Enzymatic process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9408408-B2
Application number	US-201313972326-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2013
Priority date	Dec 12, 2008
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

Provided is a process of forming a vanilla extract wherein green ripe vanilla beans are exposed to a high drying temperature, extracted with a solvent, and treated with beta-glucosidase enzyme to convert glucovanillin to vanillin enzymatically, thereby providing a vanilla extract with a good vanillin yield and complex well-balanced vanilla aroma lacking undesirable off-notes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process of producing a vanilla extract comprising
a) preparing forming dried vanilla beans by comminuting green ripe vanilla beans and incubating them at a drying temperature of about 65° C. to about 120° C. for about 5 to about 24 hours in an environment where moisture can escape until a moisture content of less than 10% is reached,
c) incubating the dried vanilla beans, or an extract thereof, with one or more beta-glucosidase enzyme provided as an additive, to convert glucovanillin to vanillin, and
d) extracting the dried vanilla beans or the incubated vanilla beans with a solvent before or after step c).

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the extraction step d) is performed prior to the enzyme incubation step c).

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the resulting vanilla extract produced during step d) is concentrated by at least partly removing the solvent.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the composition treated during step c) is treated at a maximum temperature of about 45° C.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the volume of the extract is adjusted by adding a food-grade solvent to achieve the desired concentration of vanilla extract.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the drying temperature is about 80° C. to about 90° C.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of: water, ethanol, hexane, and mixtures thereof.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the glucovanillin concentration of the green ripe vanilla beans is at least 6% (wt/wt).

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the amount of the enzyme in step d) is equal to 0.005 to 0.2 times the vanilla bean charge weight.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature in step c) is about 20° C. to about 80° C.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the incubation time in step c) is 10 hours to 2 days.

12. The process of claim 11 wherein the incubation time in step c) is from 16 to 24 hours.

13. The process of claim 2 wherein the resulting vanilla extract of step d) is concentrated by at least partly removing the solvent.

14. The process of claim 2 wherein the volume of the extract is adjusted by adding a food-grade solvent to achieve the desired concentration of vanilla extract.

15. The process of claim 2 wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of: water, ethanol, hexane, and mixtures thereof.

16. The process of claim 2 wherein the incubation time in step c) is 10 hours to 2 days.

17. A process of producing a vanilla extract, comprising the process steps of:
a) drying ripe vanilla beans to a moisture content of about 10% or less within a 24 hour period, and subsequently,
c) subjecting the dried beans to an enzymatic treatment employing beta-glucosidase.

18. A process according to claim 17 , which comprises the subsequent process step of:
d) extracting the vanilla beans with a solvent.

19. A process according to claim 17 , which comprises the process step of:
d) extracting the vanilla beans with a solvent prior to the enzyme incubation step c).

20. A process according to claim 19 , wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of: water, ethanol, hexane, and mixtures thereof.

21. A process according to claim 19 , wherein the drying temperature is about 80° C. to about 90° C.

22. A process according to claim 19 , wherein the enzymatic treatment is from 10 hours to 2 days.

23. A process according to claim 19 , wherein the composition treated during step d) is treated at a maximum temperature of about 45° C.

24. A process according to claim 19 , wherein the glucovanillin concentration of the green ripe vanilla beans is at least 6% (wt/wt).

25. A process according to claim 19 , wherein the amount of beta-glucosidase in step c) is equal to 0.005 to 0.2 times the vanilla bean charge weight.

Assignees

• Givaudan Sa

Inventors

• Binggeli Eva Christina Maria
• Kirsch Thomas
• Otiv Surendra Ramchandra

Classifications

• C12P7/24 Primary

  containing a carbonyl group · CPC title

• A23L27/12

  from fruit, e.g. essential oils · CPC title

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title

• A23L27/11 Primary

  obtained by solvent extraction · CPC title

• A23L1/222 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic