Alternative Meat Structuring via Segmented Protein Sheets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for producing alternative meat products struggle to precisely structure whole meat cuts that mimic the appearance, texture, and mouthfeel of natural meat, due to the complexity of muscle tissue structures and the trade-off between precision and scalability in existing technologies.
Innovation Solution
The development of scalable methods using microtechnology to create protein building blocks, such as sheets and fibrils, which are assembled with edible binders to form three-dimensional structures that replicate the muscle fibre-like structures of natural meat, including the use of micro-imprinting to create grooved sheets and combining fibrils with different stability binders to achieve fibre separation upon mastication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If high-resolution 3D printing is used to achieve precise structuring of alternative meat products, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to compromised speed and scalability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the meat product into multiple thin sheets that are stacked and bound together. Each sheet can be independently processed at high speed, and the segmentation allows parallel processing while maintaining the overall structural precision of the final product through controlled assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from attempting to create precise 3D structures directly (which limits speed) to creating precise 2D sheets that are then stacked in the third dimension. This dimensional approach allows high-speed 2D processing while achieving 3D structural precision through controlled stacking and binding.
2Productivity
If conventional structuring methods like shear cell and high-moisture extrusion cooking are used, then productivity is improved through scalability, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to inability to achieve required precision for meat-like ATM
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex 3D structuring task into simpler 2D sheet formation followed by stacking. This allows each segment (sheet formation) to be optimized for high-speed scalable production while the assembly segment (stacking and binding) achieves the required structural precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary structuring of individual sheets with precise patterns before assembly. This preliminary action allows each sheet to be independently precision-engineered using scalable methods, and the final precision is achieved through controlled stacking and binding of these pre-structured sheets.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to scalable methods for the production of artificial meat products that mimic the appearance, texture, and mouthfeel (ATM) of natural meat cuts. These methods involve providing multiple building blocks of edible protein, such as grooved sheets, fibrils or fibres of edible protein, and combining the building blocks with an edible binder to produce the artificial meat product. Methods are provided along with apparatus for performing the methods and artificial meat products produced by the methods.