Process for obtaining an artichoke-based flour and related artichoke-based flour

Abstract

A process for obtaining an artichoke -based flour comprises the steps of: A) preparing the raw material; B) shredding the raw material; C) squeezing the raw material to remove the excess water; D) drying the raw material subjected to steps B) and C); and E) milling and / or grinding the raw material subjected to the drying step. The raw material used consists of at least 85% by weight of waste from artichoke processing.

Description

"PROCESS FOR OBTAINING AN ARTICHOKE -BASED FLOUR ANDRELATED ARTICHOKE -BASED FLOUR" DESCRIPTIONFIELD OF APPLICATION

[0001] The present invention relates to a process for obtaining an artichoke-based flour and a related artichoke-based flour . PRIOR ART

[0002] As is known, continuous research in the food sector and beyond has led to the rediscovery and creation of numerous types of flour of vegetable origin .

[0003] In this discussion, reference will be made to "traditional type flours" or "traditional flours" and to " special type flours" or " special flours" .

[0004] The expression "traditional type flours" or "traditional flours" is understood to mean all the flours that are traditionally used for the preparation of pasta, pi z za, etc . , such as for example durum wheat flour or soft wheat flour, and also wholemeal flour . On the other hand, " special type flours" or " special flours" is understood to mean flours deriving from raw materials other than wheat , such as Kamut® flour, bean flour, chickpea flour, artichoke flour, etc .

[0005] One of the reasons that led to the rediscovery or creation of special flours was , for example , the need toprovide a food alternative for people suf fering from problems related to food intolerances such as celiac disease . Numerous types of special flours have therefore become available on the market as alternatives to flours of the traditional type , which special flours may also be used for making traditional dishes such as pasta or pi z za .

[0006] Furthermore , as known, nutrition plays a very important role in the onset of some diseases and in particular of some types of tumors , such as breast cancer for example . In fact , certain types of cancer have among their most probable causes an excessive consumption of proteins of animal origin which, in accordance with the most recent dietary indications , should therefore be replaced by a wider consumption of proteins of vegetable origin, fibers , and cereals or products with a low glycemic index . It therefore follows that consumers pay particular attention to special types of f lour .

[0007] In any case , special flours of the known type , although widely used and appreciated, are not free from drawbacks .

[0008] In general , the known special flours are mainly developed around a healthy and gourmet component , which is why the quality standards were initially strengthened thanks to certi fications of raw materials , processes andproducts which also include sustainable paper packaging . It is therefore clear that the cost of these products is undoubtedly higher than that of traditional flours and related products .

[0009] In recent years , taking the world of pasta as an example , the of fer has expanded beyond the classic durum wheat semolina with water to wholemeal flour, cereal pasta, kamut and spelt pasta, corn and rice pasta for celiacs and plant protein-enriched pasta .

[0010] However, as mentioned above , the price for the buyer for special flours , or for products derived from it , may also be substantially di f ferent from traditional products , which prevents a signi ficant number of potential buyers from being able to use them on a daily basis .

[0011] This problem may also have a secondary nature i f the person uses alternative flours and related products for a higher quality product than others or for healthy use , but instead the economic aspect is a very important problem, for example , in the case of any allergenic symptoms .

[0012] A further issue concerns the nutritional properties of special-type flours , which are very often improved compared to traditional flours , but which are potentially unbalanced from a nutritional point of view, sometimesfavoring certain nutritional elements over others .

[0013] Furthermore , the production of special flours is not the speci fic obj ect of policies related to the environmental sustainability of the production process . For example , in the case of artichoke-based flour, only the so-called noble part of the artichoke such as the heart or the bottom is known to be used, while the less noble parts of the artichoke are discarded .DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The need to solve the drawbacks and limitations mentioned with reference to the prior art is therefore f elt .

[0015] In particular, the need is felt to provide a process for obtaining a flour which may be consumed by people with food problems such as celiac disease , and which has a low cost compared to special flours of the known type .

[0016] Furthermore , the need is felt to provide a flour and a related food product which allow a satis factory balance to be obtained between the various nutritional elements .

[0017] Furthermore , the need is felt to provide a process for obtaining a flour, in particular artichoke-based flour, which is more sustainable from an environmental point of view, compared to artichoke-based flours of the prior art .

[0018] These requirements are met , at least partially, by aprocess for obtaining an artichoke-based flour according to claim 1 , and by an artichoke-based flour according to claim 15 .DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Further features and the advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of preferred and non-limiting embodiments thereof , wherein Fig . 1 schematically represents a flow chart with the main steps of the process for obtaining an artichoke-based flour according to a possible embodiment of the present invention .

[0020] Elements or parts of elements common to the embodiments described hereinafter will be indicated with the same numerical references .DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The present invention relates to a process for obtaining an artichoke-based flour essentially comprising the steps of :A) preparing the raw material ;B ) shredding the raw material ;C ) squeezing the raw material to remove the excess water from the waste ;D) drying the raw material subj ected to steps b ) and c ) ; andE ) milling and / or grinding the raw material subj ected tothe drying step ; wherein the raw material used consists of at least 85% by weight of waste from artichoke proces sing .

[0022] In this discussion, waste from artichoke processing is understood to mean a closed whole consisting of waste such as bracts , and / or the apical part of the cup, and / or pappus , and / or peduncle , and / or stem . In other words , artichoke processing waste is understood to mean all those parts of the artichoke that are normally discarded in favor of the heart or the bottom .

[0023] In fact , contrary to what has been thought up to now, it has in fact been noted from speci fic studies on the nutritional components of artichoke processing waste that they may be used to optimi ze the balance of many nutritional components of artichoke f lour .

[0024] According to a possible embodiment , the waste may comprise external bracts and / or stems , or may consist of only external bracts and / or stems .

[0025] In other words , most of the raw material used is made up of artichoke processing waste . Typical examples of artichoke processing may be the processes that have the obj ective of obtaining the bottom or the heart of the artichoke for canning purposes . According to one aspect of the present invention, artichoke processing waste means the part of the artichoke which is harvested andthen discarded to obtain the bottom or the heart .

[0026] Precisely due to their waste nature , these parts of the artichoke may flow into step A) of the process with even a very large quantity of water, and be totally immersed in the water, for example . Therefore , in the overall calculation of the parts by weight , it is understood that the percentage by weight is with respect to other parts of the artichoke ( for example bottom or heart ) or to other vegetable components , and that the waste also includes the portion of moi sture which, as discussed, may be relevant . In this way, the total will be made up of a percentage by weight of artichoke processing waste , and a remaining percentage by weight of other parts of the artichoke such as , for example , artichoke hearts or bottoms .

[0027] For example , the moisture content of an artichoke processing waste may be between 65% and 90% of the total weight .

[0028] According to a possible embodiment , the raw material used in step a ) is composed of at least 90% by weight of artichoke processing waste , and preferably at least 95% by weight of artichoke processing waste .

[0029] In fact , it has been seen that the use of artichoke processing waste for the production of flour has at least a double advantage compared to the use of the more"precious" parts of the artichoke such as , for example , the bottoms or hearts thereof .

[0030] The nutritional values of artichoke processing waste , with particular reference to dietary fiber and proteins , appear clearly in favor of their use in the food sector .

[0031] In fact , from analyzes carried out on the flours resulting from the process according to the present invention, the fiber content may be between 50% and 70% by weight , and preferably around 60% by weight .

[0032] Furthermore , it has been seen that , from analyzes carried out on the flours resulting from the process according to the present invention, the vegetable protein content may be between 8 % by weight and 18 % by weight , and preferably around 13% by weight .

[0033] It is signi ficant that these results are obtained in the absence of gluten, and with a low glycemic index provided by the presence of natural intrinsic sugars . As a main consequence of the low glycemic index, there is the possibility of us ing the flours obtained according to the process of the present invention for the production of products which are also suitable for those suf fering from diabetes .

[0034] According to a possible embodiment , the bracts used as raw material may have a width comprised between 5 cmand 8 cm, a maximum length of 10 cm, a thickness comprised between 0.6 cm and 3 cm, and a weight per single leaf comprised between 5 gr and 10 gr .

[0035] According to a possible embodiment, the stems used as raw material may have a length comprised between 10 cm and 13 cm, a thickness comprised between 0.1 cm and 1 cm, and a weight comprised between 25 gr and 52 gr .

[0036] According to a possible embodiment, step B) may be carried out by a shredder or by a blade shredder whose setting is between 3 and 6 cm.

[0037] Step C) consists essentially in squeezing the material subjected to step B) , which may take place for example by means of mechanical squeezing.

[0038] According to a possible embodiment, step C) may be carried out with a mechanical rolling mill.

[0039] According to a possible embodiment, step D) of drying the raw material subjected to steps B) and C) may be carried out with a static oven at a temperature comprised between 105 °C and 145 °C, for a time comprised between 60 minutes and 180 minutes. Preferably, step D) of drying the raw material subjected to steps B) and C) may be carried out with a static oven at a temperature comprised between 105 °C and 115 °C, for a time comprised between 60 minutes and 180 minutes.

[0040] Alternatively, the drying step d) may be carried outwith a flash dryer at a temperature comprised between 100 ° C and 125 ° C, for a time comprised between 3 seconds and 20 seconds , to be repeated several times , for example three times .

[0041] Advantageously, at the end of step D) of drying the raw material subj ected to steps B ) and C ) , the final moisture of the product obtained may be comprised between 5% and 25% by weight with respect to the total weight .

[0042] According to a possible embodiment , at the end of step D) of drying the raw material subj ected to steps B ) and C ) , the weight of the raw material may decrease by 70% - 85% with respect to the weight thereof before the drying step D) .

[0043] According to a possible embodiment , the raw material subj ected to the drying step may be subj ected to milling with a rotor mill with a cylinder from 250 micrometers up to 120 micrometers .

[0044] According to a possible alternative embodiment , the raw material subj ected to said drying step may be subj ected to milling with a blade mill with an output flour si ze of about 200 micrometers .

[0045] The advantages which may be achieved with the process and with the flour according to the present invention are therefore now evident .

[0046] Firstly, a process has been provided for obtaining aflour which may be consumed by people with food problems such as celiac disease , and which has a low cost compared to special flours of the known type .

[0047] In fact , since the process uses waste materials from the food industry, their intrinsic cost is very low and may be assimilated into the cost of transporting same from the company where it is generated to the company where it is then used .

[0048] Furthermore , a flour and a related food product have been provided which allow a satis factory balance to be obtained between the various nutritional elements .

[0049] Furthermore , a process has been provided for obtaining a flour, in particular artichoke-based flour, which is more sustainable from an environmental point of view, compared to artichoke-based flours of the prior art .

[0050] In particular, the process according to the present invention, using waste from other processes as the main raw material , represents an example of how to be able to eliminate waste and be able to give new li fe to products that would simply be destroyed .

[0051] In doing this , the technical ef fect that has been found to be worthy of being appreciated is that , contrary to what has always been hypothesi zed, the flour obtained through this process is particularly rich in fiber andprotein compared to traditional artichoke flours .

[0052] A person skilled in the art will be able to make modi fications to the embodiments described above and / or substitute described elements with equivalent elements , in order to satis fy particular requirements , without departing from the scope of the accompanying claims .

Claims

CLAIMS1. Process for obtaining an artichoke-based flour comprising the steps of:A) preparing the raw material;B) shredding the raw material;C) squeezing the raw material to remove the excess water;D) drying the raw material subjected to steps B) and C) ; andE) milling and / or grinding the raw material subjected to the drying step; wherein said raw material used consists of at least 85% by weight of waste from artichoke processing.

2. Process according to claim 1, characterised in that said artichoke processing waste comprises outer bracts and / or stem.

3. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said artichoke processing waste belongs to the set consisting of bracts, and / or apical part of the dome, and / or choke, and / or heart, and / or stem.

4. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said raw material used in step A) consists of at least 90% by weight of artichoke processing waste.

5. Process according to the preceding claim,characterised in that said raw material used in step A) consists of at least 95% by weight of artichoke processing waste.

6. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said bracts have a width comprised between 5 cm and 8 cm, a maximum length of 10 cm, a thickness comprised between 0.6 cm and 3 cm, and a weight per single leaf comprised between 5 gr and 10 gr .

7. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said stems have a length comprised between 10 cm and 13 cm, a thickness comprised between 0.1 cm and 1 cm, and a weight comprised between 25 gr and 52 gr .

8. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said step C) is carried out with a mechanical-type rolling mill.

9. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said drying step d) is carried out with a static oven at a temperature comprised between 105°C and 145°C, for a time comprised between 60 minutes and 180 minutes.

10. Process according to any one of claims 1-9, characterised in that said drying step D) is carried out with a flash dryer at a temperature comprised between 100°C and 125°C, for a time comprised between 3 secondsand 20 seconds, to be repeated several times, at least twice .

11. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at the end of step D) of drying the raw material subjected to steps B) and C) , the final moisture of the product obtained is comprised between 5% and 25% by weight with respect to the total weight .

12. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at the end of step D) of drying the raw material subjected to steps B) and C) the weight of the raw material has decreased by 70% - 85% with respect to the weight thereof after the first drying step D) .

13. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said raw material subjected to said drying step is subjected to milling with rotor mill with cylinder from 250 micrometres up to 120 micrometres .

14. Process according to any one of claims 1-12, characterised in that said raw material subjected to said drying step is subjected to milling with a blade mill with an output flour size of about 200 micrometres.

15. Artichoke flour obtained by a process according to any one of claims 1-14.

16. Artichoke flour according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the fibre content is comprised between 50% by weight and 70% by weight, and preferably around 60% by weight.

17. Artichoke flour according to any one of claims 15-16, characterised in that the vegetable protein content is comprised between 8% by weight and 18% by weight, and preferably around 13% by weight.

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