METHOD FOR MAKING KRILL MEAL
A new method for krill meal production has been developed using a two step cooking process. In the first step the proteins and phospholipids are removed from the krill and precipitated as a coagulum. In the second stage the krill without phospholipids are cooked. Following this, residual fat and astaxanthin are removed from the krill using mechanical separation methods. A novel krill meal product with superior nutritional and technical properties is prepared.
1 . A process for preparing phospholipid compositions from biological material comprising phospholipids and proteins comprising:
mixing said biological material with water to increase the temperature of said biological material to about 25 to 80° C. to form a first solid phase and a first aqueous phase comprising said phospholipids and proteins;
separating said first solid phase from said first aqueous phase; and
separating a protein and phospholipid fraction from said first aqueous phase.
2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said biological material is krill.
3 . The process of claim 2 , wherein said krill is freshly harvested.
4 . The process of claim 2 , wherein said krill is frozen.
5 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said separating a protein and phospholipid fraction from said first aqueous phase comprises heating said first aqueous phase at a temperature sufficient to form a phospholipid-protein coagulate and separating said phospholipid-protein coagulate from said aqueous phase.
6 . The process of claim 5 , wherein said first aqueous phase is heated to greater than 80° C. to provide said phospholipid-protein coagulate.
7 . The process of claim 6 , further comprising the step of pressing said phospholipid-protein coagulate to form a coagulate liquid phase and a coagulate press cake.
8 . The process of claims 7 , further comprising the step of washing said phospholipid-protein coagulate.
9 . The process of claim 8 , further comprising drying said coagulate press cake to form a coagulate meal.
10 . The process of claim 9 , further comprising extracting a coagulate oil from said coagulate meal.
11 . The process of any of claim 1 , wherein said separating a protein and phospholipid fraction from said first aqueous phase comprises filtration of said aqueous phase to provide a phospholipid-protein retentate comprising proteins and phospholipids.
12 . The process of claim 11 , wherein said filtration is via membrane filtration.
13 . The process of claim 11 , further comprising the step of dewatering said phospholipid-protein retentate to form a retentate liquid phase and a retentate concentrate.
14 . The process of claim 13 , further comprising extracting a retentate oil from said retentate concentrate.
15 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising the step of supplementing the protein and phospholipid fraction with additional proteins, lipids, astaxanthin and combinations thereof.
16 . An aqueous phase composition produced by the process of 1.
17 . A coagulate meal produced by the process of claim 9 .
18 . A coagulate oil produced by the process of claim 10 .
19 . A retentate concentrate produced by the process of claim 13 .
20 . A retentate oil produced by the process of claim 14 .
21 . A krill composition comprising from about 0.01 to about 200 mg/kg astaxanthin, from about 45% to about 65% fat w/w, and about 20% to 50% protein w/w, wherein said fat comprises omega-3 fatty acid residues.
22 . The composition of claim 21 , wherein said fat has an omega-3 fatty acid content of from about 10% to about 30% on a w/w basis.
23 . The composition of claim 21 , wherein said fat comprises from about 20% to about 50% phospholipids w/w, wherein said phospholipids comprise greater than about 65% phosphatidylcholine w/w and from about 2% to 10% alkylacylphosphatidylcholine w/w.
24 . The composition of claim 23 , wherein said phospholipids comprise less than about 10% ethanolamine on a w/w basis.
25 . The composition of claims 21 , wherein said fat comprises from about 40% to about 70% triacylglycerol w/w.
26 . The composition of claims 21 , comprising less than about 1% cholesterol.
27 . The composition of claims 21 , wherein said protein comprises from about 8% to about 14% leucine on a w/w basis and from about 5% to 11% isoleucine on a w/w basis.
28 . A krill composition comprising from about 10% to about 20% protein w/w, about 15% to about 30% fat w/w, and from about 0.01 mg/kg to about 200 mg/kg astaxanthin.
29 . A krill meal comprising from about 65% to about 75% protein w/w (dry matter), from about 10% to about 25% fat w/w (dry matter), and from about 1 to about 200 mg/kg astaxanthin (wet base).
30 . A krill meal as claimed in claim 29 , wherein said meal is dried and supplemented with stickwater.
31 . A krill meal as claimed in claim 30 , wherein said meal is steam dried.
32 . A krill oil composition comprising greater than about 1500 mg/kg total esterified astaxanthin, wherein said esterified astaxanthin comprises from about 25 to 35% astaxanthin monoester on a w/w basis and from about 50 to 70% astaxanthin diester on a w/w basis, and greater than about 20 mg/kg free astaxanthin.
33 . A krill composition comprising from about 3% to about 10% protein w/w, about 8% to about 20% dry matter w/w, and about 4% to about 10% fat w/w.
34 . A krill coagulum meal comprising,
50-75% fat w/w, 30-50% protein w/w, and 1 to 200 mg/kg astaxanthin, wherein said fat comprises 15 to 30 g/100 g fat omega-3 fatty acid residues and 35 to 60 g/100 g fat phosphatidylcholine.
35 . A system for processing of marine biomass comprising:
a mixer for mixing marine biomass and water to form a mixture having a defined temperature, wherein said mixture has a first solid phase and a first liquid phase.
36 . The system of claim 35 , wherein said water is heated and said defined temperature of said mixture is from about 50° C. to about 70° C.
37 . The system of claim 35 , further comprising a separator in fluid communication with said mixer for separating said first solid phase and said first liquid phase.
38 . The system of claims 35 , further comprising a first heater unit in fluid communication with said first separator, wherein said first heater unit heats said first liquid phase to a defined temperature.
39 . The system of claim 38 , wherein said defined temperature is about 95° C. to about 100° C.
40 . The system of claim 35 , further comprising a microfilter in fluid communication with said mixer, wherein said liquid phase is separated into a retentate phase and a permeate phase by said microfilter.
41 . A krill composition 50-75% fat w/w, 30-50% protein w/w, and 1 to 200 mg/kg astaxanthin, wherein said fat comprises 15 to 30 g/100 g fat omega-3 fatty acid residues and 35 to 60 g/100 g fat phosphatidylcholine, and less than about 1 mg/100 g trimethyl amine, volatile nitrogen, or 1 g/100 g lysophosphatidylcholine or combinations thereof.
42 . A process for processing of marine biomass comprising:
providing a marine biomass and a mixer for mixing marine biomass and water to form a mixture having a defined temperature, wherein said mixture comprises a first solid phase and a first liquid phase.
43 . The process of claim 42 , wherein said defined temperature of said mixture is from about 70 to about 75° C.
44 . The process of claim 43 , further comprising the steps of separating said liquid phase from said solid phase, and heating said liquid phase to about 90 to about 100° C. to produce a coagulate comprising proteins and phospholipids.
45 . A system for processing of marine biomass comprising:
a ship;
a trawl net towable from said ship, wherein said trawl net is configured to catch a marine biomass;
a mixer for mixing said marine biomass and water to form a mixture having a defined temperature, wherein said mixture has a first solid phase and a first liquid phase.
46 . The system of claim 45 , comprising a
microfilter in fluid communication with said mixer, wherein said microfilter separates said first solid phase and said first liquid phase.
47 . The system of claim 45 , wherein ship said mixer is fed with fresh krill.
48 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising a composition as described in claim 21 and a pharmaceutical carrier.
49 . A dietary supplement comprising a composition as described in claim 21 .
50 . An animal feed comprising a composition as described in claim 21 .
51 . A food product comprising a composition as described in claim 21 .