Solid Fat Powder for Stable High Calorie Liquid Drinks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals with conditions like dysphagia or those needing high calorie intake face challenges in consuming sufficient calories due to difficulties in incorporating fat into high water foods, leading to malnutrition, and existing high-calorie products are often unstable and inconvenient to prepare and transport.
Innovation Solution
A food product blend of powdered fat, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals with a calorie content of at least 4 calories per gram on a dry weight basis, mixed with water to create a stable, high-calorie liquid drink that can be easily prepared and consumed at any location, maintaining organoleptic properties and viscosity suitable for various swallowing needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If fat is incorporated into high water foods to increase calorie content, then calorie density is improved, but stability and organoleptic properties deteriorate due to fat oxidation and separation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of fat from liquid to solid form (such as coconut oil, palm oil, or cocoa butter) to improve stability in high water content foods. Solid fats do not oxidize as readily as liquid fats and maintain their structure better in aqueous environments, thereby resolving the contradiction between increasing calorie content and maintaining stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite food product combining high water content base material with solid fat, protein, and carbohydrate components. This composite structure allows the fat to be incorporated without causing oxidation or separation issues, as the solid fat forms a stable matrix within the hydrated food product, simultaneously achieving high calorie density and stability.
2Reliability
If fat is incorporated into water based products to provide essential nutrients, then nutritional benefit is improved, but ease of incorporation deteriorates due to immiscibility without harsh processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the fat from liquid to solid form, which enables it to be incorporated into water-based products without requiring harsh processing. Solid fats can be mixed more easily with water-based ingredients compared to liquid fats, eliminating the need for emulsifiers or high-energy blending while still providing the essential nutritional benefits.
3Reliability
If custom made high calorie food is prepared from fresh foods like fruit, then nutritional quality is improved, but convenience and location choices deteriorate due to refrigeration and blending requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary processing by combining and stabilizing all nutritional components (solid fat, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals) into a pre-formulated food product before delivery to the consumer. This preliminary action eliminates the need for the consumer to perform refrigeration and blending operations, providing convenience while maintaining high nutritional quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the fat to solid form, which allows the food product to be prepared and stored without requiring refrigeration. Solid fats remain stable at room temperature, eliminating the need for cold chain storage and blending equipment, thereby greatly improving convenience and location choices for consumers while preserving nutritional quality.
4Ease of operation
If high water content foods are used to increase volume and weight, then ease of consumption is improved, but calorie density deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite food product that combines high water content base material with solid fat, protein, and carbohydrate components in specific proportions. This composite structure enables the product to have both high volume/ease of consumption and high calorie density, as the solid fat and other nutrient-dense components are distributed throughout the hydrated matrix without compromising either property.
Data Source
AI summary
A food product high in calories from fat and carbohydrate is provided. The fat is incorporated in powder for later mixing with an aqueous medium to form a viscous liquid that is stable against phase separation of the oil and water. The product also includes protein and preferably at least one of vitamins and minerals. The food product has a low water activity and is packaged in a sealed container.