Pregelatinized Millet Flour for Rollable Dough and Shelf Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Millet flours, such as jowar, bajra, and ragi, lack binding strength and shelf stability, making them difficult to handle and store, as they become rancid quickly, and existing solutions compromise on purity and taste by mixing with wheat or rice flour.

Innovation Solution

A method involving pressure steaming, cooling, oven or vacuum drying, and milling with pregelatinized millet flour to enhance binding strength and shelf life, allowing for the production of rollable and shelf-stable millet flour without the need for hot water or additives, applicable to all three types of grains.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If millet flour is mixed with wheat flour to achieve rollability, then rollability is improved, but purity and taste are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproverollabilityVSAvoidpurity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the physical and chemical properties of millet flour through hydrothermal treatment (steaming and drying) and pregelatinization. These processes alter the starch structure and binding properties of the flour, enabling it to achieve rollability and dough handling characteristics without adding wheat flour, thus maintaining purity while improving ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If unprocessed millet flour is used, then purity is maintained, but binding strength and shelf stability are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovepurityVSAvoidbinding strength

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing hydrothermal treatment and pregelatinization on the millet flour before final use. These pre-treatment steps modify the starch granules and protein structure to enhance binding strength and shelf stability, while the entire process uses only millet ingredients to maintain purity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of millet flour through controlled steaming, drying, and pregelatinization processes. These parameter changes transform the flour's binding properties and extend shelf life without introducing foreign substances, thereby improving strength while maintaining purity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Strength

If hot water is used to knead millet dough, then binding strength is achieved, but ease of operation is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebinding strengthVSAvoidease of kneading

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the flour's binding properties through hydrothermal treatment and pregelatinization. These processes enable the flour to achieve sufficient binding strength when mixed with cold or ambient temperature water, eliminating the need for hot water and thereby improving ease of operation while maintaining strength.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Duration of action of stationary object

If multiple unit operations are used to improve shelf life, then shelf stability is improved, but device complexity and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshelf lifeVSAvoidprocess complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple functional steps (steaming, drying, pregelatinization) into an integrated process that can be performed using common kitchen equipment. This combination approach achieves extended shelf life while minimizing device complexity and time consumption, making the process manageable for laypeople.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 method results in millet flours with improved rollability and extended shelf life of at least six months, maintaining purity and allowing untrained consumers to easily handle the dough, with no compromise on taste or quality.

Implementation Method 1

pressure steaming millet grains

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure steaming: Steam Explosion

Implementation Method 2

cooling of millets obtained from step b)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCooling: Cooling

Implementation Method 3

oven drying of millets obtained from step c)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectOven drying: Evaporation

Implementation Method 4

vacuum drying of millets obtained from step c)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVacuum drying: Vacuum Distillation

Implementation Method 5

milling with 5 to 25% by weight of pregelatinized millet flour

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMilling:

Data Source

PatentUS20250001426A1Methodology for obtaining rollable and shelf stable pure millet flour

Publication Date: 2025.01.02 TATA CONSUMER PROD LTD

AI summary

The present invention provides a method for preparing rollable and shelf stable pure millet flour comprising the following steps: a) cleaning millet grains to remove foreign material; b) pressure steaming millet grains; c) cooling of millets obtained from step b); d) oven drying or vacuum drying of millets obtained from step c); c) milling with 5 to 25% by weight of pregelatinized millet flour; thereby obtaining millet flour which is substantially rollable and have high shelf life.