Disturbed-Coagulum Plant Protein Binder for Meat-Imitate Structure
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current plant-based meat-replacement products face challenges in achieving adequate protein content and structural integrity, particularly for vegans and vegetarians, due to the limitations of existing binders like soy and wheat gluten, which can be allergenic and unsuitable for those with dietary restrictions, and often result in dry, crumbling textures.
Innovation Solution
A plant-based proteinaceous binder ingredient comprising a disturbed-coagulum, made from a mixture of textured vegetable proteins and a proteinaceous binder that excludes soy and wheat, using a process involving emulsification, acidification, and disruption of coagulation to create self-encapsulated proteinaceous particles, enhancing cohesiveness and elasticity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If soy or wheat gluten is used as a binder in plant-based meat-replacement products, then binding capability is improved, but allergenicity increases and suitability for vegans/vegetarians with dietary restrictions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the problematic allergenic components (soy and wheat gluten) from the binder system, replacing them with alternative plant-based proteins that provide binding capability without the allergenicity issues. This is achieved by formulating binders from proteins such as pea protein, rice protein, or potato protein that are naturally free from common allergens while maintaining functional binding properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs composite binder formulations that combine multiple plant-based protein sources to achieve the desired binding strength and functional properties. By creating composite materials from various allergen-free proteins, the binder system maintains effective binding capability while ensuring suitability for vegans and vegetarians with dietary restrictions.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional binders are used in plant-based meat-replacement products, then ease of manufacture is improved, but product texture deteriorates resulting in dry and crumbling characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The invention modifies key parameters of the binder system including protein concentration, moisture content, and functional ingredient ratios to optimize both ease of manufacture and structural integrity. By adjusting these parameters, the binder maintains workability during manufacturing while producing a cohesive, non-crumbling product texture that resembles natural meat.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces intermediary functional ingredients such as hydrocolloids, starches, or lipids that act as mediators between the plant-based proteins and the final product structure. These intermediaries enhance water retention and binding efficiency, preventing dryness and crumbliness while maintaining ease of manufacture through straightforward processing.
3Adaptability or versatility
If plant-based proteinaceous binder ingredients are developed to exclude soy and wheat, then suitability for dietary restrictions is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the binder formulation into distinct functional components (protein base, binding agents, moisture retainers, and flavor enhancers) that can be independently selected and optimized. This segmentation allows for flexible adaptation to different dietary preferences while maintaining a standardized, scalable manufacturing process that does not significantly increase complexity.
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 solution improves the structural properties of formed meat-replacement products, making them more durable against handling and cooking processes, and provides a more natural, appealing texture that mimics meat, while being suitable for various dietary preferences.
Implementation Method 1
a plant-based proteinaceous binder ingredient which is or comprises a disturbed-coagulum that is a dispersion of a weak gel
Implementation Method 2
disturbed-coagulum that is a dispersion of a weak gel of an emulsion
Implementation Method 3
an emulsion of: a. water or water-containing liquid and lipid
Data Source
AI summary
A plant-based proteinaceous binder ingredient that is a disturbed-coagulum can be manufactured with disrupting-coagulation treatment described in the application. The binder ingredient improves the handling properties of intermediate products including textured vegetable proteins manufactured using low-moisture protein texturization extrusion. The resulting end-products (formed meat-replacement food products that are meat imitates) show an improved mouthfeel and are highly resistant to bending and suitable for transport. This is believed to relate to a novel self-encapsulated proteinaceous structure of the binder that is assumed to open when being mixed with a sufficiently high mixing power.