Cpc International, Inc.

Corn Products International, Inc.

John Charles Hobson

Roderick Norman Greenshields

Deborah Anne Anderson

John Oliver Skelton

The present invention provides a coloring agent comprising glucan-containing yeast cell ghosts which comprise a proportion of substantially intact yeast cell walls and at least one color source. The color source is selected to give the desired color in the coloring agent and in any product in which the coloring agent is used and may be any dye or pigment. For uses such as in foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, the coloring agents must be acceptable for food and/or pharmaceutical use.

Yeast debris products

Flavored yeast extracts are prepared by incorporating one or more hydrolysates of fruit, vegetable, herb, spice, fungus or mixtures thereof in a yeast autolysis process.

Process of making flavored yeast extracts

An encapsulated product is provided containing a substance such as essential oil used in flavors and fragrances encapsulated in dyed cell wall-derived material such as from a fungus. The encapsulated product can be produced by contacting a microbial cell having an intact cell wall and which is preferably alive with the substance to be encapsulated, allowing the substance to diffuse through the cell wall into the microbial cell to encapsulate the substance and contacting the microbial cell with a dye to adsorb the dye to the surface of the cell wall to give a visible color to the cell wall. Alternatively, the microbial cell wall can be dyed before the microbial cell is contacted with the substance to be encapsulated. The cell wall can be dyed with a color associated with a naturally occurring source from which the substance encapsulated is obtained. For example, when the substance is lemon oil, the cell wall is dyed yellow. The encapsulated substance may be released from the microbial cell by chemical biodegradation or mechanical rupture of the cell wall. The encapsulated product can be used in foodstuffs to provide color and flavor, or for other uses where microcapsules are conventionally used.

Encapsulated product containing essential oil and dyed microbial cell

The present invention provides a coloring agent and process for preparing yeast cell ghosts having a light color and less flavor. The yeast cell ghosts are to be contained as a component of the coloring agent. Further, the yeast cell ghosts contain a proportion of intact yeast cell walls and one color source. The color source is selected based upon the desired color in the coloring agent and in any product in which the coloring agent is used, such as a pigment or dye. Also uses for the coloring agent are disclosed, such as their use in foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. The coloring agents must be acceptable for food and pharmaceutical use. The steps for making the yeast cell ghosts are sequential and involve extracting yeast debris having a solids content not exceeding 20% by weight. An acid is used to perform the extraction and further treatment of the extracted debris with an alkali to obtain whole cells and cells having disrupted cell walls. The whole cells are separated away from the material rich in disrupted cell walls and the material is then bleached to provide for the yeast cell ghosts.

The present invention provides a water insoluble coloring agent containing glucan-containing yeast cell ghosts which contain a proportion of intact yeast cell walls and at least one water soluble color source. The color source is selected to give the desired color in the coloring agent and in any product in which the coloring agent is used and may be any dye or pigment. For uses such as in foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, the coloring agents must be acceptable for food and pharmaceutical use.

Growing community of inventors

Burton-on-Trent, United Kingdom

John Charles Hobson