Mushroom-Based Animal Feed Precursor Texture Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal feed products do not effectively replicate the texture and nutritional requirements of meat, particularly in a resource-efficient and cost-effective manner using readily available mushroom fruit bodies.
Innovation Solution
A procedure for producing an animal feed preliminary product using mushroom fruit bodies as the main raw material, involving crushing, mixing with other ingredients, hardening, and freezing, to achieve a texture comparable to meat and meet nutritional requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mushroom fruiting bodies are used as main raw material for animal feed, then resource efficiency and cost-effectiveness are improved, but the texture and nutritional completeness comparable to meat deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines mushroom fruiting bodies with binding agents (starch, protein isolate, cellulose), fat substitutes, and flavoring agents to create a composite material that replicates meat texture and nutritional profile. This allows resource-efficient mushroom-based feed to achieve meat-like quality characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies physical parameters of mushroom pieces through controlled crushing to specific size ranges (0.5-5mm), adjustment of moisture content (10-30%), and control of binding agent ratios to transform the raw mushroom material into a product with meat-comparable texture and nutritional properties.
2Shape
If mushroom fruiting bodies are crushed into pieces, then the texture resembling meat is improved, but the structural integrity and processing difficulty deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides mushroom fruiting bodies into uniformly sized pieces (0.5-5mm) through controlled crushing, creating a segmented structure that mimics meat texture while standardizing the material for easier subsequent processing and mixing with other ingredients.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces binding agents (starch, protein isolate, cellulose) as intermediaries that bind the crushed mushroom pieces together, maintaining structural integrity during processing while preserving the meat-like texture provided by the crushed mushroom fragments.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the production mass is hardened without heating, then energy consumption is reduced, but the hardening time and process control difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces thermal hardening (heating) with mechanical/chemical hardening by incorporating binding agents (starch, protein isolate, cellulose) that set through moisture control and mechanical compression at ambient temperatures, significantly reducing energy consumption while maintaining product integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adjusts moisture content parameters to 10-30% and controls compaction pressure to optimize the hardening process at ambient temperature, balancing the trade-off between extended hardening time and reduced energy requirements by creating conditions that accelerate natural setting.
4Reliability
If deep-freezing is applied to the hardened production mass, then shelf life and preservation are improved, but energy consumption and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs hardening and moisture reduction to 10-30% before deep-freezing, pre-conditioning the product to minimize ice crystal formation and reduce the thermal load during freezing, thereby extending shelf life while minimizing the energy required for the freezing 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 resulting animal feed product has a texture and pressure resistance comparable to meat, meeting the nutritional needs of animals while offering a resource-efficient alternative to traditional animal products.
Implementation Method 1
in the third step, the production mass is filled into at least one mold, whereby the production mass hardens in the mold without heating
Implementation Method 2
in the fourth step, the hardened production mass is deep-frozen
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a process for producing an animal feed precursor, wherein in the first step (1) the fruiting bodies of a fungus are crushed so that fruiting body pieces are present, in the second step (2) the fruiting body pieces are mixed with the other ingredients without heating, wherein the other ingredients are already present in a mixing vessel before the fruiting body pieces and/or are added subsequently, wherein the fruiting body pieces and the other ingredients are stirred to form a production mass (5), in the third step (3) the production mass (5) is filled into at least one mold (7), wherein the production mass (5) hardens in the mold (7) without heating, and in the fourth step (4) the hardened production mass (5) is deep-frozen.