Nut Paste Coating Viscosity via Flour and Oil

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Food products with nut or legume paste coatings often experience low viscosity, leading to rapid diffusion and issues with taste, equipment hygiene, and packaging, and existing solutions using additives like emulsifiers or wax face challenges such as labeling problems and sustainability concerns.

Innovation Solution

A food coating composition comprising between 50% and 95% nut or legume paste, 1% to 30% liquid oil from a different source, and 5% to 30% flour, without palm oil, which enhances viscosity and reduces oiling out, using high oleic sunflower oil and defatted sunflower flour to maintain low saturated fat content and improve organoleptic properties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If nut paste or legume paste is used as food coating, then the coating provides good taste and natural appearance, but the paste has low viscosity causing rapid diffusion and oiling out

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenatural compositionVSAvoidviscosity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines nut paste or legume paste with flour and liquid oil to create a composite food coating. This composite structure addresses the viscosity issue by incorporating flour (which provides bulk and structure) and liquid oil (which modifies the texture and prevents excessive diffusion), while maintaining the natural taste and appearance characteristics of the nut or legume paste.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Stability of the object's composition

If additives like emulsifiers or wax are added to increase viscosity and reduce oiling out, then the coating stability improves, but labeling problems and sustainability concerns arise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoating stabilityVSAvoidlabeling issues and sustainability
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the need for conventional additives like emulsifiers and wax by using only natural ingredients (nut paste, flour, and liquid oil). This approach removes the harmful labeling issues associated with E-numbers and addresses sustainability concerns by avoiding palm oil and other controversial ingredients, while still achieving the desired coating stability through the natural properties of the ingredient combination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the compositional parameters by specifying precise ranges for the ingredients: 50-95% nut paste or legume paste, 1-30% liquid oil, and 5-30% flour. These parameter adjustments optimize the balance between viscosity, oiling out prevention, and natural composition, achieving coating stability through controlled ingredient proportions rather than additives.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If liquid oil is added to the paste to improve texture and prevent drying, then the coating workability improves, but the oiling out problem worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoating workabilityVSAvoidoil leakage
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces flour as an intermediary substance that mediates between the liquid oil and nut paste. The flour absorbs excess oil, provides structural framework, and controls the flow characteristics of the coating. This intermediary approach allows the coating to remain workable and smooth while preventing excessive oiling out, as the flour acts as a buffer that regulates oil distribution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20240268438A1Food coating with improved oiling out properties
Publication Date: 2024.08.15 SOCIETE DES PRODUITS NESTLE SA

AI summary

The present invention relates to a foodstuff comprising a food coating on its exterior surface, wherein said food coating comprises i) between 50% and 95% of a nut paste or legume paste; ii) between 1% and 30% of a liquid oil, wherein said liquid oil is not from the same source as the paste; and iii) between 5% and 30% of a flour; and wherein the food coating does not comprise palm oil, and wherein between 5 to 100% of the foodstuff exterior surface is in direct contact with the food coating.