Fermented Plant Patty Composition for Meat-Like Texture

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Meat-like foods using grain raw materials, such as soybeans, lack juiciness and elasticity, and often have a dry, brittle texture, making them unsuitable as substitutes for livestock meat.

Innovation Solution

A food composition is developed with a fermented product of plant material, specifically a koji mold fermentation, having a breaking stress of 1.00 N/m² or more when formed into a patty shape, and containing a specific particle size distribution and composition of fermented product, water, and plant-based protein.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If a meat-like food uses grain raw materials such as soybeans, then it contains less saturated fatty acids and has lower energy than meat, but it lacks juiciness and elasticity and has a dry, brittle texture

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesaturated fatty acid contentVSAvoidtexture quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the breaking stress of the fermented plant material to be within a specific range (0.5-2.0 N/mm²) and adjusting the particle size distribution (5-50 μm), thereby transforming the texture properties of the food composition to achieve meat-like elasticity and juiciness while maintaining low saturated fatty acid content

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite materials by combining fermented plant material with specific particle size distribution, water, and plant-based protein in controlled proportions, creating a composite food composition that exhibits both the nutritional benefits of plant-based materials and the desirable texture characteristics of meat-like foods

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Quantity of substance

If a meat-like food contains grain raw material rich in dietary fibers such as soy pulp, then it provides nutritional benefits, but it becomes dry, brittle, and crumbles easily

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedietary fiber contentVSAvoidstructural stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the breaking stress of the fermented plant material to be within a specific range (0.5-2.0 N/mm²) and adjusting the particle size distribution (5-50 μm), thereby transforming the texture properties of the food composition to achieve meat-like elasticity and juiciness while maintaining low saturated fatty acid content

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses water and plant-based protein as intermediary substances that bind the fermented plant material particles together, preventing the dry and brittle characteristics while preserving the dietary fiber content and nutritional benefits

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 achieves a livestock meat-like fibrous texture, resembling the texture of livestock meat, and is not easily dissolved during eating, providing a suitable substitute.

Implementation Method 1

a fermented product of a plant material, in which a breaking stress at a time point when a breaking strain rate is 50% is 1.00 N/m2 koji mold

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFermentation: Fermentation

Data Source

PatentEP4714268A1Food composition and method for producing food composition
Publication Date: 2026.03.25 KIKKOMAN CORP
  • EP4714268A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4714268A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4714268A1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A food composition contains a fermented product of a plant material, and has a breaking stress of 1.00 N/m2 or more at a time point when a breaking strain rate is 50% in a state of being formed into a patty shape.