Tiger Nut Milk Phase Separation Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Tiger nut milk stability and shelf life are compromised due to microbial growth and phase separation issues during high-pressure treatment, which affects nutritional quality and consumer acceptance.

Innovation Solution

Removing or reducing microparticles in the 15-70 μm size range from tiger nut milk before high-pressure processing (HPP) to minimize phase separation and enhance stability, followed by HPP treatment of filled containers to extend shelf life.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If high-pressure processing (HPP) is applied to tiger nut milk to extend shelf life and ensure safety, then microbial load is reduced and stability is improved, but phase separation occurs and nutritional quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemicrobial safety and shelf lifeVSAvoidphase separation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by removing microparticles (15-70 μm) from tiger nut milk before HPP treatment. This pre-treatment step prevents the phase separation that would otherwise occur during high-pressure processing, while still allowing the HPP to effectively reduce microbial load and extend shelf life.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts or removes specific microparticles in the 15-70 μm size range from the tiger nut milk prior to HPP treatment. This removal eliminates the problematic particles that cause phase separation under high pressure, thereby maintaining compositional stability while preserving the microbial safety benefits of HPP.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If high-pressure processing (HPP) is applied to tiger nut milk to extend shelf life, then microbial load is reduced, but nutritional quality and organoleptic properties deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshelf lifeVSAvoidnutritional quality loss
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

By removing microparticles before HPP treatment, the patent prepares the milk in advance to withstand high-pressure processing without suffering nutritional degradation. This preliminary step protects the nutritional quality while maintaining the shelf-life extension benefits of HPP.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention converts the potential harm of HPP-induced phase separation into a benefit by pre-removing the problematic microparticles. This transformation allows the HPP process to be applied safely, extending shelf life without the harmful effects of phase separation or nutritional loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Stability of the object's composition

If microparticles are removed from tiger nut milk before HPP treatment, then phase separation is reduced and stability is improved, but additional processing steps are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvephase separation reductionVSAvoidprocessing steps
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by targeting specific microparticle size ranges (15-70 μm) for removal. This selective approach based on particle size parameters enables effective phase separation prevention through relatively simple filtration or centrifugation steps, rather than requiring complex multi-stage processing systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 significantly reduces microbial load and phase separation, maintaining nutritional quality and extending the shelf life of tiger nut milk to over two weeks when refrigerated.

Implementation Method 1

the treatment of the filled containers by pascalization

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHigh-pressure processing: Pressurisation

Implementation Method 2

Tiger nut milk stability and shelf life are compromised due to microbial growth and phase separation issues during high-pressure treatment

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhase separation:

Data Source

PatentEP3603412A1Beverage made of tigernut and methods for preparing and increasing the stability of the beverage
Publication Date: 2020.02.05 SCHNEITER MARIE SIMONE
  • EP3603412A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3603412A1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3603412A1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a tiger nut-based beverage and a method for increasing the stability of the tiger nut-based beverage. The invention also relates to a method for reducing the extent of phase separation in a tiger nut-based beverage following pascalization treatment. The methods include treating the beverage so that at least some of the microparticles suspended in the beverage disappear, preferably some of the microparticles smaller than 70 micrometers or between 10 and 100 micrometers in size. The invention also relates to the beverage obtained by these methods. In one embodiment, the invention includes removing some of the dry matter from the beverage before pascalizing it.