US 5,837,311 A
Industrial processing of tomatoes and product thereofGeneral
US 5,837,311 A
Industrial processing of tomatoes and product thereof
Tech Center:
1700 Chemical and Materials Engineering
Examiner:
Helen Pratt
Art Unit:
1761 Organic Chemistry, Polymers, Compositions
Agent:
Inventors:
MORRIS ZELKHA; MORDECHAI BEN-YEHUDA; DOV HARTAL; YIGAL RAVEH; NISSIM GARTI
Assignee:
Priority:
12/13/93
Filed:
06/21/96
Granted:
11/17/98
Expiration:
06/21/16
Abstract
Tomatoes are separated into desirable food products by subjecting them, after conventional preliminary treatments, such as crushing, to a separation of serum from pulp by centrifugation at temperatures between 75.degree. and 110.degree. C. and centrifugal force between 2600 and 4000 G, whereby to obtain a pulp that contains at least 500 ppm of lycopene. The pulp is then subjected to extraction by means of solvents having .delta.H (delta H) and .delta.P (delta P) values chosen so as to extract an oleoresin that has a desired content of lycopene, phospholipids and mono- and di-glycerides. The serum is concentrated and mixed either with dehydrated spent tomato pulp or with dispersing agents and the mixture is dried to produce a new food product which is substantially free from sugars and agrochemicals, is low in lipids, and has a water content less than 5 ww %.