Extracts derived from sugar cane and a process for their manufacture

1. A process for producing a polyphenol-containing extract from a sugar cane product, the process comprising:

(a) combining the sugar cane product and an aqueous solution to yield a mixture having a Brix value not greater than about 50 Brix;

(b) heating a diluted mixture from step (a) until a precipitate of insoluble calcium and magnesium salts forms;

(c) passing the mixture produced in step (b) through a ceramic or stainless steel membrane with a pore size between 0.1 and 0.5 micron and retaining the mixture that permeates the membrane;

(d) passing the permeate from step (c) through, a 30 to 100 Kda ultrafiltration membrane; and

(e) retaining the mixture that permeates the membrane, wherein the permeate of step (e) comprises one or more polyphenols, one or more carbohydrates, one or more minerals and one or more organic acids, and wherein the sugar cane product is selected from the group consisting of molasses, dunder, bagasse and mixtures thereof.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the sugar cane product is bagasse.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the sugar cane product is molasses.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the sugar cane product is dunder.

5. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising heating the mixture to a temperature such that the viscosity of the mixture is not greater than about 100 centipoise.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein in step (b) the temperature of the mixture is brought to about 50° C. prior to removing particulate matter therefrom.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the ultrafiltration membrane has a size exclusion in the range from 50 kDa to 30 kDa.

8. The process according to claim 7 , wherein the ultrafiltration membrane has a size exclusion of 30 kDa.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the polyphenol-containing extract is a powder.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the diluted product from step (a) is heated to a temperature in a range of from 70 to 80° C. and maintained at a temperature in a range of from 70 to 80° C. for a period of time until the precipitate of insoluble calcium and magnesium salts forms.

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the polyphenol-containing extract is a powder comprising 1.5to 2.5 wt% of one or more polyphenols.

12. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the polyphenol-containing extract is a syrup comprising 3.5 to 6 g CE/l of one or more polyphenols.