Method for the purification of lecithin

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9856277-B2
Application number	US-201415033180-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2014
Priority date	Oct 30, 2013
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for the purification of lecithin, comprising the steps of (a) mixing lecithin with active carbon to form a dispersion; then (b) mixing an organic solvent into the dispersion; then (c) separating the active carbon and contaminants from the lecithin preferably through gravitational forces. The invention further relates to a lecithin substantially free of contaminants, and a food or feed product comprising said lecithin.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for the purification of lecithin, comprising the steps of:
a. mixing lecithin with active carbon to form a dispersion; then
b. mixing an organic solvent into the dispersion; then
c. separating the active carbon and contaminants in the dispersion from the lecithin through gravitational forces to obtain lecithin substantially free of poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein, in step a., lecithin is at a temperature of from about 10° C. to about 90° C.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the active carbon is mixed with the lecithin for a period of from about 1 hour to about 120 hours.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the active carbon is powder active carbon.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the active carbon is mixed with lecithin at a level of from about 0.01% to about 3% by weight of the lecithin.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent is mixed into the dispersion at a ratio of lecithin to organic solvent of from about 3:1 to about 1:20.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the active carbon and contaminants are separated by means of a disk stack centrifuge or a decanter.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent is at a temperature of from about 1° C. above its melting point to about 1° C. below its boiling point.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising separating the organic solvent from the lecithin.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of filtrating the lecithin.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein, in step a., lecithin is at a temperature of from about 40° C. to about 60° C.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent is at a temperature of from about 10° C. above its melting point to about 40° C. below its boiling point.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the lecithin is in liquid form.

Assignees

• Cargill Inc

Inventors

• Stevens Robert
• Van Denderen Jos

Classifications

• A23L33/40

  Complete food formulations for specific consumer groups or specific purposes, e.g. infant formula · 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

• C11B3/10

  by adsorption · CPC title

• C07F9/10

  Phosphatides, e.g. lecithin · CPC title

• A23J7/00

  Phosphatide compositions for foodstuffs, e.g. lecithin · CPC title