Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
METHOD OF PRODUCTION OF AN OAT-BASED PROTEIN BEVERAGE USING
HYDRODYNAMIC CAVITATION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to cereal-based protein beverages, and more
particularly to a
method of production of an oat-based protein beverage using hydrodynamic
cavitation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Oat beverage is one of the most nutritious plant beverage options available.
It is very low in fat,
but contains more calcium per serving than bovine milk. It is also a great
source of Vitamin A
and iron. One serving of oat beverage can contain 36% of the daily recommended
calcium
intake, whereas whole milk only provides 28%.
In commercial oat beverage, the production process starts with milling,
followed by the addition
of enzymes to break down the oat starches into smaller components. The bran is
then separated
from the oats, leaving behind the loose fibres. At this point, depending upon
the product, other
flavourings and ingredients may be added, such as vitamins. Finally, the
beverage is sterilised
before being packaged.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-21
Because oat beverage is produced by the disintegration of plant materials, the
resulting particle
sizes are not as uniform as bovine milk. This variation in particle size
results from the vastly
different lipid and protein molecules. Decreasing particle size, improving
particle solubility, and
using hydrocolloids and emulsifiers are common ways to improve product quality
via
homogenization.
Another problem posed by the natural composition of oats is their high starch
content. The starch
content (50-60%) is challenging during UHT treatments because of starch's
relatively low
gelatinization temperature. To overcome this, producers use an enzymatic
hydrolysis of starch
by alpha- and beta-amylase, producing maltodextrins which gelatinize at
higher, more suitable
temperatures.
Typical processing vessels are heated externally by steam and result in hot
surfaces and
inconsistent product temperatures. This results in non uniform beverage
viscosity, where the
product contacts the hot surfaces resulting in caramelization of product
sugars and a non
homogenous beverage. In addition, the product in in the vessel may be
subjected to minimal flow
rates making the formation of agglomerates common.
Hydrodynamic cavitation is widely known as a method used to obtain free
disperse systems,
particularly lyosols, diluted suspensions, and emulsions. Such free disperse
systems are fluidic
systems wherein dispersed phase particles have no contacts, participate in
random beat motion,
and freely move by gravity. Such dispersion and emulsification effects are
accomplished within
the fluid flow due to cavitation effects produced by a change in geometry of
the fluid flow.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-21
With growing consumer demand, numerous food products require a range of
processing steps to
be able to meet food standards, tastes, etc. In addition, interest in
implementing greener
processing technologies has been on the rise, focusing on both the reduction
of processing costs
and the elimination of the usage of harmful chemicals. In this context,
hydrodynamic cavitation
has found its application in food processing in recent years.
Hydrodynamic cavitation is the formation of cavities and cavitation bubbles
filled with a vapor-
gas mixture inside the fluid flow or at the boundary of the baffle body
resulting from a local
pressure drop in the fluid. If during the process of movement of the fluid the
pressure at some
point decreases to a magnitude under which the fluid reaches a boiling point
for this pressure,
then a great number of vapor-filled cavities and bubbles are formed. Insofar
as the vapor-filled
bubbles and cavities move together with the fluid flow, these bubbles and
cavities may move into
an elevated pressure zone. Where these bubbles and cavities enter a zone
having increased
pressure, vapor condensation takes place withing the cavities and bubbles,
almost
instantaneously, causing the cavities and bubbles to collapse, creating very
large pressure
impulses. The magnitude of the pressure impulses within the collapsing
cavities and bubbles may
reach 150,000 psi. The result of these high-pressure implosions is the
formation of shock waves
that emanate from the point of each collapsed bubble. Such high-impact loads
result in the
breakup of any medium found near the collapsing bubbles.
A dispersion process takes place when, during cavitation, the collapse of a
cavitation bubble near
the boundary of the phase separation of a solid particle suspended in a liquid
results in the
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-21
breakup of the suspension particle. An emulsification and homogenization
process takes place
when, during cavitation, the collapse of a cavitation bubble near the boundary
of the phase
separation of a liquid suspended or mixed with another liquid results in the
breakup of drops of
the disperse phase.
Present-day commercially available oat beverages are produced using oat flour.
The oat flour is
mixed with water and exposed to enzymatic treatment involving several heating
and cooling
steps, which is then post processed, for example, flavored, and packaged.
Unfortunately, this process is highly complex comprising numerous steps,
energy intensive, and
substantially compromises the quality of the end product due to: the external
heating of the
processing vessel resulting in non-uniform heating of the water flour mixture;
and the use of oat
flour since the milling process for producing oat flour creates oxidization
resulting undesirable
flavors, smells, and bitter taste.
It is desirable to provide a method of production of an oat-based protein
beverage using
hydrodynamic cavitation to substantially simplify the production process.
It is also desirable to provide a method of production of an oat-based protein
beverage using
hydrodynamic cavitation that provides substantially uniform heating of the
mixture.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-21
It is also desirable to provide a method of production of an oat-based protein
beverage using
hydrodynamic cavitation that enables substantially simultaneous milling of oat
particles and
enzymatic processing.
It is also desirable to provide a method of production of an oat-based protein
beverage using
hydrodynamic cavitation that enables substantially prevents oxidization.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a method of
production of an oat-
based protein beverage using hydrodynamic cavitation to substantially simplify
the production
process.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of production
of an oat-based
protein beverage using hydrodynamic cavitation that provides substantially
uniform heating of
the mixture.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of production
of an oat-based
protein beverage using hydrodynamic cavitation that enables substantially
simultaneous milling
of oat particles and enzymatic processing.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of production
of an oat-based
protein beverage using hydrodynamic cavitation that enables substantially
prevents oxidization.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-21
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method
of production of an
oat-based protein beverage. A hydrodynamic cavitation system is provided. The
hydrodynamic
cavitation system comprises hydrodynamic cavitation vessel, a hydrodynamic
cavitation pump
with an inlet thereof connected to a bottom end of the hydrodynamic cavitation
vessel and an
outlet thereof connected to an upper portion of the hydrodynamic cavitation
vessel, and a
hydrodynamic cavitation apparatus interposed between the outlet of the
hydrodynamic cavitation
pump and the upper portion of the hydrodynamic cavitation vessel. In the
method oat groats
feedstock is soaked for a predetermined period of time. A mixture of the
soaked oat groats
feedstock, a predetermined amount of water, and a first enzyme is provided to
the hydrodynamic
cavitation vessel. Using the hydrodynamic cavitation pump, circulating the
mixture is circulated
until a predetermined temperature of the mixture is reached. The predetermined
temperature of
the mixture is maintained for a predetermined period of time by intermittently
pulsing the
hydrodynamic cavitation pump. The mixture is then cooled to a predetermined
saccharification
temperature and a saccharification enzyme is added to the mixture. The
predetermined
saccharification temperature of the mixture is maintained for a predetermined
saccharification
period of time by intermittently pulsing the hydrodynamic cavitation pump.
Using the
hydrodynamic cavitation pump, the mixture is circulated until a predetermined
deactivation
temperature of the mixture is reached. The predetermined deactivation
temperature of the
mixture is maintained for a predetermined deactivation period of time by
intermittently pulsing
the hydrodynamic cavitation pump and is then removed from the hydrodynamic
cavitation
vessel.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-21
According to the aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method
of production of an
oat-based protein beverage. A hydrodynamic cavitation system is provided. The
hydrodynamic
cavitation system comprises hydrodynamic cavitation vessel, a hydrodynamic
cavitation pump
with an inlet thereof connected to a bottom end of the hydrodynamic cavitation
vessel and an
outlet thereof connected to an upper portion of the hydrodynamic cavitation
vessel, and a
hydrodynamic cavitation apparatus interposed between the outlet of the
hydrodynamic cavitation
pump and the upper portion of the hydrodynamic cavitation vessel. In the
method oat particles
feedstock is soaked for a predetermined period of time with the oat particles
being larger than oat
flour particles. A mixture of the soaked oat particles feedstock, a
predetermined amount of water,
and a first enzyme is provided to the hydrodynamic cavitation vessel. Using
the hydrodynamic
cavitation pump, circulating the mixture is circulated until a predetermined
temperature of the
mixture is reached. The predetermined temperature of the mixture is maintained
for a
predetermined period of time by intermittently pulsing the hydrodynamic
cavitation pump. The
mixture is then cooled to a predetermined saccharification temperature and a
saccharification
enzyme is added to the mixture. The predetermined saccharification temperature
of the mixture
is maintained for a predetermined saccharification period of time by
intermittently pulsing the
hydrodynamic cavitation pump. Using the hydrodynamic cavitation pump, the
mixture is
circulated until a predetermined deactivation temperature of the mixture is
reached. The
predetermined deactivation temperature of the mixture is maintained for a
predetermined
deactivation period of time by intermittently pulsing the hydrodynamic
cavitation pump and is
then removed from the hydrodynamic cavitation vessel.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-21
The advantage of the present invention is that it provides a method of
production of an oat-based
protein beverage using hydrodynamic cavitation to substantially simplify the
production process.
A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides a method of
production of an oat-
based protein beverage using hydrodynamic cavitation that provides
substantially uniform
heating of the mixture.
A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides a method of
production of an oat-
based protein beverage using hydrodynamic cavitation that enables
substantially simultaneous
milling of oat particles and enzymatic processing.
A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides a method of
production of an oat-
based protein beverage using hydrodynamic cavitation that enables
substantially prevents
oxidization.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below with
reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a simplified block diagram illustrating in side view, a
hydrodynamic
cavitation system used for executing a method of production of an oat-based
protein
beverage according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-21
Figure 2 is a simplified flow diagram illustrating the basic steps of the
method of
production of an oat-based protein beverage according to the preferred
embodiment of
the invention; and,
Figure 3 is a simplified block diagram illustrating in a perspective view a
velocity
distribution inside the hydrodynamic cavitation system when executing the
method of
production of an oat-based protein beverage according to the preferred
embodiment of
the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have
the same meaning
as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the
invention belongs.
Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described
herein can be used
in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methods and
materials are now
described.
While the description of the preferred embodiments hereinbelow is with
reference to oat groats
feedstock, it will become evident to those skilled in the art that the
embodiments of the invention
are not limited thereto, but are also adaptable for employing other oat
particles feedstock with the
oat particles being larger than oat flour particles such as, for example,
steel cut oats or rolled
oats.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-21
Hydrodynamic Cavitation (HC) is induced by static pressure drops of the
flowing liquid. When
the flow passes through constricted parts or irregular geometries, the flow
velocity increases and
a corresponding decrease in static pressure can be caused. Once the pressure
falls below the local
saturated vapor pressure, cavitation nuclei existing in water begin to grow
because their internal
pressures become greater than the surface tension. When the flow pressure
recovers, the growing
nuclei become unstable and collapses. The resulting collapse results in
creation of sonic waves
which destroy solid matter and create internal heat in the medium.
The use of a closed HC system 10, as illustrated in Figure 1, allows precise,
controlled,
homogenous temperatures within the entire processing medium. In addition, when
creating oat
beverage leveraging HC, oat particles are disintegrated more quickly
increasing surface area
allowing the enzymes to rapidly activate and digest the oat particulate.
Referring to Figure 2 outlining the general steps a method of production of an
oat-based protein
beverage according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is provided.
The first step of the method of the present invention comprises the
preparation or conditioning of
the oat groats feedstock. The oat groats feedstock to be used could be cleaned
as required but
also it is explicitly contemplated that the oat groats feedstock would be
soaked in water for a
period of time to reach a particular level of moisture content or moisture-
based conditioning in
advance of further processing. In a test run of the process, 2 kg of oat
groats were soaked for one
hour in 2.5 L of water in hopper 12 of the HC system 10. It will be understood
that the ratio of
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-21
oats and water, and the soaking timeframe, could be very dependent upon
desired process
outcomes or even varied based upon a change in the nature of the feedstock.
All such approaches
and changes or modifications are contemplated within the scope of the present
invention.
The second step in the process as outlined in the flowchart above is the
liquefaction of the
conditioned oat groats feedstock. The soaked or conditioned oat groats
feedstock is added to the
HC vessel 14 along with an enzyme for use in the digestion, disintegration or
other conditioning
of the starches within the oat groats feedstock, along with a sufficient
volume of water. It is
explicitly contemplated that the enzyme could be an amylase, such as that
commercially
available under the brand name BAN480L. It will be understood however to those
skilled in the
art that any type of the food grade enzyme capable of the desired digestion or
disintegration/other conditioning of the starches within the oat groats
feedstock is contemplated
within the scope of the present invention.
In the test run outlined above, 2 kg of the soaked oat groats feedstock were
added to the HC
vessel 14 along with BAN480L amylase enzyme at a ratio of 2:2000 enzyme:groats
(by weight) -
2% or 4 g of the enzyme were added. Approximately 5.3 L of water was also
added on to
sufficiently fill: the HC vessel 14; HC pump 18; HC apparatus 20; and
associated piping 16A,
connected to bottom end 14C of hopper type bottom 14B and inlet 18A of the HC
pump 18, and
16b, connected to outlet 18B of the HC pump 18 and to the recirculation
location, 14D.
The HC system 10 can then be operated to reach a desired temperature within
the HC vessel 14
without delaying or deactivating the enzymes. For example, the HC pump 18
could be operated
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-21
continuously until a predetermined temperature of, for example 85 C, for the
enzymatic process
is reached inside the HC vessel 14. The precise temperature control afforded
by the HC approach
is one of the key elements to the success of the present invention insofar as
enzyme deactivation
or the degradation of the processed feedstock is avoided. In operation, the HC
pump 18
circulates the contents of the HC vessel 14 from the bottom end 14C of the
hopper type bottom
14B to the recirculation location, 14D via the HC apparatus 20, as indicated
by the block arrows
in Figure 3. The
Following reaching the predetermined temperature, in the case of the test run
at 85 C, a
predetermined holding temperature can be maintained within the HC vessel 14 by
periodically
pulsing the electric motor 22 driving the HC pump 22. For example, holding the
predetermined
temperature at 85 C for a predetermined time of, for example, 30 minutes, by
intermittently
pulsing the HC pump 18. The HC pump 18 provides the velocity and pressure for
creating the
desired cavitation process in the HC apparatus 20, in order to mill the oat
groats feedstock and
heat the contents of the HC vessel 14. The recirculation location 14D is
placed offset from a
center of the HC vessel 14 and the associated piping is oriented downwardly
for generating a
cyclone type movement of the contents inside the HD vessel 14, as illustrated
in Figure 3.
Following the liquefaction step 2 in the flowchart is saccharification step 3.
Cooling is provided
to the HC vessel 14, for example, via a cooling jacket (not shown) disposed
around the HC
vessel 14, and activated along with intermittent pulsing of the HC pump 18 to
circulate the
contents. The HC vessel contents are cooled to a predetermined
saccharification temperature, in
the example of the test run outlined, to 55 C. Having reached the
predetermined saccharification
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-21
temperature, which might be varied depending upon the desired outcome or
qualities and
attributes of the finished product, the cooling jacket and the HC pump 18 can
be deactivated.
A saccharification enzyme is added, such as, for example, that sold under the
commercial brand
Amylase AG300L, at a particular selected percentage or ratio depending upon
the desired
outcome. In the test run outlined, the saccharification enzyme is added to the
vessel at a 0.1% oat
basis % (2g) and the HC pump 18 can then again be operated as required or
desired until a
particular desired temperature is reached within the HC vessel 14 or a desired
blended process
contents and enzyme profile is reached. The saccharification temperature is
maintained in the
vessel for a predetermined period of time. For example, in the case outlined,
the temperature
within the vessel can be held at 55 C for approximately 30 minutes by
intermittently pulsing the
HC pump 18. As in the case of the liquefaction step 2, the process parameters
of the
saccharification step 3 could also be varied dependent upon the feedstock, the
enzymes used and
the desired attributes or qualities of the finished product. Any modifications
or variations within
the process of selection of particular liquefaction or saccharification
enzymes will be understood
within the scope of the present invention.
Following the completion of the saccharification step 3, the enzymes will be
deactivated in a
deactivation step 4. Enzymes are deactivated within the HC vessel contents by
raising the
temperature thereof to a predetermined deactivating temperature. For example,
in the case of the
liquefaction and saccharification enzymes outlined above, running the HC pump
18 until the HC
process results in a temperature within the vessel of 90 C, which can be held
for a predetermined
period of time by periodically pulsing the HC pump 18, will deactivate the
enzymes.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-21
Following the deactivation of the enzymes, the finishing step 5 consists of
the dilution, sheer
mixing and sieving of the product before packaging etc. In an example
implementation of the
finishing step, the following steps are performed:
= Remove the HC vessel contents via front butterfly valve 24.
= Provide the following into Agitation Tank, so a ratio of 1 part oats
solids: 8 parts water is
attained:
o HC vessel contents
o Full HC system of water (6.83L)
o 4L of water
= Drain the Agitation Tank contents into Recirculation Tank by passing once
through the
shear mixer.
= Recirculate contents through shear mixer and Recirculation Tank for 10
minutes,
ensuring back pressure is set to 30 psi.
= Take Recirculation Tank contents off via back takeoff valve.
= Sieve contents using 90 micrometer (No. 170) sieve.
It is noted that the valve 24 for removing the contents is preferably placed
in proximity to the HC
apparatus 20, as illustrated in Figure 1, but may be placed at other locations
along piping 16B
between the outlet 18B of HC pump 18 and the HC apparatus 20.
Following the completion of the finishing step, the product yielded will be a
finished and
conditioned oat-based protein beverage, which can be packaged or used in food
applications.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-21
The above method of production of an oat-based protein beverage substantially
simplifies the
production process by simultaneously milling the oat groats feedstock, heating
the contents of
the HC vessel, and enzyme processing the contents of the HC vessel. The
product quality of the
oat-based protein beverage is substantially increased by providing
substantially uniform heating
of the contents of the HC vessel and by substantially preventing oxidization
since the milling
process is performed while the oat particles are suspended in water.
As is evident to those skilled in the art, the above method of production of
an oat-based protein
beverage is not limited to processing oat groats feedstock, but may also be
used for processing
oat particles feedstock with the oat particles being larger than oat flour
particles such as, for
example, steel cut oats or rolled oats.
In addition to the method of processing yielding the enhanced oat-based
beverage of the present
invention, any oat or cereal based beverage produced in accordance with the
method outlined is
also intended to be within the scope of the present invention.
The present invention has been described herein with regard to preferred
embodiments.
However, it will be obvious to persons skilled in the art that a number of
variations and
modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as
described
herein.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-07-21
