Pectin-Starch Gel Savoury Concentrate Viscosity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current savory food concentrates in gel form fail to provide high viscosity upon dilution, leading to limited texture enhancement in sauces, gravies, and soups, and often suffer from long gelation times, poor spoonability, and phase separation issues, while requiring high amounts of starch and expensive cooling devices.
Innovation Solution
A packaged savory food concentrate comprising water, sodium and potassium salts, low-methoxyl pectin with a degree of esterification below 55%, non-gelatinized starch, and calcium salt, processed by heating, cooling, and packaging to achieve a stable semi-solid gel texture that thickens upon dilution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If starch is gelatinized to provide thickening effect in gravies and sauces, then viscosity is improved, but high amounts of starch are required which limits formulation flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the functional state of starch from gelatinized to non-gelatinized, and changes the gelling mechanism from starch-based to pectin-calcium based. This allows achieving gel structure and controlled viscosity with much lower starch amounts (0.1-5% vs traditional high starch requirements), thus resolving the contradiction between viscosity and starch quantity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces calcium salt as an intermediary that bridges pectin and water to form a gel network. This calcium-mediated gelling system provides the necessary structure and viscosity control without requiring high starch amounts, enabling formulation flexibility while maintaining desired texture properties
2Stability of the object's composition
If long gelation time is allowed to ensure complete gel formation, then gel texture is improved, but production time increases and particles may sediment or float
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary dissolution of pectin in water before adding calcium salt, ensuring the pectin is fully hydrated and ready for rapid gelation. This preliminary preparation enables fast gel formation (minutes vs hours) when calcium is added, while maintaining complete gel texture development and preventing particle sedimentation during the shortened process time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the gelation kinetics by using low-methoxyl pectin with specific degree of esterification (20-45%) combined with calcium salt, creating a system that gels rapidly at room temperature or with mild cooling. This parameter optimization achieves both fast production cycles and stable gel texture without particle separation
3Stability of the object's composition
If high salt content is used to preserve the concentrate, then stability is improved, but gelation efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite gelling system combining pectin (with specific DE 20-45%) and calcium salt that works effectively in high salt environments. This composite material approach overcomes the inhibitory effect of salt on gelation, enabling both high salt content for preservation and efficient gelation for productivity, resolving the contradiction between stability and gelation efficiency
4Productivity
If expensive cooling devices are used to accelerate gelation, then gelation speed is improved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a gelling system that is self-sufficient and does not require expensive external cooling infrastructure. The pectin-calcium gelation proceeds efficiently at room temperature or with minimal cooling, making the system self-service capable and eliminating the need for costly cooling devices while maintaining high gelation speed for productivity
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 solution results in a concentrate that provides a strong viscosity increase, maintains stability during storage and transportation, prevents lump formation and phase separation, and allows for efficient production without expensive cooling devices, ensuring a thickened texture in sauces and gravies.
Implementation Method 1
gelling pectin, being all pectin with a DE below 55%, wherein the gelling pectin is dissolved in the water, Calcium salt
Implementation Method 2
gelling pectin is dissolved in the water
Implementation Method 3
Heating the mixture
Implementation Method 4
Cooling or allowing the mixture to cool to a temperature below the onset temperature for gelatinisation of the non-gelatinised starch
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 2c
AI summary
The present invention relates to a savoury food concentrate in the form of a gel. For use of said savoury food concentrate for preparing a soup, a sauce, a gravy or a seasoned dish. It is an object to provide a savoury concentrate which provides a high viscosity upon dilution in hot water, such as desired when preparing a viscous sauce, a gravy, or a thickened soup. It is found that a packaged food concentrate in the form of a gel, comprising water, sodium salt, gelling pectin, Calcium salt and non-gelatinised starch has the desired properties.