Spray-Drying process for producing a dry caritine powder or granulate

A process for preparing a dry carnitine powder or granulate from a liquid starting material containing carnitine and accompanying substances, said process comprising the steps of:

• a) obtaining a liquid starting material comprising an unpurified fermentation broth formed by a biocatalytic process for the production of carnitine in a liquid medium;
• b) subjecting the liquid starting material of step a) to one purification or one separation step to obtain a pre-purified liquid starting material containing carnitine and accompanying substances, wherein the pre-purified liquid starting material contains an amount of total dry matter, wherein the accompanying substances in the total dry matter is in the range of 10% to less than 50% of the total dry matter;
• c) subjecting the pre-purified liquid starting material of step b) to a drying process to obtain a dried product, wherein the drying process occurs after only one purification or one separation step being performed on the liquid starting material;
• d) mixing the dried product of step c) with a carrier;
• and
• e) recovering a stable dry carnitine powder or granulate, wherein the content of the accompanying substances of the pre-purified starting material in the recovered carnitine powder or granulate is less than 10%, and wherein the carnitine is 1-carnitine, an alkanoyl-1-carnitine, a salt thereof or a mixture thereof.