Animal Food Core Shell Texture Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal food products with a soft core and crispy shell fail to maintain a distinct texture difference over time due to moisture diffusion, compromising microbiological safety and oxidative stability, and require complex extrusion processes that can be prone to clogging.
Innovation Solution
A method involving mixing and processing core and shell materials to create core particles, either by baking or cold forming, which are then coated and baked or deep-fried to produce an animal food product with a crispy shell that maintains texture distinction and microbiological safety, using specific ingredient ratios and processing conditions to prevent moisture barrier formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If extrusion and co-extrusion methods are used to produce animal food products with core and shell, then the products can achieve a dual texture structure, but the production process becomes complex and prone to clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The production process is divided into separate stages: first producing core particles through mixing and baking/cold forming, then coating these pre-formed particles with shell material. This segmentation avoids the complexity of simultaneous co-extrusion while achieving the desired dual texture structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The core particles are prepared in advance through mixing, baking, and cutting before being coated with shell material. This preliminary preparation of core particles simplifies the overall production process and eliminates the need for complex co-extrusion equipment.
2Stability of the object's composition
If moisture-resistant barrier layers are added to separate core and shell, then texture difference can be maintained, but the product structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The shell material's moisture content is specifically controlled within ranges of 5-20% or 10-15% to create a naturally moisture-resistant structure without adding separate barrier layers. This parameter optimization maintains texture difference while simplifying product structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The shell is formulated as a composite material containing cereal derivative (30-70 parts), protein (10-40 parts), and controlled moisture content, creating an inherently moisture-resistant structure that eliminates the need for additional barrier layers.
3Ease of operation
If the shell material has high moisture content, then the product is more palatable, but moisture diffusion occurs from core to shell compromising safety and stability
Solution Approach 1:
The shell's moisture content is precisely controlled within specific ranges (5-20% or 10-15%) to balance palatability with moisture resistance. This parameter optimization prevents excessive moisture diffusion while maintaining acceptable product texture and palatability.
Solution Approach 2:
The shell structure incorporates cereal derivative and protein in specific ratios creating a controlled porous structure that allows sufficient moisture content for palatability while limiting excessive moisture diffusion from the core, thereby maintaining microbiological safety.
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 allows for simple production of animal food products with a long-lasting texture difference between the soft core and crispy shell, ensuring microbiological safety and oxidative stability, even with high moisture content, and easy handling and storage.
Implementation Method 1
baking the mixture thus obtained
Implementation Method 2
deep-frying and then conditioning
Implementation Method 3
the transition between the soft core and the hard shell is more or less fluid; especially after a lengthy storage time, the texture of the two components becomes so similar
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method of producing an animal food product with a core and a shell at least partially covering the core, in which the core starting material includes meat and/or meat-like components, water, oil and/or fat, vitamins, minerals, salts, antioxidising agents, dyes and/or preservatives, vegetable fibres, and other ingredients. The shell starting material includes vegetable and/or animal protein, cereal, starch and/or dextrin, blood plasma, water, cereal derivative and/or sugar or sugar derivative, and vitamins, minerals, salts, antioxidising agents, dyes and/or preservatives. The method includes the steps of: either producing core particles by mixing the core materials, baking the mixture thus obtained, conditioning, cutting into small pieces and conditioning again, or producing core particles by mixing the core materials, cold forming the mixture thus obtained and cutting it into small pieces, and then mixing the core particles with the components of the shell in a coating pan, baking or deep-frying and finally conditioning.