Edible Print Substrate Multi-Layer Moisture Barrier
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing edible print substrates for food items face challenges in maintaining image stability and resistance to moisture and oils, leading to fading and bleeding issues over time and under varying temperature conditions.
Innovation Solution
Formulating edible print substrates with a combination of starches, celluloses, dextrins, sugars, humectants, and emulsifiers, which can be printed using thermal ink-jet or piezo-electric printers, and structured into multi-layer constructions to provide barrier properties and stability, including a base layer to prevent moisture and oil migration and a print layer for image absorption and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing edible print substrates are used, then they can be printed upon and applied to food items, but they suffer from image fading and bleeding over time due to poor resistance to moisture and oils
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by formulating the edible print substrate with a multi-component system including starches (corn starch, tapioca starch), celluloses (microcrystalline cellulose, cellulose gum), dextrins (maltodextrin), sugars, humectants (glycerine, sorbitol), and emulsifiers (lecithin, polysorbate 80). This composite formulation creates a synergistic effect where each component contributes to moisture barrier properties, oil resistance, and structural integrity, thereby preventing image fading and bleeding while maintaining printability and edibility.
2Reliability
If the edible print substrate is formulated with multiple components for stability, then image stability improves, but the formulation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a multi-functional formulation where each ingredient serves multiple purposes. For example, starches provide structural framework, moisture barrier, and printability; celluloses contribute to barrier properties against moisture and oils while maintaining flexibility; humectants prevent drying and cracking while enhancing adhesion to food surfaces. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components, thereby managing formulation complexity while achieving superior image stability.
3Reliability
If the substrate is made more resistant to moisture and oils, then image stability improves, but the substrate may become less compatible with food items
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by carefully controlling the ratios and concentrations of hydrophobic and hydrophilic components in the formulation. The emulsifiers (lecithin, polysorbate 80) are used at optimized levels to provide sufficient moisture and oil resistance while maintaining amphiphilic character that ensures compatibility with food matrices. The humectant content is adjusted to prevent excessive dryness that would cause cracking, and the sugar content is optimized to provide adhesion without creating unwanted sweetness or texture changes on the food surface.
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 formulated edible print substrates maintain image stability and resistance to moisture and oils, reducing fading and bleeding, even when exposed to different temperatures and environments, thereby enhancing the longevity and quality of printed images on food items.
Implementation Method 1
the print layer can be formulated to have an absorbency that absorbs and inhibits smearing of food-grade colorants
Implementation Method 2
the base layer can be configured such that it retards or prevents migration of moisture and/or oils from the foodstuff into the print layer
Data Source
AI summary
Edible print substrates can be formed into multi-layer constructions including a bottom layer having a moisture retardant formulation and an image printability layer having a colorant-absorbent formulation. When positioned on a foodstuff, the bottom layer is formulated to inhibit migration of moisture from the foodstuff to the image printability layer, thereby inhibiting blurring of a printed decoration applied to the image printability layer. The image printability layer is formulated to maintain stability of a decoration printed thereon, resistant to bleeding and fading over time.