Vacuum-Packaged Protein Powder Compaction With HPP
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Solution Overview
Problem
High hydrostatic pressure processing (HPP) is not suitable for protein materials with low water activity, limiting their compaction and sterilization, which is necessary for producing smaller capsules for improved consumer acceptance and combination of components.
Innovation Solution
A method involving vacuum packaging, high hydrostatic pressure processing (HPP), and subsequent crushing and milling is applied to powdered protein materials with low water activity to increase density, allowing their compaction and sterilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high hydrostatic pressure processing (HPP) is applied to powdered protein materials with low water activity, then sterilization is achieved, but the process is not suitable and cannot be applied
Solution Approach 1:
A liquid medium (water or buffer solution) is introduced as an intermediary between the HPP system and the low water activity protein powder. The powder is suspended in this liquid medium before HPP treatment, allowing the pressure to be effectively transmitted to the powder particles for sterilization, while the liquid protects the powder from direct exposure to the high pressure environment that would otherwise be unsuitable
Solution Approach 2:
The water activity parameter of the protein material is temporarily changed by suspending it in a liquid medium before HPP treatment. This parameter modification enables the HPP process to be applied successfully, and after treatment and drying, the original low water activity characteristic is restored
2Volume of moving object
If protein materials are compacted to increase density, then smaller capsule size is achieved, but the processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functions are merged into a single HPP treatment step: sterilization, compaction/density increase, and potential texture modification are all achieved simultaneously through the high pressure processing, eliminating the need for separate processing steps for each function
Solution Approach 2:
The protein powder is pre-suspended in a liquid medium and pre-packaged in pressure-resistant containers before HPP treatment. This preliminary preparation ensures uniform pressure distribution and enables efficient compaction during the HPP process, achieving density increase without requiring complex post-processing equipment
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 achieves a density increase of 35-50% in powdered protein materials, enabling their use in smaller capsules and facilitating the combination of components in a single capsule.
Implementation Method 1
compacting the vacuum-packaged powdered protein material by means of high hydrostatic pressure processing (HPP)
Implementation Method 2
vacuum packaging the powdered protein material
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for the treatment of protein materials with a low water activity which comprises providing a powdered protein material; vacuum packaging the powdered protein material; compacting the vacuum-packaged powdered protein material by means of high hydrostatic pressure processing (HPP); and finally crushing and milling the thus compacted protein material.