Lyophilized Powder Snack Binding via Cocoa Butter Phase Change
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing freeze-dried food products often require binders with high sugar content, which are undesirable for consumers and can reduce vitamin retention due to high-temperature processing.
Innovation Solution
A process combining 40% cocoa butter, 5% pea protein isolate, and 50% lyophilized powder of plant/animal origin, mixed and cooled to create an easily consumable snack with natural character and high biological activity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If sugar binders are used to bind freeze-dried powder ingredients, then the product becomes easier to swallow and less powdery, but the sugar content increases and vitamin retention decreases due to high-temperature processing
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state of cocoa butter from solid to liquid by heating it to melting point, then allows it to re-solidify at lower temperatures to bind the powder. This phase change approach replaces chemical binding (sugar) with physical binding, eliminating the need for high-temperature sugar processing while achieving the same ease of swallowing.
Solution Approach 2:
Cocoa butter acts as an intermediary binding agent between the lyophilized powder ingredients. It temporarily binds the powder particles together through its liquid state, forming a cohesive structure that is easy to swallow, then solidifies to maintain product integrity without requiring sugar or high-temperature processing.
2Ease of operation
If sugar binders are used to bind freeze-dried powder ingredients, then the product becomes easier to swallow and less powdery, but the vitamin retention decreases due to high-temperature processing
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses temperature cycling - heating cocoa butter to melting point for binding, then cooling to freezing point for solidification. This controlled temperature parameter change allows binding to occur at low temperatures that preserve vitamins, unlike sugar binding which requires high-temperature processing that degrades vitamin content.
Solution Approach 2:
Cocoa butter serves as a temperature-sensitive intermediary that enables binding at low temperatures. Its ability to transition between liquid and solid states at controlled temperatures allows the binding process to occur without exposing vitamins to high-temperature degradation, thus preserving nutritional value while achieving ease of swallowing.
3Ease of operation
If lyophilized powder is compressed into a pill form, then the product becomes easier to handle, but the subject could choke while swallowing it
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical structure of the powder by incorporating liquid cocoa butter, which transforms the dry, compressible powder into a cohesive, semi-solid formulation. This parameter change in physical state eliminates the need for compression into hard pills, creating a softer form that reduces choking hazard while maintaining ease of handling.
Solution Approach 2:
Cocoa butter acts as a mediating substance that binds powder particles together to form a cohesive structure. This binding creates a uniform, non-crumbly product that is easier to handle than loose powder but remains soft enough to reduce choking risk, unlike compressed pills that are hard and difficult to swallow.
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 resulting product has a natural character, high biological activity, and a long shelf life, while avoiding the issues of sugar content and vitamin retention associated with traditional binders.
Implementation Method 1
melting the cocoa butter at a temperature of 35-40° C
Implementation Method 2
cooling at about -18° C, for about 15 minutes
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to the field of the food industry, which describes invented formulas for food products made from a particularly high amount of lyophilized powder and a technology for their production. Foods produced of freeze- dried powder, vegetable butter and protein isolates (with or without the addition of natural spices) have a natural character, particularly high biological activity and a long shelf life. These foods can be consumed as candy, snacks, or individual meal pack. Unique manufacturing technology does not require additional lyophilization after formulation, thus it is fast and efficient.