# US 8,541,045 B2 · Process for extracting cocoa polyphenols from cocoa beans

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- Number: US 8,541,045 B2
- Document ID: US8541045B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/639,129
- Filed: 2006-12-14
- Published: 2007-06-14
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 1996-09-06
- Assignees: Mars, Incorporated
- Applicants: Kirk S. Kealey; Rodney M. Snyder; Leo J. Romanczyk, Jr.; Hans M. Geyer; Mary E. Myers; Eric J. Whitacre; John F. Hammerstone, Jr.; Harold H. Schmitz
- Inventors: Kirk S. Kealey; Rodney M. Snyder; Leo J. Romanczyk, Jr.; Hans M. Geyer; Mary E. Myers; Eric J. Whitacre; John F. Hammerstone, Jr.; Harold H. Schmitz
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8541045B2

## CPC

- A23G 1/48: containing plants or parts thereof, e.g. fruits, seeds or extracts (containing gums A23G1/40)
- A21D 2/36: Vegetable material
- A21D 13/80: Pastry not otherwise provided for elsewhere, e.g. cakes, biscuits or cookies
- A23G 1/002: {Processes for preparing or treating cocoa beans or nibs}
- A23G 1/02: Preliminary treatment, e.g. fermentation of cocoa
- A23G 1/305: {Products for covering, coating, finishing or decorating}
- A23G 1/56: Liquid products; Solid products in the form of powders, flakes or granules for making liquid products, e.g. for making chocolate milk {, drinks and the products for their preparation, pastes for spreading or milk crumb (A23G1/305 takes precedence)}
- A23G 3/48: containing plants or parts thereof, e.g. fruits, seeds, extracts (containing gums A23G3/42)
- A23K 50/42: Dry feed
- A23K 50/48: Moist feed
- A23L 27/11: {obtained by solvent extraction}
- A23L 33/105: Plant extracts, their artificial duplicates or their derivatives
- A23G 2200/14: containing fruits, nuts, e.g. almonds, seeds, plants, plant extracts or essential oils
- A23V 2002/00: Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
- A23G: COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF
- A21D: TREATMENT OF FLOUR OR DOUGH FOR BAKING, e.g. BY ADDITION OF MATERIALS; BAKING; BAKERY PRODUCTS (preservation of flour or dough before baking A23B40/00; preservation of bakery products A23B45/00)
- A23K: FODDER
- A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B)
- A23V: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION

## Abstract

Cocoa components having enhanced levels of cocoa polyphenols, processes for producing the cocoa components while conserving a significant amount of the cocoa polyphenols, compositions containing the cocoa components or the cocoa polyphenols, and methods of using the cocoa components or the cocoa polyphenols for improving the health of a mammal are described. The cocoa components include partially and fully defatted cocoa solids, cocoa nibs and fractions derived therefrom, cocoa polyphenol extracts, cocoa butter, chocolate liquors, and mixtures thereof. The invention provides processes for extracting fat from cocoa beans and for otherwise processing cocoa beans to yield a cocoa component having conserved concentrations of polyphenols relative to the starting materials.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for extracting cocoa procyanidins including a mixture of (−)-epicatechin, (+)-catechin, and procyanidin oligomers thereof comprising contacting raw, freshly harvested, unfermented or underfermented, dried cocoa beans with an aqueous organic solvent.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the cocoa beans are dried to a moisture content of less than 7% by weight.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the cocoa beans are dried to a moisture content of less than 4% by weight.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the cocoa beans are dried to a moisture content of less than 3% by weight.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the cocoa beans are dried to a moisture content of less than 2% by weight.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the dried cocoa beans are reduced to a powder prior to extracting the cocoa procyanidins.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the cocoa beans have a fermentation factor of less than 175.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the cocoa beans have a fermentation factor of less than 150.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the cocoa beans have a fermentation factor of less than 125.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the cocoa beans have a fermentation factor of about 100.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the cocoa beans are slaty cocoa beans.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the cocoa beans are purple cocoa beans.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the cocoa beans are a mixture of slaty and purple cocoa beans.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the aqueous organic solvent is aqueous acetone or aqueous methanol.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The process of claim 14, wherein the solvent is aqueous acetone.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The process of claim 15, wherein the aqueous acetone is 70% acetone.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The process of claim 14, wherein the solvent is aqueous methanol.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The process of claim 17, wherein the aqueous methanol is 70% methanol.