Pre-fermented Cereal Matrix with Encapsulated Probiotics
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing functional food products with free probiotics have reduced shelf-life and stability due to susceptibility to environmental factors, leading to diminished health benefits and increased contamination risks.
Innovation Solution
A pre-fermented cereal symbiotic matrix is developed using encapsulated probiotics and prebiotics, where oatmeal is pre-fermented with immobilized microorganisms, followed by encapsulation and addition of prebiotic compounds in a phased process, enhancing microbial stability and reducing fermentation time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If free probiotics are used in functional food products, then the health benefits are provided, but the shelf-life and stability are reduced due to susceptibility to environmental factors
Solution Approach 1:
The probiotics are encapsulated in advance before being incorporated into the food product. This preliminary encapsulation action protects the probiotics from environmental factors (oxygen, acid, freezing) during storage and transport, thereby extending shelf-life while maintaining their viability and health benefits when consumed
Solution Approach 2:
An encapsulation matrix or carrier material is introduced as an intermediary between the probiotics and the external environment. This intermediary layer shields the probiotics from harmful environmental factors while allowing them to remain viable and functional throughout the product's shelf-life
2Reliability
If free probiotics are used in functional food products, then the probiotic effect is achieved, but the contamination risk is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The probiotics are pre-encapsulated in a protective matrix before being added to the food product. This preliminary protection reduces their susceptibility to contamination during manufacturing, storage, and distribution while maintaining their probiotic effectiveness when they reach the consumer
Solution Approach 2:
The encapsulation material serves as an intermediary barrier that protects probiotics from contamination sources in the environment while still allowing them to exert their beneficial effects on the host after ingestion
3Duration of action of stationary object
If encapsulated probiotics are used, then the shelf-life is extended, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The encapsulation process utilizes controlled changes in physical or chemical parameters (such as temperature, pH, or solvent evaporation) to form the protective matrix around probiotics. These parameter changes enable encapsulation through relatively simple process modifications rather than complex multi-step procedures
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
This approach increases the shelf-life of the final product by 40-60% and maintains long-term microbial stability, while ensuring the viability of probiotics during storage and passage through the gastrointestinal tract, thus providing enhanced health benefits and reduced contamination risks.
Implementation Method 1
Methods of encapsulation have begun to be applied, as a means to increase the survival rate of probiotics, through their protection from abovementioned adverse conditions.
Implementation Method 2
Another possible effect, which has been scientifically validated, is the effect on the digestion of lactose, through the production of lactase (β-galactosidase) which facilitates the digestion of this sugar
Implementation Method 3
A pre-fermented cereal symbiotic matrix is developed using encapsulated probiotics and prebiotics, where oatmeal is pre-fermented with immobilized microorganisms
Data Source
AI summary
A pre-fermented symbiotic matrix based on a cereal suspension containing encapsulated probiotics and prebiotics, the manufacturing process and the corresponding use are disclosed. The invention complements the actual functional food market solving problems inherent to reduced shelf-life of foods due to loss of probiotic viability to values below the minimum limits needed to promote biological activity. The invention also improves the enzymatic process in the preparation of the cereal base and the fermentative process conditions at different levels, namely the ability to control the concentration of sugars in the cereal suspension without adding sugars, increase protein and fiber content, reduce fermentation time to reduce energy consumption during the process and reduce the risk of contamination as well as promote long term microbial stability maintenance. The invention is designed for cases where intolerance and/or allergy to dairy products occur, as wells for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries, including pet food.