Process for purifying starches
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to a process for purifying starches. More particularly, the invention relates to a method of removing off-flavors, off-odors, and off-colors from starches by extraction of the components causing the off-flavors, off-odors, and off-colors with a fluid in the supercritical or liquid phase.
1. A process for extracting components from starch comprising:
(i) contacting the starch with a supercritical fluid or liquid phase fluid for a sufficient length of time and at a sufficient temperature and pressure effective to dissolve the components in the supercritical fluid or liquid phase fluid without substantially changing the physical structure of the starch; and
(ii) removing the supercritical fluid or liquid phase fluid containing the dissolved components.
2. The process of claim 1 in which the extraction is achieved via countercurrent column method.
3. The process of claim 1 in which the extraction is achieved via the solid matrix method.
4. The process of claim 1 in which the extraction is achieved via the completely mixed vessel method.
5. The process of claim 1 in which step (i) comprises contacting the starch with the supercritical or liquid phase fluid in combination with a co-solvent.
6. The process of claim 5 in which the co-solvent is ethanol.
7. The process according to any one of claims 1 through 6 in which the extraction is conducted with a supercritical fluid or liquid fluid and the fluid is CO 2 .
8. The process according to any one of claims 1 through 6 in which the extraction is conducted with a supercritical fluid at pressures of greater than 300 bar (30.0 MPa) and temperatures of between about 80° to about 120° C.
9. The process according to any one of claims 1 through 6 in which the extraction is conducted with supercritical CO 2 at pressures of greater than 300 bar (30.0 MPa) and temperatures of between about 80° to about 120° C.
10. The process according to any one of claims 1 through 6 in which the extraction is conducted with a supercritical fluid at pressures of greater than 600 bar (60.0 MPa) and temperatures of between about 80° to about 120° C.
11. The process according to any one of claims 1 through 6 in which the extraction is conducted with supercritical CO 2 at pressures of greater than 600 bar (60.0 MPa) and temperatures of between about 80° to about 120° C.