Polyol-Modified Baked Foodstuff Joint Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multi-region baked food products, such as wafer biscuits, often crack and break during processing, packaging, and shelf life due to their crispy texture, which compromises their visual distinctiveness and consumer experience, and existing solutions like increasing sugar content or using sugar alcohols are costly and not sufficient.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a polyol with a glass-transition temperature of less than 0°C, such as erythritol, xylitol, or sorbitol, into specific sheets of the baked foodstuff as a shaping auxiliary component to reduce cracking between adjacent regions, allowing for improved flexibility and toughness without increasing sugar content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If water content is increased to decrease Tg and improve flexibility, then the flexibility and toughness of the baked foodstuff is improved, but the porous structure of the wafer biscuit is damaged and the crispy texture is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameter by introducing polyol (a sugar alcohol) as a plasticizing agent替代 water. This allows the system to achieve the desired glass transition temperature reduction and flexibility improvement without relying on water content increase, thereby preserving the crispy texture and porous structure of the baked foodstuff.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses polyol (such as sorbitol, mannitol, or erythritol) as a temporary plasticizing agent that provides flexibility during processing but does not permanently alter the structural integrity. The polyol allows deformation during shaping operations and then recedes, enabling the foodstuff to regain its crispy texture after processing, effectively serving as a temporary solution to the flexibility problem.
2Strength
If sugar content is increased to improve flexibility and reduce breakage, then the toughness of the baked foodstuff is improved, but the production cost increases and the healthfulness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs polyol as a cost-effective alternative to sugar for improving toughness. Polyol serves as a plasticizer during processing to prevent breakage, but unlike sugar, it does not contribute to caloric content or require the same production costs. The polyol performs its function temporarily during processing and then recedes, providing an economical solution to the toughness problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition by substituting sugar with polyol (sugar alcohol). This parameter change maintains the plasticizing effect needed for flexibility and toughness improvement while avoiding the drawbacks of increased sugar content, including reduced production cost and improved healthfulness by eliminating added sugars.
3Reliability
If the food is made crispy by reducing residual water content, then the crispy texture is achieved, but the joint part between adjacent regions cracks and breaks during processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies polyol locally to the baking mixture to provide targeted plasticizing effect at the joint regions between adjacent areas of multi-region food. This local application of the plasticizer strengthens the joint parts without affecting the overall crispy texture of the food, allowing the joint regions to remain flexible and resistant to cracking while maintaining the crispy texture in other areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the local chemical composition at the joint regions by incorporating polyol into the baking mixture. This parameter change creates a localized plasticizing effect that prevents cracking at the vulnerable joint parts during processing, while the rest of the food maintains its low water content and crispy 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 use of polyols significantly reduces cracking and breakage, maintaining the food's integrity and visual appeal, while minimizing the amount of shaping auxiliary component needed, thus reducing production costs and ensuring a crispy texture at room temperature.
Implementation Method 1
Glass transition refers to the transition of amorphous polymer (including the amorphous part of crystalline polymers) from a glassy state to a rubbery state, or from a rubbery state to a glassy state. During the transition, the micro-Brownian movement of the chain segment of the polymer becomes frozen during cooling or unfrozen during heating. The temperature characteristic for such a procedure is named glass transition temperature, or Tg, for short.
Implementation Method 2
In consideration of the characteristics of water molecules, water can be regarded as a powerful plasticizer. Therefore, the Tg of the baked product may be decreased by increasing water content therein.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a food comprising a baked foodstuff based on flour and/or starch. The baked foodstuff comprises at least one first region and at least one second region in contact with the first region. The second region comprises a shaping auxiliary component in an amount of 0.5-15wt% by the total weight of the flour and/or starch of the baked foodstuff. The shaping auxiliary component has a glass-transition temperature of less than 0°C. The second region is present in an amount of at least 1 wt% by the total weight of the food. The addition of the shaping auxiliary component is able to efficiently decrease the breakage of the multi-region food, especially multi-region food based on a baked foodstuff with a crispy texture.