[0111] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the processing method further includes the following steps: driving the screw conveyor 5 to rotate by the screw motor 11 connected to the screw conveyor 5 to convey materials.

[0112] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the processing method further includes the following step: discharging the material from the discharge end of the screw conveyor 5 through a screw feeder 16 connected to the discharge port 3. Preferably, the discharge speed of the screw feeder 16 is 5~25 kg / h, more preferably 20 kg / h. The discharge speed of the screw feeder 16 is not lower than the feeding speed of the screw conveyor 5.

[0113] (ii) Step S2 As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the ratio of the hourly ethanol spray volume to the hourly feed volume, in L / g, is 1~2:1~2, preferably 1:1.

[0114] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the volume concentration of ethanol is not less than 70%, preferably not less than 80%, more preferably not less than 90%, and most preferably anhydrous ethanol.

[0115] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the processing method further includes the following steps: controlling the opening, closing and spray volume of the nano-nozzle 7 by a spray controller connected to the nano-nozzle 7.

[0116] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the processing method further includes the following steps: controlling the opening, closing and liquid inlet volume of the liquid inlet pipe 6 through a liquid inlet controller connected to the liquid inlet pipe 6.

[0117] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the processing method further includes the following steps: simultaneously controlling the opening, closing and spray volume of the nano-nozzle 7 and the opening, closing and liquid inlet volume of the liquid inlet pipe 6 by means of the liquid inlet and spray controller 12 connected to the nano-nozzle 7 and the liquid inlet pipe 6 respectively.

[0118] (III) Step S3 As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the heating temperature is 80~90 ℃, preferably 80 ℃.

[0119] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the processing method further includes the following steps: regulating the temperature inside the housing 1 by means of a temperature controller that is connected to a temperature sensor, a cold water circulation device and a heating device respectively.

[0120] (iv) Step S4 As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the exhaust volume of the exhaust device is 500~2000 m³. 3 / h, preferably 1000m 3 / h.

[0121] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the processing method further includes the following steps: controlling the opening, closing and exhaust volume of the exhaust device through an exhaust controller connected to the exhaust device.

[0122] Example 1 like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a processing system for plant-based artificial meat, the processing system comprising: The housing 1 has an internal cavity. Housing 1 is rectangular, with an overall length of 5.5 m, a width of 1.2 m, and a height of 1.5 m. Housing 1 is made entirely of 2 mm thick 304 stainless steel. A feed inlet 2 is located on the upper surface near the left end of housing 1, and a discharge outlet 3 is located near the bottom on the right end of housing 1. The discharge outlet 3 connects to a downwardly inclined discharge pipe 17, which in turn connects to a screw conveyor 16. The screw conveyor 16 is 0.4 m long and its axis is installed at a 15° angle downwards to the horizontal plane. Four 0.2 mm diameter... The exhaust port 4 is located in the middle. A protective shell 10 is provided on the top of the shell 1, and a sandwich is formed between the protective shell 10 and the shell 1. The exhaust port 4 is located in the sandwich. A bottom shell 14 is provided on the bottom and side of the shell 1, and a heating layer is formed between the bottom shell 14 and the shell 1. Four sets of supports 9 are arranged at equal intervals from left to right below the shell 1. Each set includes two supports 9, and the height of the supports 9 is 0.5 m. The screw conveyor 5 is set in the horizontal direction and has a feed end and a discharge end. The feed end is located on the left and the discharge end is located on the right. It is 5 m long and is conveyed by a single screw. The central shaft of the screw conveyor 5 is connected to the screw motor 11. The screw motor is an explosion-proof motor. The continuous propulsion of materials is achieved by driving the rotation of the central shaft. The ethanol sprayer consists of six interconnected inlet pipes 6 and nano nozzles 7, arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the screw conveyor. Each inlet pipe 6 has two nano nozzles 7, which are located above the screw conveyor 5 and close to the inlet 2. The inlet pipes 6 are located in the interlayer between the housing 1 and the protective shell 10, and the nano nozzles 7 are located inside the housing 1. The nano nozzles 7 and the inlet pipes 6 are connected to the inlet and spray controller 12, which is used to simultaneously control the opening, closing and spray volume of the nano nozzles 7 as well as the opening, closing and inlet volume of the inlet pipes 6. The heating device consists of a hot water pipe and a heating controller 8 connected thereto. The cold water circulation device consists of a cold water circulation pipe and a cold water circulation controller 13 connected thereto. The heating controller 8 and the cold water circulation controller 13 are connected to a temperature controller. The temperature controller is also connected to a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor is located inside the housing 1. The hot water pipe and the cold water circulation pipe are located in the heating layer between the housing 1 and the bottom shell 14. The exhaust device includes a gas collection hood 15, an exhaust pipe, and an exhaust fan. The gas collection hood 15 is connected to the interlayer. One end of the exhaust pipe is connected to the gas collection hood 15, and the other end is connected to the exhaust fan. The exhaust fan is driven by a high-efficiency three-phase asynchronous motor. The exhaust device is connected to an exhaust controller to control the opening, closing, and exhaust volume of the exhaust device.

[0123] Example 2 This embodiment provides a method for processing plant-based artificial meat, based on the plant-based artificial meat processing system provided in Embodiment 1. The processing steps are as follows: S1. The dry plant-based artificial meat obtained by low moisture extrusion process is cut by a rotary cutter to obtain a sample of 2cm×2cm×1cm. The sample is fed into the screw conveyor 5 through the feed port 2. The screw conveyor 5 is driven to rotate by the screw motor 11 so that the sample is conveyed from the feed end to the discharge end of the screw conveyor 5. The feed speed of the screw conveyor 5 is 20 kg / h. S2. The spray controller controls anhydrous ethanol to enter through the inlet pipe 6 and be sprayed out through the nano nozzles 7, forming an ethanol spray that acts on the sample on the spiral conveyor 5. During this process, the leftmost four sets of nano nozzles 7 are turned on (the spray volume of each set of nano nozzles 7 is 5 L / h, and the material-liquid ratio is 1:1). S3. The heating device heats the material conveyed by the screw conveyor 5, and at the same time, in conjunction with the temperature controller, temperature sensor and cold water circulation device, controls the temperature inside the shell 1 at 80 ℃. S4, The exhaust controller controls the exhaust volume of the exhaust device to 1000 m³. 3 / h, creating a negative pressure inside the shell 1, and venting the gas inside the shell 1; S5. After processing, the sample is discharged through the screw conveyor 16 at a discharge speed of 20 kg / h. The collected sample is recorded as P4.

[0124] Comparative Example 1 This comparative example provides a method for processing plant-based artificial meat, based on the plant-based artificial meat processing system provided in Example 1. The processing steps are the same as in Example 2, except that in step S2, the leftmost set of nano-nozzles is turned on (the spray volume of each set of nano-nozzles is 5 L / h, and the material-liquid ratio is 4:1). The sample collected in step S5 is recorded as P1.

[0125] Comparative Example 2 This comparative example provides a method for processing plant-based artificial meat, based on the plant-based artificial meat processing system provided in Example 1. The processing steps are the same as in Example 2, except that in step S2, the two leftmost sets of nano-nozzles are turned on (the spray volume of each set of nano-nozzles is 5 L / h, and the material-liquid ratio is 2:1). The sample collected in step S5 is recorded as P2.

[0126] Comparative Example 3 This comparative example provides a method for processing plant-based artificial meat, based on the plant-based artificial meat processing system provided in Example 1. The processing steps are the same as in Example 2, except that in step S2, the leftmost three sets of nano-nozzles are turned on (each set of nano-nozzles has a spray volume of 5 L / h and a material-to-liquid ratio of 4:3). The sample collected in step S5 is recorded as P3.

[0127] Comparative Example 4 This comparative example provides a method for processing plant-based artificial meat, based on the plant-based artificial meat processing system provided in Example 1. The processing steps are the same as in Example 2, except that in step S2, the leftmost 5 sets of nano-nozzles are turned on (the spray volume of each set of nano-nozzles is 5 L / h, and the material-liquid ratio is 4:5). The sample collected in step S5 is recorded as P5.

[0128] Comparative Example 5 This comparative example provides a method for processing plant-based artificial meat, based on the plant-based artificial meat processing system provided in Example 1. The processing steps are the same as in Example 2, except that in step S2, all 6 sets of nano-nozzles are turned on (the spray volume of each set of nano-nozzles is 5 L / h, and the material-liquid ratio is 2:3). The sample collected in step S5 is recorded as P6.

[0129] Comparative Example 6 This comparative example provides a method for processing plant-based artificial meat, based on the plant-based artificial meat processing system provided in Example 1. The processing steps are the same as in Example 2, except that in step S2, all 6 sets of nano-nozzles are turned off and ethanol spraying is not performed. The sample collected in step S5 is recorded as P0.

[0130] Comparative Example 7 This comparative example provides a method for processing plant-based artificial meat, with the following specific steps: S1. The dry plant-based artificial meat obtained by low-moisture extrusion is cut using a rotary cutter to obtain a sample of 2 cm × 2 cm × 1 cm. S2. Immerse 100 g of the sample in 200 g of 50% ethanol solution at 22 °C for 1 h. S3. The soaked sample was vacuum deodorized at 60 °C and 0.8 bar for 20 h, and the collected sample was recorded as P00.

[0131] Experimental Example 1: Analysis of Electronic Nose (E-nose) I. Experimental Methods E-nose analysis was performed on samples P00, P0, P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6 using PEN3 (AIRSENSE, Germany).

[0132] Take 2 g of sample and mix it evenly in a 20 mL headspace vial. Incubate at 60 °C for 25 min. The program is set with a rinsing time of 180 s, a gas flow rate of 200 mL / min, and a measurement time of 180 s.

[0133] II. Experimental Results The results are as follows Figure 2 As shown, note: W1C is an aromatic component / benzene sensor; W5S is a nitrogen oxide sensor; W3C is an ammonia sensor; W6S is a hydride sensor; W5C is a short-chain alkane aromatic sensor; W1S is a methyl sensor; W1W is a sulfide sensor; W2S is an alcohol / aldehyde / ketone sensor; W2W is an organosulfur compound sensor; and W3S is a long-chain alkane sensor. Among these, the compounds responding to sensors W1S, W2S, W3S, W5S, and W5C can combine to form unpleasant flavors.

[0134] In sample P0, the W1S, W2S, and W5S sensors showed high response values. After one spray, sample P1 showed a significant increase in the W1S and W2S sensors, indicating that the introduction of ethanol spray had begun to trigger the initial release of volatile substances. Sample P2 exhibited dramatic changes, with the W1S sensor response value soaring to a peak of 19.87, while multiple sensors, including W2S, W2W, and W5S, showed explosive growth, forming the most complex and intense odor spectrum during the treatment process. This phenomenon was significantly improved in sample P3, with the response values ​​of each sensor showing... The pullback indicates that the odor composition is beginning to shift towards a balanced state; sample P4 exhibits the most ideal odor balance characteristics, with key sensors such as W2S and W5S maintaining moderate levels and coordinated responses among the sensors, presenting a high-quality odor profile with appropriate intensity and balanced composition; sample P5 shows abnormal fluctuations, with the response values ​​of sensors such as W2S and W5S soaring again and even exceeding those of sample P2; the sensor responses of sample P6 are completely decayed, with major sensors such as W1S and W2S dropping to the lowest values ​​in the sequence, indicating that over-processing has led to excessive loss of volatile substances.

[0135] The electronic nose sensor signal of sample P00 was significantly higher than that of other samples across multiple dimensions, especially in key sensors such as W5S (extremely sensitive to nitrogen oxides), W6S (selectively sensitive to hydrides), and W2S (broadly sensitive to alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones), reaching peak values ​​among all samples. This indicates that the ethanol soaking-vacuum deodorization treatment did not achieve the expected deodorization effect. Prolonged and complete soaking allows for more thorough and deep interaction between the solvent and the material matrix, potentially leading to more complete extraction of flavor compounds from the raw material and providing ample conditions and time for various reactions. While the subsequent vacuum drying can remove some volatile components, its driving force is insufficient to effectively remove the high concentration and multi-component complex flavor compound system generated by deep soaking, ultimately resulting in a large amount of these substances remaining and accumulating in the finished product. This result clearly demonstrates, from the opposite perspective, that not all ethanol-based treatments can effectively improve flavor. Improper control can exacerbate flavor complexity and even introduce new defects. The electronic nose analysis results of the P00 sample not only confirmed the risks of over- or inappropriate treatment, but also highlighted the necessity and innovation of the ethanol spray process in achieving precise flavor management through a controllable mechanism.

[0136] Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to analyze the potential correlation between samples with different ethanol spray volumes and volatile compounds. Figure 3 As shown, the cumulative variance contribution rates of PC1 and PC2 for dry-processed plant-based artificial meat are both greater than 90%, indicating that the model can fully reflect the overall odor information of the sample. Dry-processed plant-based artificial meat with different ethanol spray volumes shows obvious separation, indicating that the difference in ethanol spray volume has a significant impact on the volatility characteristics of the sample.

[0137] Experimental Example 2: HS-SPME-GC-MS Analysis I. Experimental Methods The content of volatile flavor compounds in samples P00, P0, P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6 was determined by HS-SPME-GC-MS (GCMS-ISQ 7000, Shimadzu, Japan).

[0138] Take 2 g of sample and add 2 μL of cyclohexanone (1 ml / L) as an internal standard. Before the test, place the CAR / DVB / PDMS SPME fiber head (50 / 30 μm; Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA) in the GC injector at 250 °C for 30 min; incubate the sample at 60 °C for 15 min, then perform headspace extraction using the aged SPME fiber head for 25 min; desorb at 250 °C for 5 min; then analyze the volatile compounds using GC-MS with an Rtx-5MS capillary column (30 m × 0.25 mm × 0.25 μm). After maintaining the temperature at 40 °C for 3 min, increase the temperature to 150 °C at a rate of 4 °C / min and hold for 4 min, and finally increase the temperature to 250 °C at a rate of 8 °C / min and hold for 3 min. The helium flow rate is 1.0 mL / min, and the split ratio is 15:1. GC-MS data were analyzed and quantified using the NIST17 spectral library and internal standard method, and n-alkanes (C7-C64) were used. 40 Calculate the retention index. The experiment is conducted in triplicate.

[0139] To assess the contribution of flavor compounds in a sample, an odor activity value (OAV) was introduced, calculated according to the following formula:

[0140] Where C is the concentration of the compound, and T is the threshold of the compound.

[0141] II. Experimental Results 1. Volatile compound content Table 1. Volatile compounds completely removed from samples treated with different sprays

[0142] ①ND indicates that the compound was not detected; ② Different letters in the same row indicate a significant difference between groups (P < 0.05), while identical or overlapping letters indicate no significant difference between groups.

[0143] Table 2. Volatile compounds with significantly optimized content in samples treated with different spraying methods.

[0144] ①ND indicates that the compound was not detected; ② Different letters in the same row indicate a significant difference between groups (P < 0.05), while identical or overlapping letters indicate no significant difference between groups.

[0145] Table 3. Residues requiring control in samples treated with different sprays

[0146] Different letters in the same row indicate a significant difference between groups (P < 0.05), while identical or overlapping letters indicate no significant difference between groups.

[0147] As shown in Tables 1-3 and Figure 4 The results indicate that 19 volatile compounds were identified in samples P0, P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6. Analysis showed that sample P0, which was not sprayed with ethanol, contained a large amount of aldehydes, alcohols, and furans, particularly hexanal, n-hexanol, 2-hexylethanol, and 2-pentylfuran. These compounds are associated with unpleasant odors such as green, grassy, ​​mushroom, earthy, and plastic smells and are considered major contributors to unpleasant volatile compounds. The types and amounts of odor compounds in the samples treated with ethanol spraying were effectively reduced.

[0148] Ethanol spraying and heat drying have a synergistic effect on improving the flavor of dried plant-based artificial meat samples. This is essentially a dynamic physicochemical process, with the core mechanism being the combined influence of solvent extraction and heat-driven processes. In the initial extraction stage, ethanol, as a polar solvent, penetrates into the protein matrix. By disrupting hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces, it dissolves and extracts a large amount of previously tightly bound potential flavor compounds, including hexanal and n-hexanol (marking beany flavor) and 2-n-pentylfuran (producing grassy flavor), onto the surface, resulting in a surge in their content in sample P1—the solvent extraction effect. Simultaneously, heat treatment provides the crucial energy driving force for these freed volatile molecules. On the one hand, it significantly increases their vapor pressure, promoting their transformation from the liquid or adsorbed phase to the gas phase and evaporation. On the other hand, it accelerates their outward diffusion rate within the matrix pores, ultimately achieving systematic elution. This allows the content of these undesirable flavor compounds to be significantly reduced after reaching a peak.

[0149] At the same time, ethanol spray fundamentally reshapes the flavor profile: its highly efficient dissolving ability for water-soluble and polar compounds allows for the systematic elution and complete removal of nearly twenty compounds from more than seven classes, including pyrazines such as 2,5-dimethylpyrazine that impart roasted nutty flavors, ketones and esters that provide fruity and sweet aromas, and complex alcohols that produce mushroom-like odors. This greatly simplifies the overall volatile matter spectrum of the product, transforming it from complex and intense to pure and neutral. However, there is a clear optimization window for this process: four sprays (1:1 material-to-liquid ratio) combined with moderate heating have proven to be the equilibrium point of the process. At this point, undesirable flavors are effectively suppressed, and the ethanol solvent introduced by the process itself can be fully removed, with the residual amount controllable. Once over-processed, such as with six sprays (2:3 material-to-liquid ratio), the system equilibrium is broken. Excessive ethanol exceeds the evaporation load of the heating system, resulting in serious residues and giving the product an unpleasant ethanol taste. At the same time, continuous solvent action may change the protein matrix structure, inducing the re-dissolution of some flavor substances (such as 2-n-pentylfuran) or new lipid oxidation reactions, leading to a rebound in content and thus deteriorating the product flavor.

[0150] like Figure 5 As shown, in the GC-MS analysis of sample P00, although the same internal standard as in the series of spray treatments was added, the high residual ethanol content in the sample caused its strong chromatographic peak to severely interfere with and mask the detection and integration of the internal standard peak, making reliable qualitative and quantitative analysis impossible. This phenomenon indicates that the process is severely inefficient in removing ethanol. From a flavor perspective, the GC-MS spectrum further shows that while the ethanol immersion treatment effectively removed beany-smelling substances such as hexanal, it also almost completely removed substances that might contribute pleasant caramel and nutty aromas, such as 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, significantly reducing the flavor richness of the sample. More importantly, the subsequent vacuum deodorization step failed to effectively control ethanol residue, causing ethanol to become the absolutely dominant volatile component in the chromatogram. Its excessively high concentration not only resulted in a strong solvent pungent taste but also made other flavor compounds undetectable.

[0151] 2. OAV value Table 4. OAV of volatile compounds in samples treated with different sprays

[0152] ①ND indicates that the compound was not detected; ② Different letters in the same row indicate a significant difference between groups (P < 0.05), while identical or overlapping letters indicate no significant difference between groups.

[0153] As shown in Table 4, 1-octen-3-ol, 2-ethylfuran, hexanal, 2-n-pentylfuran, and ethanol exhibited high OAV values. Among them, aldehydes and alcohols, especially hexanal, 1-octen-3-ol, and 2-n-pentylfuran, are typical off-odor compounds and are considered to be the main contributors to beany, grassy, ​​and fatty odors.

[0154] Meanwhile, the results from different samples show that the effect of ethanol spray treatment on the flavor of the samples exhibits significant phased characteristics. In the initial stage of spraying, the OAV values ​​of key beany odor compounds, represented by hexanal and 2-n-pentylfuran, significantly increased, reaching peak values ​​of 93.35 and 54.44 in sample P1, respectively. This confirms that the extraction effect of ethanol releases a large amount of strong off-odor compounds hidden in the protein matrix into the system, leading to an amplification of their OAV values. However, as the spray volume increased, the OAV values ​​of these two core off-odor compounds in sample P4 were successfully reduced to 6.01 and 4.00, respectively, indicating that the spraying process effectively removed most of the undesirable flavors, and the overall flavor profiles of samples P3, P4, and P5 were relatively clean. Notably, in sample P6, the OAV of hexanal rebounded to 20.73, while 2-n-pentylfuran significantly increased to 53.87, causing the beany odor intensity to return to or even exceed the initial treatment levels, clearly revealing that excessive spraying leads to an imbalance in the flavor system and a re-enrichment of off-odors. Meanwhile, ethanol, as a solvent, maintained a significant OAV throughout the process, particularly in samples P2 and P6, reaching 6.23 and 3.82 respectively. This indicates that the unpleasant ethanol odor has become a persistent problem affecting the purity of the product's flavor, which is closely related to solvent residue caused by insufficient drying efficiency. Furthermore, compounds such as 1-octen-3-ol and 2-ethylfuran showed their OAV dropping to undetectable levels after several sprays, demonstrating that the process can systematically simplify the flavor composition and remove off-flavors such as mushroom and burnt notes.

[0155] Sensory evaluation in Experiment Example 3 I. Experimental Methods Sensory evaluation used a scoring method to rate the flavor (ethanol, beany, caramel, and oxidized oil), texture, color, shape, and liking of the samples, assigning scores based on the characteristics of each indicator. The sensory evaluation was conducted by a team of 10 trained members, each evaluating independently on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest score. During the experiment, sensory evaluators must maintain good ventilation in the laboratory to avoid interference from other flavors. Specific sensory evaluation scoring criteria are shown in Table 5.

[0156] Table 5 Sensory Evaluation Criteria

[0157] II. Experimental Results Table 6 Sensory Evaluation Score Table

[0158] Note: Different letters in the same column indicate a significant difference between groups (P < 0.05), while identical or overlapping letters indicate no significant difference between groups.

[0159] like Figure 6 As shown, the effect of ethanol spray treatment on the sensory characteristics of the samples exhibits significant stage-wise changes. Sample P1 showed a marked decline in sensory quality, dominated by a strong beany and oxidized oil odor, accompanied by a noticeable ethanol solvent smell, resulting in poor overall acceptability. Sample P2 showed a further intensification of the ethanol odor, becoming a significant sensory defect, while the beany and oxidized oil odors, although reduced, remained relatively pronounced, and the overall flavor harmony was still unsatisfactory. Samples P3 and P4 showed significant improvements in sensory quality, with Sample P4 exhibiting the best sensory balance. The intensity of the beany and oxidized oil odors was significantly reduced, reaching the lowest level throughout the treatment process, and the ethanol odor was effectively controlled, resulting in a purer overall flavor. Simultaneously, the original caramel characteristics of the samples continued to weaken with increasing treatment cycles, becoming quite faint in Sample P4 and samples with higher spray volumes, thus simplifying the flavor profile of the samples. It is noteworthy that with further increases in spray volume, the sensory quality of sample P6 declined, with the beany and ethanol odors becoming more pronounced again. Although the caramel notes remained weak, the overall flavor harmony decreased, leading to reduced acceptability. This suggests that over-treatment may adversely affect the sensory quality of the product. Sample P00's overall appeal was similarly low to sample P6. Despite showing significant removal of the beany odor, its ethanol odor score was similar to that of sample P6, indicating a problem with alcohol residue. This is consistent with the strong overall volatility signal detected by the electronic nose and the GCMS results. The sensory evaluation results of sample P00 indicate that while the ethanol immersion-vacuum deodorization treatment has a certain odor removal capability, its process characteristics result in unacceptable, high-intensity solvent residue, ultimately making its overall acceptability far inferior to sample P4.

[0160] From a textural perspective, the differences between samples were relatively small, indicating that ethanol spray treatment had no significant impact on the product texture. Regarding color, all samples remained relatively stable, with no obvious color deterioration. Morphological characteristics also maintained good consistency among the samples, suggesting that the treatment process had little overall impact on the product's physical structure. Ethanol spray treatment tends to make the samples more brittle and chewy, while the samples after ethanol immersion-vacuum deodorization became harder and less chewable. Furthermore, due to the decolorizing effect of ethanol, prolonged immersion resulted in a difference in color between the samples and the original samples; the original dark brown color faded, reducing the samples' acceptability.

[0161] Based on the evaluation results of various sensory indicators, sample P4 performed best in terms of unpleasant odor control and flavor purity. While maintaining the basic physical characteristics of the product, it achieved the best balance of flavor quality and showed the best overall acceptability.

[0162] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely illustrative examples for clear explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations here. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A processing system for plant-based artificial meat, characterized in that, include: The shell has an internal cavity, and the shell has an inlet, an outlet and an exhaust port, with the exhaust port located near the outlet. A screw conveyor has a feed end and a discharge end. The feed end is located at the end of the housing where the feed port is opened, and the discharge end is located at the end of the housing where the discharge port is opened, for conveying materials. An ethanol sprayer includes an inlet pipe and a nano nozzle connected to each other. The nano nozzle is positioned above the screw conveyor and is used to convert liquid ethanol into nano droplets to spray the material being transported by the screw conveyor. A heating device for heating the material conveyed by the screw conveyor; An exhaust device, which communicates with the interior of the housing through the exhaust port, is used to exhaust the gas inside the housing.

2. The plant-based artificial meat processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least one of the following conditions must be met: 1) The nano-nozzle is disposed at one end near the feed inlet; 2) The number of the nano-nozzles and the liquid inlet pipe is at least one set, arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the spiral conveyor; 3) The heating element of the heating device is a hot water pipe; 4) The exhaust device is located above the screw conveyor.

3. The plant-based artificial meat processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes at least one of the following components, devices, or apparatuses: 1) A screw motor, connected to the screw conveyor, is used to drive the screw conveyor to rotate in order to transport materials; 2) A spray controller, connected to the nano-nozzle, used to control the opening, closing and spray volume of the nano-nozzle; 3) A liquid inlet controller, connected to the liquid inlet pipe, used to control the opening and closing of the liquid inlet pipe and the liquid inlet volume; 4) A temperature sensor, a cold water circulation device, and a temperature controller, wherein the temperature controller is connected to the temperature sensor, the heating device, and the cold water circulation device, respectively; 5) An exhaust controller, connected to the exhaust device, for controlling the opening, closing and exhaust volume of the exhaust device; 6) A screw conveyor, connected to the discharge port, is used to discharge the material from the discharge end of the screw conveyor; 7) A protective shell is disposed on the upper surface of the housing, forming an interlayer between the protective shell and the housing, wherein the liquid inlet pipe and / or the vent hole are disposed within the interlayer; 8) A bottom shell, disposed on the bottom surface and / or side surface of the housing, forming a heating layer between the bottom shell and the housing, wherein the heating element of the heating device is disposed within the heating layer.

4. The plant-based artificial meat processing system according to claim 3, characterized in that, At least one of the following conditions must be met: 1) The discharge port is connected to a downwardly inclined discharge pipe, and the discharge pipe is connected to the screw conveyor; 2) The length of the screw conveyor is 0.2~0.6 m; 3) The axis of the screw conveyor is at an angle of 15° to 25° to the horizontal plane; 4) The cold water circulation pipe of the cold water circulation device is located inside the heating layer; 5) The exhaust device includes a gas collection hood, an exhaust pipe and an exhaust fan. The gas collection hood is connected to the interlayer, and the exhaust pipe is connected to both the gas collection hood and the exhaust fan.

5. The plant-based artificial meat processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least one of the following conditions must be met: 1) The length of the screw conveyor is 3~7 m; 2) The number of the nano-nozzles and the liquid inlet pipes is 1 to 6 sets; 3) Each group of liquid inlet pipes is equipped with 1 to 4 nano nozzles.

6. A method for processing plant-based artificial meat, characterized in that, The processing method is carried out using the plant-based artificial meat processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and the processing method includes the following steps: S1. The plant-based artificial meat material to be processed is fed into the screw conveyor through the inlet, conveyed from the inlet end to the outlet end of the screw conveyor, and discharged through the outlet. S2. Ethanol enters through the inlet pipe and is sprayed out through the nano nozzle, forming an ethanol nano spray that acts on the material on the screw conveyor to extract volatile odor substances from the material. S3. The material conveyed by the screw conveyor is heated to promote the extraction and diffusion of the volatile odor substances; S4. A negative pressure is created inside the housing using an exhaust device, and ethanol vapor and the volatile odor substances extracted by ethanol are discharged through the exhaust port.

7. The method for processing plant-based artificial meat according to claim 6, characterized in that, Step S1 satisfies at least one of the following conditions: 1) The feeding speed of the screw conveyor is 5~25 kg / h; 2) The plant-based artificial meat to be processed is prepared using a low-moisture extrusion process; 3) Before feeding, the process also includes: cutting the plant-based artificial meat to be processed to a size of 1~3 cm × 1~3 cm × 1~2 cm; And / or, step S2 satisfies at least one of the following conditions: 1) The ratio of hourly ethanol spray volume to hourly feed volume, calculated in L / kg, is 1~2:1~2; 2) The volume concentration of the ethanol is not less than 70%; 3) The spray volume of each group of nano-nozzles is 1~10 L / h.

8. The method for processing plant-based artificial meat according to claim 6, characterized in that, Step S1 satisfies at least one of the following conditions: 1) The feeding speed of the screw conveyor is 20 kg / h; 2) Before feeding, the process also includes: cutting the plant-based artificial meat to be processed to a size of 2 cm × 2 cm × 1 cm; And / or, step S2 satisfies at least one of the following conditions: 1) The ratio of hourly ethanol spray volume to hourly feed volume is 1:1, calculated in L / kg. 2) The ethanol mentioned is anhydrous ethanol; 3) The spray rate of each group of nano-nozzles is 5 L / h.

9. The method for processing plant-based artificial meat according to claim 6, characterized in that, In step S3, the heating temperature is 80~90 ℃; and / or, In step S4, the exhaust volume of the exhaust device is 500~2000 m³. 3 / h.

10. The method for processing plant-based artificial meat according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes at least one of the following steps: 1) The screw conveyor is driven to rotate by a screw motor connected to it in order to convey materials; 2) The opening, closing, and spray volume of the nano-nozzle are controlled by a spray controller connected to the nano-nozzle; 3) The opening, closing, and liquid inlet volume of the liquid inlet pipe are controlled by a liquid inlet controller connected to the liquid inlet pipe; 4) The temperature inside the housing is regulated by a temperature controller connected to the temperature sensor, the cold water circulation device, and the heating device, respectively; 5) The opening, closing, and exhaust volume of the exhaust device are controlled by an exhaust controller connected to the exhaust device; 6) The material at the discharge end of the screw conveyor is discharged through the screw feeder connected to the discharge port.

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