Method and system for providing an insect-based, low-fat protein meal from an insect-based raw material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024215606-A1
Application number	US-202218577908-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 14, 2022
Priority date	Jul 13, 2021
Publication date	Jul 4, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and system for producing a low-fat protein meal from an insect-based raw material involve providing an insect-based raw material, which is optionally reduced in size. The insect-based raw material is pumped to a heating step, in which the material is heated to 75 to 100° C. Optionally, the heated insect-based raw material may be submitted to a buffer/mixing tank. The heated insect-based raw material is subjected to one or more separation steps. Then, the solid phase and at least part of the aqueous protein-containing fraction, which is optionally concentrated, is subjected to drying to provide the insect-based, low-fat protein meal. Water or separated liquid heavy phase may be added to the feed upstream of the separation steps. Alternatively, a pre-separation step is included before a main separation step to provide a protein meal with reduced fat content. No enzymes or chemicals need to be added during the method.

First claim

1 . Method for providing an insect-based, low-fat protein meal from an insect-based raw material, the method comprising:
providing fresh insect-based raw material, which is optionally reduced in size, pumping the insect-based raw material to a heating step, in which the insect-based raw material is heated to a temperature from 75 to 100° C., subjecting the heated insect-based raw material to a main centrifugal separation step, in which a light liquid phase comprising a lipid fraction, a heavy liquid phase comprising an aqueous protein-containing fraction and a solid phase are separated to individual streams, subjecting the solid phase and at least part of the heavy liquid phase, which is optionally concentrated, to a drying step to provide the insect-based, low-fat protein meal, wherein water and/or a least a part of the separated heavy liquid phase is added to the provided insect-based raw material in an amount from 0.01 to 5 kg water and/or separated heavy liquid phase/1 kg of insect-based raw material upstream of the main separation step.

2 . Method for providing an insect-based, low-fat protein meal from an insect-based raw material, the method comprising:
providing fresh insect-based raw material, which is optionally reduced in size, pumping the insect-based raw material to a heating step, in which the insect-based raw material is heated to a temperature from 75 to 100° C., subjecting the heated insect-based raw material to a pre-centrifugal separation step, in which a light liquid phase comprising a lipid fraction is separated to an individual stream from a heavy liquid phase comprising an aqueous protein-containing fraction and a solid phase, subjecting the separated heavy liquid phase and solid phase provided as a slurry to a main centrifugal separation step downstream of the pre-centrifugal separation step, in which at least the heavy liquid phase and solid phase are separated to individual streams, subjecting the solid phase and at least part of the heavy liquid phase, which is optionally concentrated, to a drying step to provide the insect-based, low-fat protein meal.

3 . Method according to claim 2 , wherein the light liquid phase, heavy liquid phase and the solid phase are separated to individual streams in the pre-centrifugal separation step, and wherein the heavy liquid phase and the solid phase are re-combined together to provide a slurry upstream of the main centrifugal separation step, in which at least the heavy liquid phase and the solid phase are separated to individual streams.

4 . Method according to claim 2 , wherein the light liquid phase is separated to an individual stream and the heavy liquid phase and the solid phase are separated to a slurry in the pre-centrifugal separation step by using a 2-phase decanter configured for extracting a greater part of the extractable oil and/or fat originally contained in the insect-based raw material.

5 . Method according to claim 3 , wherein water and/or part of the separated heavy liquid phase is added to the provided insect-based raw material in an amount from 0.01 to 5 kg water and/or separated heavy liquid phase/1 kg of insect-based raw material upstream of the pre-centrifugal separation step.

6 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the separated heavy liquid phase is subjected to an additional step of centrifugal separation and/or evaporation downstream of the main separation step to provide a concentrated protein fraction.

7 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the separated light liquid phase is subjected to an additional step of high-speed centrifugal separation downstream of the pre- and/or main centrifugal separation steps to provide a purified insect oil.

8 . Method according claim 1 , wherein the provided insect-based raw material is reduced in size at least partly during pumping to the heating step and/or by means of squashing, cutting or milling upstream of the heating step.

9 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the insect-based raw material is heated to a temperature from 80 to 98° C.

10 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the solid phase and at least part of the heavy liquid phase, which is optionally concentrated, are dried together or separately to provide the insect-based, protein-containing meal.

11 . A protein-containing meal obtained by the method according to claim 1 .

12 . System for providing a low-fat insect protein meal from an insect-based raw material comprising:
a receptacle configured to receive a fresh insect-based raw material, which is optionally reduced in size, a first pumping arrangement for feeding the insect-based raw material to a heating arrangement, in which the insect-based raw material is heated to a temperature from 75 to 100° C., downstream of the heating arrangement, a second pumping arrangement configured to feed the heated insect-based raw material to a main centrifugal separator, in which a light liquid phase comprising a lipid fraction, a heavy liquid phase comprising an aqueous protein-containing fraction and a solid phase are separated to individual streams, downstream of the main centrifugal separator, a dryer configured to dry the solid phase and at least part of the heavy liquid phase comprising the aqueous protein-containing fraction, upstream of the dryer and downstream of the main centrifugal separator, optionally an evaporator configured to provide a concentrated aqueous protein-containing fraction, and wherein the system comprises a fluid addition arrangement for adding water and/or at least a part of the separated heavy liquid phase to the insect-based raw material upstream or downstream of the heating arrangement and upstream of the main centrifugal separator, in an amount from 0.01 to 5 kg water per 1 kg of insect-based raw material.

13 . System for providing a low-fat insect protein meal from an insect-based raw material comprising:
a receptacle configured to receive a fresh insect-based raw material, which is optionally reduced in size, a first pumping arrangement for feeding the insect-based raw material to a heating arrangement, in which the insect-based raw material is heated to a temperature from 75 to 100° C., downstream of the heating arrangement, a second pumping arrangement configured to feed the heated insect-based raw material to a pre-centrifugal separator, in which a light liquid phase comprising a lipid fraction is separated to an individual stream from a heavy liquid phase comprising an aqueous protein-containing fraction and a solid phase, downstream of the pre-centrifugal separator, a main centrifugal separator is arranged, in which the heavy liquid phase and solid phase are separated to individual streams downstream of the main centrifugal separator, a dryer configured to dry the solid phase and at least part of the heavy liquid phase comprising the aqueous protein-containing fraction, upstream of the dryer and downstream of the main centrifugal separator, optionally an evaporator configured to provide a concentrated aqueous protein-containing fraction.

14 . System according to claim 13 , wherein the pre-centrifugal separator is a 2-phase decanter configured for extracting a greater part of the extractable oil and/or fat originally contained in the insect-based raw material.

15 . System according to claim 13 , wherein the pre-centrifugal separator is a 3-phase decanter.

16 . System according to claim 13 , wherein the main centrifugal separator is a 2-phase decanter.

17 . System according to claim 12 , wherein the main centrifugal separator is

Assignees

• Alfa Laval Corp Ab

Inventors

• Revva Andriy
• Linnet Lars

Classifications

• A23K10/20

  from material of animal origin (obtained by microbiological or biochemical processes A23K10/10) · CPC title

• A23K40/00

  Shaping or working-up of animal feeding-stuffs · CPC title

• A23K50/42

  Dry feed · CPC title

• A23K50/80

  for aquatic animals, e.g. fish, crustaceans or molluscs · CPC title

• A23K50/75

  for poultry · CPC title