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US 4,228,191 AGranted
Microbiological decaffeination of aqueous liquids
AssigneeGeneral Foods Corporation
InventorsGerhard J. Haas, Barry Stieglitz
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Abstract
Aqueous caffeine-containing liquids, such as coffee extracts, are decaffeinated by means of fermenting the liquid with Pseudomonad microorganisms of the type Pseudomonas putida, NRRL B-8051, Pseudomonas fluorescens, NRRL B-8052 and Pseudomonad fluorescens, NRRL B-8053 or by means of contacting the liquid with a caffeine metabolizing enzyme preparation isolated from Pseudomonad microorganisms of the aforementioned type.
Claims3
A method for reducing the caffeine content of an aqueous caffeine-containing extract of green or roasted coffee comprising the step of:
- (a) disrupting whole cell Pseudomonad organisms, said organisms being selected from the group consisting of Pseudomonad putida, NRRL B-8051 Pseudomonad fluorescens, NRRL B-8052 and Pseudomonad fluorescens, NRRL B-8053 and combinations thereof,
- (b) separating a cell-free, enzyme-containing extract from the cellular material, and
- (c) contacting, under aerobic conditions and in the presence of reduced diphosphopyridine nucleotide, a caffeine-containing solution with the enzymes contained in the extract of step b) for a period of time sufficient to obtain substantial reduction in the caffeine content of the solution.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.