Whole Grain Syrups and Flours with Endogenous Enzyme Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing whole grain syrups and flours lack nutritional profile retention, are not readily soluble, and have high sugar and viscosity, limiting their applications in food products.
Innovation Solution
Development of low sugar, low viscosity whole grain syrups and readily-soluble sprouted wholegrain flours, produced without exogenous enzymes, using endogenous enzymes to convert starches into oligosaccharides and mechanically treating grains to reduce particle size, maintaining nutritional components and enhancing solubility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional syrup production methods are used (enzymatic or acid hydrolysis of refined starches), then syrup production is efficient and scalable, but the nutritional profile is lost and the syrup has high sugar content
Solution Approach 1:
The grain is sprouted before processing to activate endogenous enzymes and initiate starch breakdown, creating a pre-conditioned substrate that enables nutritional retention while maintaining production efficiency. The sprouting process prepares the grain to release nutrients and enzymes during subsequent processing without requiring external enzymatic additions.
Solution Approach 2:
The sprouted grain utilizes its own endogenous enzymes to break down starches and release nutrients during processing, eliminating the need for external enzymatic or acid treatments. This self-service approach maintains the natural nutritional profile while achieving efficient syrup production through the grain's intrinsic biochemical capabilities.
2Loss of substance
If whole grain syrups are produced to retain nutritional profile, then nutritional content is improved, but sugar content and viscosity remain high
Solution Approach 1:
The processing conditions are precisely controlled to optimize the breakdown of starches into simpler carbohydrates while preserving nutritional components. By adjusting parameters such as temperature, time, and mechanical treatment intensity, the syrup achieves reduced sugar content and viscosity while maintaining nutritional profile through controlled enzymatic action and physical processing.
3Loss of substance
If sprouted flours are produced to maintain nutritional profile, then nutritional content is improved, but solubility is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The grain is mechanically treated to reduce particle size and create a finer flour structure, segmenting the larger grain components into smaller, more soluble particles. This mechanical segmentation increases the surface area and facilitates better solubility while the sprouting process maintains the nutritional profile through controlled enzymatic breakdown of cell walls and starches.
Solution Approach 2:
The flour is processed under controlled conditions including moisture content, temperature, and mechanical treatment parameters to optimize both solubility and nutritional retention. By adjusting these parameters, the sprouted flour achieves enhanced solubility while preserving the nutritional profile through controlled processing that prevents nutrient degradation.
4Productivity
If exogenous enzymes are added to promote desirable effects, then processing efficiency is improved, but the natural nutritional profile is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The sprouted grain activates its own endogenous enzymes during the sprouting process, creating a self-sufficient system that breaks down starches and releases nutrients without requiring external enzymatic additions. This self-service approach maintains the natural nutritional profile while achieving efficient processing through the grain's intrinsic biochemical capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The process extracts and utilizes the endogenous enzymes that are naturally present in the grain during sprouting, removing the need for external enzyme additions. By taking out and utilizing the grain's own enzymatic systems, the process achieves processing efficiency while preserving the natural nutritional profile that would otherwise be compromised by exogenous enzyme additions.
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 provides syrups with minimal sweetness and viscosity, retaining original nutrients and enabling use as food binders, encapsulating agents, and bulking agents, while flours maintain nutritional profiles and replace refined ingredients.
Implementation Method 1
endogenous enzymes to convert starches into oligosaccharides
Data Source
AI summary
A low sugar, low viscosity syrup from whole grain seed or flour is disclosed. A readily soluble flour is also disclosed. The syrup comprises 90% to 100% of its solid components as water soluble solids and the wholegrain flour comprises 50% to 95% of its solid components as water soluble solids. By controlling the mashing and hydrolysis of a cooked whole grain seed or flour, a syrup can be obtained comprising a defined oligosaccharide content with a narrow molecular weight distribution (i.e. low in sugar and low DP 11+).