Konjac Glucomannan Food Solid Without Alkaline Gelation Odor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing starchy and sugary foods lead to unbalanced diets, causing rapid blood glucose spikes, protein glycation, and insufficient satiety, while traditional konnyaku products do not swell during digestion and lack organoleptic appeal, with unpleasant odors and poor digestive benefits.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a mixture of glucomannans and galactomannans with an aqueous liquid, prepared without alkaline agents, forming a cohesive, non-sticky, and non-coalescent food solid that swells during digestion, providing satiety and balanced fiber intake.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If traditional konnyaku is prepared using calcium hydroxide treatment, then the product achieves cohesive solid structure, but it produces unpleasant odors and lacks organoleptic appeal
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the alkaline treatment step (calcium hydroxide) from the traditional konjac processing method. By removing this harmful processing step while maintaining the core gelation mechanism through controlled hydration and drying, the patent produces konjac products without unpleasant odors while preserving the desired cohesive structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the processing parameters by controlling the hydration ratio (water to konjac flour ratio between 0.5:1 and 2:1) and drying conditions to achieve gelation without alkaline treatment. This parameter optimization allows the formation of cohesive structures through physical gelation rather than chemical crosslinking with calcium hydroxide.
2Use of energy by moving object
If starchy and sugary foods are consumed to provide energy, then caloric needs are met, but blood glucose levels spike rapidly causing protein glycation and insufficient satiety
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the macronutrient composition parameters by replacing starch and sugar with konjac glucomannan, a soluble fiber that provides bulk and satiety without significant caloric contribution. The controlled hydration and processing maintain the structural integrity needed for digestive health while avoiding rapid glucose release.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates composite food products combining konjac glucomannan with other nutritional components. This composite approach allows the product to provide satiety and digestive benefits through fiber while incorporating essential nutrients without relying on high-glycemic starches and sugars.
3Reliability
If konnyaku products are packaged in reaction brine, then preservation is achieved, but strong unpleasant odors are released upon opening requiring multiple rinses
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the reaction brine packaging step from the traditional konjac product formulation. By adopting alternative preservation methods and processing approaches that do not require alkaline brine, the patent eliminates the source of unpleasant odors while maintaining product safety and shelf life.
4Use of energy by moving object
If diets are restricted to starchy products low in soluble fiber, then caloric density is maintained, but digestive transit and microbiota development are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the dietary fiber composition parameters by incorporating konjac glucomannan, a soluble fiber that forms viscous gels in the digestive tract. This fiber type slows digestion, improves transit, and feeds beneficial microbiota while allowing for lower caloric density compared to starch-based diets.
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 food solid offers low calorie intake, stable blood glucose levels, promotes intestinal microbiota diversity, and enhances digestive transit, while being palatable and odor-free, with adjustable organoleptic properties.
Implementation Method 1
a mixture is made: of a quantity of a flour comprising at least one polysaccharide, called heteromannan... and of a quantity of an aqueous liquid composition
Implementation Method 2
said free-flowing dispersion then spontaneously evolving to form an aqueous cohesive solid substantially free of free aqueous liquid and of a dynamic viscosity greater than the dynamic viscosity of said free-flowing dispersion
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for preparing a food solid wherein the following mixture is produced: - a quantity of a flour comprising at least one polysaccharide, called the heteromannan, chosen from the group formed of glucomannans and galactomannans, and - a quantity of an aqueous liquid composition, wherein the heteromannan is in such a quantity that the ratio of the mass of the heteromannan in the mixture to the mass of the aqueous liquid composition in the mixture is between 5% and 35%, and in that the mixture is prepared by vigorous stirring, whereby a substantially homogenous dispersion, called the pourable dispersion, of the flour in the aqueous liquid composition is formed having a dynamic viscosity of less than 100 Pa.s, the pourable dispersion varying spontaneously to form an aqueous cohesive solid substantially devoid of a free aqueous liquid composition and having a dynamic viscosity greater than the dynamic viscosity of the pourable dispersion; and subsequently a step of maturing the aqueous cohesive solid and hardening the aqueous cohesive solid is carried out so as to form the food solid, the food solid formed being non-adhesive and non-coalescent; and wherein, since the heteromannan comprises at least one glucomannan, the heteromannan is not subjected to any treatment with an alkaline agent, in particular any treatment with calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) or sodium carbonate.