Electric Field Food Processing Control System
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of preserved food items like snack products faces challenges in maintaining consistent quality due to contamination and undesirable reactions during deep-frying, which can lead to browning and the formation of unwanted substances, especially when raw materials are treated with electric fields, causing the release of intracellular fluids into the process media.
Innovation Solution
A method and installation that treat raw materials with an electric field, followed by contact with an aqueous medium, where measured values of product properties and medium ingredients are determined to output control signals, allowing for real-time adjustments of process parameters to optimize the production process, such as adjusting the electric field intensity, washing steps, and frying conditions, to prevent contamination and ensure consistent product quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the raw material is treated with an electric field to improve cutting behavior and increase product yield, then the manufacturing precision and productivity are improved, but the process media becomes contaminated with extracted sugars and intracellular fluids, leading to browning reactions and formation of undesirable substances during deep-frying
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the contaminated aqueous medium from the process flow after the raw material has been treated with an electric field and brought into contact with it. By separating and discarding the contaminated process media containing extracted sugars and intracellular fluids, the system prevents these contaminants from being transferred back to the raw material during subsequent transport or washing steps, thereby avoiding browning reactions and formation of undesirable substances during deep-frying while maintaining the benefits of improved cutting behavior and product yield
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by removing the contaminated aqueous medium before it can cause harmful effects during subsequent processing steps. The system proactively eliminates the source of contamination (extracted sugars and intracellular fluids in the aqueous medium) before they can be transferred to the raw material and cause browning reactions or formation of undesirable substances during deep-frying, thus preventing the harmful effects before they occur
2Productivity
If the raw material is brought into contact with contaminated process media during transport or washing, then the process continues smoothly, but the contamination is transferred to the raw material causing adverse browning reactions and formation of undesirable substances during deep-frying
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the contaminated aqueous medium from the process flow after the raw material has been treated with an electric field and brought into contact with it. By separating and discarding the contaminated process media containing extracted sugars and intracellular fluids, the system prevents these contaminants from being transferred back to the raw material during subsequent transport or washing steps, thereby avoiding browning reactions and formation of undesirable substances during deep-frying
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a fresh aqueous medium as an intermediary to replace the contaminated process media. This fresh medium serves as a mediator that allows the process to continue smoothly (maintaining productivity) without transferring contaminants to the raw material, thus preventing browning reactions and formation of undesirable substances during deep-frying while maintaining process continuity
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 approach enables effective monitoring and control of the process, reducing contamination risks and improving product quality by allowing immediate adjustments based on measured values, resulting in consistently high-quality preserved food items with optimized resource usage.
Implementation Method 1
treating the raw material by applying an electric field
Implementation Method 2
determining a measured value characterizing a product property of the preserved food item and/or an ingredient of the aqueous medium
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for producing a preserved food item (1) from a raw material (2), in particular for producing a snack product, comprising the following steps: treating the raw material (2) by applying an electric field; bringing the treated raw material (2) into contact with an aqueous medium (3); and preserving the raw material (2) into a food item (1) after the step of bringing into contact. In order to avoid occurring impurities during the production of preserved food items and to provide a consistent product quality the invention comprises the following method steps: determining a measured value (4) characterizing a product property of the preserved food item (1) and/or an ingredient of the aqueous medium (3); and outputting a control signal (5) as a function of the determined measured value (4). The present invention further related to and installation (6) for producing a preserved food item (1) from a raw material (2), Installation (6) for producing a preserved food item (1) from a raw material (2).