General Foods Limited

Kraft General Foods, Inc.

Kraft Foods, Inc.

Gerald J Vogel

Saul N Katz

Ravi Prasad

Jean E Spence

Michael J O'Brien

Ronald Harry Skiff

Torunn Atteraas Garin

Charles T Moorman

Franklin Kramer

Yair Steve Henig

Donald T Kearney

Belkis K Akpinar

Jean Ellen Spence

Michael J O'brien

An improved method for extracting caffeine from a coffee material, preferably raw coffee solids, with an extractant comprising supercritical carbon dioxide. Caffeine is continuously absorbed from the extractant with an aqueous wash solution in an absorber. This wash solution is continuously treated by reverse osmosis to form a caffeine-containing retentate stream and a permeate stream containing dissolved solids but substantially no caffeine. The permeate stream is recycled and used as wash water in the absorber or is used to prehydrate solid coffee materials, or both. The permeate stream comprises acidic dissolved solids.

Method for decaffeinating coffee materials including a reverse osmosis

A process and apparatus for caffeine recovery from supercritical carbon dioxide is disclosed. The process involves countercurrent extraction of caffeine from supercritical carbon dioxide with water at pressures in excess of 1,000 p.s.i. in an unpacked extraction column. The apparatus includes an unpacked extraction vessel having a distributor therein for distributing water throughout substantially the entire cross-sectional area of the vessel.

Caffeine recovery from supercritical carbon dioxide

A method of continuously decaffeinating moistened, green coffee solids with supercritical carbon dioxide. Moistened, green coffee beans are moved periodically through an extraction vessel and contacted with continuously flowing supercritical carbon dioxide which extracts caffeine from the moist, green coffee beans. Caffeine is removed from the supercritical carbon dioxide by counter-current contact with wash water in an open vessel. The caffeine-depleted supercritical carbon dioxide is recirculated back to the extraction vessel and the caffeine-bearing wash water is subjected to concentration by reverse osmosis. Acidic, substantially caffeine-free permeate is directed back to the extraction system as wash water, or to moisturize the green coffee beans prior to extraction, or both.

Method for decaffeinating coffee with a supercritical fluid

This invention relates to an improved process for steaming and later extracting roasted and ground coffee and the product of such process. The process comprises vacuum steaming roasted and ground coffee in a percolator at a temperature less than 200.degree. F. at a pressure of from 10' to 27'(Hg) and recovering the steam aroma produced by passing same through a wedge-wire draw-off apparatus, the draw-off apparatus comprising a helically wound wire assemblage being internal to the percolator. Thereafter the coffee is percolated to extract solids therefrom and the extract and aroma are combined and dehydrated to form a soluble coffee product.

Process of steaming and percolating coffee

This invention relates to the use of a salt and/or a mild caustic in solution to increase the relative volatility of aromatics contained in an aqueous stream. The increased relative volatility so achieved enables more efficient concentration of the aromas via distillation. The pH of the aroma-containing aqueous stream does not exceed 7.0 through the addition of the salt or caustic to prevent aroma degradation.

Process for efficiently concentrating an aroma stream

A process is disclosed for isolating and concentrating a natural colorant of bland taste found in plants containing betanin. The process involves adjusting the pH of an aqueous extract of the betanin-containing plant to the isoelectric point of betanin, contacting the pH-adjusted extract with a non-ionic adsorbent to concentrate the betanin pigment on the adsorbent, eluting the adsorbent to remove the betanin pigment, and separating the pigment from the eluting agent.

Process for concentrating and isolating a beet colorant

The selectivity of an adsorbent for the preferentially adsorbed component of a multi-component solution is improved by means of a countercurrent adsorption process coupled with a reflux operation wherein the loaded adsorption medium which is taken off stream as spent adsorbent is processed to concentrate the preferentially adsorbed component therein.

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Carrollton, TX, United States of America

Gerald J Vogel