Extrusion Cooling Die for Meat-Like Fava Bean Texture
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for an easy-to-use vegetarian food product that mimics the texture and protein content of meat, particularly cooked chicken, to make it more appealing and nutritious for those adopting a vegetarian diet, as existing methods often result in products that are cumbersome to produce and may lack the desired fibrous structure and flavor profile.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the mixing of dehulled fava bean flour and vegetable protein flour, with controlled addition of water, kneading in an extruder at elevated temperatures, and extrusion through a cooling die to create a fibrous food product with a meat-like structure, free from soy and gluten, and with enhanced protein content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the composition is extruded through a die at temperatures above the boiling point of water to create a porous meat-like structure, then the structure resembles cooked meat, but the water evaporates and may compromise the moisture content and ease of further processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes phase transition of water (liquid to vapor) during extrusion to create the desired porous structure. By controlling the temperature to exceed water's boiling point during the extrusion process, water evaporates and forms pores that mimic meat structure, while the rapid cooling afterward condenses remaining moisture and prevents excessive water loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes temperature parameters dynamically during the process - heating above 100°C during extrusion to create pores, then rapidly cooling to 50-95°C at the die outlet to preserve moisture. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by achieving porous structure formation while maintaining adequate water content for further processing.
2Shape
If high temperatures are used during extrusion to create a fibrous structure, then the texture resembles cooked meat, but the energy consumption increases and may affect the protein quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains continuous heating and extrusion in a single integrated process, avoiding intermittent heating cycles. The extruder continuously processes the composition at elevated temperatures (above 100°C) while simultaneously forming the fibrous structure, thereby achieving the desired texture without excessive energy input from multiple separate heating steps.
3Quantity of substance
If the temperature at the die outlet is kept below the boiling point of water to prevent water evaporation, then the moisture content is preserved, but the porous meat-like structure is not formed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary heating within the extruder before the composition reaches the die outlet. The material is pre-heated above 100°C during extrusion to enable pore formation, then rapidly cooled as it exits the die to below 100°C to preserve moisture. This preliminary action sequence resolves the contradiction by decoupling structure formation from moisture loss.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If dehulled fava bean flour is used instead of regular fava bean flour, then the flavor and texture are improved, but the processing complexity increases due to the additional dehulling step
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary dehulling of fava beans before flour production. By removing hulls in advance, the resulting flour has improved flavor and texture characteristics without requiring additional dehulling steps during the main processing sequence. This preliminary action resolves the contradiction by separating the dehulling operation from the core extrusion process.
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 food product with a meat-like fibrous structure, improved flavor, and increased protein content, which is easier to process and has a more appealing texture and taste, meeting the requirements of a vegetarian diet while being free from soy and gluten.
Implementation Method 1
kneading in an extruder at elevated temperatures
Implementation Method 2
extrusion through a cooling die
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a food product, comprising mixing dehulled fava bean flour and vegetable protein flour to obtain a basic mixture, wherein the basic mixture comprises 15-30 wt-% of dehulled fava bean flour and 70-85 wt-% of vegetable protein flour; adding water to the basic mixture in an amount of 30-70 wt-% of the total weight of the basic mixture and water to obtain a hydrated mixture; kneading the hydrated mixture at a temperature of 100-150 °C in an extruder, to form a dough; and allowing the dough to exit the extruder via a cooling die to form the food product, wherein the temperature of the food product at the exit of the cooling die is 50-95 °C.