METHOD FOR PRODUCING A DEHYDRATED FOOD WITH A HIGH CONTENT OF HYDROLYSED PROTEINS FROM FISH STICKWATER

Abstract

The present invention refers to a method for obtaining dehydrated food with a high content of hydrolyzed proteins from fish stickwater; for this purpose, the insoluble solids and fat traces are separated the stickwater, which then undergoes a process of demineralization by electrodialysis, in order to then adjust its temperature and pH to proceed with the enzymatic hydrolysis that allows to fractionate the protein, which is then concentrated and spray dried, and then the dried product is finally conveniently packaged.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining dehydrated food with high protein content and high bioavailability, produced from fish stickwater; the characteristics of the method include the following steps: a. To provide a quantity of stickwater. b. To separate stickwater from insoluble solids and fat traces by means of a separation equipment that may be a Sedicanter or disk centrifuge operating at a speed of 3000 to 6000g for 5 minutes. c. To remove salt from the refined stickwater with an electrodialysis equipment; the stickwater with salt reaches the active area of the electrodialysis equipment membranes, the DC voltage causes the positively charged cation (Na+) to migrate toward the cathode, while the anion (Cl) goes to the anode system. When any of these ions reaches the ion exchange membranes, the properties of the membranes will determine whether the ion is rejected or accepted through them. The ions that can pass through the membranes are retained in the next compartment, since the next membrane has the opposite charge. Accordingly, while the stickwater flow runs through a demineralizing circuit until it reaches a very low conductivity, there is at the same time another water flow or weak brine in another circuit that keeps accumulating itself, forming a concentrated brine of high electrical conductivity. d. To hydrolyze the demineralized stickwater. For this purpose, the stickwater is pumped to an equalizer tank, where the temperature is adjusted to 60 C. and pH of 7.5-9 with the addition of NaOH. Under these conditions, stickwater is subjected to an evaporation process in an evaporator plantwhich may be a falling film, vacuum evaporators or other means of evaporation, adding at the beginning of this process and continuously an alkaline protease (endopeptidase) of bacterial origin (Bacillus licheniformis) in a proportion of 1% with respect to the protein content of stickwater, in order to hydrolyze the peptide bonds inside the protein molecules. The evaporation processwhich takes 30 to 60 minutes depending on the type of evaporator plant usedends when the concentrate reaches 40 to 45% of solids, with a hydrolysis level of 18-20%, and is then subjected to a final heating process of 85 C. for 15 minutes to inactivate the enzyme. e. To temporarily store the hydrolyzed concentrate in a buffer tank to be subsequently pumped into a spray dryer, allowing the dehydration of the product until it achieves a solids content from 90 to 95% and a moisture content between 3 and 5%, having 92% of protein with molecular weights below 1000 daltons and a digestibility degree greater than 98%. f. To package the hydrolyzed concentrate in flexible bags made of a moisture-resistant barrier, in order to avoid the rehydration of the product.

Description

4. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

[0019] FIG. 1 shows the flowchart to carry out the method for obtaining food with a high content of hydrolyzed proteins from fish stickwater.

5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The following describes in detail the method for obtaining food with a high content of hydrolyzed proteins from fish stickwater.

[0021] The process according to the invention consists of the following steps: [0022] 1Stickwater from a fish with a high degree of freshness is subjected to a separation process of insoluble solids and fat traces by means of a separation equipment that may be a Sedicanter or a centrifugal disc operating at a speed from 3000 to 6000g for 5 minutes, in order to remove impurities contained in the stickwater, thus preventing these compounds from interfering with the subsequent operations of physical separation or concentration. [0023] 2The resulting liquorconsisting of refined stickwateris placed on a conventional electrodialysis equipment consisting of a stack of anion and cation exchange membranes arranged alternately and separated by spacers that form two circuits, which allow on one hand a constant stickwater to be demineralized (circuit 1) and at the same time in a separate compartment there is a constant flow of weak brine (circuit 2), that additionally receives salt ions (sodium and chloride) that have been permeabilized by the above-mentioned membranes. The driving force of the process is a direct current between anodes and cathodes housed in the two ends of the stack, inside electrode plates. [0024] When stickwater with the original salt content reaches the active area of the membranes, the DC voltage causes the positively charged cation (Na.sup.+) to migrate toward the cathode, while the anion (Cl.sup.) goes to the anode system. When any of these ions reaches the ion exchange membranes, the properties of the membranes will determine whether the ion is rejected or accepted through them. The ions that can pass through the membranes are retained in the next compartment, since the next membrane has the opposite charge. Accordingly, while the stickwater flow runs through a demineralizing circuit, there is at the time a water flow parallel to another circuit that accumulates salt, forming concentrated brine. [0025] 3Demineralized stickwater is pumped to an equalizer tank, where the temperature is adjusted to 60 C. and pH of 7.5-9 with the addition of NaOH. Under these conditions, stickwater is subjected to an evaporation process in an evaporator plantwhich may be a falling film, vacuum evaporators or other means of evaporation, adding at the beginning of this process and continuously an alkaline protease (endopeptidase) of bacterial origin (Bacillus licheniformis) in a proportion of 1% with respect to the protein content of stickwater, in order to hydrolyze the peptide bonds inside the protein molecules. The evaporation processwhich takes 30 to 60 minutes depending on the type of evaporator plant usedends when the concentrate reaches 40 to 45% of solids, and then subjected to a final heating process of 85 C. for 15 minutes to inactivate the enzyme. [0026] 4After the evaporation step, the hydrolyzed concentratewith a hydrolysis from 18 to 20%is temporarily stored in a buffer tank to be subsequently pumped into a spray dryer, allowing the dehydration of the product until it achieves a solids content from 90 to 95% and a moisture content between 3 and 5%. [0027] 5The dry productwith 92% of protein, with molecular weights below 1000 daltons and a digestibility degree greater than 98%is finally packaged with the use of flexible bags made of a moisture-resistant barrier, in order to avoid the rehydration of the product.