Method for the purification of lecithin

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9605009-B2
Application number	US-201615092792-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2016
Priority date	Dec 20, 2012
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A method for the purification of lecithin, comprising the steps of:
a. reducing the viscosity of lecithin to a viscosity of less than about 10 Pa·s; then b. mixing the lecithin with granulated active carbon; then c. separating the lecithin from the granulated active carbon and recover purified lecithin.

Lecithin substantially free of poly-aromatic hydrocarbons, and a food or feed product comprising said lecithin.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for the purification of lecithin, comprising the steps of:
a. reducing the viscosity of lecithin; then
b. mixing the lecithin with granulated active carbon; then
c. separating the lecithin from the granulated active carbon and recover purified lecithin.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the viscosity of lecithin is reduced by increasing the temperature to about 20° C.-95° C.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the viscosity of lecithin is reduced by mixing the lecithin with a vegetable oil at a temperature of from about 10° C. to about 90° C.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the viscosity of lecithin is reduced by mixing with an organic solvent.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein 90 wt % of said granulated active carbon has a diameter of from about 0.2 mm to about 4 mm.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the lecithin and granulated active carbon are mixed at a ratio of from about 0.05% to about 3% by weight of granulated active carbon to lecithin.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the lecithin is separated from the granulated active carbon through gravitational forces.

8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the lecithin is separated from the granulated active carbon by means of a decanter or a centrifuge.

9. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
d. filtrating the recovered lecithin.

10. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
reducing the viscosity of the recovered purified lecithin by mixing the lecithin with an organic solvent; then
removing residual particles or contaminants from the lecithin by means of gravitational forces; then
removing the solvent from the lecithin and recovering the lecithin.

11. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps, before step a of claim 1 , of:
i. reducing the viscosity of lecithin by mixing the lecithin with an organic solvent; then
ii. removing particles or contaminants from the lecithin by means of gravitational forces; then
iii. removing the solvent from the lecithin and recover the lecithin.

Assignees

• Cargill Inc

Inventors

• Jirjis Bassam Farid
• Molnar Jeff
• Schaefer Christoph
• Schoeppe Arnulf

Classifications

• A23K20/158

  Fatty acids; Fats; Products containing oils or fats · CPC title

• C11B3/00

  Refining fats or fatty oils · CPC title

• A23D9/013

  Other fatty acid esters, e.g. phosphatides · CPC title

• C07F9/103 Primary

  Extraction or purification by physical or chemical treatment of natural phosphatides; Preparation of compositions containing phosphatides of unknown structure · CPC title

• A23L33/12

  Fatty acids or derivatives thereof · CPC title