Food article
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing processes for preparing food articles, such as instant soups, are not amenable to high throughput production, are not visually appealing, and do not dissolve quickly for a tasty and instant snack, with issues like plastic residue from packaging and long maturation or freezing times.
Innovation Solution
A process involving a mixture of edible ingredients with a water content of less than 5 wt.% is prepared by cooling and agitating, then freeze-drying with an elongate member, such as a chopstick, incorporated to create a savoury food article that is visually appealing and easy to handle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If freeze-drying process is used to create instant food articles, then the food articles dissolve quickly and are visually appealing, but the production throughput is low due to long processing times
Solution Approach 1:
The food mixture is divided into small granules or particles instead of processing large blocks. This segmentation increases the surface area to volume ratio, enabling faster freeze-drying times (reducing processing time from hours to minutes) while maintaining quick dissolution properties and visual appeal of the final product.
2Ease of manufacture
If plastic packaging with heat-sensitive film is used to hold concentrated product, then the product is protected and easy to transport, but plastic residue remains after use which hampers consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces permanent plastic packaging with a disposable paper spoon that is integrated with the food product. The paper spoon dissolves along with the food concentrate, eliminating plastic residue concerns. The spoon is designed to be used once and then discarded without harmful environmental impact.
3Measurement precision
If tub of soup mix is used for portioning, then the correct amount can be measured, but the tub is cumbersome and not suitable for on-the-go preparation
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging container, serving utensil, and food product are merged into a single integrated unit. The paper spoon acts as both the packaging carrier and the serving utensil, eliminating the need for separate tubs and spoons. This integration maintains precise portioning while dramatically improving portability and ease of on-the-go preparation.
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 enables rapid, large-scale production of visually appealing, easy-to-handle food articles that dissolve quickly, providing a tasty and instant snack experience.
Implementation Method 1
cooling and agitating the mixture of edible ingredients to provide a cooled mixture having a temperature of −20 to 5° C.
Implementation Method 2
freeze-drying the cooled mixture having an elongate member extending therefrom
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a process for producing a food article consisting of an edible composition having an elongated member extending therefrom, the edible composition having a water content of less than 5 wt. %. The present invention also relates an edible composition and to the of the edible composition for preparing a meal or snack.