Reduced Sodium Snack Pellets Using Functional Ingredients
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing snack food pellets with high added sodium content expand poorly when sodium is removed, leading to high bulk density and undesirable texture in reduced or zero added sodium snack foods.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating functional ingredients such as pre-gelatinised starches, raising agents, acids, matrix modifiers, and alternative salts into the dough to increase the expansion ratio, decrease glass transition temperature, and reduce bulk density of snack food pellets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If added sodium is removed from snack food pellets, then healthiness is improved, but expansion ratio deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces functional ingredients as intermediary substances that mediate between the removal of sodium and the maintenance of expansion. These functional ingredients (such as pre-gelatinised starches, raising agents, acids, matrix modifiers, and alternative salts) act as substitutes or enhancers that compensate for the reduced sodium content, enabling the pellet to expand properly without requiring high levels of added sodium.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the chemical and physical properties of the dough through the addition of functional ingredients. These ingredients alter the dough's rheological properties, gelatinisation characteristics, and reaction parameters to achieve optimal expansion behavior even with reduced sodium content. The functional ingredients change the starch matrix properties and water mobility to compensate for lower sodium levels.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If added sodium is removed from snack food pellets, then healthiness is improved, but glass transition temperature deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Functional ingredients serve as intermediary substances that mediate the effect of reduced sodium on glass transition temperature. These ingredients (particularly pre-gelatinised starches and matrix modifiers) interact with the starch matrix to maintain appropriate glass transition temperature ranges, preventing the excessive temperature increase that would occur with sodium removal alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by using functional ingredients to modify the thermal properties of the dough and resulting pellet. These ingredients alter the hydrogen bonding network, starch gelatinisation characteristics, and molecular mobility to maintain the glass transition temperature within desirable ranges, compensating for the sodium deficiency.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If added sodium is removed from snack food pellets, then healthiness is improved, but bulk density deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Functional ingredients act as intermediary substances that mediate the relationship between sodium removal and bulk density. These ingredients (such as raising agents and pre-gelatinised starches) promote proper pellet expansion and pore formation, which directly influences bulk density. By compensating for reduced sodium, these functional ingredients ensure the expanded product achieves desirable bulk density characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the expansion kinetics and final structure through functional ingredients. These ingredients alter the starch-water interactions, gelatinisation timing, and pore formation parameters to achieve optimal expansion ratios, which directly control the bulk density of the final expanded snack food product.
4Shape
If functional ingredients are added to compensate for sodium removal, then expansion ratio is improved, but manufacturing cost deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by selecting functional ingredients that perform multiple functions simultaneously. For example, pre-gelatinised starches serve as both texture modifiers and expansion enhancers; raising agents provide both leavening and structure stabilization; matrix modifiers simultaneously affect starch gelatinisation and water mobility. This multi-functionality reduces the need for multiple separate additives, thereby controlling manufacturing costs while achieving the desired expansion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by optimizing the types and concentrations of functional ingredients to achieve cost-effective formulations. By carefully selecting and adjusting the parameters of functional ingredients (such as the degree of pre-gelatinisation, the specific raising agent used, or the concentration levels), the formulation achieves optimal expansion ratio while maintaining economical manufacturing costs.
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 functional ingredients in the dough results in snack food pellets with improved expansion ratios, reduced bulk densities, and desirable textures comparable to standard added sodium snack foods, while maintaining reduced or zero added sodium content.
Implementation Method 1
the functional ingredient increases an expansion ratio of the pellet by about 5% to about 40% relative to an identical pellet manufactured from a dough which does not comprise the functional ingredient
Implementation Method 2
upon cooking, the pellets may expand to produce an expanded snack food
Implementation Method 3
the functional ingredient decreases a glass transition temperature of the pellet by about 5% to about 35% relative to an identical pellet manufactured from a dough which does not comprise the functional ingredient
Implementation Method 4
extruding the dough through an extruder to produce an extrudate
Implementation Method 5
drying the pellets
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for manufacturing reduced or zero added sodium expandable snack food pellets by including a functional ingredient to increase the expansion ratio of the pellets. Methods for manufacturing reduced or zero added sodium expandable snack food pellets by including a functional ingredient to decrease the glass transition temperature of the pellets. Methods for manufacturing reduced or zero added sodium expandable snack food by including a functional ingredient to decrease the bulk density of the snack food. Reduced or zero added sodium expandable snack food pellets having specific expansion ratio and/or glass transition temperature, and reduced or zero added sodium expanded snack food products prepared from the pellets. Reduced or zero added sodium expanded snack food having specific bulk density.