Cryogenic Grinding of Protein Powders for Digestion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Protein-containing raw materials such as beans and insects are difficult to grind into a fine powder due to moisture content, leading to low digestion and absorption rates, and are often rejected as food due to their hard structure and odor, limiting their utilization in processed forms.
Innovation Solution
The use of cryogenic micro grinding technology, where protein-containing raw materials are frozen to -196°C to -80°C using liquid nitrogen and then ground into a powder with an average particle size smaller than the cell size, maintaining nutrient retention and improving digestion rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If protein-containing raw materials (beans, insects) are ground using conventional methods, then processing is achieved, but moisture content prevents fine powder formation and reduces digestion absorption rate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by transitioning the physical state of the raw material from ambient temperature to cryogenic temperature (-196°C to -80°C) before grinding. This temperature parameter change fundamentally alters the material properties, enabling fine powder formation despite high moisture content, and simultaneously improves digestion absorption rate by preserving nutrient integrity through cold processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transitions by freezing the protein-containing raw materials at cryogenic temperatures before grinding. This phase transition from solid to frozen solid state enables the material to be processed into fine powder while maintaining cell structure integrity, directly resolving the contradiction between achieving fine particle size and maintaining high digestion absorption rate.
2Reliability
If bean is used in non-processed state to preserve nutrients, then nutritional value is maintained, but hard structure reduces digestion absorption rate and odor reduces appetite
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by processing beans at cryogenic temperatures rather than conventional temperatures. This parameter change enables the bean to be transformed into fine powder while preserving heat-sensitive nutrients, and the fine particle size dramatically improves digestibility and eliminates the hard structure problem, while the cold processing reduces odor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical grinding with cryogenic micro-grinding. This substitution allows the bean to be processed into fine powder without high-temperature mechanical stress that would degrade nutrients, while the resulting fine particle size improves digestibility and the process reduces odor, thus resolving the contradiction between nutrient retention and ease of operation.
3Quantity of substance
If edible insects are used as food material, then high protein content and nutritious ingredients are achieved, but public aversion and rejection limit utilization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by transforming the whole insect into fine powder particles smaller than cell size. This segmentation eliminates the visual and textural characteristics that cause public aversion, while preserving the high protein content and nutritious ingredients. The fine powder can be seamlessly integrated into various food products, dramatically improving acceptability and versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the valuable protein and nutritious ingredients from the insect body by transforming it into fine powder. This extraction approach separates the desirable nutritional components from the undesirable physical form that causes rejection, enabling high protein content retention while improving public acceptability for use in various food applications.
4Ease of operation
If bean is ground to reduce hardness, then digestibility is improved, but conventional grinding destroys nutritious ingredients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by conducting grinding at cryogenic temperatures (-196°C to -80°C) rather than ambient temperature. This parameter change enables the bean to be ground into fine powder for improved digestibility while the cold environment protects heat-sensitive nutritious ingredients from degradation, simultaneously achieving both digestibility improvement and nutrient retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transitions by freezing the bean before grinding. This phase transition enables fine powder formation that improves digestibility while the frozen state protects cellular structures and nutrients from mechanical damage during grinding, thus resolving the contradiction between digestibility improvement and nutrient retention.
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 maximally retains nutritious ingredients and enhances in vivo digestion and absorption rates of protein-containing powders, making them more palatable and usable as a functional food.
Implementation Method 1
freezing the protein-containing raw material at -196° C. to -80° C.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a method of producing a protein-containing powder including: (a) providing a protein-containing raw material; (b) freezing the protein-containing raw material at −196° C. to −80° C.; and (c) grinding the protein-containing raw material to obtain the protein-containing powder, wherein an average particle size of the protein-containing powder is smaller than a cell size of the protein-containing raw material.