Milk Protein Beverage Formulation for Temperature-Stable Viscosity
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-protein nutritional beverages experience significant viscosity changes and gelation issues due to temperature fluctuations, affecting texture and consumer satisfaction, with existing solutions like calcium-chelating agents or heat treatment causing undesirable effects.
Innovation Solution
A milk protein beverage formulation incorporating 4-20% milk protein, 1-30 mM calcium-binding chelator compounds, and polyphenol-containing agents, processed at 105-140°C for 4-10 minutes, maintains viscosity stability within 150 cP across a 2-30°C temperature range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If calcium-chelating agents are added to prevent gelation, then gelation is reduced, but viscosity increases undesirably
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters by using specific calcium-binding chelator compounds (phosphates, citrates, amino acids) at optimized concentrations (1-30 mM) to prevent gelation while controlling viscosity. The specific selection of chelators and their concentrations are adjusted to achieve the desired balance between gelation prevention and viscosity control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple components including milk protein (4-20%), calcium-binding chelator compounds, and polyphenol-containing agents in a composite formulation. This composite approach allows the different components to work synergistically, where the chelators prevent gelation and the polyphenols provide additional stability, while the overall composition maintains acceptable viscosity.
2Reliability
If heat treatment is applied to improve stability, then microbial stability is improved, but protein aggregation and viscosity changes occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary heat treatment (105-140°C for 4-10 minutes) to the milk protein beverage before final packaging. This preliminary heating denatures potential pathogens and stabilizes the protein structure in advance, preventing subsequent microbial growth while controlling protein aggregation through the added calcium-binding chelators that interfere with aggregation pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The calcium-binding chelator compounds act as intermediary substances that mediate between the heat treatment process and the protein structure. During heat treatment, these chelators bind calcium ions that would otherwise promote protein aggregation, thereby protecting the protein structure from excessive aggregation while still allowing beneficial pasteurization to occur.
3Quantity of substance
If protein concentration is increased to enhance nutritional value, then nutritional benefits are improved, but temperature-dependent viscosity changes and gelation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the protein concentration parameter to a specific range (4-20%) and combines it with calcium-binding chelators at concentrations of 1-30 mM. This parameter optimization ensures sufficient nutritional protein content while the chelators counteract the increased tendency for aggregation and gelation that comes with higher protein concentrations, maintaining viscosity stability across temperatures.
4Reliability
If the beverage is stored at low temperatures to maintain freshness, then microbial growth is inhibited, but cold gelation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The calcium-binding chelator compounds serve as intermediary agents that prevent cold gelation by binding calcium ions that would otherwise mediate casein micelle aggregation at low temperatures. This allows the beverage to be stored refrigerated for microbial inhibition without suffering from the cold gelation defect.
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 formulation ensures consistent mouthfeel and texture across varying temperatures, enhancing consumer enjoyment and product stability by preventing gelation and viscosity fluctuations.
Implementation Method 1
one or more calcium-binding chelator compound having a concentration of 1 to 30 mM
Implementation Method 2
thermally processing the third liquid to form the milk protein beverage, the thermal processing having a temperature of 105 to 140° C. and a duration of 4 to 10 minutes
Implementation Method 3
protein is susceptible to numerous temperature-dependent aggregation interactions such as clumping, micelle formation, complexation, coaggregation, gelation
Data Source
AI summary
A milk protein beverage, including: milk protein; one or more polyphenol-containing agent; and one or more calcium-binding chelator compound, wherein the milk protein beverage has a viscosity difference of less than 150 cP across a temperature range of 2 to 30° C. A method of producing the milk protein beverage, the method including: forming a first liquid including water, one or more polyphenol-containing agent, and one or more calcium-binding chelator compound; forming a second liquid including a milk concentrate; combining the first liquid and the second liquid to form a third liquid; homogenizing the third liquid; and thermally processing the third liquid to form the milk protein beverage, the thermal processing including a temperature of 105 to 140° C. A milk protein beverage, including: milk protein; and one or more calcium-binding chelator compound, the milk protein beverage having a viscosity difference of less than 150 cP across the temperature range.