Natural crystalline colorant and process for production

• US 10,640,628 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E & J Gallo Winery
• Original Assignee: E & J Gallo Winery
• Inventors: Rossi, Joseph, Kattamuri, Sundeep
• Primary Examiner(s): Conley, Sean E
• Application Number:
  US15/449,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20170174891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/42 Addition of dyes or pigments, e.g. in combination with optical brighteners
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/44 using carotenoids or xanthophylls
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/46 using dyes or pigments of microbial or algal origin
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 1/065 by film evaporating
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 11/0403 with a supercritical fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 11/0492 Applications, solvents used
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 15/08 Selective adsorption, e.g. chromatography
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2315/16 Diafiltration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2325/20 Specific permeability or cut-off range
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 3/001 Processes specially adapted for distillation or rectification of fermented solutions
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/145 Ultrafiltration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/58 Multistep processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/10 Spiral-wound membrane modules
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/68 Polysulfones; Polyethersulfones
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 9/0031 by heating B01D9/0022, B01D9/0027 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/132 Phenols containing keto groups , e.g. benzophenones
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/1545 Six-membered rings
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/3417 condensed with carbocyclic rings
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 61/00 Dyes of natural origin prepared from natural sources , e.g. vegetable sources
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/06 : Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 : Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

A crystalline pigment or colorant composition having high color intensity and/or low sugar content, and methods and processes of preparation. The composition may comprise purified fruit and/or vegetable color juices.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a conveyor belt having a top surface, wherein the conveyor belt is configured to receive a liquid feed on the top surface;

an applicator tray at a first end of the conveyor belt that receives the liquid feed and provides the liquid feed to the top surface;

one or more heating trays underneath the conveyor belt that heats the liquid feed to facilitate production of a crystalline product from the liquid feed, wherein hot water circulates through the one or more heating trays.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an air pump;

a suction hose connected to the air pump; and

a feed barrel connected to the suction hose.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the air pump pumps a raw liquid feed from the feed barrel through a filter into a feed balance tank.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the air pump is controlled by a level of the liquid feed in the feed balance tank.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising valves on one or more feed spouts that drain the liquid feed onto the applicator tray, forming a thin layer on the moving surface of the belt.

6. The system of claim 1, where the hot water is at a temperature of up to about 210°

F.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a tunnel through which the conveyor belt passes.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein a temperature of the liquid feed is lower than a hot water temperature.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising air blowers that move water vapor away from the conveyor belt.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plastic edge to facilitate removing the crystalline product from the conveyor belt.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the liquid feed includes a pigment selected from the group consisting of anthocyanins, carotenoids, betalains, curcumin, carminic acid, carminic acid derivatives, chlorophyll, and chlorophyll derivatives.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a heat exchanger.