Grain-Processed Ground Meat for Texture-Preserving Meat Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for producing meat-like food that incorporate grains with ground meat often impair the original texture, flavor, and appearance of the meat, and there is a need to reduce the amount of ground meat used while adding nutritional value from grains.

Innovation Solution

A method involving steaming, flaking, and drying or roasting grains to specific moisture and size specifications before mixing them with ground meat to maintain texture, flavor, and appearance, and reduce the amount of ground meat.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If whole grains are directly mixed with ground meat, then the amount of ground meat can be reduced, but the texture, flavor, and appearance of the meat are impaired and the grain shape is visually recognizable

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveamount of ground meatVSAvoidtexture, flavor, and appearance quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The grain is divided into small particles through cutting into 2 to 15 pieces or sizing to 1.5 to 12.0 mm, making the grain particles too small to be visually recognized while maintaining the nutritional benefits and texture enhancement

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The grain undergoes preliminary processing including steaming, flaking to 0.3 to 2.4 mm thickness, and drying or roasting to achieve a moisture value of 14% or less before mixing with ground meat, ensuring the grain is properly prepared to maintain meat quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Quantity of substance

If grain powder is mixed with ground meat, then the amount of ground meat can be reduced, but the powder absorbs moisture to form paste which impairs texture, flavor, and appearance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveamount of ground meatVSAvoidtexture stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The grain moisture content is controlled to 14% or less through drying or roasting processing, preventing excessive moisture absorption that would cause paste formation and texture degradation when mixed with ground meat

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The grain is pre-processed by flaking to specific thickness (0.3 to 2.4 mm) and drying/roasting to achieve stable moisture content before mixing, ensuring proper texture and preventing paste formation during subsequent handling

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Quantity of substance

If ingredients are mixed with ground meat to reduce meat usage, then the amount of ground meat can be reduced, but the original texture, flavor, and appearance of meat may be impaired

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveamount of ground meatVSAvoidoriginal meat quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The grain is processed to specific local characteristics including flaking to 0.3 to 2.4 mm thickness and cutting to specific size (2 to 15 pieces or 1.5 to 12.0 mm), creating optimal local texture properties that complement rather than degrade the ground meat quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The grain undergoes controlled parameter changes including steaming, flaking to specific thickness, and drying/roasting to achieve moisture value of 14% or less, transforming the grain into an optimal state for mixing with ground meat while preserving meat quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 method produces grain mixed ground meat with adjustable texture, flavor, and appearance, allowing for reduced meat usage and added nutritional benefits from grains, while maintaining the quality of the meat-like food.

Implementation Method 1

A step (A) of steaming grain having been shed and polished and cut into 2 to 15 pieces

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSteaming: Heating

Implementation Method 2

A step (B) of flaking the grain having been steamed in the foregoing step to a thickness of 0.3 to 2.4 mm

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCompression: Compression

Implementation Method 3

A step (C) of drying or roasting the grain having been flaked in the foregoing step to obtain processed grain having a moisture value of 14% or less

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDrying: Desorption

Implementation Method 4

A step (C) of drying or roasting the grain having been flaked in the foregoing step

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRoasting: Heating

Data Source

PatentEP4166007B1Method for producing grain-mixed ground meat
Publication Date: 2026.02.04 NIPPON SHOKUHIN SEIZO
  • EP4166007B1 patent drawingFigure 1(a)~1(d)
  • EP4166007B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4166007B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A method for producing a cereal-mixed ground meat comprises a step (A) for braising a hulled and milled cereal, a step (B) for compressing and flattening the cereal that has been braised in the preceding step, a step (C) for drying or roasting the cereal that has been compressed and flattened in the preceding step to produce a cereal processed product, and a step (D) for mixing the cereal processed product produced in the preceding step with a ground meat to produce a cereal-mixed ground meat.