Food Compositions with Fine Agricultural Marc for Fiber and Flavor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food compositions struggle to incorporate agricultural marc effectively, as they often fail to enhance nutrition and sensory experience while maintaining consumer acceptance, particularly in reducing bitterness and increasing fiber content without sacrificing taste.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating agricultural marc into chocolate compositions, with a particle size of less than 100 microns and a soluble fiber content of at least 5% by weight, to enhance flavor, aroma, and nutritional value, while reducing sugar and caloric content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If agricultural marc is incorporated into food compositions to increase fiber content and nutritional value, then nutrition is improved, but bitterness and astringency increase reducing consumer acceptance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling particle size (reducing to fine powders below 100 microns), adjusting moisture content (drying to specific ranges), and modifying chemical composition through processing methods. These parameter changes reduce bitterness and astringency while preserving fiber content, resolving the contradiction between nutrition enhancement and sensory acceptance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses intermediary substances such as chocolate matrices, fats, and other food carriers to incorporate agricultural marc. These intermediaries mask the bitter and astringent properties of marc while delivering its nutritional benefits, effectively mediating between the harmful sensory properties and the desired nutritional enhancement
2Ease of operation
If agricultural marc is processed to improve consumer acceptance and sensory experience, then ease of operation is improved, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the agricultural marc processing into distinct stages: drying, grinding to specific particle sizes, and incorporation into food matrices. This segmentation allows each step to be optimized independently, managing processing complexity while achieving the desired sensory properties and consumer acceptance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-drying and pre-processing the agricultural marc before incorporation into final food products. This preliminary processing removes moisture and reduces bitterness upfront, simplifying subsequent steps and improving ease of operation in final product formulation
3Quantity of substance
If sugar content is reduced in food compositions to improve health benefits, then nutrition is improved, but sweet taste attributes decrease reducing consumer acceptance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful bitter and astringent properties of agricultural marc into beneficial sensory attributes by using them to replace sugar's sweetening function. The natural flavors and textures of processed marc provide sensory satisfaction without requiring added sugar, transforming a potentially harmful property into a benefit that supports both health and consumer acceptance
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to agricultural marc, and food compositions incorporating such agricultural marc to improve the texture, flavor, aroma, mouthfeel, nutritional content, or shelf life of the food composition. In one example, the agricultural marc may be obtained from Chardonnay grapes, which when incorporated into chocolate can give the resulting composition an altered flavor and/or aromatic profile.