Producing cocoa powders with different cocoa butter contents by liquefied gas extraction on substantially the same production line
AssigneeCargill, Incorporated
InventorsBassam F. Jirjis, Todd W. Gusek, Ian C. Purtle
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Abstract
A process for treating cocoa mass which includes mixing cocoa mass with a saturated hydrocarbon solvent to provide a slurry and separating the slurry to provide a stream enriched in cocoa butter and a stream enriched in cocoa solids is provided. The mixing may advantageously be carried out under passive mixing conditions, at relatively low temperature, and/or with short mixing times. An advantage is that multiple cocoa powder products can be produced on substantially the same production line, but having large differences in cocoa butter contents.
Claims20
A process for continuous cocoa powder production comprising the steps of:
- producing a first cocoa powder from a continuous production line having a first cocoa butter content, wherein the production line comprises at least one passive mixer for extracting cocoa mass with liquefied solvent, and at least one zone for removing solvent from the mass after extraction;
- producing a second cocoa powder from the same production line having a second cocoa butter content,
- wherein the difference between the first and second cocoa butter contents is at least about 8 wt. %.
A process for continuous cocoa powder production from cocoa mass using the same production line to provide for differing cocoa powder products having different cocoa butter contents, comprising the steps of:
- producing a first cocoa powder from a continuous production line having a first cocoa butter content, wherein the production line comprises at least one passive mixer for extracting cocoa mass with liquefied solvent, and at least one zone for separation of solvent from the mass;
- producing a second cocoa powder from the continuous production line and having a second cocoa butter content, wherein the production line comprises the at least one passive mixer for extracting cocoa mass with liquefied solvent, and the at least one second zone for separation of solvent from the mass;
- wherein the conditions for extraction are adjusted so that the difference between the first and second cocoa butter contents is at least about 8 wt. %.
A process comprising the step of:
- producing first and second cocoa powders from the same continuous production line using liquefied gas extraction at temperature of less than about 34° C., the first cocoa powder having a first cocoa butter content of about 9 wt. % to about 13 wt. % and the second cocoa powder having a second cocoa butter content of less than about 2 wt. %, wherein the production line comprises at least one passive mixer and at least one filter device for solvent removal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.