Chicory Root Particle Processing for Bitter Component Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Chicory root is challenging to process into a palatable form due to the exudation of bitter tasting components, such as sesquiterpenes, when wounded or cut, which complicates the preparation of a fiber-rich vegetable or nutritional supplement.
Innovation Solution
A minimal processing method involving cutting chicory roots into pieces of specific thickness, allowing time for bitter component exudation, washing with an antioxidant solution, chopping into particles, and then subjecting them to heat treatment and drying, effectively removing bitter components and preserving intact plant cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If chicory root is cut or wounded to prepare it as food or supplement, then the fiber-rich material becomes accessible, but bitter tasting components (sesquiterpenes) are exudated making the product unpalatable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by allowing the cut chicory root pieces to stand for a specific period (60-500 seconds) before processing, during which time the bitter sesquiterpene components are exudated and drained away. This preliminary resting period enables the removal of harmful bitter components while preserving the beneficial fiber content, transforming the unpalatable raw material into a palatable product ready for further processing.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If multiple processing steps (washing, cutting, heating, drying, milling) are applied to remove bitter components, then palatability is improved, but the process complexity and time required increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by selectively removing only the harmful bitter sesquiterpene components through a simple drainage process during the preliminary resting period, rather than applying multiple complex processing steps. The method extracts only what is necessary (the bitter exudate) while leaving the beneficial fiber-rich material intact, significantly simplifying the overall processing requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies self-service by utilizing the plant's own physiological response to wounding (exudation of sesquiterpenes) as a natural cleaning mechanism. The bitter components automatically exude and drain away when the root is cut and allowed to rest, eliminating the need for complex external processing systems to remove these harmful components.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If traditional processing methods are used to remove bitter components, then palatability is achieved, but the integrity of plant cells is compromised and processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the skipping principle by rapidly draining the bitter exudate during the preliminary resting period before any heat treatment or further processing occurs. This quick removal of harmful components while the plant cells are still intact and before structural changes occur preserves cell integrity, avoiding the need for prolonged or aggressive processing that would compromise the cellular structure.
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 method simplifies the processing of chicory root into dried particles that are free from bitter components, resulting in a high-quality, fiber-rich product suitable for use as a vegetable, food ingredient, nutritional supplement, or medicament, while being scalable for industrial production.
Implementation Method 1
Leaving the pieces for 60-500 seconds to release a bitter tasting exudate
Implementation Method 2
Wash off the bitter tasting exudate from the debittered pieces with an aqueous solution containing antioxidant and/or acidulant
Implementation Method 3
Performing a heat treatment of the particles followed by or in combination with drying of the particles
Implementation Method 4
drying of the particles to provide dried chicory particles
Data Source
AI summary
A method for providing dried chicory particles made up of intact plant cells, including the following steps:a. providing chicory roots;b. cutting the roots in pieces, having a thickness between 1.5 cm and 8 cm;c. leaving the pieces for 60-500 seconds to release a bitter tasting exudate and yielding debittered pieces;d. wash off the bitter tasting exudate from the debittered pieces with an aqueous solution containing antioxidant and/or acidulant to yield washed pieces;e. chopping the washed pieces into particles having a particle size between 1.5 mm and 10 mm;f. performing a heat treatment of the particles followed by or in combination with drying of the particles to provide dried chicory particles, and wherein no heating step is conducted before step f.