Insect Processing Cooling to Halt Autolysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need to improve the treatment of insects to produce human nutrition and animal feed while maintaining nutritional content, optical appearance, and taste, and to reduce autolysis which affects their color and flavor.
Innovation Solution
A method involving rapid cooling of insects to below -10°C within 0.5 seconds to 45 minutes using liquid or gaseous cooling media like liquid nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or air to stop enzyme activity, minimizing dehydration and cell damage, and incorporating a processing line with a cooling apparatus, ingredient supply, and grinder to preserve the insects' quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If insects are treated with conventional processing methods, then processing efficiency is improved, but autolysis occurs causing color change and taste degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by rapidly freezing insects before they undergo autolysis. The freezing process is performed immediately after harvest to prevent enzymatic degradation, thereby preserving color and taste while enabling efficient subsequent processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by transitioning insects from a live state to a frozen state through rapid temperature reduction. This parameter change (temperature) effectively stops metabolic processes and prevents autolysis, allowing for efficient processing without quality degradation.
2Quantity of substance
If rapid cooling is applied to stop enzyme activity, then nutritional content is preserved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies phase transitions by using rapid freezing to transform insects from a living metabolic state to a frozen state. This phase transition effectively halts enzyme activity and preserves nutritional content while the rapid nature of the process minimizes time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements skipping by using rapid cooling methods that quickly pass through the critical temperature range where enzymatic activity occurs. This rushing through the dangerous temperature zone preserves nutrients while minimizing the total cooling time required.
3Stability of the object's composition
If insects are frozen to preserve quality, then color and taste are maintained, but cell damage may occur due to ice crystal formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies skipping by rapidly freezing insects through the temperature range where ice crystal formation occurs. This rapid passage minimizes the time for large ice crystals to form, thereby preserving cell structure while maintaining color stability and taste.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by controlling the rate of temperature reduction. The rapid change in temperature parameter prevents the formation of damaging ice crystals while achieving the desired color stability and preservation of nutritional content.
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 autolysis, maintains protein content, color, and flavor, and allows for efficient processing without nutritional or optical damage, enabling the production of high-quality insect-based human nutrition and animal feed.
Implementation Method 1
the temperature of the insects is reduced to or below -10° C. within 0.5 seconds-45 minutes
Implementation Method 2
In order to stop/inactivate the enzyme activity the insects should be exposed to rapid cooling
Implementation Method 3
The liquid cooling medium evaporates on the surface of the insects and thereby reduce the temperature of the insects
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method to treat insects in order to produce a human nutrition and/or an animal feed. The treatment involves at reducing and preferably stopping the autolysis of the insects, preferably using a cooling treatment step. The present invention further relates to a line to process insects.