Pectin-Stabilized Acid Milk Beverage Preventing Protein Precipitation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Acid milk beverages with low solids-not-fat concentration face issues of protein precipitation, aggregation, and whey separation, which affect their appearance and taste, and existing solutions like carboxymethyl cellulose fail to provide a refreshing texture.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a pectin with specific properties, such as intrinsic viscosity of 5.9 to 8.5, degree of esterification of 74 to 80, and calcium reactivity of 230 or less, into the acid milk beverage base to stabilize the mixture and prevent precipitation and aggregation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the solids-not-fat concentration is reduced to create a lighter beverage, then the refreshing feel is improved, but the milk protein becomes unstable and precipitation or aggregation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces pectin as an intermediary substance to mediate between milk proteins and the acidic environment. The pectin forms a protective complex with calcium ions and interacts with milk proteins, preventing their aggregation and precipitation while allowing the beverage to maintain low solids-not-fat concentration. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by providing a stabilizing mechanism that doesn't depend on high protein concentration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the system by adding pectin with specific properties (intrinsic viscosity 5.9-8.5 dl/g, degree of esterification 74-80%, calcium reactivity 230 or less). These parameter changes create new stabilizing interactions in the system, allowing low solids-not-fat concentration to coexist with milk protein stability through modified chemical composition rather than relying on conventional stabilizers like CMC.
2Stability of the object's composition
If carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is used as a thickening stabilizer to prevent precipitation, then the appearance is improved, but the product becomes gel-like and loses refreshing texture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the type and parameters of the stabilizer from conventional CMC to specifically characterized pectin with intrinsic viscosity 5.9-8.5 dl/g, degree of esterification 74-80%, and calcium reactivity 230 or less. This parameter change in the stabilizer selection provides adequate precipitation prevention while maintaining a non-gel, refreshing texture suitable for acid milk beverages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite stabilizing system where pectin works synergistically with calcium ions and milk proteins. This composite approach provides effective stabilization against precipitation while avoiding the gel-forming properties of CMC, as the pectin-calcium-milk protein complex maintains appropriate fluidity and refreshing texture.
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 acid milk beverage maintains a refreshing texture and prevents precipitation and whey separation, even at low solids-not-fat concentrations, ensuring stability and quality, with a simple production process requiring no significant facility investment.
Implementation Method 1
When the solids-not-fat content is low, distances between the milk proteins are long and therefore the repulsive forces between the electric charges are weak and precipitation or aggregation is easily produced
Implementation Method 2
a pectin having an intrinsic viscosity of 5.9 to 8.5, a degree of esterification of 74 to 80, and a calcium reactivity of 230 or less
Data Source
AI summary
An object is to provide an acid milk beverage, which shows no precipitation or aggregation and reduced whey separation, and which has a refreshing texture, even in cases where the acid milk beverage has a low solids-not-fat concentration. An acid milk beverage characterized by containing an acid milk beverage base and a pectin having an intrinsic viscosity of 5.9 to 8.5, a degree of esterification of 74 to 80, and a calcium reactivity of 230 or less is provided.