Breadcrumbs Spray-Coating for Reduced Oil Uptake

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional battered and breaded food products require deep-frying, leading to high oil consumption, energy inefficiency, and a greasy, less healthy final product, while also being difficult to mass-produce and coat evenly.

Innovation Solution

A method involving spray-coating breadcrumbs with oil at a temperature between 50 °C and 90 °C, eliminating the need for pre-frying and allowing for a healthier, less greasy product with improved texture and appearance, suitable for freezing and cooking without splitting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If deep-frying is used to make battered and breaded food products, then the coating becomes crispy and stable, but oil consumption increases and the product becomes greasy and less healthy

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoating stabilityVSAvoidoil content

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the temperature parameter of the coating process from high-temperature deep-frying to low-temperature spray-coating (50-90°C), which reduces oil absorption while maintaining coating integrity through controlled oil application

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the essential function of deep-frying (creating a crispy, stable coating) while removing the harmful aspect (excessive oil absorption) by using a controlled spray-coating method that applies only the necessary amount of oil

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If deep-frying is used to make battered and breaded food products, then the coating is set and stable, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoating stabilityVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the temperature parameter from high-temperature deep-frying to low-temperature spray-coating (50-90°C), dramatically reducing energy consumption while achieving coating stability through controlled oil application and rapid freezing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention performs preliminary spray-coating with oil before freezing, which sets the coating in advance without requiring subsequent high-energy heating steps, thereby reducing total energy consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If pre-frying is used to make battered and breaded food products, then the coating is stable, but production complexity and time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoating stabilityVSAvoidproduction process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts only the essential function of oil application for coating stability, removing the complex deep-frying process, and replaces it with a simple spray-coating step followed by freezing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention performs preliminary spray-coating with oil before freezing, which sets the coating in advance and eliminates the need for subsequent heating or cooking steps during production

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Ease of manufacture

If spray-coating with cold oil is used, then the process is simpler, but the oil uptake is inconsistent and the coating quality is poor

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocess simplicityVSAvoidoil uptake consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention optimizes the temperature parameter of the spray-coating process to 50-90°C, which is the critical threshold that enables consistent oil uptake and proper coating formation while maintaining process simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention makes the oil temperature dynamic and adjustable within the 50-90°C range, allowing optimization of oil viscosity and spray characteristics for consistent coating quality while maintaining ease of manufacture

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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 reduces oil content, energy usage, and production complexity, resulting in a healthier, crispy, and appealing product with consistent oil uptake and improved sensory attributes, compatible with industrial coating lines and mass production.

Implementation Method 1

spray-coating the breadcrumbs with an oil at a temperature between 50 °C and 90 °C... the oil had an appropriate fluidity and viscosity for an acceptable level of oil uptake

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectViscosity control through temperature: Viscometer

Implementation Method 2

the coated food product is subjected to a freezing step, after the spray-coating step, to provide a frozen coated food product

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFreezing: Freezing

Data Source

PatentEP4527210A1Method of making a coated food product

Publication Date: 2025.03.26 NOMAD FOODS EURO LTD

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AI summary

A method of making a coated food product is described. The coated food product includes a core, a dust layer disposed on the core, a batter layer disposed on the dust layer, and breadcrumbs disposed on the batter layer. The method comprises spray-coating the breadcrumbs with an oil at a temperature between 50 °C and 90 °C, wherein the oil has a melting point of less than 0 °C.