Carotenoid esters, carotenoid-enriched feeds, and methods of pigmenting foods and foodstuffs

1. A method for pigmenting a food or food stuff comprising combining in a source of feed, a beadlet comprising from about 1 to about 20 percent by weight based on the total weight of the beadlet of a carotenoid ester selected from the group consisting of isopropyl-8′-cartoenoate, tert. butyl β-apo8′-carotenoate, 2-pentyl β-apo-8′-cartoenoate, and combinations thereof.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the amount of carotenoid ester in the feed is from about 0.1 ppm to about 150 ppm based on the total weight of the carotenoid ester-enriched feed.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the amount of carotenoid ester in the feed is from about 0.25 ppm to about 80 ppm, for laying hens and broilers.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the amount of carotenoid ester in the feed is from about 2.5 ppm to about 150 ppm, said feed being feed for fish or crustacea.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the food or feed stuff is selected from the group consisting of egg yolk, integuments or subcutaneous fat of poultry, and the meat or integuments of fish or crustacea.

6. A method according to claim 1 further comprising feeding the feed source to laying hens or broilers to produce a pigmented egg yolk.

7. A carotenoid-enriched feed comprising a beadlet comprising from about 1 to about 20 percent by weight based on the total weight of the beadlet a carotenoid ester selected from the group consisting of isopropyl-8′-carotenoate, tert. butyl β-apo-8′-carotenoate, 2-pentyl β-apo-8′-carotenoate, and combination thereof.

8. A carotenoid-enriched feed according to claim 7 wherein the amount of the carotenoid ester in the feed is from about 0.1 ppm to about 150 ppm based on the total weight of the carotenoid-enriched feed.

9. A carotenoid-enriched feed according to claim 7 wherein the feed is a feed for an organism selected from the group consisting of poultry, fish, and crustacea.

10. A carotenoid-enriched feed according to claim 9 wherein the feed is a feed for poultry.

11. A beadlet comprising from about 1 to about 20 percent by weight based on the total weight of the beadlet of a carotenoid ester selected from a group consisting of isopropyl-8′-carotenoate, tert. butyl β-apo-8′-carotenoate, 2-pentyl β-apo-8′-carotenoate, and combinations thereof.

12. A beadlet according to claim 11 further comprising at least one additional carotenoid.

13. A premix comprising a beadlet according to claim 11 wherein the amount of the carotenoid ester in the premix is from about 0.001 to about 15% by weight based on the total weight of the premix.

14. A premix according to claim 13 wherein the feed is a feed for an organism selected from the group consisting of poultry, fish, and crustacea.

15. A premix according to claim 13 wherein the beadlet comprises at least one additional carotenoid.

16. A method for pigmenting an organism comprising orally administering to the organism a carotenoid-enriched feed comprising a beadlet comprising from about 1 to about 20 percent by weight based on the total weight of the beadlet of a carotenoid ester selected from the group consisting of isopropyl-8′-carotenoate, tert. butyl β-apo-8′-carotenoate, 2-pentyl β-apo-8′-carotenoate, and combinations thereof.

17. A method according to claim 16 wherein the organism is selected from the group consisting of poultry, fish, and crustacea.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein the quantity of the carotenoid ester orally administered to the poultry, fish, or crustacea is sufficient to pigment egg yolk produced by the poultry or the integuments or subcutaneous fat of poultry or the meat or integuments of fish or crustacea.