Agglomerated Potato Starch Composition for Flowability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing dry food compositions containing starch, maltodextrin, lactose, and other flow aids face challenges in removing these additives without compromising quality, particularly in terms of flowability, solubility, and dustiness, and are not suitable for lactose-intolerant consumers.

Innovation Solution

An agglomerated composition comprising 5% to 75% by weight of particulate, expanded, gelatinized potato starch and 25% to 95% by weight of an edible solid particulate component, which improves flowability, solubility, and reduces dustiness, while eliminating the need for maltodextrin and lactose, and maintains flavor and color neutrality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If maltodextrin is used as adhesion material for agglomeration, then agglomeration function is improved, but consumer perception deteriorates due to negative perception in some regions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveagglomeration functionVSAvoidconsumer perception
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts maltodextrin from the composition and replaces it with starch as the sole adhesion material. The starch performs the agglomeration function that previously required maltodextrin, thereby eliminating the ingredient with negative consumer perception while maintaining the desired functional properties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the physical state parameters of starch by using gelatinized and expanded starch particles. This parameter change enables the starch to perform adhesion and agglomeration functions that are typically associated with maltodextrin, allowing substitution without functional loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If maltodextrin is excluded from agglomerated recipes, then consumer perception improves, but agglomeration process does not function properly due to missing adhesion material

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconsumer perceptionVSAvoidagglomeration process
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes to starch by gelatinizing and expanding it, which fundamentally alters its physical properties. The gelatinized and expanded starch particles acquire adhesion capabilities that enable proper agglomeration, replacing the function previously provided by maltodextrin.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite system where gelatinized and expanded starch particles work together to provide both adhesion and structural properties. This composite approach allows the starch to fulfill multiple functions that were previously distributed between starch and maltodextrin.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Device complexity

If maltodextrin is excluded from dry mixes, then ingredient simplification is achieved, but flowability of the mixture decreases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveingredient compositionVSAvoidflowability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical parameters of starch through gelatinization and expansion processes. These parameter changes create a particle structure that provides flowability, allowing the simplified ingredient composition to maintain good flow properties without maltodextrin.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts maltodextrin from the composition and relies solely on modified starch to provide flowability. The gelatinized and expanded starch particles maintain flow properties that previously required maltodextrin, achieving ingredient simplification without functional compromise.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Device complexity

If maltodextrin is excluded from compositions, then ingredient simplification is achieved, but solubility of the mixture decreases when used in hot or boiling water

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveingredient compositionVSAvoidsolubility
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes to starch through gelatinization and expansion, which fundamentally alters its solubility characteristics. The gelatinized structure allows the starch to dissolve properly in hot or boiling water, maintaining solubility function without requiring maltodextrin.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

5Reliability

If lactose is added to improve solubility and act as spacer, then solubility is improved, but sweetness is introduced and lactose-intolerant consumers are excluded

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesolubilityVSAvoidlactose intolerance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts lactose from the composition and replaces its solubility-enhancing and spacing functions with gelatinized and expanded starch particles. This elimination removes the ingredient that causes issues for lactose-intolerant consumers while maintaining the desired solubility properties through starch modification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 composition is well-soluble, free-flowing, and dust-free, offering improved handling and consumer convenience, with enhanced agglomeration properties similar to maltodextrin without its drawbacks, and is suitable for lactose-intolerant individuals.

Implementation Method 1

particulate, expanded, gelatinized potato starch

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGelatinization:

Implementation Method 2

The physically modified starch can be for example Aero-Myl from Südstärke (Germany)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhysical modification of starch:

Implementation Method 3

improve the solubility of such agglomerated compositions

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSolubility improvement: Solvation

Data Source

PatentUS20220022510A1Agglomerated composition comprising an edible solid particulate component and a potato starch
Publication Date: 2022.01.27 CONOPCO INC

AI summary

The objective of the present invention is to provide a composition containing an edible solid particulate component, for example a starch, which is free from additives like maltodextrin, lactose and flowability improvers. Nevertheless, the removal of such additives should not lead to inferior qualities of such composition when in use. The objective of this invention is to provide an alternative to such additives, which has a natural image for consumers, and which can lead to benefits like good dissolution of the starch, no clumping during dissolution, good flowability of a dry mixture in a factory, and which does not lead to a dusty dry powder mixture. This problem has been solved by agglomerating an edible solid particulate component, preferably containing a starch, with particulate, expanded, gelatinized potato starch, to create a dry, particulate, agglomerated composition. The combination of these ingredients leads to improvement of the free-flowability of such mixture, and/or decrease of the dustiness and/or improvement of the solubility of a mixture comprising such ingredients.