Systems and methods for bleaching microbial cells
AssigneeGW Nutrition Inc.
InventorsXuefei Zhao, Zhiyou Wen, Martin Anthony Gross, Everett Donald Dudley, Jr.
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Abstract
A method of treating microbial biomass includes mixing the microbial biomass in a liquid to form a suspension, the microbial biomass having an initial color, and exposing the suspension to light to form treated microbial biomass, the treated microbial biomass having a treated color. The treated color is lighter than the initial color. The microbial biomass can also have an initial taste and odor that are stronger than a treated taste and odor of the treated microbial biomass.
Claims23
A method of treating biomass, the method comprising:
- mixing the biomass in a liquid to form a suspension, the biomass having an initial color;
- and
- exposing the suspension to non-ionizing UV light to lyse the biomass to form treated biomass by directing the suspension through at least one tube, wherein the temperature of the suspension reaches between 40° C. and 60° C. during the step of exposing, wherein a light source directs the non-ionizing UV light towards the at least one tube, the treated biomass having a treated color, wherein the treated color is lighter than the initial color, wherein the treated biomass has a lipid content of between 5% and 15%, wherein exposing the suspension to non-ionizing UV light occurs without suppressing carbon dioxide in the suspension;
- and
- including the treated biomass as at least a portion of a food product;
- wherein the biomass has an initial taste and the treated biomass has treated taste, the initial taste being stronger than the treated taste and wherein the method occurs in an absence of a chemical bleaching agent.
A method of producing treated microbial biomass, the method comprising:
- growing microbial biomass;
- harvesting the microbial biomass;
- mixing the microbial biomass in a liquid to form a suspension, the microbial biomass having an initial color;
- exposing the suspension to non-ionizing UV light to lyse the microbial biomass to form the treated microbial biomass by directing the suspension through at least one tube, wherein the temperature of the suspension reaches between 40° C. and 60° C. during the step of exposing, wherein exposing the suspension to non-ionizing UV light occurs without suppressing carbon dioxide in the suspension, wherein a light source directs the non-ionizing UV light towards the at least one tube, the treated microbial biomass having a treated color, wherein the treated color is lighter than the initial color, and wherein the treated biomass has a lipid content of between 5% and 15%;
- separating the treated microbial biomass from the suspension;
- and
- packaging the treated microbial biomass;
- wherein the method occurs in an absence of a chemical bleaching agent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.