The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 06, 1994
Filed:
Nov. 24, 1992
Esdras Sundfeld, Davis, CA (US);
John M Krochta, Davis, CA (US);
Thomas Richardson, Berthoud, CO (US);
The Regents of the University of California, Oakland, CA (US);
Abstract
The present invention relates to a process for the removal of cholesterol from a processed food or unprocessed food (dairy) product, which process comprises: (a) obtaining a processed or unprocessed food product containing cholesterol; (b) contacting the food product at a temperature of between about 35.degree. and 80.degree. C. with an amount of saponin effective to bind up to about 90% or more of the cholesterol present in the dairy product; (c) contacting at a temperature of between about 35.degree. and 80.degree. C. the product of (b) with an effective amount of diatomaceous earth; d) separating the insoluble diatomaceous earth containing the cholesterol:saponin complex by decanting, filtration, or centrifugation; and (e) recovering the food product having a reduced content of cholesterol. Preferably, after contacting a food (dairy) product such as butter or butteroil with an aqueous saponin solution at elevated temperature, the aqueous phase containing the cholesterol-saponin complex is removed by centrifugation or decanting and the resulting fat phase is washed with water. No adsorbent is used. The process is without adsorbent particularly useful wherein the food product is a dairy product selected from raw cream, pasteurized cream, butter, butteroil or anhydrous fat. The dairy product having a lowered cholesterol level is useful as a food to reduce cholesterol intake in human beings.