Method for removing benzo[a]pyrene from liposoluble natural extract

A method for removing benzo[α]pyrene from a liposoluble natural extract that contains lycopene and benzo[α]pyrene, characterized in that, the method comprises the following steps:

• (1) adding a solvent to a crude natural extract product so as to obtain a mixed material;
• (2) heating the mixed material and stirring until uniform to dissolve the crude natural extract product, essentially all of the lycopene and the benzo[α]pyrene in the solvent, cooling to form an upper layer and a lower layer in the mixture by crystallization of the lycopene from the solvent, and then separating the upper layer from the lower layer so as to obtain a precipitate containing crystallized lycopene and a filtrate containing benzo[α]pyrene;
• (3) washing the precipitate with a solvent so as to obtain a washed product and a washing solution;
• and
• (4) removing the solvent from the washed product at a low temperature so as to obtain a finished product;
• wherein the filtrate in step (2) and the washing solution in step (3) are directly recycled as solvents;
• the crude natural extract product in step (1) is any one selected from the group consisting of lycopene oleoresin, lutein extract saponifiable matters and capsanthin semi-finished products;
• and
• the solvent in step (1) is any one or more selected from the group consisting of ethyl acetate, n-hexane, cyclohexane, solvent-extracted oil No. 6, methanol, ethanol and acetone.