Method of preparing kakadu plum powder
A process for producing a kakadu plum powder having an increased amount of naturally occurring ascorbic acid and high ORAC value. The process of preparing the extract includes the following: disintegrating kakadu plum fruit; treating the disintegrated kakadu plum material with enzymes to at least partially digest the material; juicing the kakadu plum material and drying the juice to produce a powder. In a preferred embodiment, the kakadu plum juice is further clarified with ultrafiltration and concentrated by performing reverse osmosis on the kakadu plum juice. The resultant kakadu plum powder has a natural ascorbic acid content of at least about 15% and a naturally occurring Oxygen Reduction Absorption Capacity value of at least 1500.
1. A method for preparing a dried powder from Terminalia ferdinandiana fruit comprising:
disintegrating Terminalia ferdinandiana fruit to form a slurry of flesh and dissolved solids in an aqueous phase, the slurry having a viscosity;
adding at least one enzyme to the slurry to reduce the viscosity of the slurry and increase the dissolved solids in the aqueous phase;
expressing the slurry to separate the dissolved solids from the flesh and form a juice;
concentrating the juice to produce a juice concentrate with ultrafiltration;
dryng the juice concentrate to produce a Terminalia ferdinandiana powder.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the Terminalia ferdinandiana powder has an ascorbic acid content at least 15%.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the Terminalia ferdinandiana powder has ascorbic acid content of at least about 25%.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the Terminalia ferdinandiana powder has ascorbic acid content of at least about 45%.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the Terminalia ferdinandiana powder has an ORAC value of at least about 1000.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the Terminalia ferdinandiana powder has an ORAC value of at least about 3000.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the Terminalia ferdinandiana powder has an ORAC value of at least about 5000.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein, the enzyme is selected from the group consisting of pectinase and cellulase.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the slurry is expressed with a device selected from the group consisting of a screw press, a hydraulic press and a juicer.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising concentrating the juice concentrate with reverse osmosis.
11. The method of claim 1 further comprising concentrating the juice concentrate with a fallin-film in evaporator.