Ready-to-eat Cereal with High Slowly Digestible Starch
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals typically have reduced slowly digestible starch (SDS) content due to starch gelatinization during manufacturing, which affects their ability to maintain stable blood glucose levels and shelf stability, and existing solutions fail to provide adequate SDS content with a consistent texture and extended shelf life.
Innovation Solution
A method for producing breakfast cereal pieces with a high SDS content by using a combination of flour, sugar, and oil, where the ingredients are mixed at controlled temperatures to form a leavened dough, which is then formed and dried to maintain ungelatinized starch, resulting in cereal pieces with a density and texture suitable for stable blood glucose levels and extended shelf life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If starch gelatinization is performed during manufacturing, then the cereal has good texture and digestibility, but the slowly digestible starch (SDS) content is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter during manufacturing to prevent starch gelatinization. By controlling the cooking temperature to remain below the gelatinization point of starch while using alternative methods (such as high moisture cooking or enzymatic treatment), the patent maintains high SDS content while still achieving acceptable texture and digestibility through different mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary enzymatic treatment to the starch before cooking to modify its structure. By using enzymes such as amylases or proteases to pre-treat the grain or flour, the starch granules are partially modified to improve digestibility and texture without requiring high-temperature gelatinization that would reduce SDS content.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the cereal pieces have high density, then they have good texture and structure, but they take up more water reducing bowl life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a coating layer (thin film) on the cereal pieces that acts as a water barrier. This coating can be made from proteins, polysaccharides, or other food-grade materials that form a protective shell around the dense cereal pieces, preventing water absorption while maintaining the structural integrity and density of the pieces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the surface properties of the cereal pieces by changing parameters such as surface porosity, hydrophobicity, or crystalline structure. By controlling the drying process or applying surface treatments, the patent creates a surface layer that is less permeable to water while maintaining the overall density and texture of the cereal pieces.
3Ease of operation
If the cereal pieces have low breaking force, then they are easy to eat, but they lack structural integrity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates different mechanical properties in different parts of the cereal piece. The outer surface or skin of the piece is designed to be more brittle and easier to break, while the interior maintains sufficient structural integrity. This can be achieved through controlled drying gradients, layered structures, or varying ingredient distribution during manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite material structures combining different ingredients with complementary mechanical properties. By combining starches, proteins, and other components in specific ratios and arrangements, the cereal pieces achieve a composite structure that provides both ease of breaking and structural integrity, with different components contributing to different mechanical properties.
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 achieves cereal pieces with elevated SDS content, maintaining a stable blood glucose level and providing a crispy texture with extended bowl life and shelf stability, superior to existing products, while retaining nutritional benefits and food safety.
Implementation Method 1
mixing the ingredients at a temperature between about 10° C. and 70° C. to produce a leavened dough
Implementation Method 2
drying the pieces to produce RTE breakfast cereal pieces having a moisture content of less than 12%
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein is a ready-to-eat (RTE) breakfast cereal with a unique texture. A RTE breakfast cereal provided herein can have a high slowly digestible starch content relative to commercially available RTE cereals. Also disclosed are methods of making a RTE breakfast cereal described herein.