Salt Layer Gel Food Concentrate Syneresis Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-salt food concentrates in gel form tend to exhibit syneresis, leading to water separation and an undesirable appearance, especially when stored, due to their high salt levels which increase syneresis phenomena.
Innovation Solution
A packaged food concentrate comprising a gel and a salt layer with greater than 26.5 wt% salt, where the layer is in contact with the gel and located below it, reducing syneresis by minimizing water separation during storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If high salt levels are used in the gel to provide sufficient taste impact after dilution, then the taste quality is improved, but syneresis increases causing water separation and gel shrinkage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the salt distribution into two segments: a salt layer at the bottom of the packaging and salt dissolved in the gel above it. This segmentation allows the gel to maintain lower salt concentration (reducing syneresis) while the bottom salt layer provides additional salt that dissolves during storage or preparation, ensuring sufficient taste impact without compromising gel stability.
2Reliability
If a salt layer is added to reduce syneresis, then gel stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The salt layer at the bottom serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a barrier to reduce syneresis, provides additional salt that dissolves to enhance taste, and simplifies the overall structure by eliminating the need for separate salt containers or complex multi-layer barriers. The salt layer is a simple, self-service solution that addresses multiple problems without adding complexity.
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 solution significantly reduces syneresis, maintaining the gel's integrity and appearance by ensuring the salt layer effectively manages water distribution within the packaging, resulting in a more stable and appealing product.
Implementation Method 1
A disadvantage often observed for high-salt food concentrates in the form of a gel is that they have the tendency to show syneresis. Syneresis is a natural phenomenon that water is not kept in the gel over time, but to some extent separates from the gel.
Data Source
AI summary
A packaged food concentrate comprising a gel and a layer, wherein the layer comprises more than 26.5 wt% of salt (based on the weight of the water content of the layer, and calculated as ((weight of salt in the layer)/(weight of salt in the layer + weight of water in the layer))*100%, and which layer is in contact with the gel and wherein the layer is located below the gel.