Frozen Liquid Egg Whites Foaming Property via Alpha-Cyclodextrin Inclusion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Frozen liquid egg whites typically experience a decrease in foaming property due to the admixture of egg yolks during industrial processing and freezing, making it difficult to meet consumer demands for confectionaries and breads with adequate texture.

Innovation Solution

The use of α-cyclodextrin added to raw-material liquid egg whites, with a specific amount of egg yolks, and a prolonged freezing time from −1° C. to −6° C. to form inclusion compounds that maintain or enhance the foaming property after defrosting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If rapid freezing is used to minimize tissue damage, then freezing damage is reduced, but foaming property decreases due to egg yolk admixture

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefreezing damageVSAvoidfoaming property

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

β-cyclodextrin is introduced as an intermediary substance that selectively binds to egg yolk components through inclusion complex formation. This mediator prevents egg yolk from interfering with the foaming process while allowing the freezing process to proceed with minimal tissue damage, thus resolving the contradiction between reducing freezing damage and maintaining foaming property

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the chemical parameter of the system by adding β-cyclodextrin, which alters the interaction between egg yolk and water molecules. This parameter change enables the formation of inclusion complexes that stabilize the foam structure despite the presence of egg yolk, thereby maintaining foaming property while using rapid freezing to minimize physical damage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If conventional freezing is used to maintain foaming property, then foaming property is preserved, but large ice crystals form and break tissues

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefoaming propertyVSAvoidtissue damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

β-cyclodextrin acts as a protective intermediary that forms inclusion complexes with egg yolk components during freezing. This mediation allows rapid freezing to proceed without forming large ice crystals that would damage tissues, while simultaneously protecting the foaming property by preventing egg yolk from disrupting the foam structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The β-cyclodextrin is added before freezing to preliminarily establish the inclusion complex formation. This preliminary action ensures that when rapid freezing occurs, the egg yolk is already bound in a protective complex that prevents both tissue damage from ice crystals and foaming property loss, thus resolving the contradiction before the freezing process begins

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If egg yolks are completely removed to maintain foaming property, then foaming property is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefoaming propertyVSAvoidseparation process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of completely removing egg yolks through complex separation processes, β-cyclodextrin is introduced as an intermediary that neutralizes the harmful effects of egg yolk. This approach maintains the convenience of including egg yolks in the mixture while achieving the desired foaming property, thus resolving the contradiction between improving foaming property and reducing manufacturing complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention converts the harmful presence of egg yolk into a beneficial situation by using β-cyclodextrin to form inclusion complexes. The egg yolk, which would normally degrade foaming property, is transformed into a stabilized component that can coexist with the foaming system, eliminating the need for complete removal and the associated manufacturing complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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 results in frozen liquid egg whites with a higher foaming property, as measured by turbidity and foaming stability, effectively addressing the texture issues in confectionaries and breads.

Implementation Method 1

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectInclusion compound formation: Absorption (physical)

Data Source

PatentUS10531682B2Frozen liquid egg whites, method for producing same, and liquid egg whites resulting from defrosting frozen liquid egg whites

Publication Date: 2020.01.14 Q P CORP

AI summary

The present invention relates to frozen liquid egg whites in which are admixed 0.01-0.4 parts of egg yolks for every 100 parts of egg whites, wherein 0.1-2 parts inclusive of α-cyclodextrin are added for every 100 parts of liquid egg whites, and the turbidity H1 (degrees) calculated by means of the belowmentioned formula (1) is 18 or more: H1=H2−H3 . . . (1). Here, H2 indicates the turbidity (degrees) of the frozen liquid egg whites measured immediately after being defrosted, and H3 indicates the egg-derived turbidity y (degrees) calculated by means of the belowmentioned approximation formula (2): y=−380.75x2+272.42x+17.257 . . . (2). Here, x indicates the admixed amount (parts) of egg yolks for every 100 parts of liquid egg whites.