# US 10,499,661 B2 · Granulation of a stevia sweetener

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- Number: US 10,499,661 B2
- Document ID: US10499661B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/017,643
- Filed: 2018-06-25
- Published: 2018-10-18
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2009-11-12
- Assignees: PureCircle Sdn Bhd
- Applicants: PureCircle Sdn Bhd
- Inventors: Siddhartha Purkayastha; Avetik Markosyan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10499661B2

## CPC

- A23C 9/1307: {Milk products or derivatives; Fruit or vegetable juices; Sugars, sugar alcohols, sweeteners; Oligosaccharides; Organic acids or salts thereof or acidifying agents; Flavours, dyes or pigments; Inert or aerosol gases; Carbonation methods}
- A23G 3/36: characterised by the composition {containing organic or inorganic compounds}
- A23G 3/48: containing plants or parts thereof, e.g. fruits, seeds, extracts (containing gums A23G3/42)
- A23G 9/32: characterised by the composition {containing organic or inorganic compounds}
- A23G 9/42: containing plants or parts thereof, e.g. fruits, seeds, extracts (containing gums A23G9/34)
- A23L 27/36: {Terpene glycosides}
- A23P 10/25: Agglomeration or granulation by extrusion or by pressing, e.g. through small holes, through sieves or between surfaces
- A23V 2002/00: Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
- A23C: DAIRY PRODUCTS, e.g. MILK, BUTTER OR CHEESE; MILK OR CHEESE SUBSTITUTES; PREPARATION THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B11/00)
- A23G: COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF
- A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B)
- A23P: SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS
- A23V: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION

## Abstract

A method for making a granulated Stevia sweetener is described. The resulting sweetener has a desirably high solubility level.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for producing a sweetener comprising the steps of:
A) providing a Stevia sweetener powder;
B) reducing the particle size of the Stevia sweetener powder to a particle size of between about 20 to 60 μm;
C) treating the Stevia sweetener powder under reduced pressure of between about 0 mbar to 100 mbar and an elevated temperature of between about 90-130° C.;
D) cooling down the treated Stevia sweetener powder to a low temperature of about 25° C.; and
E) holding the cooled Stevia sweetener powder at the low temperature to obtain a high solubility Stevia sweetener powder with an increased solubility of at least about 30g per 100g of water; and
F) introducing the high solubility Stevia sweetener powder to a roll compaction apparatus to produce a compacted material; introducing the compacted material to a size reducing apparatus to obtain a granule mixture; and fractionating the granule mixture to obtain a granulated Stevia sweetener having a particle size ranging from 0.425mm to 2mm and having a dissolution rate at least about 8.6% greater than a dissolution rate of the high solubility Stevia powder.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the dissolution rate of the granulated Stevia sweetener is at least about 0.75 grams per minute.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein Stevia sweetener is selected from a group consisting of: Stevioside, Rebaudioside A, Rebaudioside B, Rebaudioside C, Rebaudioside D Rebaudioside E, Rebaudioside F, Steviolbioside, Dulcoside A, Rubusoside, and a mixture thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the high solubility Stevia sweetener powder has a dissolution rate of at least about 0.9 grams per minute.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein treating the Stevia sweetener powder occurs for duration of between about 1-24 hours.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein cooling the treated Stevia powder comprises introducing preheated nitrogen gas into a vacuum chamber and gradually reducing the nitrogen gas temperature.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the roll compaction apparatus operates at between about 5 rpm and about 20 rpm and at a roil pressure of between about 10 bar to about 60 bar to produce the compacted material; and the size reducing apparatus comprises a set of sequentially located granulators equipped with rotors rotating at between about 50 rpm to about 2000 rpm to obtain the granule mixture.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the Stevia sweetener powder is selected from a group consisting of: Stevioside, Rebaudioside A, Rebaudioside B, Rebaudioside C, Rebaudioside D, Rebaudioside E, Rebaudioside F, Steviolbioside, Dulcoside A, Rubusoside, and a mixture thereof.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of combining the Stevia sweetener powder with an additional ingredient before introducing the powder to the roll compaction apparatus.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the additional ingredient is selected from the group consisting of; a high intensity sweetener; a natural sweetener; a sugar alcohol; a flavoring agent; a flavor modifying agent; a taste modifying agent; a bulking agent; and a combination thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, comprising a first granulator and a second granulator, said first granulator being equipped with a U-shaped screen haying an opening size of about 3.1 mm and said second granulator being equipped with a U-shaped screen having an opening size of about 1.6 mm.