Spray-Drying process for producing a dry caritine powder or granulate

1. A process for preparing a dry carnitine powder or granulate from a liquid starting material containing carnitine and accompanying substances, said process comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining a liquid starting material comprising an unpurified fermentation broth formed by a biocatalytic process for the production of carnitine in a liquid medium;

b) subjecting the liquid starting material of step a) to one purification or one separation step to obtain a pre-purified liquid starting material containing carnitine and accompanying substances, wherein the pre-purified liquid starting material contains an amount of total dry matter, wherein the accompanying substances in the total dry matter is in the range of 10% to less than 50% of the total dry matter;

c) mixing the pre-purified starting material of step b) with a carrier;

d) subjecting the mixture obtained in step c) to a drying process, wherein the drying process occurs after only one purification or one separation step being performed on the liquid starting material; and

e) recovering a stable dry carnitine powder or granulate, wherein the content of the accompanying substance of the pre-purified starting material in the recovered carnitine powder or granulate is less than 10% and wherein the carnitine is 1-carnitine, an alkanoyl-1-carnitine, a salt thereof or a mixture thereof.

2. A process for preparing a dry carnitine powder or granulate from a liquid starting material containing carnitine and accompanying substances, said process comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining a liquid starting material comprising an unpurified fermentation broth formed by a biocatalytic process for the production of carnitine in a liquid medium;

b) subjecting the liquid starting material of step a) to one purification or one separation step to obtain a pre-purified liquid starting material containing carnitine and accompanying substances, wherein the pre-purified liquid starting material contains an amount of total dry matter, wherein the accompanying substances in the total dry matter is in the range of 10% to less than 50% of the total dry matter;

c) subjecting the pre-purified liquid starting material of step b) to a drying process to obtain a dried product, wherein the drying process occurs after only one purification or one separation step being performed on the liquid starting material;

d) mixing the dried product of step c) with a carrier; and

e) recovering a stable dry carnitine powder or granulate, wherein the content of the accompanying substances of the pre-purified starting material in the recovered carnitine powder or granulate is less than 10%, and wherein the carnitine is 1-carnitine, an alkanoyl-1-carnitine, a salt thereof or a mixture thereof.

3. The process according to claim 2 wherein the dried product is sieved to remove lumps and then mixed with the carrier.

4. The process according to claim 2 wherein the pre-purified starting material has the form of a solution, suspension or paste.

5. The process according to claim 2 wherein the drying process is a spray-drying.

6. The process according to claim 2 wherein the drying is conducted in a whirl drier.

7. The process according to claim 2 wherein the carrier is selected from the group consisting of wheat pollard, precipitated silica, silica particles, floury or granulated 35 diatomaceous earth and calcium carbonate.

8. The process according to claim 7 wherein one or more additional compounds are added to the pre-purified starting material or to the carrier before drying or to the dry carnitine powder obtained after drying.

9. The process according to claim 8 wherein the additional ingredient is a chromium compound.

10. The process according to claim 8 wherein the additional ingredient is an amino acid.

11. The process according to claim 8 wherein the dry carnitine powder has a water content of less than 12%.

12. The process according to claim 11 wherein the dry carnitine powder is suitable for the production of a feed product.

13. The process according to claim 1 wherein the pre-purified starting material has the form of a solution, suspension or paste.

14. The process according to claim 1 wherein the drying process is a spray-drying.

15. The process according to claim 1 wherein the drying is conducted in a whirl drier.

16. The process according to claim 1 wherein the carrier is selected from the group consisting of wheat pollard, precipitated silica, silica particles, floury or granulated 35 diatomaceous earth and calcium carbonate.

17. The process according to claim 1 wherein one or more additional compounds are added to the pre-purified starting material or to the carrier before drying or to the dry carnitine powder obtained after drying.

18. The process according to claim 1 wherein the dry carnitine powder has a water content of less than 12 percent.