# US 12,213,500 B2 · Procedure for the obtention of flour from red seaweed

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,213,500 B2
- Document ID: US12213500B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/572,055
- Filed: 2022-06-22
- Published: 2024-08-08
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2021-06-23
- Assignees: CompañIa EspañOla De Algas Marinas S.A.
- Applicants: CompañíA EspañOla De Algas Marinas S.A.
- Inventors: Cristina Fernández Mouree; Sandra Agulla Molares; Laura Lorenzo Leiro; Claudia Manjón Curbera
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12213500B2

## CPC

- A23L 17/60: Edible seaweed
- A01G 33/00: Cultivation of seaweed {or algae}
- A23K 10/30: from material of plant origin, e.g. roots, seeds or hay; from material of fungal origin, e.g. mushrooms (obtained by microbiological or biochemical processes, e.g. using yeasts or enzymes, A23K10/10)
- A23L 17/70: {Comminuted, e.g. emulsified, fish products; Processed products therefrom such as pastes, reformed or compressed products (A23L17/65, A23L17/10, A23L17/20, A23L17/40, A23L17/50 take precedence)}
- A23L 33/105: Plant extracts, their artificial duplicates or their derivatives
- A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B)
- A01G: HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING (picking of fruits, vegetables, hops or the like A01D46/00; propagating unicellular algae C12N1/12)
- A23K: FODDER

## Abstract

A novel procedure for the obtention of seaweed flour from red algae following the steps of (a) selection of a red seaweed of interest; (b) cold wash; (c) treatment in brine; (d) hot wash; (e) cold wash; (f) alcoholic wash; (g) wet grinding; (h) pre-dry; (i) dry; and j) dry grinding and sieving. The seaweed flour obtained from this process is an ingredient to food, especially milk-based aliments such as desserts, yogurts, ice cream or whipping cream, although it also may be useful as texturizing and emulsifier in meat or vegan analogues preparations.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for obtaining seaweed flour comprising the steps of:
a) selecting a red seaweed of interest;
b) cold washing the selected red seaweed from step a) at 15-25° C.;
c) treating the washed seaweed from step b) in brine with a solution of water with 10-20% w/v of a mixture of NaCl and KCl at 15-25° C. for 3-5 days;
d) hot washing the treated seaweed from step c) at 35-45° C. for 2-4 hours;
e) cold washing the hot washed seaweed from step d) at 10-15° C.;
f) alcoholic washing the cold washed seaweed from step e);
g) wet grinding the alcoholic washed seaweed from step f);
h) pre-drying the grinded seaweed from step g);
i) drying the pre-dried seaweed from step h); and
j) dry grinding and sieving the dried seaweed from step i).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the red seaweed of interest is selected from the group consisting of the genus Porphyra, Palmaria, Gracilaria, Laurencia, Gelidium, Euchema, Acanthophora, Gigartina and Chondrus.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process according to claim 2, wherein the red seaweed is Chondrus crispus.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the salt concentration in step c) is 8-12% w/v KCl and 3-5% w/v NaCl and with a temperature between 35 and 45° C. for 2-4 hours.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the washing solution in step f) is a water solution comprising 50-60% v/v of alcohol.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the pre-drying of the grinded seaweed in step h) is made in a vacuum system with steam injection.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the size of the grinded seaweed after step g) is 3-5 cm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the pre-drying is performed in a vacuum system with steam injection.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The process of claim 8, wherein the pre-drying is performed at 70-90° C.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the steam flow is 0.3-0.6 kg steam per minute.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the drying in step i) is performed by fluid bed drying.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The process of claim 11, wherein the temperature is below 55° C.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the size of the particles after step j) is 75 μm or less.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, additionally comprising the step of mixing the seaweed flour obtained in step j) with other batches of the same or a different seaweed species.

### Claim 15

The process for the obtention of seaweed flour comprising the steps of:
a) selecting a red seaweed of interest selected from the group consisting of Gigartina skottsbergii, Gigartina sandpaper, Gigartina chamissoi, Euchema cottonii, Euchema spinosum and Chondrus crispus;
b) cold washing the selected red seaweed from step a) between 15 and 25° C.;
c) treating the washed seaweed from step b) in brine with 10-20% w/v of the mixture of NaCl and KCl at 15-25° C. for 3-5 days;
d) hot washing the treated seaweed from step c) with 8-12% w/v KCl and 3-5% w/v NaCl at 35-45° C.;
e) cold washing the hot washed seaweed from step d) at 10-15° C.;
f) washing the cold washed seaweed from step e) in a solution with 50-60 v/v alcohol;
g) grinding the washed seaweed from step f) and obtaining a size of 3-5 cm;
h) pre-drying the grinded seaweed from step g) in a vacuum system with steam injection with steam stream is at 70-90° C.;
i) drying the pre-dried seaweed from step h) in fluid bed drying until humidity is 10% or below at a temperature below 55° C.; and
j) dry grinding and sieving the dried seaweed from step i) for obtention of particles on or below 75 μm.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The process for obtaining seaweed flour according to claim 15, comprising the steps of:
a) selecting the seaweed C. crispus;
b) cold washing the selected seaweed from step a) between 15 and 25° C.;
c) treating the cold-washed seaweed from step b) in brine with 8-12% w/v NaCl and 3-5% w/v KCl at 15-25° C. for 3-5 days;
d) hot washing the treated seaweed from step c) with 8-12% w/v KCl and 3-5% w/v NaCl at 35-45° C.;
e) cold washing the hot washed seaweed from step d) at 10-15° C. 2-4 times;
f) washing the cold washed seaweed from step e) with a solution of 50-60% v/v of isopropanol and/or food-grade alcohol;
g) grinding the washed seaweed from step f) and obtaining a size of 3-5 cm;
h) pre-drying the grinded seaweed from step g) in a vacuum system with steam injection with steam stream is at 70-90° C. and 0.3-0.6 Kg steam per minute;
i) drying the pre-dried seaweed from step h) in fluid bed drying until humidity is 10% or below at a temperature below 55° C.; and
j) dry grinding the dried seaweed from step i) and sieving for obtention of particles on or below 75 μm.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The seaweed flour obtained by the process of claim 16 comprising humidity of at most 11% v/w, total fiber above 50% w/w and soluble fiber above 40% w/w.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

Use of the seaweed flour obtained by the process of claim 1 as food ingredient.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

Food comprising the seaweed flour obtained by the process of claim 1 in a percentage of 0.01-2% of the final food.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The food of claim 19, wherein this food is selected from milk-derived food, meat or meat analogue.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The food of claim 19, additionally comprising citric fiber.