Low 4-methylimidazole caramel color class IV production
AssigneeCorn Products Development, Inc.
InventorsHongxin Jiang, Christopher Lane
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process of making a caramel color comprising a) mixing a carbohydrate with an ammonia compound and a sulfite compound and at pH from just greater than about 4.0 to about 6.0; and b) heating of the mixture from step a) in a sealed vessel to a temperature of from about 120° C. to about 137° C. and maintaining a temperature in said range for at least about 2 hours, said time and temperature being sufficient to yield a product having a color level of at least about double strength and a level of 4-MeI of less than about 20 ppm, is provided. Also provided is a process of ramped heating which results in a similar caramel color product.
Claims15
A process of making a caramel color comprising:
- a) mixing a carbohydrate with an ammonia compound and a sulfite compound and at pH from about 5.1 to about 6.0;
- and
- b) heating the mixture from step a) in a sealed vessel to a temperature of from about 120° C. to about 137° C. and maintaining a temperature in said range for at least about 1.5 hours, wherein said time and temperature are sufficient to yield a product having a color level of at least about double strength and a level of 4-methylimidazole (4-MeI) of less than about 15 ppm.
A process of making a caramel color comprising:
- a) mixing a carbohydrate with an ammonia compound and a sulfite compound and at pH from about 5.1 to about 6.0;
- b) heating the mixture from step a) in a sealed vessel to a first temperature of from about 80° C. and about 110° C. and holding at about that first temperature for a first hold time of at least about 30 minutes;
- c) heating the product from step b) in a sealed vessel to a second temperature higher than the first temperature and less than about 130° C. and maintaining a temperature below about 130° C. for a second hold time of at least about 15 minutes;
- d) heating the product from step c) in a sealed vessel to a third temperature higher than the second temperature and less than about 145° C. and for a third hold time of at least about 30 minutes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.