Short-path evaporation processes
AssigneeCargill, Incorporated
InventorsFalk Bruese, Dimitris Lykomitros, Gijsbertus Johannes Van Rossum
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Abstract
The present invention relates to effective processes for removing impurities from an edible fat, such as an edible butter or an edible oil, where the processes comprise the step of subjecting the edible fat to a short-path evaporation process and do not comprise the step of degumming the edible fat.
Claims21
A process for removing impurities from an edible fat, wherein the edible fat is a cocoa butter, a shea butter, a mango kernel oil, an illipe nut oil or a sal nut oil, the process comprising the step of subjecting the edible fat to a short-path evaporation on a short-path evaporation equipment having an evaporator surface, wherein the short-path evaporation is performed:
- at a pressure of below 1 mbar;
- at an evaporator temperature in the range of from 80 to 280° C.;
- and, with a feed rate per unit area of the evaporator surface of the short-path evaporation equipment in the range of from 5 to 500 kg/h·m2;
- to form a retentate edible fat and a distillate;
- wherein the process does not comprise the step of degumming the edible fat.
A method of using short-path evaporation on an edible fat, wherein the short-path evaporation conditions comprise a pressure below 1 mbar, a temperature of from 80 to 280° C., and a feed rate per unit area of the evaporator surface of a short-path evaporation equipment of from 5 kg/h·m2 to 500 kg/h·m2, wherein the short-path evaporation reduces free fatty acids (FFA) content from the edible fat, wherein the edible fat is a cocoa butter, a shea butter, a mango kernel oil, an illipe nut oil or a sal nut oil.
21-24. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.