Carousel Cutting for Gluten-Free Plant-Based Pasta Substitutes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pasta products are high in carbohydrates, not suitable for individuals with coeliac disease, and often contain animal-derived additives, making them unsuitable for vegans, while traditional production methods lack flexibility and sustainability.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for producing plant-based pasta substitutes using a carousel with perimetric stations to cut and process vegetables, tubers, and fungi into predefined shapes, incorporating thermal treatments and additives, ensuring low-calorie, gluten-free, and vegan-friendly products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional pasta is produced using cereal flours, then it provides high energy content and familiar texture, but it results in high carbohydrate content and contains gluten which is harmful to coeliac patients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of raw material composition by replacing cereal flours with fresh plant matrices (vegetables, tubers, root crops, fungi). This substitution fundamentally alters the chemical composition to eliminate gluten and reduce carbohydrates while maintaining pasta-like properties through processing
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a copy of pasta's functional properties (shape, texture, cooking characteristics) using different raw materials. The plant matrices are processed to replicate pasta's form and culinary behavior without using traditional cereal-based ingredients
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional pasta includes animal-derived additives, then it enhances flavor and texture, but it makes the product unsuitable for vegan diets
Solution Approach 1:
The plant matrices themselves provide the necessary binding and textural properties that traditionally required animal-derived additives. The natural pectins, fibers, and starches in the plant materials serve the functional role of eggs or dairy, making the product inherently vegan-compatible
3Adaptability or versatility
If pasta is made from cereal flours, then it provides familiar taste and texture, but it reduces flexibility to use alternative raw materials during cereal shortages
Solution Approach 1:
The processing system is designed to handle multiple types of plant matrices (vegetables, tubers, root crops, fungi) using the same cutting and shaping mechanisms. This multi-functionality allows the production line to switch between different raw materials based on availability, ensuring continuous operation during cereal shortages
4Productivity
If manual processing methods are used for plant cutting and shaping, then flexibility in handling different plant types is improved, but productivity and production speed decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical cutting with automated cutting machines that use blades or lasers to precisely shape plant matrices. This mechanical substitution dramatically increases production speed while the modular design allows adaptation to different plant types without proportionally increasing overall system complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A system for the production of plant products as substitutes for pasta, which includes at least one carousel provided with at least one seat for stably accommodating at least one plant; rotations of the carousel are adapted for temporary alignment with perimetric stations thereof. At least one first perimetric station of the carousel includes elements configured to transfer the at least one plant onto the seat; at least one second perimeter station has a component configured to transversely cut the at least one plant (longitudinal partitioning according to predefined shapes and sizes); at least one third station includes elements configured to longitudinally cut the at least one plant arranged on the seat, in order to provide plant products as substitutes for pasta.