Acid-Alkaline Protein Isolation from Meat Trimmings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for isolating protein from animal muscle tissue in meat trimmings are inefficient, leading to high microorganism contamination, undesirable protein smell, reduced essential amino acid content, and instability of the fat fraction, which limits their use as food additives and results in suboptimal protein functionality and color.
Innovation Solution
A process involving comminution of meat trimmings, acidification to pH 3.6-4.4 to solubilize muscle tissue, separation of fat, and subsequent alkalization to stabilize and precipitate protein, while maintaining low water content and avoiding ammonia treatment, ensuring high protein yield and stability against oxidation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If thermal energy is used to dissolve animal fat tissue, then fat separation is achieved, but microorganism contamination increases and protein functionality is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from thermal processing to cold processing (maintaining temperatures below 4°C throughout the process). This parameter change allows fat separation to occur through acid-induced solubilization rather than thermal melting, thereby achieving fat separation while preventing microorganism growth that would occur at elevated temperatures.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If alkaline agents are used to control bacteria, then bacterial population is reduced, but protein smell increases and essential amino acid content decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using alkaline agents (ammonia, ammonium hydroxide) to control bacteria as in conventional methods, the patent inverts the approach by using acidic conditions (food-grade acid to achieve pH 3.6-4.4) to solubilize muscle tissue and separate fat. This inversion eliminates the need for alkaline treatment, preventing protein smell and essential amino acid degradation while still achieving bacterial control through acidification and subsequent refrigeration.
3Productivity
If pH is reduced to solubilize muscle tissue, then protein extraction efficiency increases, but protein color deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the pH parameter to a specific range of 3.6-4.4, which is mildly acidic compared to conventional methods. This parameter change allows sufficient protein solubilization and extraction efficiency while preventing the severe color deterioration that occurs at lower pH values. The controlled pH range maintains protein functionality and color acceptability for food additive applications.
4Quantity of substance
If conventional isolation methods are used, then protein is recovered, but fat stability against oxidation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary acidification to the meat trimmings before any separation processes. This preliminary action of reducing pH to 3.6-4.4 stabilizes the fat against oxidation by altering its chemical state, while simultaneously enabling protein solubilization. This preliminary acidic treatment ensures both protein recovery and fat stability are achieved from the outset of the process.
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 process achieves high yields of functional animal muscle protein with desirable color, reduced microorganisms, and stable fat with low water content, meeting the standards for 'finely textured meat' or 'lean finely textured meat', and retains the nutritional value and functionality of the original protein.
Implementation Method 1
adding a food grade acid to the homogenized trimmings to lower the pH of the mixture to between 3.6 to 4.4 to solubilize the animal muscle tissue
Implementation Method 2
separating the solid fat from the acidic solution of animal muscle protein
Implementation Method 3
adding a food grade alkaline composition to the acidic animal muscle protein solution to increase the pH to between about 4.9 and about 6.4 to precipitate the protein
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A protein fraction and an oxidation stable fat fraction are recovered from meat trimmings. The trimmings are comminuted, mixed with a food grade acid at pH 3,6 to 4.4 to form a liquid protein fraction and a solid fat fraction. The liquid fraction is mixed with a food grade alkali to precipitate the protein. A myoglobin rich fraction is recovered from the protein fraction and mixed with the precipitated protein.