Acid-Treated Legumes for Coffee-Like Product Roastability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Legumes and fruit seeds, such as chickpeas and grape seeds, are not readily used in roasting applications due to their high protein and fiber content, which makes them difficult to roast, grind, and extract, resulting in inefficient roastability, extractability, and grindability.
Innovation Solution
The method involves treating plant materials with an acid in aqueous solution to adjust the pH, followed by roasting and grinding to improve their roastability and extractability, thereby overcoming the challenges of fiber-protein agglomeration and increasing the availability of saccharides, peptides, and free amino acids for downstream reactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If legumes and fruit seeds are used directly in roasting applications, then their high protein and fiber content is preserved, but their roastability, grindability, and extractability become poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary acid treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis to the plant substrates before roasting. This pre-treatment breaks down the complex fiber-protein matrix and releases bound saccharides and amino acids, making the substrates more susceptible to subsequent roasting and grinding operations while preserving their nutritional content
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the plant substrates by treating them with acids (adjusting pH to specific ranges) and enzymes. This modifies the physical and chemical properties of the substrates, improving their processability during roasting and grinding while maintaining their protein and fiber content
2Ease of manufacture
If legumes and fruit seeds are treated with acid and enzymes to improve processability, then their roastability and extractability improve, but the treatment process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses acid and enzymes as intermediary substances to facilitate the breakdown of the fiber-protein matrix. These intermediaries enable the subsequent roasting and grinding processes to proceed more effectively by first loosening the structural bonds between fibers and proteins
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces purely mechanical processing (direct grinding and roasting of intact substrates) with a combination of chemical treatment followed by mechanical processing. The acid and enzymatic treatment pre-softens the substrates, making them easier to process mechanically in subsequent steps
3Stability of the object's composition
If fiber-protein agglomeration is present in plant substrates, then their structural integrity is maintained, but their extractability and roastability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and separates the fiber-protein agglomerates from the saccharide and amino acid components through acid treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. This separation allows the smaller, more mobile saccharides and amino acids to be released and become available for extraction and roastability reactions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the complex fiber-protein-saccharide matrix into separate components through chemical and enzymatic breakdown. This segmentation creates smaller, more accessible molecular structures that can be processed more effectively during roasting and extraction while maintaining overall structural integrity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method successfully enhances the roastability and extractability of legumes and seeds, allowing for the creation of coffee-like products without coffee beans, and improves the sensory qualities and processability of the resulting food products.
Implementation Method 1
treating the plant material with an acid in aqueous solution until the plant material reaches a pH of about 1 to about 5
Implementation Method 2
treating the plant material with an acid in aqueous solution to adjust the pH, followed by roasting and grinding to improve their roastability and extractability, thereby overcoming the challenges of fiber-protein agglomeration and increasing the availability of saccharides, peptides, and free amino acids
Implementation Method 3
Roasting can enhance the sensory qualities (e.g., aromas, flavors, and/or appearance) of certain food products and their ingredients
Implementation Method 4
the Maillard reaction, where amino groups in proteins react with reducing sugars to form aroma and flavor compounds
Implementation Method 5
Strecker degradations where carbonyls react with amino acids to create valuable flavor and aroma producing aldehydes or ketones
Implementation Method 6
caramelization, which uses up remaining sugars in the coffee beans to create dark brown flavor producing compounds
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and materials for processing plant substrates are provided herein, as are compositions containing the processed plant substrates and particularly, methods and materials for processing legumes to produce coffee-like products (e.g., solid soluble instant granules, beverage powders, and liquid extracts and concentrates) that are made without coffee beans, and compositions containing the processed legumes.