Extrusion Die Cooling Chamber for Meat Analogue Texture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing meat analogue products struggle to replicate the complex hierarchical and multiscale structure of meat, particularly in achieving desirable textural properties such as chewiness, which is essential for mimicking the texture of real meat.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a die with a conic core and insert, along with a cooling chamber downstream of the die exit, facilitates the formation of fibrous structures in meat analogues by controlling the flow path and temperature, allowing for the creation of meat-like textures through the use of a cooling component with a double-jacket structure and helical or cylindrical cavities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a conventional extrusion die is used without downstream cooling, then the process is simpler, but the protein fibrils cannot achieve sufficient length and the meat analogue lacks chewiness
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling chamber is nested downstream of the die, with the flow path passing through the cooling chamber. This nested arrangement allows the extrudate to be cooled immediately after exiting the die while maintaining a compact system configuration, enabling long protein fibril formation without excessive system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling chamber is positioned to receive the extrudate immediately after the die exit, performing cooling action before the material can set completely. This preliminary cooling action allows the protein fibrils to continue growing to several centimeters in length while preventing overheating, thereby achieving both mechanical resistance and chewiness
2Productivity
If the die exit gap is made larger to increase productivity, then the output increases, but the extrudate temperature control becomes difficult and texture quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling chamber acts as an intermediary between the die exit and the final product formation. It receives the hot extrudate from the die (even with larger gap sizes for higher productivity) and provides controlled cooling, thereby maintaining texture quality and protein fibril structure while allowing increased extrusion output
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the temperature parameter of the extrudate by passing it through the cooling chamber downstream of the die. This temperature control enables the use of larger die exit gaps for higher productivity while maintaining product quality, as the cooling prevents overheating that would otherwise occur with increased flow rates
3Stability of the object's composition
If the cooling chamber is positioned far downstream, then the die design is simpler, but the protein fibrils cannot reach sufficient length and chewiness is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling chamber is positioned to receive the extrudate immediately after the die exit, performing cooling action before the material can set completely. This preliminary cooling allows the protein fibrils to continue growing to several centimeters in length while preventing overheating, thereby achieving both mechanical resistance and chewiness
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 approach results in meat analogues with improved mechanical resistance and texture, capable of mimicking the chewiness of real meat, as demonstrated by increased viscosity and better handling during processing and sensory analysis.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling component comprising a cooling chamber, wherein said cooling component is downstream of the die and the flow path passes through the cooling chamber
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a system for making a meat analogue comprising protein, said system comprising i) a die comprising an insert; a core; and a flow path: wherein the flow path is defined by the insert and the core; and ii) a cooling component comprising a cooling chamber, wherein said cooling component is downstream of the die and the flow path passes through the cooling chamber.