Yeast Fermentation Medium Palatability Factor for Animal Feed

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing animal feed palatability factors based on biomass from microorganism fermentation require inactivation and separation steps, which can alter food appearance and pose handling difficulties, and are not as effective or stable as traditional animal-derived factors.

Innovation Solution

A palatability factor obtained by fermentation of yeast, using the fermentation medium as the active ingredient, which is nutritionally balanced, hypoallergenic, and neutral in physical properties, eliminating the need for biomass inactivation and separation, and can be easily incorporated into animal feed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If biomass from microorganism fermentation is used as a palatability factor, then animal proteins can be replaced and cost is reduced, but inactivation and separation steps are required which complicate the process and may alter food appearance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanimal protein replacementVSAvoidinactivation and separation steps
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and uses only the fermentation medium containing metabolites (amino acids, peptides, fatty acids, organic acids, vitamins, minerals) while discarding the biomass itself. This extraction approach eliminates the need for inactivation and separation steps because the active palatability-enhancing components are dissolved in the medium and can be directly applied to animal feed without further processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The fermentation process is segmented into two distinct components: the biomass (which is discarded) and the fermentation medium containing metabolites (which is utilized). This segmentation allows the invention to benefit from the metabolic products while avoiding the drawbacks of the biomass, such as the need for inactivation and separation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If biomass is added to animal feed as a palatability factor, then protein synthesis by microorganisms is achieved, but the biomass requires effective inactivation to prevent untimely modification of organoleptic properties

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprevention of organoleptic modificationVSAvoidinactivation step
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The active palatability-enhancing metabolites are extracted from the biomass into the fermentation medium, which is then used without the biomass. This eliminates the reliability issue of untimely organoleptic modification while avoiding the manufacturing complexity of inactivation steps, as the metabolites in the medium are already stable and ready for direct application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Quantity of substance

If biomass from fermentation is used as a palatability factor, then microorganism-based protein source is obtained, but separation step to remove fermentation medium is required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemicroorganism-based proteinVSAvoidseparation step
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using the conventional approach of separating the biomass from the fermentation medium to obtain a solid protein source, the invention inverts the approach by using the fermentation medium itself as the active ingredient. This inversion eliminates the separation step entirely and improves productivity, as the liquid medium can be directly applied to animal feed without further processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

4Quantity of substance

If fermentation biomass is used as a palatability factor, then animal protein substitution is achieved, but the ingredient tends to modify the appearance of the food obtained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanimal protein substitutionVSAvoidfood appearance
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the metabolites into the fermentation medium while leaving behind the biomass that causes appearance modification. The resulting liquid medium contains all the active palatability-enhancing components (amino acids, peptides, fatty acids, organic acids, vitamins, minerals) without the solid particles that would alter food appearance, thus achieving protein substitution while maintaining food aesthetics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 yeast fermentation medium-based palatability factor is more effective than traditional methods, stable, and easy to use, maintaining the nutritional and organoleptic qualities of animal feed without altering its appearance or texture, and is suitable for various animal species.

Implementation Method 1

A palatability factor obtained by fermentation of yeast, using the fermentation medium as the active ingredient

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFermentation: Fermentation

Data Source

PatentEP1933635B1Fermented appetence factors without animal proteins for animals
Publication Date: 2009.02.11 SPECIALITES PET FOOD
  • EP1933635B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1933635B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1933635B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to appetence factors for animal feeding. More specifically, the invention relates to an appetence factor for animal feeding, obtained by fermentation with the aid of a yeast and which comprises at least one, in the absence of protein constituents of animal origin: a humidity (H) ranging from approximately 80 to 96 % by weight; a protein fraction (FP) ranging from approximately 1.5 to 10.0 % by weight; fat (MG) up to approximately 10 %; sugars (S) ranging from approximately 0.20 to 2.0 % by weight, and ashes (C) ranging from approximately 0.3 to 8.0 % by weight.