Modified Legume Starch Coating for Food Crispness

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for coating foods, particularly French fries, struggle to maintain crispness over time due to water regain after cooking, with existing coatings either being detectable by consumers or failing to provide long-lasting crispness.

Innovation Solution

A process using a chemically modified legume starch with an amylose content of less than 40%, specifically crosslinked pea starch, combined with dextrin, to create a coating composition that provides superior crispness and stability to water regain.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If conventional starch coatings are used to improve crispness, then initial crispness is achieved, but crispness is lost after cooking due to water regain

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovecrispnessVSAvoidduration of crispness
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by using chemically modified starch with specific properties (amylose content between 20-40%, degree of substitution 0.03-0.2) to alter the coating's water barrier performance and thermal stability, enabling long-lasting crispness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite materials by combining chemically modified starch with specific physical and chemical properties with controlled formulation parameters to create a coating composition that provides both initial crispness and prolonged durability against water regain

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Strength

If high-molecular weight polysaccharide coatings are applied to improve appearance and crispness, then coating effectiveness increases, but the taste of the coating becomes detectable by consumers

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovecrispnessVSAvoiddetectable coating taste
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses parameter changes by controlling the starch modification degree and amylose content to achieve a coating that is functionally effective but sensorially invisible, eliminating detectable taste while maintaining crispness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If amylose-rich starches are used to create barrier films, then water barrier properties improve, but the starch becomes difficult to cook and film-forming properties are limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater barrier propertyVSAvoidcookability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by chemically modifying starch to achieve optimal amylose content (20-40%) and degree of substitution (0.03-0.2), balancing water barrier reliability with improved cookability and film-forming properties

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 coating composition achieves long-lasting crispness and stability, with the crosslinked pea starch and dextrin combination outperforming other starches in maintaining product crispness and appearance, even after 15 minutes of cooling.

Implementation Method 1

crosslinked pea starch

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCrosslinking: Chemical Bonding

Implementation Method 2

The coating film obtained constitutes an effective barrier to water

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFilm formation: Coatings

Data Source

PatentUS8512779B2Process for coating food products
Publication Date: 2013.08.20 ROQUETTE FRERES SA

AI summary

A process for coating food products, characterized in that the products are coated before they are cooked with an aqueous coating composition including a modified legume starch having an amylose content of less than 40%.