Natural crystalline colorant and process for production

• US 8,790,717 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E & J Gallo Winery
• Original Assignee: E&J Gallo Incorporated
• Inventors: Rossi, Joseph, Kattamuri, Sundeep
• Primary Examiner(s): Mi, Qiuwen
• Application Number:
  US13/536,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20130000519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 424/725
• 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 process, comprising:

a. purifying a juice of a plant containing pigments by removing at least a portion of non-pigment compounds from the juice to extract a purified pigment; and

b. drying the purified pigment by refractive window drying to produce a purified, crystalline product that has an increased color intensity and decreased sugar content on a dry weight basis than the juice.

2. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein the pigment is selected from the group consisting of anthocyanins, carotenoids, betalains, curcumin, carminic acid, carminic acid derivatives, chlorophyll, and chlorophyll derivatives.

3. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein purifying comprises ultrafiltration and diafiltration across a polymeric membrane system.

4. The process as recited in claim 3, wherein the polymeric membrane system comprising polyethersulfone (PES) spiral ultrafiltration membranes.

5. The process as recited in claim 4, wherein the PES spiral ultrafiltration membranes have a nominal molecular weight cutoff of about 5000 daltons.

6. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein purifying comprises circulating the juice through a membrane system comprising:

a. filtering the juice through a membrane system;

b. recovering a retentate;

c. reconstituting the retentate; and

d. repeating steps (a) to (b) until the retentate reaches a desired color strength on a dry weight basis.

7. The process as recited in claim 1, whereas purifying comprises adsorption/desorption chromatography.

8. The process as recited in claim 1, whereas purifying comprises a fermentation process.

9. The process as recited in claim 1, whereas purifying comprises a subcritical or a supercritical fluid extraction process.

10. The process as recited in claim 8, further comprising milling the dried product.

11. The process as recited in claim 1, whereas drying the purified pigment comprises freeze-drying.

12. The process as recited in claim 11, further comprising milling the dried product.

13. A composition formed by the process of claim 1.