Gluten Measurement via Salt Water Structuring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for measuring gluten in flour are either repetitive and unreliable, particularly for low gluten content, and fail to account for the structural properties of gluten molecules, leading to loss of gluten during the washing process and inaccurate measurements.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the preparation of a sphere of cohesive material from flour, followed by submersion in salt water to structure the gluten, washing to remove soluble substances, centrifugation to remove excess water, and drying to measure both wet and dry gluten content, which allows for accurate and reliable quantification of gluten.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mechanical methods are used to measure gluten content, then the measurement is fast, but gluten is lost during washing and measurements are inaccurate for low gluten content samples
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing hydration and structuring of gluten molecules before the washing step. The gluten is allowed to structure in a controlled environment with specific pH and ionic strength conditions, forming a coherent network that prevents loss during subsequent washing. This preliminary structuring action enables both fast mechanical processing and accurate measurement of low gluten content samples.
2Measurement precision
If manual methods are used to measure gluten content, then gluten loss is prevented, but the measurement process is repetitive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical manipulation of gluten with a controlled chemical-physical structuring process. Instead of manual handling that risks loss, the gluten is structured in a controlled solution environment with specific pH and ionic conditions, then processed through automated washing and centrifugation. This substitution maintains accuracy while enabling faster, more consistent processing.
3Quantity of substance
If washing is performed to remove soluble substances, then purity is improved, but gluten is lost when not properly structured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling pH, ionic strength, and hydration conditions during the structuring phase before washing. By optimizing these parameters, the gluten forms a stable, coherent structure that is resistant to loss during washing, while still allowing soluble substances to be removed. The specific ionic composition and pH conditions enable selective structuring that protects gluten during subsequent purification steps.
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
This method enables fast and accurate measurement of gluten in flour samples, including those with low gluten content, preventing gluten loss and providing reliable results that match manual methods, thus enabling the use of previously discarded flour batches in various industries.
Implementation Method 1
the structuring of the gluten comprises submerging the sphere that comes out of the mixer into a container with salt water for a few minutes
Implementation Method 2
the structuring of the gluten comprises submerging the sphere that comes out of the mixer into a container with salt water for a few minutes. Then, the process continues with washing the sphere of structured material (SSM) with water inside a washing device
Implementation Method 3
the structured gluten with excess of water is centrifuged in a centrifuge
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for measuring the gluten content in a flour sample. The method includes preparing the flour, sifting it, and adding water, then pre-hydrating with water in a pre-hydrating mixer for a few seconds, until a sphere cohesive material (SCM) is obtained. Then, the sphere SCM is submerged in a container with salt water for a few minutes, to allow the structuring of the gluten. Then, the sphere is washed in a washing machine to eliminate the water soluble substances, which are not gluten. Then, the gluten structured with excess water is centrifuged in a “centrifuge”, then removed from the centrifuge and weighed. The value that is read is the measurement of wet gluten. To obtain the value of the dry gluten, dry in a desiccation stove or a Teflon® dryer.