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:
Nov. 14, 2000
Filed:
May. 08, 1999
Douglas Howard Catron, Altoona, IA (US);
James Oscar Mann, Pleasant Hill, IA (US);
Kemin Industries, Inc., Des Moines, IA (US);
Abstract
A method for protecting the activity and bioavailability of heat- and/or oxygen-labile compounds during processing, particularly processing by extrusion of a food product containing the heat- and/or oxygen-labile compounds. Beadlets are formed wherein the heat- and/oxygen-labile compound is protected by a shell of calcium alginate and an ancillary polymeric compound, such as gelatin. The beadlets are added to a food product prior to extrusion and protect the active compound against heat degradation during the extrusion process. The beadlets also provide a protected form of the compound that decreases oxidation. In an alternative embodiment, oxidizing agents and/or free radical initiators to be added to a product containing labile compounds are coated with the protective material to protect the labile compounds from degradation by the oxidizing agents and/or free-radical initiators.