Liquid Food Composition pH Control for Aggregation Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid food compositions face issues with aggregation and precipitation during heat sterilization, leading to reduced quality and increased viscosity, making them difficult to ingest via tube feeding and prone to gastroesophageal reflux disease and aspiration pneumonia.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the addition of a divalent metal salt and phosphoric acid or organic acid salt to a solution, followed by a protein and water-soluble dietary fibers, with pH control between 6.2 and 9.5, to create a stable liquid composition that solidifies in the stomach, reducing aggregation and improving emulsification stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a composition containing protein, divalent metal salt, and water-soluble dietary fibers is heat sterilized, then the nutritional quality is improved, but aggregation and precipitation occur reducing product quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by adjusting the pH of the solution to 6.2-9.5 before heat sterilization. This pre-adjustment prevents aggregation and precipitation during sterilization, allowing the composition to remain stable and maintain high product quality while achieving effective sterilization.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the fluidity of nutritious food is reduced to prevent gastroesophageal reflux disease and aspiration pneumonia, then patient safety is improved, but the food becomes difficult to pass through feeding tubes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses parameter changes by controlling the pH to 6.2-9.5, which prevents excessive viscosity increase during sterilization. This maintains the composition in a liquid state suitable for tube feeding while still providing the safety benefits of reduced gastroesophageal reflux disease and aspiration pneumonia risk.
3Stability of the object's composition
If phosphoric acid or organic acid is added to suppress aggregation and precipitation, then protein stability is improved, but fine particles and aggregates are generated reducing quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the pH to 6.2-9.5, which is the optimal range that prevents both aggregation and fine particle generation. This pH control stabilizes the protein composition while avoiding the formation of fine particles and aggregates that would reduce product quality.
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 generation of fine particles and aggregates, allowing for efficient production and ingestion of the liquid food composition, minimizing the risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease and aspiration pneumonia, while maintaining nutritional balance.
Implementation Method 1
performing mixing until pH of the mixture becomes 6.2 to 9.5
Implementation Method 2
a composition containing a polysaccharide, a mineral, and a gas-forming component, which is gelled under the endogastric condition
Implementation Method 3
shows fluidity in the neutral region, but solidifies in the stomach environment
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid food composition that can be conveniently ingested or given with a tube and contains reduced aggregates in the composition is provided. A liquid food composition that shows fluidity in the neutral region, but solidifies in the stomach environment is further provided. According to the production method of the present invention, generation of fine particles in the production process of a liquid food composition containing a divalent metal salt, a protein, and water-soluble dietary fibers is reduced. Therefore, emulsification stability of the composition is improved, clogging of aggregates in strainer disposed in the production line etc. are eliminated, and thus the composition can be efficiently produced. Furthermore, since the composition obtained by the production method shows fluidity in the neutral region, but solidifies in the stomach environment, it can be conveniently ingested or given with a tube, and can effectively reduce the risks for developing gastroesophageal reflux disease, aspiration pneumonia, diarrhea, etc.