Process for modifying the characteristics of citrus fiber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11834776-B2
Application number	US-201815889288-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2018
Priority date	Jul 30, 2010
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

A process is disclosed for modifying citrus fiber. Citrus fiber is obtained having a c* close packing concentration value of less than 3.8 w %, anhydrous basis. The citrus fiber can have a viscosity of at least 1000 mPa·s, wherein said citrus fiber is dispersed in standardized water at a mixing speed of from 800 rpm to 1000 rpm, to a 3 w/w % citrus fiber/standardized water solution, and wherein said viscosity is measured at a shear rate of 5 s-1 at 20 C. Citrus fiber can be obtained having a CIELAB L* value of at least 90. The citrus fiber can be used in food products, feed products, beverages, personal care products, pharmaceutical products or detergent products.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for modifying the characteristics of citrus fiber comprising:
hydrating citrus fiber;
subjecting the citrus fiber to a bleaching agent;
heat treating the hydrated and bleached citrus fiber at a temperature of from 50° C. to 140° C. for a period of 2 seconds to 60 seconds;
treating the hydrated and bleached citrus fiber to obtain homogenized citrus fiber;
washing the homogenized citrus fiber with an organic solvent to obtain organic solvent washed citrus fiber;
feeding the organic solvent washed citrus fiber through a screw press at a speed and pressure to obtain a dry matter content of about 30 wt %;
milling the screw pressed citrus fiber;
adding 40% to 60% solvent solution, comprising 70 wt % to 100 wt % solvent, to the milled citrus fiber, placing the milled citrus fibers in a vacuum drier, and vacuum drying the milled citrus fiber using heated water at a temperature of at least 95° C. for at least 4 hours, to remove the solvent from the milled citrus fiber, to form a vacuum dried citrus fiber;
comminuting or pulverizing the vacuum dried citrus fiber; and
recovering modified citrus fiber from the solvent solution;
wherein said recovered citrus fiber is dispersible in standardized water at a mixing speed of from 800 rpm to 1000 rpm to a 3 w/w % citrus fiber/standardized water solution having a viscosity is in a range of from 2000 mPas to 15000 mPas as measured at a shear rate of 5 s −1 at 20° C.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said citrus fiber is obtained from citrus pulp, citrus peel, citrus rag and combinations thereof.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein treating the hydrated and bleached citrus fiber comprises pressure homogenization using a pressure of from 50 bar to 1000 bar.

4. The process according to claim 3 , wherein treating the hydrated and bleached citrus fiber is a single-pass pressure homogenization using a pressure of from 300 bar to 1000 bar.

5. The process according to claim 3 , wherein treating the hydrated and bleached citrus fiber is a multi-pass pressure homogenization comprising at least 2 passes, using a pressure of from 100 bar to 600 bar.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein heat treating comprises treating the hydrated and bleached citrus fiber at a temperature of from 80° C. to 100° C. for a period of 20 seconds to 45 seconds.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said process further comprises subjecting said citrus fiber to a processing aid selected from the group consisting of enzymes, acids, bases, hydrocolloids, vegetable fiber, and combinations thereof.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the bleaching agent comprises hydrogen peroxide.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, butanol, and combinations thereof.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of ethanol, isopropanol, or combinations thereof.

11. The process according to claim 10 , wherein the organic solvent further comprises an organic non-polar co-solvent.

12. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the non-polar co-solvent comprises up to 20 wt % of a mixture of organic solvent and non-polar organic co-solvent.

13. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the non-polar organic co-solvent comprises ethyl acetate, methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, hexane, methyl isobutyl ketone, toluene, or a mixture thereof.

14. The process according to claim 1 , wherein milling the screw pressed citrus fiber is performed for 15 to 30 minutes.

15. The process according to claim 1 , wherein vacuum drying the milled citrus fiber is performed for 90 minutes.

16. The process according to claim 1 , wherein vacuum drying the vacuum dried citrus fibers is carried out with water at a temperature of 95° C. for 4 hours.

Assignees

• Cargill Inc

Inventors

• Gusek Todd Walter
• Mazoyer Jacques Andre Christian
• Reeder David Hiram
• Wallecan Joel Rene Pierre

Classifications

• D06M13/144 Primary

  Alcohols; Metal alcoholates (D06M13/11 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A23D7/0053

  Compositions other than spreads · CPC title

• A23D7/0056

  Spread compositions · CPC title

• A23K20/163

  Sugars; Polysaccharides · CPC title

• A23L2/52

  Adding ingredients (adding preservatives A23B70/10) · CPC title