Sunflower Protein Extraction Without Salt
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing non-soy oilseed protein products, such as sunflower proteins, often result in products with beany or off-flavor notes, and involve the direct use of calcium salts or other salts in the extraction process, which can affect the quality and purity of the final product.
Innovation Solution
A method for producing non-soy oilseed protein products that involves extracting the proteins with water, adjusting the pH to facilitate solubilization, separating the acid-insoluble solids, concentrating and diafiltering the solution, and drying it without the direct addition of calcium salts or other salts, to achieve a product with high protein content and minimal off-flavor notes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If calcium salts or other salts are used in the extraction process, then protein extraction efficiency is improved, but off-flavor notes and product quality are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes salts and calcium compounds from the extraction process, using only water to dissolve proteins from oilseed meals. This eliminates the harmful off-flavor notes while maintaining extraction efficiency through optimized water-based extraction conditions including pH control and temperature management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the extraction parameters by using water with controlled pH (adjusted to alkaline conditions) and optimized temperature instead of salt-based extraction. This parameter change achieves both high protein extraction efficiency and eliminates off-flavor contamination.
2Quantity of substance
If salt-based extraction is used, then protein solubilization is improved, but product purity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes salts from the extraction system entirely, using only water as the extraction medium. This eliminates salt contamination in the final product while achieving adequate protein solubilization through water-based extraction enhanced by pH adjustment and temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the extraction medium from salt solution to water with controlled pH and temperature parameters. This parameter optimization achieves both sufficient protein solubilization and high product purity without salt contamination.
3Speed
If conventional extraction methods are used, then extraction speed is improved, but flavor quality is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes salts and calcium compounds from the extraction process, using water-based extraction instead. This eliminates the chemical causes of off-flavor notes while maintaining extraction speed through optimized physical parameters including temperature and pH control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes extraction speed by adjusting water-based extraction parameters including pH (adjusted to alkaline), temperature, and extraction time. This achieves both rapid extraction and clean flavor profile without salt contamination.
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 produces non-soy oilseed protein products with a protein content of at least 60 wt% and significantly reduces beany or off-flavor notes, making them suitable for various food and beverage applications while maintaining high purity and quality.
Implementation Method 1
extracting a non-soy oilseed protein source with water to cause solubilization of oilseed protein from the protein source and to form an aqueous non-soy oilseed protein solution
Implementation Method 2
adjusting the pH of the aqueous non-soy oilseed protein solution to between about 1.5 and a value about 1 pH unit below the typical pH of isoelectric precipitation to produce an acidified non-soy oilseed protein solution
Implementation Method 3
separating the acid insoluble solid material from the acidified non-soy oilseed protein solution
Implementation Method 4
separating the acid insoluble solid material from the acidified non-soy oilseed protein solution
Implementation Method 5
concentrating the acidified non-soy oilseed protein solution by a selective membrane technique
Implementation Method 6
concentrating the acidified non-soy oilseed protein solution by a selective membrane technique
Implementation Method 7
diafiltering the optionally concentrated acidified non-soy oilseed protein solution
Implementation Method 8
drying the optionally concentrated and optionally diafiltered acidified non-soy oilseed protein solution
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to sunflower protein products, very low in, or free of, beany, green, vegetable or similar flavour notes and useful for the fortification of food and beverage products and prepared without the use of salt in the process. The sunflower protein products of the present invention are obtained by extracting sunflower protein source with water to form an aqueous sunflower solution, at least partially separating the aqueous sunflower protein solution from residual sunflower protein source, adjusting the pH of the aqueous sunflower protein solution to a pH between about 1.5 to about 3.5 to solubilize the bulk of the protein and form an acidified sunflower protein solution then separating the acidified sunflower protein solution from the add insoluble solid material. The acidified sunflower protein solution may be dried following optional concentration and diafiltration to form a sunflower protein product, which may be an isolate. The add insoluble Said material may be washed with acidified water and then dried to form another sunflower protein product. These products may be dried at the acidic pH at which they were prepared or may be adjusted in pH before drying.