Breadcrumb Grain Size Distribution for Uniform Shake-Out Coating

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing breadcrumb-coating technologies face challenges in producing high-quality, uniformly coated food items with good visual appearance and texture, as they often require complex operations and result in separation of components during storage.

Innovation Solution

Breadcrumbs with a specific grain size distribution (8-21% of 2.36 mm or more and 45% or less of 1.18 mm or less) and bulk density (270-600 ml/100g) are used, along with a breadcrumb mix containing these breadcrumbs and a protein material or thickener, applied using a shaker container with a shake-out hole for efficient and uniform coating.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If breadcrumbs are simply mixed with additional components to create a breadcrumb mix, then the mix can adhere to food material, but the components separate from each other during storage and insufficient breadcrumb mix can be applied to the food material

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadhesion to food materialVSAvoidcomponent separation during storage
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite breadcrumb mix by integrating breadcrumbs with specific binders (starch, protein, or both) in defined ratios. This composite structure ensures that components remain unified during storage while maintaining adhesion properties when applied to food material. The binder acts as a bonding agent that holds the breadcrumb components together, preventing separation during storage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent specifies precise parameter ranges for the breadcrumb mix composition: breadcrumbs 60-90 wt%, starch 5-30 wt%, protein 5-30 wt%. By controlling these compositional parameters and the particle size distribution of breadcrumbs, the mix maintains stability during storage while ensuring sufficient application amount to food material without component separation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If breadcrumbs of various sizes are used without specific size control, then any size can be selected, but the coating may not have good visual appearance or uniform texture

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebreadcrumb size selection flexibilityVSAvoidcoating uniformity and visual appearance
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by specifying different breadcrumb size ratios for different portions of the mix. It divides breadcrumbs into size fractions (small, medium, large particles) and controls their respective proportions. This creates a heterogeneous size distribution within the mix that ensures uniform coating adherence while maintaining good visual appearance, with smaller particles filling gaps and larger particles providing texture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent controls the particle size parameter of breadcrumbs within specific ranges and maintains defined size distribution ratios. This parameter control ensures that the coating has consistent thickness and uniform texture across the food material surface, while still allowing flexibility in selecting overall breadcrumb size characteristics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If traditional coating methods are used (applying coating powder, dipping in egg mixture, then breadcrumbs), then good coating adhesion can be achieved, but the operation becomes very troublesome and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoating adhesionVSAvoidnumber of coating steps
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple traditional coating components (coating powder, egg mixture, and breadcrumbs) into a single integrated breadcrumb mix formulation. The binders (starch and/or protein) within the mix replace the function of egg mixture, while the breadcrumb matrix replaces the need for separate coating powder application. This consolidation reduces the coating process to a single step while maintaining reliable adhesion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary action by pre-formulating the breadcrumb mix with appropriate binders and size distributions before use. This pre-prepared mix contains all necessary adhesion-promoting components in optimal ratios, eliminating the need for sequential application steps during actual coating operation. The mix is ready to be applied directly to food material in a single operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3583856B1Bread crumbs, bread crumb mix, and container for shake-out-type bread crumbs
Publication Date: 2024.04.24 NISSHIN SEIFUN WELNA INC
  • EP3583856B1 patent drawingFigure 1(a)~1(b)
  • EP3583856B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Breadcrumbs according to the present invention have a grain size distribution in which the proportion of a fraction of breadcrumbs that have a grain size of 2.36 mm or more is 8 to 21 mass% and the proportion of a fraction of breadcrumbs that have a grain size of 1.18 mm or less is 45 mass% or less, and have a bulk density of 270 to 600 ml/100g. A breadcrumb powder shaker container (1) according to the present invention includes: the breadcrumbs according to the present invention or a breadcrumb mix including the breadcrumbs according to the present invention; and a shaker container (3) that contains a breadcrumb powder (2) to be shaken out including the breadcrumbs or the breadcrumb mix, the shaker container (3) having a shake-out hole (51) through which the breadcrumb powder (2) is shaken out. The shake-out hole (51) has a maximum diametric length (W1) of 10 to 55 mm. With the breadcrumbs and the breadcrumb mix according to the present invention, with an easy operation of simply applying the breadcrumbs or the breadcrumb mix directly to a food material (ingredient) such as meat or fish, and deep frying the food material, it is possible to obtain a high-quality cooked breadcrumb-coated food item to which a sufficient amount of crispy coating with appropriate crispiness is uniformly attached, while retaining the flavor of the food material to a high level irrespective of the amount of oil used in deep frying.