United States Patent:  6,056,949

Assignee:  Givaudan Roure (International) SA (CH)

Filed:  April 6, 1998

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of spherical or substantially spherical, practically dust-free aromatic and odoriferous granulated material which is free-flowing, mechanically stable and has a narrow grain-size distribution.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The novel process is characterized by spraying a flavorant or odorant emulsion into a core material fluidized in a fluidized bed rotor-granulator, the emulsion being sprayed into the fluidized bed below the surface of the core material and the emulsion being granulated in this manner. The process also includes essentially the use of a fluidized bed rotor-granulator in the manufacture of spherical flavorant and odorant granulates.

The still relatively high air throughput and the relatively long reaction time--in relation to the danger of losing--especially--readily volatile components--spoke against the use of such apparatuses for flavorant or odorant compositions.

The core material is a solid usually used for the manufacture of flavorant or odorant granulates and which is industrially permitted or which is pharmaceutically usable, conveniently with particle sizes of about 0.02 to about 3.0 mm, especially of 0.2 to about 1.5 mm, diameter. It is, for example, a carbohydrate, e.g. a sugar such as glucose, lactose, sucrose, or also a product of more complex composition such as fruit powder, e.g. orange juice powder, or vegetable powder, e.g. carrot juice powder, or a sugar alcohol such as isomaltol, or pectin, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), food fibres, e.g. husks, wheat fibres, cellulose fibres, etc., or an organic or inorganic salt, e.g. a citric acid salt or sodium chloride; however, herb powder, spice powder, tea powder also come into consideration.

The carrier material for the emulsion which is sprayed in is generally selected from materials which are conventional for this purpose, it is conveniently a carbohydrate, e.g. a chemically modified starch, degraded starch (dextrin, maltodextrin); natural resin, exudate, e.g. gum arabic, plant extract such as carragenan, alginates, etc. a protein, e.g. a milk protein, or gelatine, etc. or a combination of such substances.

Water or water/ethanol mixtures can be used, for example, as the solvent for the emulsion.

Claim 1 of 24 Claims

1. A process for making a spherical flavorant or odorant granulate comprising

(a) fluidizing a core material in an air fluidized bed rotor-granulator by introducing air into the rotor-granulator to cause the material to be fluidized by air and the rotor;

(b) spraying a flavorant or odorant emulsion below the surface of the fluidized core material; and

(c) granulating the flavorant or odorant emulsion in the fluidized core material.

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