Method for producing mixed fruit product using multi-fruit powder and the product thereof

Abstract

By using the method for manufacturing mixed molded fruit according to the present invention, fruits with low marketability can be effectively utilized, thereby reducing the waste of food resources, and food products with new flavors and nutritional profiles can be produced by mixing various types of fruits. Furthermore, by using fruit powder, the effect of concentrating nutrients and improving preservation can be expected, and mixed molded fruit can be provided that can be manufactured in various shapes and sizes and has excellent texture and mouthfeel to satisfy diverse tastes.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing mixed molded fruit, and more specifically, to a method for manufacturing a new type of mixed molded fruit with various fruit flavors mixed by pulverizing various types of fruit with low marketability, attaching them to a fruit core, and molding it, and to a mixed molded fruit manufactured by said method. Background Technology

[0002] Fruits occupy an important position in the human diet and contribute significantly to health promotion by providing abundant vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. However, due to various factors occurring during the agricultural production process, not all fruits meet marketability. A significant amount of fruit is currently discarded and cannot be shipped to market due to external defects such as size, shape, and color, or physical damage during harvesting and distribution.

[0003] These problems extend beyond mere economic losses to include environmental and ethical issues. The waste of food resources poses a challenge to sustainable agricultural production, and greenhouse gases generated during waste disposal processes accelerate climate change. Furthermore, given the persistent global food shortages, such waste raises ethical concerns.

[0004] Various attempts have been made to solve this problem since the past. The most common method is to process fruits with low marketability into juice, jam, or fruit puree. This method has the advantage of preserving the fruit's nutrients while enhancing its marketability. However, in this process, the fruit's natural aroma or taste is completely altered, leading to a decline in consumer preference, and in some cases, the health benefits of the fruit are diminished due to added sugar or preservatives during processing.

[0005] Another method involves making it into a jelly form using fruit puree. This method has the advantage of preserving the nutrients of the fruit while providing a new texture. However, this method also has the problem that it is difficult to maintain the fruit's natural aroma or taste, and that sugar or preservatives are added during the processing. The problem to be solved

[0006] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a method for manufacturing mixed molded fruit that effectively utilizes fruits with low marketability, preserves the natural aroma or taste of the fruit, and allows for the enjoyment of various flavors by mixing the flavors of several fruits.

[0007] In addition, another problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a mixed molded fruit produced by the above-described manufacturing method. means of solving the problem

[0008] A method for manufacturing mixed molded fruit according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problem comprises: a fruit selection and pretreatment step of selecting one or more types of fruit, washing the selected fruit, and pretreating it; a fruit powdering step of powdering the pretreated fruit; a core fruit preparation step of selecting a fruit to serve as a core, washing it, and pretreating it; a powder attachment step of attaching the fruit powder obtained in the fruit powdering step to the surface of the core fruit; and a molding step of molding the shape of the fruit to which the fruit powder obtained in the powder attachment step is attached. The fruit selection and pretreatment step includes removing the peel, damaged parts, or seeds of the selected fruit; the core fruit preparation step includes removing the peel or seeds of the fruit to serve as a core and cutting it into a predetermined size and shape; and the molding step may include placing the fruit to which the fruit powder obtained in the powder attachment step is attached into a mold having a predetermined shape, heating it, and then cooling it at room temperature.

[0009] The fruit powdering step may include: a segmentation step in which the fruit pretreated in the fruit sorting and pretreatment step is finely cut into segments; a freeze-drying step in which the fruit segmented in the segmentation step is placed in a freeze-dryer and freeze-dried at -40℃ to -80℃; a grinding step in which the fruit freeze-dried in the freeze-drying step is placed in a grinder and ground into fruit powder with a size of 100 to 200 mesh; and a hot air drying step in which the fruit powder ground in the grinding step is hot air dried.

[0010] The powder attachment step may include: a step of immersing the core fruit in an edible gelatin solution; a step of placing the core fruit together with the fruit powder into a rotating drum and rotating it to attach the fruit powder to the core fruit; and a step of drying the core fruit with the attached fruit powder at room temperature.

[0011] The above core fruit preparation step may include making fine cuts on the surface of the core fruit or performing surface treatment with an edible enzyme.

[0012] To solve the other problems mentioned above, a mixed molded fruit manufactured by any one of the mixed molded fruit manufacturing methods may be provided. Effects of the invention

[0013] By using the method for manufacturing mixed molded fruit according to the present invention, fruits with low marketability can be effectively utilized, thereby reducing the waste of food resources, and various types of fruits can be mixed to create food products with new flavors and nutritional profiles. Furthermore, by using fruit powder, nutrient concentration and improved preservation can be expected, and products can be manufactured in various shapes and sizes. The excellent texture and mouthfeel allow for the satisfaction of diverse tastes. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a method for manufacturing a mixed molded fruit according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0015] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to specific embodiments and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments of the present invention. In relation to the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar components.

[0016] In this specification, expressions such as “have,” “may have,” “include,” or “may include” indicate the presence of such features (e.g., numerical values, functions, actions, or components, etc.) and do not exclude the presence of additional features.

[0017] In this specification, expressions such as “A or B,” “at least one of A or / and B,” or “one or more of A or / and B” may include all possible combinations of items listed together. For example, “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” or “at least one of A or B” may refer to cases including (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) both at least one A and at least one B.

[0018] As used herein, the expression “Configured to” may be replaced, depending on the context, with, for example, “Suitable for,” “Having the capacity to,” “Designed to,” “Adapted to,” “Made to,” or “Capable of.” The term “Configured to” does not necessarily mean only “Specifically designed to.”

[0019] The terms used in this specification are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of other embodiments. A singular expression may include a plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, may have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art described herein. Terms used in this specification that are defined in a general dictionary may be interpreted as having the same or similar meaning as they have in the context of the relevant technology, and are not to be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this specification. In some cases, even terms defined in this specification may not be interpreted to exclude the embodiments of this specification.

[0020] The embodiments disclosed in this specification are presented for the purpose of explaining and understanding the disclosed technical content and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of this specification should be interpreted to include all modifications or various other embodiments based on the technical concept of the invention.

[0021] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. Prior to this, terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, and should be interpreted in a meaning and concept consistent with the technical spirit of the present invention, based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the terms to best describe his invention.

[0022] Therefore, it should be understood that the configurations of the embodiments described in this specification are merely some of the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention, and that various equivalents and modifications that can replace them may exist at the time of filing this application.

[0023] Throughout the specification, when a part is described as "including" a certain component, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components.

[0024] The present invention will be described in detail below.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a method for manufacturing mixed molded fruit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a method for manufacturing mixed molded fruit according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a fruit sorting and pretreatment step, a fruit powdering step, a core fruit preparation step, a powder attachment step, and a molding step.

[0028] First, so-called 'ugly fruits' are selected and pre-processed, such as fruits with poor marketability, for example, fruits that are irregular in shape or do not meet market standards, fruits with peels that are different in color from consumer expectations such as green tangerines or yellow apples, fruits that are bruised or scratched from falling to the ground during harvesting, fruits with slight scratches on the surface caused by bugs or other insects, and fruits damaged during storage and transportation.

[0029] The selected fruits are thoroughly washed, and if necessary, the peels are removed, damaged or blemished parts are removed, or seeds are removed if present. At this stage, the condition of the fruits is closely inspected, and any rotten or diseased parts are removed.

[0031] Next, a fruit pulverization step is performed to pulverize the pre-treated fruit.

[0032] The above fruit powdering step can be performed in the order of a segmentation step, a freeze-drying step, a grinding step, and a hot-air drying step.

[0033] In the above segmentation step, the pre-processed fruit is segmented into pieces approximately 5 mm to 10 mm in size. At this time, the size of the segmented fruit is not limited to the above size and can be adjusted to an appropriate size depending on the type of fruit.

[0034] In the freeze-drying step above, the segmented fruit is placed in a freeze-dryer and freeze-dried at approximately -40°C to -80°C for approximately 24 hours. Through the freeze-drying step above, moisture can be removed while preserving the fruit's unique flavor and nutritional components to the maximum extent.

[0035] In the grinding step described above, the freeze-dried fruit is placed in a grinder and ground into fruit powder with a size of approximately 100 to 200 mesh. If the size of the fruit powder is less than 100 mesh, the dispersibility of the powders is poor in the powder attachment step described later, making uniform dispersion difficult and causing the powders to clump together, resulting in poor workability and potentially lowering the texture and marketability of the mixed molded fruit. If the size of the fruit powder exceeds 200 mesh, the adhesive strength of the powders is reduced, making attachment and molding difficult, and the powder may fall off or have a rough texture during the distribution process of the mixed molded fruit, which may lower consumer preference.

[0036] In the hot air drying step, the crushed fruit powder is hot air dried at a temperature of about 40 to 50°C for about 2 hours to control the moisture content to 5% or less. The hot air drying step improves the shelf life of the fruit powder and prevents the powder particles from clumping together.

[0038] Next, a core fruit preparation step is performed to select and preprocess a core fruit that will serve as the core of the above-mentioned mixed molded fruit.

[0039] In the core fruit preparation step, a fruit (e.g., apple, pear, peach, banana, strawberry, etc.) to serve as the core of the mixed molded fruit is selected, and if necessary, the peel or seeds are removed, and the core fruit is made by cutting it into a cube shape of about 1 cm to 5 cm in size or a sphere with a diameter of about 1 cm to 5 cm. At this time, the size or shape of the core fruit is not particularly limited and can be adjusted to an appropriate size or shape depending on the type of fruit or the product planning intention.

[0040] The surface of the core fruit can be roughened as needed to ensure good adhesion of the powder. To achieve this, fine incisions can be made or the surface can be treated with edible enzymes.

[0042] The above powder attachment step can be performed in the following order.

[0043] i) The core fruit is immersed in an edible gelatin solution with a concentration of about 5% for about 30 seconds. The gelatin solution helps the powder adhere and improves the texture of the mixed molded fruit.

[0044] ii) The core fruit removed from the gelatin solution is placed in a rotating drum together with the pre-prepared fruit powder. At this time, the ratio of the core fruit to the fruit powder is adjusted to between 1:0.5 and 1:1.

[0045] iii) Rotate the rotary drum at a speed of about 20 rpm for about 5 minutes to uniformly attach the fruit powder to the core fruit. The rotation speed and time can be adjusted according to the type of fruit and the desired degree of attachment.

[0046] iv) Remove the attached fruit and dry it at room temperature for about 10 minutes. During this process, excess powder naturally falls off, and only an appropriate amount of powder adheres to the core.

[0048] Finally, a molding step is performed to mold the fruit with the powder attachment completed into the final product form of the mixed molded fruit.

[0049] In the above molding step, first, the fruit with the powder attached is placed into a silicone mold. The shape of the silicone mold can be selected in various ways, such as spherical, oval, or star shapes, to suit the final product plan of the mixed molded fruit.

[0050] The above silicone mold is placed in an oven preheated to about 60°C and heated for about 15 minutes. During this process, the core fruit and the fruit powder particles attached to the core fruit combine with each other, and the overall shape is stabilized.

[0051] Afterward, remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes to complete the above-mentioned mixed molded fruit. During this process, the texture of the product can be further stabilized and the internal temperature can be made uniform. If necessary, an edible coating can be added to the surface to enhance shelf life.

[0053] The present invention will be described in more detail below through examples. These examples are intended solely to explain the present invention more specifically, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the scope of the present invention is not limited by these examples according to the gist of the present invention.

[0055] Examples

[0056] Example 1

[0057] Strawberries, kiwis, and mangoes with poor appearance and marketability were each washed, and after removing the stems of the strawberries and the peels and seeds of the kiwis and mangoes, they were each cut into pieces of 10 mm in size. The cut fruits were mixed in a ratio of 40% by weight of strawberries, 30% by weight of kiwis, and 30% by weight of mangoes, and placed in a freeze-dryer to freeze-dry for 24 hours while varying the temperature from -40℃ to -80℃. The freeze-dried mixed fruit was placed in a grinder and ground to a size of 150 mesh, and then hot-air dried at a temperature of 45℃ for 2 hours to prepare mixed fruit powder.

[0058] After washing pears with poor appearance and removing the skin and seeds to be used as core fruits, the core fruits were cut into 4 cm cube shapes, and fine cuts were made on the surface of the core fruits.

[0059] After immersing the core fruit in a 5% concentration edible gelatin solution for 30 seconds, it was placed in a rotating drum together with the mixed fruit powder and rotated at a speed of about 20 rpm for 5 minutes to sufficiently adhere the mixed fruit powder to the core fruit. Afterward, it was dried at room temperature for 10 minutes, placed in a spherical silicone mold with a diameter of 4 cm, and heated in an oven preheated to 60°C for 15 minutes. After removing it from the oven, it was cooled at room temperature for 30 minutes to produce a mixed molded fruit.

[0061] Example 2

[0062] Mixed molded fruit was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the size of the mixed fruit powder particles was 100 mesh.

[0064] Example 3

[0065] Mixed molded fruit was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the size of the mixed fruit powder particles was 200 mesh.

[0067] Example 4

[0068] Mixed molded fruit was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that fine cuts were not made on the surface of the core fruit.

[0070] Comparative Example 1

[0071] Mixed molded fruit was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the size of the mixed fruit powder particles was 50 mesh.

[0073] Comparative Example 2

[0074] Mixed molded fruit was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the size of the mixed fruit powder particles was 250 mesh.

[0076] Comparative Example 3

[0077] Without core fruit, the mixed fruit powder of Example 1 and an edible gelatin solution were mixed in a weight ratio of 9:1 and dried at room temperature for 10 minutes. After drying, the mixture was placed in the spherical silicone mold of Example 1 and heated in an oven preheated to 60°C for 15 minutes. After removing from the oven, the mixture was cooled at room temperature for 30 minutes to produce a mixed molded fruit.

[0079] Experimental Example 1: Visual observation of the appearance of mixed molded fruit

[0080] The mixed molded fruits prepared in Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4 were visually inspected to evaluate the powder adhesion state and surface texture, and the results are shown in Table 2 below. The powder adhesion state was evaluated by assessing whether the powder particles were uniformly and well adhered across the entire surface, and the surface texture was evaluated by assessing whether the powder particles on the surface had a smooth surface condition without clumping or clumping. Each was evaluated using a 10-point scale (10 points: very good, 5 points: average, 1 point: very bad).

[0081] Powder adhesion state Surface texture Example 1 10 10 Example 2 9 8 Example 3 7 8 Example 4 6 8 Comparative Example 1 4 2 Comparative Example 2 2 2 Comparative Example 3 9 9

[0082] Referring to Table 1 above, it was visually confirmed that the uniform adhesion of the powder in the examples was significantly superior compared to Comparative Examples 1 and 2, and in the case of Comparative Example 3, it was visually confirmed that there was no difference in adhesion or surface texture compared to the examples.

[0084] Experimental Example 2: Sensory Evaluation

[0085] Each of the mixed molded fruits prepared in Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 above was used as an experimental group to conduct sensory evaluations of the flavor, texture, mouthfeel, and overall preference of various fruits, and the results are shown in Table 2 below.

[0086] The above sensory evaluation was conducted on 30 panelists (15 men and 15 women) with more than 5 years of sensory evaluation experience in the food industry using a 10-point scale (10 points: very good, 5 points: average, 1 point: very bad).

[0087] Various fruit flavors Texture and texture Overall preference Example 1 9.4 9.7 9.7 Example 2 9.5 9.2 9.3 Example 3 9.1 9.1 9.0 Example 4 9.3 9.2 9.1 Comparative Example 1 8.8 5.3 5.7 Comparative Example 2 8.9 4.8 6.2 Comparative Example 3 4.2 2.3 3.1

[0088] Referring to Table 2 above, it was confirmed that the examples had various flavors of mixed fruit compared to Comparative Examples 1 to 3, and in particular, had significantly superior effects compared to the Comparative Examples in terms of texture, mouthfeel, and overall palatability. In the case of Comparative Example 3, which was molded only with powder without core fruit, it was confirmed that the texture and mouthfeel received significantly lower evaluations.

Claims

Claim 1 A fruit sorting and pretreatment step comprising selecting one or more types of fruit, washing the selected fruit, and pretreating it; a segmentation step comprising finely cutting the pretreated fruit into segments; a freeze-drying step comprising freeze-drying the segmented fruit at -40℃ to -80℃ for 24 hours; a grinding step comprising grinding the freeze-dried fruit into fruit powder with a size of 100 to 200 mesh; and a hot-air drying step comprising hot-air drying the ground fruit powder at 40 to 50℃ for 2 hours; a core fruit preparation step comprising selecting a fruit to serve as a core, washing it to remove the peel or seeds, cutting it into a predetermined size and shape, and making fine cuts on the surface of the core fruit or performing surface treatment with an edible enzyme; a powder attachment step comprising immersing the core fruit in an edible gelatin solution; placing the core fruit together with the fruit powder into a rotating drum and rotating it to attach the fruit powder to the core fruit; and drying the core fruit with the attached fruit powder at room temperature. A method for manufacturing mixed molded fruit, comprising: a molding step in which the fruit powder obtained in the powder attachment step is placed into a mold having a predetermined shape and heated, and then cooled at room temperature; wherein the fruit sorting and pretreatment step comprises removing the peel, damaged parts, or seeds of the sorted fruit. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 delete Claim 4 delete Claim 5 Mixed molded fruit produced by the method of producing mixed molded fruit of claim 1.

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