Fermented Flour Composition With Reduced Metabolizable Carbohydrates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flours are high in metabolizable carbohydrates and calories, making them less desirable for consumers seeking to reduce their calorie intake, and there is a need for a flour product that can be used in baked and processed foods while retaining physical advantages without high calorie content.
Innovation Solution
A process involving fungal fermentation of plant materials, particularly using white and brown rot fungi, to convert metabolizable sugars into protein-rich fungal biomass, resulting in a flour composition with reduced metabolizable carbohydrates and calories, and incorporating a wide range of plant materials including fruits, vegetables, and grains.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional plant materials are ground into flour, then the flour retains the physical advantages of traditional flour, but the flour remains high in metabolizable carbohydrates and calories
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by conducting fungal fermentation on plant materials before grinding them into flour. This pre-treatment step converts metabolizable carbohydrates into fungal biomass, thereby reducing the carbohydrate content in the final flour product while maintaining the ease of manufacture through a straightforward process sequence.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by altering the chemical composition of plant materials through fungal fermentation. The fermentation process transforms the substrate's metabolizable carbohydrate content into protein-rich fungal biomass, fundamentally changing the nutritional parameters of the resulting flour without complicating the manufacturing process.
2Adaptability or versatility
If fruit or vegetable materials are dried and milled into flour, then the flour can be produced from diverse plant materials, but the flour remains high in metabolizable carbohydrates due to high sugar and starch content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by implementing fungal fermentation as a pre-treatment step before milling diverse plant materials into flour. This fermentation process consistently reduces metabolizable carbohydrates across different plant materials (fruits, vegetables, grains), enabling versatile ingredient selection while controlling carbohydrate levels in the final product.
3Quantity of substance
If fermentation is used to improve nutritional quality, then protein content increases, but the process is complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by using fungal organisms that naturally perform the fermentation process and simultaneously produce protein-rich biomass. The fungi self-organize to convert plant material into nutritious flour, eliminating the need for complex external intervention or multiple processing steps, thereby simplifying the overall process while increasing protein content.
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 process produces a low-calorie flour with high dietary fiber, protein, and beta-glucan content, suitable for various food products, and can utilize waste products from the agriculture and food industry, offering a nutritious and versatile ingredient for human consumption.
Implementation Method 1
the fermentation of plant material by higher fungi
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention describes a food or flour composition derived from fungal fermentation of plant material, the flour composition having a total metabolizable carbohydrate level of between 0.1 - 50% by weight. Also described are processes for the manufacture of the food or flour compositions using fungal fermentation having a total metabolizable carbohydrate level of between 0.1 - 50% by weight.