Plant-Based Fish Analog Layering for Realistic Texture and Flaking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fish analog products do not adequately mimic the texture, taste, and appearance of target fish, requiring different preparation methods and failing to meet consumer appeal.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for forming a fish analog product from plant-based material using a profiling bottom with an undulating surface corresponding to natural myomere, stacking alternating layers of muscle and connective tissue, and slicing to mimic the appearance and flaking behavior of fish, with a molding assembly to shape and cut the layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If fish analog products are made from extruded paste, then production is simplified, but the texture, taste, and appearance fail to adequately mimic the target fish
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the fish analog product into multiple thin layers stacked together, each layer representing different tissue types (muscle, connective tissue, fat). This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized for specific textural properties while collectively mimicking the complex structure of real fish flesh, resolving the contradiction between simple production and realistic texture.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite plant-based materials with different properties for different layers - some layers use protein-rich materials for muscle texture, others use fibrous materials for connective tissue, and fatty materials for fat layers. This composite approach enables realistic texture and appearance while maintaining plant-based simplicity in production.
2Ease of manufacture
If fish analog products use uniform structure, then manufacturing is easier, but they cannot mimic the flaking behavior and visual appearance of natural fish
Solution Approach 1:
The fish analog is segmented into multiple thin layers that can separate from each other during cooking and consumption, mimicking the natural flaking behavior of fish. Each layer is individually formed and then stacked, allowing the uniform manufacturing process to produce non-uniform functional behavior (flaking) that resembles real fish.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a three-dimensional uniform block to a multi-layered two-dimensional stacked structure. By controlling the orientation and stacking of thin layers, the product achieves anisotropic properties that enable flaking behavior in specific directions while maintaining simple planar manufacturing processes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If fish analog products require different preparation methods, then production flexibility increases, but consumer appeal decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the physical and chemical parameters of the plant-based materials and their layering structure to match the cooking properties of real fish. The layers are designed to separate and cook similarly to fish flakes under standard cooking conditions (grilling, baking, frying), allowing consumers to use the same preparation methods without requiring special instructions.
Data Source
AI summary
A fish analog product, being an analog to a target fish, having undulating layers of plant-based material stacked on one another in a stacking direction, wherein the stack of layers has been sliced in a first slicing direction that is angled relative to the stacking direction, thereby defining one of an upper surface or a lower surface of the fish analog product, and wherein the stack of layers has also been sliced in a second slicing direction that is angled relative to the stacking direction, thereby defining the other of the upper surface or lower surface of the fish analog product. Thus, the upper and lower surfaces of the fish analog product show at least two curved contour lines that are continuous from at least one side of the central segment and at least one of the upper or lower surfaces of the fish analog product.