Fat Composition Stabilizing Crystal Form Against Bloom

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing oily foods face challenges in maintaining crystal form stability, leading to bloom and grain formation issues due to temperature changes, which affect their quality and appearance.

Innovation Solution

An oil and fat composition containing specific triacylglycerol components, such as C24 to 30, HMM, HLM, HLL, HHM, and HHL, is developed to suppress bloom and grain formation by adjusting the fatty acid composition and interesterification methods, ensuring effective suppression of crystal polymorph transitions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If conventional fat and oil compositions are used in chocolate production, then the basic structure is simple, but crystal form instability occurs leading to bloom and grain formation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecrystal form stabilityVSAvoidbloom and grain formation
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by combining multiple specific triacylglycerol components (C24 to 30, HMM, HLM, HLL, HHM, and HHL) in defined proportions to create a fat composition that prevents crystal form instability. This composite approach allows the fat to maintain Form V crystal structure and prevent bloom and grain formation that occur with conventional single-component fats.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the proportions of different triacylglycerol components (C24 to 30: 0.5-12 mass%, HMM+HLM+HLL: 17-50 mass%, HHM+HHL: 17-40 mass%) to achieve optimal crystal form stability. This quantitative adjustment of compositional parameters enables the fat to resist polymorphic transitions and maintain stable crystal structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of manufacture

If simple fat compositions are used, then manufacturing is easier, but temperature control during tempering becomes difficult to maintain crystal form

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefat composition simplicityVSAvoidcrystal form maintenance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses composite materials consisting of six specific triacylglycerol components in defined proportions to create a fat composition that inherently maintains crystal form stability. This composite structure provides reliability in crystal form maintenance while remaining manufacturable through standard interesterification processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the compositional ratios of triacylglycerols to achieve a balance between ease of manufacture and crystal form reliability. The specific ranges (C24 to 30: 0.5-12 mass%, HMM+HLM+HLL: 17-50 mass%, HHM+HHL: 17-40 mass%) enable reliable tempering while using conventional manufacturing methods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If existing bloom preventing agents are used, then some bloom prevention is achieved, but the effect is insufficient to fully prevent bloom and grain formation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebloom prevention effectVSAvoidfat composition complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by formulating a fat composition with six specific triacylglycerol components (C24 to 30, HMM, HLM, HLL, HHM, HHL) in precisely controlled proportions. This multi-component composite provides superior bloom and grain formation prevention compared to existing single-component agents, achieving complete suppression of these defects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the proportions of each triacylglycerol component to achieve maximum bloom prevention effectiveness. The specific compositional ranges (C24 to 30: 0.5-12 mass%, HMM+HLM+HLL: 17-50 mass%, HHM+HHL: 17-40 mass%) provide sufficient prevention effect while maintaining reasonable compositional complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 composition effectively prevents bloom and grain formation in oily foods, maintaining their quality and appearance by stabilizing the crystal form of fats and oils, particularly in chocolate and spread products.

Implementation Method 1

polymorphic change occurs in fat and oil crystals due to the change in temperature or the like. Fat and oil crystals become coarse and produce grains according to the polymorphic change

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPolymorphic change: Phase Change

Implementation Method 2

a fat made by transesterifying an MCT oil and rapeseed oil, and later hardening the result, thus obtaining a hardened interesterified fat

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInteresterification: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentEP3662757B1Oil/fat composition and oily food comprising oil/fat composition
Publication Date: 2023.06.14 THE NISSHIN OILLIO GRP LTD

AI summary

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a blooming and grain formation-suppressing agent which effectively suppresses blooming and grain formation caused by fats and oils contained in an oily food. Provided is an oil/fat composition which satisfies requirements (a) to (c). (a) The content of C24-30 is 0.5-12 mass%. (b) The total content of HMM, HLM and HLL is 17-50 mass%. (c) The total content of HHM and HHL is 17-40 mass%.