A Preparation Method for 3D Printing Snacks Using Insect Protein Powder

Abstract

The present invention provides a preparation method for 3D printing snacks using insect protein powder. It comprises the following steps: mixing defatted insect protein powder with a heat-stable thickening agent; adding a composite liquid containing glycerol and sodium citrate, and shearing to form a gel-like paste; forming an initial thermoregulatory structure through low-temperature curing; using a temperature-controlled food 3D printing device for layer-by-layer deposition printing; after printing, allowing it to stand at room temperature to achieve self-stabilization of the structure.

Description

Technical Field The present invention relates to the field of 3D printing snack technology, and particularly pertains to . Background Technology With the development of personalized nutrition and sustainable food concepts, 3D printing food is gradually demonstrating its unique industrial potential. Compared with traditional food processing methods, 3D printing technology can achieve the production of complex shape structures and precise control, especially being suitable for the development of customized snacks, such as designing fun-shaped snacks for children or customizing healthy food with specic nutritional ratios for certain groups. Moreover, 3D printing snacks using insect protein powder not only have advantages such as high protein content and low carbon emissions, but also can reduce raw material waste during the printing process, conforming to the green and sustainable development trend. Currently, some food enterprises and research institutions have begun to explore the 3D printing of insect protein, attempting to launch customized printed products for tness, elderly or vegetarian groups, demonstrating the good market prospects and industrial extensibility of this technology. At present, the common preparation methods for 3D printing snacks using insect protein powder usually involve mixing the protein powder with water or other additives (such as glycerin, gelatin) to prepare a printable paste-like printing material, and then printing it using a food 3D printing device based on the principle of fused deposition. However, due to the thermal denaturation property of insect protein itself and its poor water absorption, it is prone to water precipitation, protein contraction or thermal condensation within the temperature control range of the printing nozzle at 30-50 °C, which leads to unstable printing paste structure, decreased inter-layer bonding force during the printing process, broken printing lines, and even overall printing failure. Therefore, is proposed. Contents of Invention In View of this, the present invention provides to solve or alleviate the technical problems existing in the prior art, and at least provide a benecial alternative. The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: , including the following steps: Sl: Mixing the defatted insect protein powder with edible heat-stable thickening agent at a preset mass ratio. The heat-stable thickening agent includes crosslinkable polysaccharide substances and protein structure stabilizers; Wherein, polysaccharide substances are selected from xanthan gum, konjac gum or their combinations; protein structure stabilizers are selected from calcium lactate, casein phosphate peptide or their combinations; it is used to enhance the crosslinking and elastic structure stability of the gel-like paste under heating conditions; Step S2: Slowly adding the mixture obtained in Step Sl with a composite liquid, the composite liquid includes water, glycerol and 0.1-0.5 wt% sodium citrate, controlling the overall water content of the gel-like paste to be within 35% to 45%, and perform high-speed shearing at a shear speed of 8000-12000 rpm for 10-30 minutes to fully disperse the components and form a controlled particle size distribution gel-like paste; Step S3: The gel-like paste obtained in Step S2 is aged at 4 -10 °C for 1-3 hours to induce partial ionic crosslinking and the initial formation of non-covalent structures. Step S4: Filling the gel-like paste obtained in Step S3 into a temperature-controlled food 3D printing device, controlling the printing nozzle temperature to be 35 -50 OC, and the printing speed to be within 20-40 mm / s, build the target snack structure by layer-by-layer deposition, and during the printing process, the thermal response network of the gel-like paste is used to inhibit water evaporation and protein contraction phenomena; Step SS: Placing the printed snack product in a 20-25 °C environment for 0.5-1 hour to allow the stable structure network constructed by the heat-stable structure network built in Steps 8183 to spontaneously complete the stable structure reformation. Further preferably, the dehydrated insect protein powder in Step Sl is selected from mealworm powder, mealworm beetle powder or cricket powder, and its particle size is controlled within the range of 80-200 mesh; the mass ratio of the dehydrated insect protein powder to the heat-stable thickening agent is 3:1-5:l, and it is continuously homogenized mixed through a twin-screw mixer. Further preferably, the composite liquid in Step SZ is pre-treated at a constant temperature of 45 °C before being added, and is continuously dripped into the mixture at a ow rate of 0.5-1.5 mL / s through a peristaltic pump, and the shear rate during the process is controlled at 8000-12000 rpm to promote the formation of a uniformly viscous gel-like paste with viscoelasticity. Further preferably, the maturation process in Step S3 is a combination of static maturation and intermittent stirring, with stirring once every 30 minutes and each stirring lasting 5 minutes, and the stirring speed is 200 rpm, which is used to induce the directional construction of the initial gel network and prevent the separation of the aqueous phase. Further preferably, the printing nozzle diameter in Step S4 is controlled within 0.6-1.0 mm, the printing path adopts a spiral inward progressive trajectory, and the printing platform temperature is controlled at 18-22 °C by the substrate temperature control system, which is used to inhibit the premature collapse of the printing layer. Further preferably, the temperature-controlled food 3D printing equipment used in Step S4 is equipped with an online detection module for paste viscosity, which operates based on a rotational shear viscosity detector and is used to monitor the rheological changes of the paste in real time and dynamically adjust the feed speed of the nozzle when the viscosity exceeds the set range. Further preferably, in Step SS, the non-covalent complex cross-linking interaction between the heat-stable thickening agent and the protein in the gel-like paste occurs, specically including hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions and calcium ion-induced cross-linking interactions, and the protein structure network is stabilized and closed without relying on external heat sources or chemical catalysts. Further preferably, the method also includes a avor modication step after Step SS, where natural spices such as cinnamon powder, vanilla extract or edible mint oil are micro-coated on the surface of the formed food, used to mask the original odor of the insect protein. The implementation methods of the present invention have the following advantages: The present invention uses the combination of composite polysaccharides and protein structure stabilizers to introduce a supporting framework with thermal-responsive cross-linking ability at the raw material mixing stage, and forms a gel-like paste with viscoelasticity and rheological stability through the composite liquid containing sodium citrate and controlled shear technology. The three-dimensional microstructure network is initially established through low-temperature maturation, effectively improving the water resistance and thermal structure retention ability of the paste during heating and deposition. In the printing process, the temperature-controlled nozzle is coordinated with the platform temperature control, and the printing path design is combined with the online viscosity monitoring module for co-regulation to achieve the uniformity and continuity of the gel-like paste during deposition, avoiding the problems of line breakage and layer separation in traditional schemes. The above overview is merely for the purpose of the description and does not intend to restrict in any way. In addition to the illustrative aspects, implementation methods and features described above, the further aspects, implementation methods and features of the present invention will be readily apparent from the reference to the drawings and the following detailed description. Explanation on Drawings To better illustrate the technical solutions in this application implementation method or the existing technology, the following will briey introduce the required attached gures in the description of the implementation method or the existing technology. Obviously, the attached gures described below are only some implementation methods of this application, and for ordinary technicians in the eld, they can obtain other attched gures without making creative efforts. Drawing 1 is the owchart of the preparation steps of the invention. Specic Implementation Method In the following text, only some exemplary implementation methods are briey described. As the skilled in the eld can recognize, without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention, various different modications can be made to the described implementation methods. Therefore, the attached gures and descriptions are considered to be essentially exemplary rather than restrictive. The following will provide detailed explanations of the implementation methods of this invention in combination with the attached drawings. Implementation method 1 This implementation method aims to provide a basic formulation path based on barley pest protein powder to optimize the homogeneity of the paste structure and the stability of the molding, and specically includes the following steps: Step Sl: Using defatted barley pest protein powder with a particle size controlled at 120 mesh, and the protein content is not less than 58%. Mixing the barley pest protein powder with a heat-stable thickening agent in a mass ratio of 4:1. The heat-stable thickening agent is a composite liquid of xanthan gum and calcium lactate, where the mass ratio of xanthan gum is 3% and the mass ratio of calcium lactate is 2%. The mixture is carried out in a twin-screw mixer to improve homogeneity and dispersion efciency; Step S2: Subsequently, slowly adding the composite liquid (composed of distilled water, glycerol, and 0.3 wt% sodium citrate) that has been pre-treated at 45 °C. The composite liquid is continuously dripped at a speed of 1.0 mL / s by a peristaltic pump, and is subjected to highspeed shearing at a shear speed of 10,000 rpm for 20 minutes to fully disperse and form a gel-like paste with uniform particle size. The water content of the gellike paste is controlled at 40%; Step S3: Placing the gel-like paste in a 4 °C environment and let it stand for 2 hours. Performing intermittent stirring at 200 rpm every 30 minutes to induce the formation of directional micro-gel networks and preventing the water phase from stratication; Step S4: Filling the gel-like paste into a temperature-controlled food 3D printing device, using a 0.8 mm nozzle, with a nozzle temperature set at 40°C, a printing speed of 30 mm / s, and a printing path of a spiral inward progressive trajectory. The temperature of the printing substrate is controlled at 20 °C; lntegrating an online viscosity detection module, and monitor the viscosity changes of the gel-like paste by a rotational shear viscosity sensor. When deviating from the target range, automatically adjust the feeding rate to ensure the continuity of the printing; Step SS: After the printing is completed, place the snack product in a 22 °C environment and let it stand for 1 hour. Relying on the therrnoregulatory cross-linking network constructed by Sl-S3, achieving the stable reconstitution of the protein-polysaccharide composite structure, and nally obtaining a layer-forming stable, smooth surface, and non-collapse structure proteinprinted snack. Implementation method 2: Enhancement of the structure based on the protein powder of yellow mealworms This implementation method aims to enhance the cross-linking ability and viscoelastic properties to improve the printing stability and resistance to thermal denaturation, specically including the following steps: Step Sl: Using defatted yellow bug protein powder with a particle size of 180 mesh, and mixing it with konj ac gum and casein phosphate peptide in a mass ratio of 3:1. The konj ac gum accounts for 4% and casein phosphate peptide accounts for 1%. The mixing operation is carried out through a twin-screw mixer to obtain good initial dispersion; Step S2: Adding the pre-treated composite liquid (containing 0.5 wt% sodium citrate) at a control drip speed of 1.2 mL / s, and processing it at a high shear speed of 12,000 rpm for 15 minutes. The nal water content of the gel-like paste is 37%; Step S3: The gel-like paste is left to mature at 6 °C for 1 hour without stirring to facilitate the uniform formation of the natural gel structure and to enhance the stability and viscoelastic properties of the molding. Step S4: The gel-like paste is loaded into a food 3D printing device with a viscosity monitoring module, with a nozzle diameter of 0.6mm, nozzle temperature of 38°C, platform temperature of 18°C, and the printing path is a closed curve. The printing speed is 25mm / s. Step SS: After printing, it is left to stand naturally for 1 hour. The cross-linked network includes hydrophobic aggregation and calcium ion-induced condensation processes, and the protein-polysaccharide composite mesh structure can be stably and completely reformed without external catalysis. The obtained nished product has tight interlayer bonding and good thermal reversion resistance and shape retention. Implementation method 3: Combined using of cricket protein powder and avor modication This implementation method optimizes the avor acceptability while maintaining the structural stability, and enhances the consumer experience. The specic steps include: Step Sl: Using 100-mesh defatted cricket powder with a protein content of approximately 60%, and mixing it with xanthan gum and calcium lactate complex in a mass ratio of 5:1. The xanthan gum is 2.5%, and calcium lactate is 2%. The mixture is processed using a twin-screw mixer to optimize the pre-mix dispersion state. Step S2: The composite liquid consists of distilled water, glycerol, and 0.4wt% sodium citrate. It is added dropwise at a speed of 0.8mL / s to the mixture, with a shear speed of 9000rpm, and sheared for 30 minutes to form a uniformly structured gel-like paste with a water content of 42%. Step S3: Maturing it at S °C for 2 hours, and assisted in stabilizing the structure development by gently stirring every 45 minutes for 5 minutes (lSOrpm) to prevent the water phase from precipitating. Step S4: The printing uses a 1.0mm nozzle, nozzle temperature of 45 °C, printing speed of 3Smm / s, platform temperature set at 22 °C, and the printing trajectory is a concentric spiral progression. Step SS: After printing, it is left to stand naturally for 1 hour, and surface spraying of cinnamon oil (0.05g / item) for avor modication is performed to effectively mask the original protein odor of insects and enhance the taste acceptability. In this implementation method, "gel-like paste" refers to a semi-uid three-dimensional network material with certain structural stability, thermal response performance, and extrudability, formed by the interaction of insect protein powder with heat-stable thickening agents (xanthan gum, konjac gum) and ionic stabilizers (calcium lactate, casein phosphate peptide) through liquid shearing and ion stabilization. "Thermal response network" refers to the physical cross-linked structure constructed in the gel-like paste that can maintain its shape or self-stabilize and re-form under heating or standing conditions. "Stable structure reformation" refers to the process of forming a nal shape through slow cross-linking and solidication of the protein-polysaccharide network without heating or adding external catalysts after molding. The above are only specic implementation methods of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to this. Any person familiar with the technology in this eld can easily think of various changes or substitutions within the scope of the disclosed technology. These should all be covered within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A preparation method for 3D-printed snacks based on insect protein powder, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: Step Sl: The defatted insect protein powder is placed in a predetermined mass ratio homogeneously mixed with an edible, heat-resistant thickener, where the heat-resistant thickener is a cross-linkable polysaccharide and a protein structure stabilizer; where the polysaccharide is selected from xanthan gum, konjac gum or a combination thereof; the protein structure stabilizer is selected from calcium lactate, casein phosphopeptide or a combination thereof; this to enhance stability of the cross-linked viscoelastic structure of the gel-like paste at heating; Step SZ: Slowly add the mixture obtained in step S1 compound liquid added, where the compound liquid water, glycerol and 0.105 wt% sodium citrate, and the total moisture content of the gel-like paste is regulated between 35% and 45%. Then, at a sliding speed of 8000-12000 rpm for 1030 min at high speed sheared, so that the components are completely dispersed and a controlled particle size distribution is formed in the gel-like paste; Step 83: The gel-like paste obtained in step S2 is left for 13 hours at 410 OC aged to partial ionic cross-links and preliminary to induce non-covalent structures; Step S4: The gel-like paste treated in step S3 is loaded into a temperature controllable food 3D printer, where the nozzle temperature is controlled set to 3550°C, the print speed to 2040mm / s, and the snack structure low layer by layer. During printing, the thermoresponsive network of the gel-like paste used to prevent water separation and protein shrinkage to suppress; Step S5: The printed snack product is placed in the refrigerator at 2025°C for 0.51 hours. left to rest, with the heat-resistant structural element built up in steps S1S3 network spontaneously restructures itself into a stable form.

2. According to claim 1 of the preparation method for 3D printed snacks on insect protein powder base, characterised in that in step S1 the defatted insect protein powder is chosen from mealworm powder, buffalo worm powder or crickets, with a particle size of 80200 mesh; the mass ratio of degreased insect protein powder to heat-resistant thickener is 3:1 to 5:1, and Mixing is carried out continuously and homogeneously using a double screw mixer.

3. According to claim 1 of the preparation method for 3D printed snacks on insect protein powder base, characterised in that the composite liquid in Step S2 before addition is pretreated at 45 °C and with a peristaltic pump is continuously dripped into the mixture at a flow rate of 0.51.5 mL / s; During shearing the speed is set to 8000-12000 rpm to ensure a to form a homogeneous, viscoelastic gel-like paste.

4. According to claim 1 of the preparation method for 3D printed snacks on based on insect protein powder, characterized in that the maturation process in step S3 is a combination of static ripening and intermittent stirring, with stirring every 30 minutes for 5 minutes is stirred at a speed of 200 rpm, to to induce directional construction of the preliminary gel network and to prevent water phase separation.

5. According to claim 1 of the preparation method for 3D printed snacks on insect protein powder base, characterised in that in step S4 the nozzle diameter is set to 0.610mm, the print path is spiral, inward-turning, progressive trajectory, and that the print platform is guided by a temperature controlled system is set at 1822°C to prevent premature to prevent subsidence between the layers.

6. According to claim 1 of the preparation method for 3D printed snacks on based on insect protein powder, characterized by the temperature-adjustable food 3D printer used in step S4 is equipped with an inline viscosity detection module for the paste, where the viscosity detection module works on the basis of a rotating shear viscometer to determine the rheological to monitor changes in the paste in real time, and if the set viscosity limits dynamically adjust the nozzle feed rate to fit.

7. According to claim 1 of the preparation method for 3D printed snacks on insect protein powder base, characterized in that during the structural fixation process in step SS non-covalent complex cross-links occur between the heat-stable thickener and the proteins in the gel-like paste, including hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions and calcium ion-induced cross-links, without external heat sources or chemical catalysts are necessary to stably close the protein structural network.

8. According to claim 1 of the preparation method for 3D printed snacks on based on insect protein powder, characterized in that the method further flavor modification step which is performed after step SS, where the surface of the formed food is treated with a micro coating of natural spices, chosen from cinnamon powder, vanilla extract or edible peppermint oil, to mask the original insect protein smell. Drawing 1