Polypropylene Tottle Packaging for Clean Emulsion Discharge

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing packaging solutions for oil-in-water emulsified food compositions, such as mayonnaise and sauces, fail to effectively discharge the contents from tottle-type containers when using vegan emulsifiers like plant protein or OSA-modified starch, leading to significant residue sticking to the inner wall.

Innovation Solution

Using a tottle container made of polypropylene (PP) for packaging oil-in-water emulsified food compositions, which includes vegetable oil, water, and emulsifiers like OSA-modified starch or plant protein, without coating the inner surface, facilitates efficient discharge and reduces residual content.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the inner wall of the tottle is coated with vegetable oil or oil comprising compounds, then the discharge of mayonnaise is facilitated, but severe complications occur regarding product discharge when enzyme-modified egg yolk is used as emulsifier, and significant separation of oil from the emulsion occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedischarge of food compositionVSAvoidemulsion stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

A coating composition comprising a food-grade polymer and a surfactant is applied as an intermediary layer between the bottle wall and the emulsion. This coating acts as a mediator that facilitates product discharge while maintaining emulsion stability, solving the contradiction by providing a compatible interface that does not trigger oil separation or discharge complications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The coating changes the surface properties of the bottle wall through specific parameters: the food-grade polymer provides appropriate adhesion characteristics, while the surfactant modifies surface energy and wettability. These parameter changes enable the wall to interact with the emulsion in a way that facilitates discharge without compromising stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If the inner wall of the tottle is coated with vegetable oil or oil comprising compounds, then the discharge of mayonnaise-like sauce is facilitated, but acceptable discharge improvement and significant oil separation from the emulsion occur when plant protein or OSA-modified starch is used as emulsifier

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedischarge of food compositionVSAvoidoil separation from emulsion
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The coating composition serves as an intermediary that is compatible with plant-based emulsifiers. The food-grade polymer and surfactant combination creates an interface that facilitates discharge of sauces using plant protein or OSA-modified starch without inducing oil separation, thus preventing substance loss while improving ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The coating replicates the beneficial surface properties needed for discharge facilitation without using simple vegetable oil. By copying and enhancing the desired interface characteristics through a controlled composition of polymer and surfactant, the system achieves discharge improvement while maintaining emulsion integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP4580954B1Packaged oil-in-water emulsified food composition
Publication Date: 2026.03.18 UNILEVER IP HLDG BV
  • EP4580954B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

Use of polypropylene in a tottle type container containing an oil-in-water-emulsified food composition comprising octenyl succinic anhydride modified starch or plant protein, to facilitate discharge of the food composition from the tottle type container.