# US 2014/0154359 A1 · Process for co-crystallizing sucrose and a natural sweetener and the product thereof

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

- Number: US 2014/0154359 A1
- Document ID: US20140154359A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/175,913
- Filed: 2014-02-07
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-08-16
- Assignees: Ingenio Del Cauca S.A. - Incauca S.A.
- Applicants: Ingenio Del Cauca S.A. -Incauca S.A.
- Inventors: Diana Maria Arango Moreno
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154359A1

## CPC

- A23L 27/33: {containing sugars or derivatives}
- C13B 30/02: Crystallisation; Crystallising apparatus
- C13B 50/004: {Agglomerated sugar products; Agglomeration}
- A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B)
- C13B: PRODUCTION OF SUCROSE; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR (chemically synthesised sugars or sugar derivatives C07H; fermentation or enzyme-using processes for preparing compounds containing saccharide radicals C12P19/00)

## Abstract

The invention relates to a preparation process of a co-crystal made of sugar and a natural sweetener and, eventually, another aggregate and with said product. The process is further related with co-crystallizing sucrose and a natural sweetener in a vacuum pan under controlled pressure and temperature conditions and separating the crystal from the sugar juice. At the end of the process, the co-crystallized sub-products are used for producing a low calorie content liquid sweetener such that in a high percentage all the stock material is used.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A solid sweetener and a liquid sweetener made by a process comprising the steps of:
adding an antifoaming agent in a percentage of about 0.006% to about 10% (w/w) to a liquor or syrup to form a sucrose solution;
mixing the sucrose solution with mechanical stirring while adding 0.1% to 50% w/w of natural sweetener product to form a mixture;
concentrating the mixture up to the saturation point of sucrose, in a vacuum pan at a working pressure of about 60 KPa to about 75 KPa and a temperature between about 60° C. to about 75° C. to form a concentrate;
adding a powdered sugar suspended in isopropyl alcohol to the concentrate under conditions which permit co-crystallization of the sugar and the natural sweetener product and wherein a seed co-crystal suspension is produced;
feeding the seed co-crystal suspension into a sugar evaporator under conditions that maintain the co-crystal suspension in the “meta-stable zone” until the co-crystallized sucrose and natural sweetener crystal has reached a size of about 0.5 to about 0.7 mm average aperture to form a final co-crystal suspension;
evaporating remaining water from the final co-crystal suspension until reaching an evaporated mass having between about 88° and about 91° Bx;
separating the co-crystals from the suspension by centrifuging the evaporated mass at a velocity between about 1100 and about 1300 rpm to form a supernatant comprising syrup and residual uncrystallized natural sweetener product and a pellet comprising the solid sweetener;
re-circulating a first portion of the supernatant, wherein the re-circulated portion has a color from about 1300 and about 1600 UI;
contacting a second portion of the supernatant with a solvent in which the natural sweetener product is soluble to recover from about 1 and about 90% of the natural sweetener product;
and bleaching the second portion of the supernatant following the recovery of the natural sweetener product to obtain an amount of liquid sweetener.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The solid sweetener and liquid sweetener of claim 1, wherein the natural sweetener product is selected from the group consisting of stevia, an Opuntia ficus-indica L. cactus pear fruit extract, a Momordica grosvenori fruit sweetener, thaumatin, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The solid sweetener and liquid sweetener of claim 1, wherein the natural sweetener product is stevia.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The solid sweetener and liquid sweetener of claim 1, wherein the process further comprises adding to the sucrose solution an aggregate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The solid sweetener and liquid sweetener of claim 4, wherein the aggregate is selected from the group consisting of calcium, citric acid, a vitamin, fiber, a mineral, an herb extract, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The solid sweetener and liquid sweetener of claim 1, wherein the amount of powdered sugar added is calculated according to formula I
WPSS=WC*((Si/Sf)3) (I),
wherein;
WPSS is the weight of powdered sugar/isopropyl alcohol suspension to be added;
WC is the crystal weight in the powdered sugar suspension;
Si is the size of the crystals in the powdered sugar suspension; and
Sf is the final size of the co-crystal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The solid sweetener and liquid sweetener of claim 1, wherein the size of the co-crystals is about 0.7 mm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The solid sweetener and liquid sweetener of claim 1, wherein the size of the co-crystals is about 0.6 mm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The solid sweetener and liquid sweetener of claim 1, wherein the bleaching the second portion of the supernatant comprises contacting with an activated carbon or ion interchange resin.

### Claim 10

A solid sweetener made by a process comprising the steps of:
mixing a sucrose solution;
adding 0.1% to 50% w/w of natural sweetener to the sucrose solution to form a mixture;
concentrating the mixture up to the saturation point of sucrose;
adding a powdered sugar suspended in isopropyl alcohol to the concentrate;
co-crystallizing the sugar and the natural sweetener thereby producing a seed co-crystal suspension;
feeding the seed co-crystal suspension into a sugar evaporator;
evaporating water from the co-crystal suspension; and
separating the co-crystals from the suspension and forming the solid sweetener.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The solid sweetener of claim 10 wherein the step of mixing a sucrose solution comprises adding an antifoaming agent in a percentage of about 0.006% to about 10% (w/w) to the sucrose solution.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The solid sweetener of claim 10 wherein the step of concentrating the mixture up to the saturation point of sucrose comprises concentrating in a vacuum pan at a working pressure of about 60 KPa to about 75 KPa and a temperature between about 60° C. to about 75° C.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The solid sweetener of claim 10 wherein the step of feeding the seed co-crystal suspension into a sugar evaporator comprises feeding under conditions that maintain the co-crystal suspension in the “meta-stable zone” until the co-crystallized sucrose and natural sweetener crystal has reached a size of about 0.5 to about 0.7 mm average aperture.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The solid sweetener of claim 10 comprising at least one of the limitations of a) and b), wherein a) and b) are:
a) the step of evaporating water from the co-crystal suspension comprises evaporating until reaching an evaporated mass having between about 88° and about 91° Bx; and
b) the step of separating the co-crystals from the suspension and forming the solid sweetener comprises centrifuging the evaporated mass at a velocity between about 1100 and about 1300 rpm to form a supernatant comprising syrup and residual uncrystallized natural sweetener and a pellet comprising the solid sweetener.

### Claim 15

A liquid sweetener made by a process comprising the steps of:
mixing a sucrose solution and a natural sweetener product to form a mixture;
concentrating the mixture up to the saturation point of sucrose to form a concentrate;
adding a powdered sugar suspended in isopropyl alcohol to the concentrate;
co-crystallizing at least a portion of the sugar and the natural sweetener product forming a suspension;
separating the co-crystals from the suspension forming a supernatant comprising syrup and residual uncrystallized natural sweetener product;
re-circulating a first portion of the supernatant;
contacting a second portion of the supernatant with a solvent in which the natural sweetener product is soluble to recover the liquid sweetener.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The liquid sweetener of claim 15 wherein the step of mixing a sucrose solution and a natural sweetener product to form a mixture comprises mixing the sucrose solution with mechanical stirring while adding 0.1% to 50% w/w of the natural sweetener product.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The liquid sweetener of claim 15 wherein the process further comprises a step of adding an antifoaming agent in a percentage of about 0.006% to about 10% (w/w) to the mixture.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The liquid sweetener of claim 15 wherein the step of concentrating the mixture up to the saturation point of sucrose comprises concentrating the mixture in a vacuum pan at a working pressure of about 60 KPa to about 75 KPa and a temperature between about 60° C. to about 75° C.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The liquid sweetener of claim 15 comprising at least one of the limitations of a) and b), wherein a) and b) are:
a) the re-circulated first portion of the supernatant has a color from about 1300 and about 1600 UI; and
b) the step of contacting a second portion of the supernatant with a solvent comprises recovering about 1 and about 90% of the natural sweetener product.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The liquid sweetener of claim 15 further comprising a step of bleaching the second portion of the supernatant.