Adiabatic Extrusion of Vitamin Extrudates for Microbial Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing easy-to-swallow dietary supplements are not sustainable or cost-effective, as they require additional energy for heating or cooling to achieve microbial reduction, and often compromise food quality or safety.
Innovation Solution
Adiabatic extrusion of a composition comprising semolina and starch powder, with specific viscosity ratios and particle sizes, to quickly reach and maintain pasteurization temperature without external heating or cooling, ensuring microbial safety while maintaining product quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the housing of an extruder is heated to reduce microorganisms, then microbial quality is improved, but energy consumption increases and cost-effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The extrusion process itself generates the necessary heat through adiabatic compression and friction of the material against the extruder walls and screw, eliminating the need for external heating systems. The system uses its own operational energy to achieve pasteurization temperatures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal heating system (housing heater) with a mechanical energy conversion system where mechanical work during extrusion is converted to thermal energy through compression and friction, achieving the same pasteurization effect without thermal input devices
2Productivity
If pasteurization temperature is reached quickly to prevent food waste, then productivity is improved, but temperature control difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the extrusion process (feed rate, screw speed, moisture content) to control the adiabatic heating rate, ensuring temperature reaches pasteurization levels quickly while maintaining stability through parameter optimization rather than active control
3Reliability
If sterilization is applied to kill all microorganisms, then microbial safety is improved, but taste and nutrient content deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial pasteurization rather than complete sterilization, using just enough heat (reaching pasteurization temperature) to reduce microorganisms to safe levels while avoiding the excessive heat treatment that would cause quality degradation
Solution Approach 2:
The rapid adiabatic heating allows the material to quickly pass through the pasteurization temperature zone, achieving microbial reduction without prolonged exposure to high temperatures that would cause quality degradation
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
The method achieves microbial reduction in dietary supplements efficiently and sustainably, meeting microbiological guidelines without additional energy use, while preserving taste and nutritional content.
Implementation Method 1
viscosity of such composition increases in a controlled manner when adiabatic extrusion is started. An increase in viscosity means more friction/pressure, resulting in a temperature which is high enough for pasteurization.
Implementation Method 2
Adiabatic extrusion means to operate with no input or extraction of heat, i.e. the extruder is neither cooled nor heated.
Implementation Method 3
An increase in viscosity means more friction/pressure, resulting in a temperature which is high enough for pasteurization.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to extrudates comprising water-soluble vitamins and other micronutrients. They are obtainable by adiabatic extrusion. During extrusion, temperature is controlled by the viscosity of the composition which is being extruded. Pasteurization temperature is reached, i.e. the extrudates of the invention meet the requirements set out in microbiological guidelines.