Low-Fat Fermented Milk Flavor via Dissolved Oxygen Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fermented milk with reduced milk fat content and increased SNF content faces challenges in maintaining flavor and texture quality, leading to a decrease in palatability and the need for artificial additives to enhance taste and texture.
Innovation Solution
Reducing the dissolved oxygen concentration in the fermentation mixture to 5 ppm or less and lowering the fermentation temperature to between 30°C-40°C, while reducing the starter amount to 50%-25% of the standard, to improve milk fat taste without adding milk-fat alternatives or flavoring agents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If milk fat content is reduced to create low-calorie fermented milk, then calorie content decreases, but milk flavor and texture deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying fermentation temperature (lowering to 30-37°C) and dissolved oxygen concentration (reducing to 5 ppm or less) to compensate for the loss of milk flavor and texture caused by reduced milk fat content. These parameter adjustments enable the fermented milk to maintain rich taste and smooth texture even with low fat content.
2Quantity of substance
If nonfat dry milk is added to increase SNF content, then nutritional value improves, but flavor and texture deteriorate further
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses parameter changes by controlling fermentation temperature (30-37°C) and dissolved oxygen concentration (5 ppm or less) to counteract the negative effects of high SNF content from added nonfat dry milk. These parameter adjustments prevent the deterioration of flavor and texture that normally accompanies high SNF content.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If additives are used to improve flavor and texture of low-fat fermented milk, then milk flavor is compensated, but natural health-related functions are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by enabling the fermented milk system to compensate for its own deficiencies through controlled fermentation parameters. The low dissolved oxygen concentration and reduced temperature enable the lactic acid bacteria to produce sufficient flavor compounds and texture components naturally, without requiring external additives, thus maintaining the product's natural health-related functions.
4Quantity of substance
If high SNF fermented milk is produced by adding nonfat dry milk, then nutritional density increases, but palatability decreases due to rough texture and graininess
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by reducing fermentation temperature to 30-37°C and dissolved oxygen concentration to 5 ppm or less. These parameter modifications enable high-SNF fermented milk to achieve smooth texture and good palatability without the roughness and graininess that typically accompany high nonfat dry milk 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
This process enhances the milk fat taste of low-fat fermented milk to levels comparable to standard milk fat content products, and improves the flavor and texture of high-SNF fermented milk, reducing issues like bad melt-in-mouth, rough texture, and graininess, while maintaining a natural composition without using additives.
Implementation Method 1
fermentation is performed at a lower fermentation temperature of 30°C-37°C (patent document 2), and 38°C-40°C (patent document 3) while decreasing the dissolved oxygen concentration in a fermentation mixture to 5 ppm or less
Data Source
AI summary
The invention aims at broadly dividing the deteriorations in the savor and palatability of low-fat and high-SNF (solids-not -fat) food produced by adding skimmilk powder to low-fat fermented milk into (a) one due to lowered milk fat content and (b) one due to the addition of skim milk powder in a high concentration and inhibiting each deterioration without any additive by a more natural method to improve the savor and palatability. The invention relates to a process for the production of fermented milk having an SNF content of 11% by weight or above and/or a milk fat content of 0.1 to 2.0% by weight which comprises adjusting the dissolved oxygen content of a raw material mixture for fermented milk at the initiation of fermentation to 5ppm or below, adding a starter to the raw material mixture, and conducting the fermentation of the obtained mixture at 30 to 46°C; and fermented milk produced by the process.