HyperInfo Canada Inc. <http://WWW.HyperInfo.CA/GS.Sunatori/>
65, des Parulines <mailto:GS.Sunatori@HyperInfo.CA>
Gatineau, QC J9A 1Z4 <skype:GS.Sunatori>
Canada <tel:+1-819-595-9210>
Submission Terms
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Technical Approach
Title of Proposal:
Shelf-Life Extension of Refrigerated Foods up to 90 Days: Casein Coating
Proposed Technical Approach:
The proposal is to develop a process to apply casein coating on refrigerated foods in order to achieve shelf-life extension of refrigerated foods up to 90 days or more at refrigerated conditions (around 5 C).
Refrigerated foods will be coated with edible milk protein (casein) (replacement of wax on fruits). The protein-coated refrigerated foods are water-resistant. The transparent casein film is air-tight and oxygen-resistant in order to protect refrigerated foods from common food spoilage reactions, e.g., inhibition of mould in refrigerated pizzas and egg rolls. Also, the transparent casein film prevents texture changes, e.g., those caused by moisture migration between components of a food system such as sauce decreasing the pizza crust crispness or filling moisture migration to an egg roll skin. Moreover, the transparent casein film prevents colour and flavour changes such as in meats, vegetables, cheeses and toppings in pizzas.
Derived from the dominant protein in milk, casein proteins are extracted by controlled acidification or enzymatic precipitation. The resulting range of acid and rennet casein is suited for nutritional and medical foods and imitation cheese. Casein also has a long history of use in technical applications such as coating, adhesives, cosmetics, synthetic fibres, paints and emulsions.
Caseinates are made from acid casein by adding sodium, calcium, potassium or combinations of these salts to make them water-soluble. Caseinates are ideally suited for a wide variety of applications, including nutritional and medical foods, food bars, soups, sauces, whipped toppings, and bakery products.
Casein/Caseinate powder will be dissolved and homogenised into liquid form. A solution of casein/caseinate will be sprayed or painted onto the refrigerated foods at the end of the process and then dried in order for a thin transparent film to form on the surface of the refrigerated foods.
A series of tests with different forms of caseins and caseinates will be conducted, and comparative analyses will be done in order to achieve optimum film thickness for desired stiffness, water impermeability, etc.
The casein-coating technology is nearly ready for commercialisation with minimum development time required to apply to pizzas, egg rolls, and baked goods.
The impact on capital expenditures and on operating cost will be minimum. The novel coating system is sustainable (non-toxic/carcinogenic), and will attract new users as well as maintain the current users. There is no regulatory hurdles to overcome (i.e., FDA or related food regulations).
Proposed Plan and Deliverables:
Phase 1 - Development
investigate system/technology at pre-commercial stage requiring minimum development time and investment for specific product applications.
Phase 2 - Deployment
TBD
Deliverables
a proof-of-concept process
Proposed Budget
Phase 1 (a total of $50 000 USD)
$30 000 USD for labour
$20 000 USD for sub-contract to GFTC
Phase 2
TBD
Proposal Team Experience
Simon Sunatori, P.Eng./ing., M.Eng., is a Canadian engineer, inventor and entrepreneur. He obtained a Master of Engineering (Engineering Physics) degree from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 1983, and is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a Member of the Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO), a Life Member of the World Future Society (WFS), a Lifetime Fellow of the North American Academy of Arts and Sciences (NAAAS), among others.
HyperInfo Canada has conducted Research and Development projects, especially in the field of Electromagnetic Technology. The company owns more than 60 patents in many fields, i.e., electronics, magnetics, optics, dynamics, software, hardware, energy, safety, environment, medical, consumer products, sporting goods, fashion, food, etc. The company has commercialised the "HyperFeeder" (a squirrel-proof bird feeder with concentric perching rings and a transparent globe), the "MagneScribe" (an auto-retractable ballpoint pen with an ergonomic cushion) and the "Magic Spicer" (a self-sealing auto-aligning magnetically-hanging spice dispenser with a continuously-variable hole-size selector).
Here is a partial list of Simon Sunatori's Canadian patent applications.
Method for Producing a Coreless Frozen Pizza (2 650 085)
Drip-free Interconnect with Unisex Magnetic Connector (2 626 157)
Backpressure Regulator using Magnetic Repulsion (2 624 740)
