Low-Sugar Dry Microbial Composition for Heat-Stable Viability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies fail to provide stable compositions for viable microorganisms that protect their viability under harsh conditions of industrial manufacturing, distribution, and storage, especially at elevated temperatures and humidity, and are unsuitable for special dietary formulations due to regulatory limitations on conventional sugars.
Innovation Solution
A dry composition comprising viable microorganisms, hydrolyzed proteins, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, and carboxylic acid salts, prepared by snap-freezing and vacuum drying to achieve low water activity, ensuring stability and viability under extreme conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional sugars (sucrose, fructose, trehalose, lactose) are used as stabilizing compounds, then microorganism viability is protected during storage and manufacturing, but the composition becomes unsuitable for special dietary formulations (infant formula, diabetic food, etc.) due to regulatory limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes conventional sugars (sucrose, fructose, trehalose, lactose) from the formulation entirely, extracting the harmful element that prevents use in special dietary applications. The invention replaces these excluded compounds with alternative stabilizing compounds (such as certain proteins, polysaccharides, or other non-sugar carbohydrates) that can provide similar protective effects for microorganisms while being compliant with dietary regulations for infants, diabetics, and other special populations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite stabilization systems combining multiple non-sugar compounds to achieve the protective effect previously provided by single sugar compounds. This composite approach allows the formulation to maintain microorganism viability through synergistic interactions between different stabilizing compounds while remaining suitable for special dietary formulations.
2Ease of operation
If intermediate moisture conditions (water activity 0.2-0.4) and high temperatures (30-40°C) are used for distribution and storage, then product accessibility is improved, but microorganism viability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies prior cushioning by incorporating stabilizing compounds into the formulation before exposure to harsh storage conditions. These compounds create a protective matrix or environment around the microorganisms in advance, cushioning them against the damaging effects of intermediate moisture conditions and elevated temperatures during distribution and storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the chemical and physical parameters of the storage environment by using stabilizing compounds that alter water activity, create protective atmospheres, or change the structural properties of the formulation. These parameter changes enable the formulation to withstand intermediate moisture conditions and high temperatures that would otherwise be lethal to the microorganisms.
3Reliability
If encapsulation and stabilization techniques are developed to protect microorganism viability during manufacturing and storage, then technical complexity increases, but without significant protection under intermediate moisture conditions and high temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves enhanced protection through parameter changes in the formulation composition itself, using stabilizing compounds that inherently provide protection under intermediate moisture and high temperature conditions. This approach modifies the chemical parameters of the system to enable stability without requiring complex encapsulation structures or multi-step stabilization processes.
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 composition maintains at least 1x10^10 CFU/g viability with less than 1 log unit loss after 84 days at 40°C and 33% RH, suitable for diverse geographic conditions and special dietary products.
Implementation Method 1
prepared by snap-freezing and vacuum drying
Implementation Method 2
vacuum drying to achieve low water activity
Implementation Method 3
snap-freezing and vacuum drying
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A dry stable composition is provided. The composition comprises one or more viable microorganisms, at least 50% by weight of one or more hydrolyzed proteins and less than 10% by weight of one or more sugars selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides, disaccharides and combinations thereof, each weight percentage based on the total weight of the dry composition. Preferably, the composition comprises no monosaccharide or disaccharide. The composition may further comprise one or more oligosaccharides, one or more polysaccharides, one or more carboxylic acid salts, or a combination thereof. The composition may have viability of at least 1 X 1010 CFU/g, and a viability loss of less than 1 log unit/g after 84 days at a temperature of 40°C and a relative humidity of 33%. Also provided are methods for preparing the dry stable composition.