Process for recovering volatile tea compounds

1. A process for recovering volatile compounds from an aqueous tea extract comprising:

providing a distillation assembly that contains less than 5 volume percent of non-condensable gases prior to commencing the distillation operation; wherein the distillation assembly is substantially free of air or any other non-condensable gas before commencing the distillation operation;

distilling said extract at not less than 0.7 bar absolute pressure by fractional distillation comprising

condensing of vapours,

separating the oil phase condensate from the aqueous phase and

refluxing the substantially oil-free aqueous phase;

wherein said fractional distillation is at near total reflux conditions.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the distillation assembly is filled with steam before commencing the distillation operation.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the distillation assembly comprises a reboiler, a distillation column, a condenser and a liquid-liquid separator wherein the volume ratio of the total feed to the reboiler to the total condensate hold up in the condensor and liquid-liquid separator at the conclusion of the distillation operation, is more than 100.

4. A process as claimed in claim 3 wherein said volume ratio is in the range of 100 to 2000.

5. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein said distillation column has packings which provide a low hold up in the range of 10 to 20%.

6. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ratio of the diameter of the condensate receiver to the diameter of the pipeline downsteam of it is in the range of 2 to 20.

7. A process as claimed in claim 1 comprising a relatively short packed column of 3 to 5 equilibrium stages.

8. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein said condenser is a vertically mounted shell and tube condenser.

9. A process as claimed in claim 1 comprising distilling at a low boil-up rate in the range of 30 to 40% of flooding.