Cross-linked Protein Food Texture and Shelf Stability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food compositions with a meat-like appearance, feel, and texture require high water content to maintain palatability, leading to spoilage issues when made dry, as they lose their soft texture and become unappealing without preservatives.
Innovation Solution
Development of food compositions comprising 40-90% functional proteins, 0.05-2% cross-linking agents, and 60-10% meat slurry with a specific humectant plasticizer ratio, heated and expanded to create a realistic meat-like texture and appearance, reducing the need for artificial preservatives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If water is added to create soft meat-like texture, then palatability is improved, but shelf stability deteriorates due to spoilage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters by introducing cross-linking agents (sulfur, sodium metabisulfite, or cysteine) that form disulfide bonds with proteins, creating a stable three-dimensional network structure. This chemical modification allows the product to maintain soft texture without requiring high water content, thereby achieving both palatability and shelf stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system combining functional proteins (40-90%), meat slurry (10-60%), and cross-linking agents (0.05-2%). This composite structure integrates the texturizing capability of proteins with the preservative effect of cross-linking agents, eliminating the need for preservatives while maintaining texture and extending shelf life
2Reliability
If water content is reduced to prevent spoilage, then shelf stability is improved, but texture quality deteriorates losing softness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical structure of proteins through cross-linking, changing their physical properties to maintain moisture retention and soft texture even at lower water content levels. The cross-linked protein network traps water molecules, preventing texture deterioration while achieving shelf stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the phase transition properties of water within the cross-linked protein matrix, where water is held in a bound state that prevents microbial growth and spoilage while maintaining the perceived softness and juiciness of meat-like texture
3Reliability
If preservatives are added to maintain shelf stability, then reliability is improved, but product safety deteriorates due to artificial additives
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the naturally occurring sulfur in amino acids into a beneficial cross-linking mechanism. The cross-linking agents (sulfur, sodium metabisulfite, or cysteine) react with protein sulfhydryl groups to form disulfide bonds, creating a stable structure that prevents spoilage without requiring synthetic preservatives, thus turning a potential contaminant into a protective mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the food product to preserve itself through self-cross-linking of proteins. The cross-linking agents facilitate automatic bonding between protein molecules during processing, creating an inherent stability mechanism that eliminates the need for external preservatives and achieves shelf stability through the product's own structural 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 resulting food compositions are highly palatable, shelf-stable, and maintain a realistic meat-like appearance and texture without the need for added preservatives, enhancing palatability and minimizing spoilage.
Implementation Method 1
from about 0.05 to about 2% cross-linking agents, such as sulfur, sodium metabisulfite, or cysteine, to promote disulfide link formation
Implementation Method 2
The compositions are produced by heating a preconditioned mixture of the food components under pressure
Implementation Method 3
and then expanding the heated composition to form the food composition
Implementation Method 4
a meat slurry, wherein the meat slurry comprises meat and one or more humectant plasticizers
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides novel food compositions having a realistic meat-like appearance, feel, and texture. The compositions comprise from about 40 to about 90% functional proteins, from about 0.05 to about 2% of one or more cross-linking agents, and from about 60 to about 10% of a meat slurry, wherein the meat slurry comprises meat and one or more humectant plasticizers in a meat:humectant plasticizer ratio of from about 20:80 to about 80:20. The compositions are produced by heating a preconditioned mixture of the food components under pressure and then expanding the heated composition to form the food composition.