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US 6,066,350 AGranted
Method and arrangement for processing cocoa mass
AssigneeCargill, Incorporated
InventorsIan Charles Purtle, Todd Walter Gusek
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Techniques for processing cocoa mass are provided. In general, the techniques involve solvent extraction of cocoa fat from cocoa mass, to achieve a desirable cocoa butter and low-fat cocoa powder. In one preferred process, the cocoa mass is the result of grinding cocoa nibs, with absence of a mechanical pressing and heating step, to advantage. Preferred products and uses are characterized.
Claims32
A process of treating cocoa mass;
- said process including steps of:
- (a) providing a cocoa mass containing:
- (i) at least 45%, by wt., fat content;
- and,
- (ii) cocoa powder;
- (b) mixing the cocoa mass with liquid butane in a mixing vessel to provide a slurry of cocoa mass dissolved in liquid butane and undissolved cocoa solids;
- (i) said step of mixing being conducted with sufficient input of heat to provide a resulting slurry with a temperature of at least 40.degree. C.;
- (ii) said step of mixing being conducted under a pressure of greater than atmospheric;
- (c) separating the slurry into a fat containing stream and a solids stream by directing the slurry of cocoa mass and liquid butane onto a belt filter of a pressurized moving belt filter system and drawing liquid butane solvent, with cocoa fat dissolved therein, through the belt filter while leaving cocoa solids deposited on the belt filter;
- (i) said step of separating including a step of washing the solids deposited on the belt filter with liquefied butane;
- (ii) said step of washing being conducted sufficiently to reduce a level of cocoa fat remaining in the solids to no greater than 0.5%, by wt.;
- (iii) said step of washing including at least two washing stages;
- (d) recovering cocoa fat from the butane with:
- a residual butane level of no greater than 3 ppm;
- and, with a purity and crystalline content and form appropriate for replacement of prime press butter in human food products;
- and,
- (e) removing the cocoa solids from the belt.
14 more elements
A process of treating cocoa mass;
- said process including steps of:
- (a) providing a cocoa mass containing:
- (i) at least 20%, by wt., fat content;
- and,
- (ii) cocoa powder;
- (b) mixing the cocoa mass with liquid butane in a mixing vessel to provide a slurry of cocoa mass dissolved in liquid butane and undissolved cocoa solids;
- (i) said step of mixing being conducted with sufficient input of heat to provide the resulting slurry with a temperature of at least 40.degree. C.;
- (ii) said step of mixing being conducted under a pressure of greater than atmospheric;
- (c) separating the slurry into a fat containing stream and a solids stream by directing the slurry of cocoa mass and liquid butane onto a filter of a filter system and drawing liquid butane solvent, with cocoa fat dissolved therein, through the filter while leaving cocoa solids deposited on the filter;
- (d) recovering cocoa butter from the butane with:
- a residual butane level of no greater than 5 ppm;
- and, with a purity and crystalline content and form appropriate for replacement of prime press butter in human food products;
- and,
- (e) removing the cocoa solids from the filter wherein a level of cocoa fat remaining in the solids is no greater than 2% by wt.
11 more elements
A process of treating cocoa mass;
- said process including steps of:
- (a) providing a cocoa mass containing:
- (i) at least 45%, by wt., fat content;
- and,
- (ii) cocoa powder;
- (b) mixing the cocoa mass with liquid butane in a mixing vessel to provide a slurry of cocoa mass dissolved in liquid butane and undissolved cocoa solids;
- (i) said step of mixing being conducted with sufficient input of heat to provide the resulting slurry with a temperature of at least 40.degree. C.;
- (ii) said step of mixing being conducted under a pressure of greater than atmospheric;
- (c) separating the slurry into a fat containing stream and a solids stream by directing the slurry of cocoa mass and liquid butane onto a filter of a pressurized filter system and drawing liquid butane solvent, with cocoa fat dissolved therein, through the filter while leaving cocoa solids deposited on the filter;
- (i) said step of separating including a step of washing the solids deposited on the filter with liquefied butane;
- (ii) said step of washing being conducted sufficiently to reduce a level of cocoa fat remaining in the solids to no greater than 1%, by wt.;
- (d) recovering cocoa butter from the butane with:
- a residual butane level of no greater than 5 ppm;
- and, with a purity and crystalline content and form appropriate for replacement of prime press butter in human food products;
- and,
- (e) removing the cocoa solids from the filter.
13 more elements
A process of treating cocoa mass;
- said process including steps of:
- (a) mechanically pressing the cocoa mass to obtain a reduced fat cocoa mass containing:
- (i) about 10% to about 20%, by wt., fat content;
- and,
- (ii) cocoa powder;
- (b) mixing the reduced fat cocoa mass with liquid butane in a mixing vessel to provide a slurry of cocoa mass dissolved in liquid butane and undissolved cocoa solids;
- (c) separating the slurry into a fat containing stream and a solids stream by directing the slurry of cocoa mass and liquid butane onto a filter of a filter system and drawing liquid butane solvent, with cocoa fat dissolved therein, through the filter while leaving cocoa solids deposited on the filter;
- (d) recovering cocoa fat from the butane;
- and,
- (e) removing the cocoa solids from the filter wherein a level of cocoa fat remaining in the solids is no greater than 2% by wt.
7 more elements
A process of treating cocoa mass;
- said rocess including steps of:
- (a) providing a cocoa mass containing:
- (i) at least 45%, by wt., fat content;
- and,
- (ii) cocoa powder;
- (b) mixing the cocoa mass with a solvent comprising, at least 90% by wt., solvent selected from saturated hydrocarbons having a molecular weight no greater than about 75 to provide a slurry of cocoa mass dissolved in liquid butane and undissolved cocoa solids;
- (i) said step of mixing being conducted with sufficient input of heat to provide the resulting slurry with a temperature of at least 40.degree. C;
- (ii) said step of mixing being conducted under a pressure of greater than atmospheric;
- (c) separating the slurry into a fat containing stream and a solids stream by directing the slurry of cocoa mass and liquid butane onto a filter of a pressurized filter system and drawing liquid butane solvent, with cocoa fat dissolved therein, through the filter while leaving cocoa solids deposited on the filter;
- (i) said step of separating including a step of washing the solids deposited on the filter with liquefied butane;
- (ii) said step of washing being conducted sufficiently to reduce a level of cocoa fat remaining in the solids to no greater than 2%, by wt.;
- (d) recovering cocoa butter from the butane with:
- a residual butane level of no greater than 5 ppm;
- and, with a purity and crystalline content and form appropriate for replacement of prime press butter in human food products;and,
- (e) removing the cocoa solids from the filter.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.