Metal Salt-Enclosing Dextrin Thickening Composition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thickening compositions for foods face challenges in achieving high viscosity per unit mass, rapid dispersibility, and minimizing adverse effects on food texture and flavor, while also being cost-effective, due to issues with particle size control and flavor interference from surface coatings.
Innovation Solution
A thickening composition comprising a metal salt-enclosing dextrin and a thickening polysaccharide at specific mass ratios, produced by mixing and homogenizing dextrin with metal salts, then drying and granulating, which allows for rapid dispersion and high viscosity without forming lumps, using calcium lactate, calcium acetate, or other metal salts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the surface of xanthan gum is coated with metal salt or ascorbic acid by direct spraying, then water-dispersibility is improved, but particle size control becomes difficult and flavor quality is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a carrier particle as an intermediary substance. The metal salt or ascorbic acid is not directly coated on the xanthan gum surface, but rather incorporated into the carrier particle. This intermediary carrier allows for controlled release and mixing with the thickening agent, solving the particle size control issue while maintaining the flavor-enhancing and dispersibility-improving effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the coating function from the thickening agent. Instead of directly coating xanthan gum with metal salt or ascorbic acid, the system separates these components: the thickening agent (xanthan gum) and the functional additives (metal salt/ascorbic acid in carrier particles). This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component's properties and facilitates better control over the final particle size and flavor characteristics.
2Manufacturing precision
If two-step granulation is performed to obtain uniform thickening agent, then product uniformity is improved, but production cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-incorporating the metal salt or ascorbic acid into the carrier particle before mixing with the thickening agent. This preliminary incorporation ensures uniform distribution of functional additives throughout the final product, achieving product uniformity without requiring time-consuming two-step granulation processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the carrier particle with the thickening agent in a single mixing step. The carrier particles containing metal salt or ascorbic acid are combined with the thickening agent to form a uniform mixture, achieving both product uniformity and cost-effectiveness in a single operation rather than requiring separate granulation steps.
3Power
If high amount of thickening composition is used to ensure thickening effect, then viscosity enhancement is improved, but impact on food texture and flavor increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the thickening composition by incorporating metal salts or ascorbic acid into carrier particles. This parameter change enhances the thickening efficiency and flavor properties, allowing for reduced amounts of thickening agent to be used while achieving the desired viscosity enhancement with minimal impact on food texture and flavor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system combining carrier particles containing metal salt or ascorbic acid with the thickening agent. This composite structure provides multiple functions simultaneously: thickening, flavor enhancement, and improved dispersibility, thereby reducing the total amount of thickening composition needed and minimizing negative impacts on food properties.
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 achieves excellent dispersibility and viscosity enhancement in water-containing foods with minimal impact on flavor and texture, using a small amount of thickening agent, and is cost-effective by minimizing the amount of thickening composition required.
Implementation Method 1
mixing, dissolving, and homogenizing a dextrin and a metal salt in water
Implementation Method 2
mixing or granulating the metal salt-enclosing dextrin with the thickening polysaccharide
Data Source
AI summary
A thickening composition which contains specific amounts of a metal salt-enclosing dextrin and a thickening polysaccharide and which has a good dispersibility, raises the viscosity rapidly, and has an excellent thickening effect can be produced by the steps of obtaining the metal salt-enclosing dextrin by mixing, dissolving, and homogenizing a dextrin and a metal salt in water, followed by drying, and adding the metal salt-enclosing dextrin to the thickening polysaccharide followed by mixing or granulation. The thickening composition makes it possible to provide a thickening composition which has a good dispersibility, raises the viscosity rapidly, and offers an improved thickening effect per unit mass in a wide variety of water-containing foods such as water, teas, refreshing beverages, dairy beverages, soups, and thick liquid foods.