Microporous Diffuser Aeration for Microcellular Food
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing aerated food products, such as chocolate, often result in large gas cells rather than microcellular structures, leading to limited density reduction and increased likelihood of cell collapse, which is undesirable for achieving a texture and calorie reduction similar to non-aerated products.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an edible or inert gas through a microporous diffuser into the food process stream and blending it with a static mixer to create small, evenly distributed gas cells with minimal mechanical and thermal stress, allowing for industrial-scale production of microcellular food products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If gas injection and static mixers are used to produce aerated food products, then gas cells are incorporated into the product, but the cells become large in size which is undesirable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a microporous diffuser instead of conventional gas injection methods. The diffuser contains numerous micropores through which gas passes, creating many small bubbles rather than large cells. This porous structure enables precise control of gas cell size, producing microcellular structures with uniform distribution while avoiding the large cell formation associated with traditional injection methods.
2Manufacturing precision
If more intensive mixing procedures are used to produce very small cells, then gas cell size is reduced, but energy input increases causing heat and shear changes in product structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces intensive mechanical mixing with a passive diffusion-based gas incorporation system. The microporous diffuser allows gas to disperse into the food product through pressure-driven flow and surface tension effects rather than mechanical agitation. This substitution dramatically reduces energy input while achieving uniform microcellular distribution without generating excessive heat or shear that would alter product structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls gas cell size by adjusting parameters such as gas pressure, diffuser pore size, and flow rate rather than increasing mixing intensity. By optimizing these parameters, the system achieves very small uniform cells (microcellular structure) without requiring high-energy mixing procedures, thereby avoiding heat and shear-induced changes in product properties.
3Quantity of substance
If large cells are increased in number to achieve density reduction, then density is reduced, but cell collapse becomes more likely
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the gas phase into numerous tiny cells rather than using fewer large cells. The microporous diffuser creates a high number of small bubbles distributed uniformly throughout the product. This segmentation approach achieves density reduction through the high total surface area of many small cells while maintaining structural stability, as small cells are less prone to collapse and can be packed more efficiently.
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 method effectively produces aerated food products with substantial density reduction and preserved texture and taste, achieving microcellular structures with gas cells undetectable to the human eye, suitable for various food types including chocolate and cream cheese.
Implementation Method 1
introducing an edible or inert gas through at least one microporous diffuser into the process stream
Implementation Method 2
The thus obtained gas/food mixture is then blended by a static mixer
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method of producing aerated food products comprising the steps of introducing gas through at least one porous diffuser into a stream of food process medium so as to obtain a gas/food mixture and subjecting said gas/food process medium mixture to a blending operation in a static mixer. It also relates to products obtainable by this method.