Grain Tempering with Organic Acid for Bacterial Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Raw flour can pose a risk of food-borne illness due to contamination with bacteria like Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC), which can survive on grains and be mixed into flour during milling, especially in whole grain flours.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the incubation of grain with an organic acid solution at specific temperatures and moisture levels to achieve a 3 log reduction in bacterial load, which can be integrated into the tempering process to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If grain is treated with organic acid solution to reduce bacterial load, then food safety is improved, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the bacterial reduction treatment with the existing tempering process by integrating organic acid solution application into the tempering stage. This merging allows the grain to undergo both moisture conditioning and bacterial reduction in a single integrated process, improving food safety without adding separate processing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The organic acid treatment is applied during the tempering process where the grain's natural moisture absorption characteristics facilitate the uptake of the acid solution. The grain itself serves as the medium for delivering the antimicrobial agent, eliminating the need for separate application equipment and reducing processing complexity.
2Reliability
If organic acid solution is applied to grain, then bacterial load is reduced, but moisture content control becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies precise parameters for the organic acid solution including concentration ranges (0.1% to 5% v/v) and application conditions (temperature, moisture content ranges). By controlling these parameters within defined ranges, the treatment achieves bacterial reduction while maintaining stable moisture content that suits subsequent milling operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The organic acid treatment is applied during the tempering stage before milling, allowing the grain to absorb the solution and equilibrate moisture content in advance. This preliminary action ensures that the grain is properly conditioned both moisture-wise and sanitarily before the milling process begins.
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 effectively reduces the bacterial load on grain by at least 3 log, thereby minimizing the risk of food-borne illness from consuming raw flour, without significantly affecting the functional properties of the flour.
Implementation Method 1
incubating a mixture including the grain and an organic acid solution for a time and temperature sufficient to provide at least a 3 log reduction in an inoculated grain of the same type
Implementation Method 2
incubating for at least 3 hours at a temperature of at least 100° F.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for inoculating a grain suitable for use in testing methods of reducing bacterial load are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of reducing bacterial load on a grain by using elevated temperature and an organic acid. Also disclosed are methods of tempering a grain at an elevated temperature and reduced time as compared to standard tempering methods.