Extruded Soy-Corn Blend for High-Density Nutritional Product
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fortified blended foods, such as Super Cereal Plus and Super Cereal, have an energy density lower than recommended, requiring laborious preparation methods involving amylase addition and specific temperature control, which is not suitable for large-scale food aid production.
Innovation Solution
A method involving milling a mixture of soybeans with corn and/or wheat, followed by extrusion using an extruder with a constriction upstream of the die, increasing pressure and releasing nutritional components without external amylase, resulting in a product with high nutritional value and low viscosity when mixed with water.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If amylase is added to flour to increase energy and nutrient density, then the nutritional value of the porridge is improved, but the preparation method becomes laborious and critical
Solution Approach 1:
Amylase is added during the flour production stage rather than during preparation, allowing the enzymatic modification to occur in advance during industrial processing. This preliminary action embeds the functional improvement into the product itself, eliminating the need for complex preparation steps by the end user.
Solution Approach 2:
The flour with added amylase prepares itself during the cooking process - the enzyme naturally activates and breaks down starch during the normal boiling process, reducing viscosity and increasing nutrient density without requiring any special actions or critical control by the user.
2Quantity of substance
If a 1:2.5 powder:water ratio is maintained with cold water for optimal results, then the viscosity and nutritional density are improved, but the preparation process becomes critical and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the formulation parameters of the flour itself (adding amylase and modifying starch content) rather than relying on precise preparation parameters (exact water ratio, temperature control). This shifts the complexity from the preparation stage to the product formulation stage, simplifying user operation.
3Reliability
If the porridge is heated and boiled for at least 5 minutes, then food safety is ensured, but the preparation time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The amylase enzyme continues to work throughout the entire cooking process, breaking down starch continuously as the porridge cooks. This continuous enzymatic action occurs simultaneously with the heating process, achieving both food safety (through adequate heating) and viscosity reduction (through continuous enzymatic breakdown) without requiring extended cooking time beyond standard safety requirements.
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 method produces a nutritional product with a high energy and nutrient density, achieving a Bostwick viscosity value of at least 100 mm/30 s, allowing for easy consumption while maintaining a nutritional value of at least 380 kcal/100 g dry weight, without the need for critical preparation methods.
Implementation Method 1
extruding the milled mixture into an extruded product by means of an extruder, the extruder comprising an extrusion die, wherein the extruder comprises a constriction upstream of the extrusion die, wherein the cross-sectional area transverse to the extruder at level of the constriction is at least 10 times smaller than upstream of the constriction
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for producing a nutritional product, the method comprising producing a powdered nutritional semi-finished product, wherein the production of the semi-finished product comprises the following steps: a) milling a mixture of at least 20% soybeans with corn and/or wheat, b) extruding the milled mixture into an extruded product by means of an extruder; the extruder comprising an extrusion die, characterized in that the extruder comprises a constriction upstream of the extrusion die, wherein the cross-sectional area transverse to the extruder at level of the constriction is at least 10 times smaller than upstream of the constriction. The invention also relates to a nutritional product comprising an extruded blend of soybeans and corn and/or wheat, wherein the product has a nutritional value of at least 380 kcal/100 g dry weight and, after adding water in a product:water ratio of 20:80 and boiling for about 5 minutes, has a Bostwick viscosity value of at least 100 mm/30 s.