Method of manufacturing spray-dried powders

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing spray-dried powders. During the process, a solvent is used. The process is done batchwise such that the emulsification mass ratio is low when removal of the solvent is started. Preferred solvents are isopropyl acetate and ethyl acetate. The invention also relates to a set-up to run the inventive process at industrial scale.

1 . A composition, comprising water and particles,
 wherein said particles have a core and a shell, and   wherein said shell comprises at least one emulsifier, and   wherein said core comprises at least one fat-soluble compound and at least one solvent,
 characterized in that the particle-solvent-distribution of the particles in the composition is bimodal. 
   
     
     
         2 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one solvent has a boiling point of less than 120° C., preferably less than 100° C. at 1013,25 hPa. 
     
     
         3 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one solvent is at least one water-immiscible organic solvent being preferably dichloromethane, ethyl acetate or isopropyl acetate, and/or wherein said fat-soluble compound is an edible colorant being preferably beta-carotene or lycopene and/or wherein the core of said particles further comprises at least one edible oil being preferably a vegetable oil such as corn oil. 
     
     
         4 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition's emulsification mass ratio is from 5% to 60%, preferably from 5% to 40% and most preferably from 5% to 20%. 
     
     
         5 . A method of providing a composition which can be spray-dried, wherein the composition of  claim 1  is heated and/or put under a pressure of less than 1500 mbar to remove the composition's solvent completely or at least partially, preferably by using an evaporator such as a wiped film evaporator. 
     
     
         6 . A method of manufacturing a water-dispersible powder, comprising the steps:
 i) providing the composition of  claim 1 ,
 ii) removing the solvent of the provided composition completely or at least partially, and 
 iii) spray-drying the composition obtained in step ii). 
   
     
     
         7 . A powder obtainable by the method of  claim 6 , wherein said powder comprises:
 i. at least one modified starch and at least 10 weight-%, preferably at least 20 weight-% beta-carotene, based on the total weight of the powder; or   ii. at least one gelatin and at least 15 weight-%, preferably at least 35 weight-% beta-carotene, based on the total weight of the powder; or   iii. at least one modified starch and at least 15 weight-%, preferably at least 25 weight-% lycopene, based on the total weight of the powder; or   iv. at least one gelatin and at least 15 weight-%, preferably at least 40 weight-% lycopene, based on the total weight of the powder.   
     
     
         8 . A set-up for spray-drying a dispersion, said set-up comprising an evaporator and a mixing unit,
 wherein evaporator has a feed inlet, a vapor outlet and a liquid outlet,   wherein the evaporator's liquid outlet is in communication with mixing unit, and   wherein mixing unit is arranged such that a liquid composition can be fed from mixing unit into evaporator through the evaporator's feed inlet.   
     
     
         9 . The set-up according to  claim 8 , further comprising vessel,
 wherein vessel has an inlet and an outlet, and   wherein vessel is arranged such that a liquid composition can be fed from liquid outlet of evaporator into vessel through inlet and from vessel through outlet into mixing unit.   
     
     
         10 . The set-up according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein liquid outlet of evaporator is connected to feed inlet of vessel by connection, wherein said connection is preferably a tube, a pipe, a channel, a funnel, a course, a conduit or a duct, and/or   wherein said connection has preferably a length of at least 2 meters, more preferably of at least 10 meters and most preferably of at least 100 meters.   
     
     
         11 . The set-up according to  claim 9 , wherein said set-up further comprises vessel, and wherein mixing unit is fed by vessel and vessel, and wherein vessel and vessel are preferably provided with a pump to control the flows from vessel and vessel into mixing unit. 
     
     
         12 . The set-up according to  claim 8 , wherein said mixing unit is a homogenizer device and/or wherein said evaporator is a flash vessel or film evaporator and is preferably a wiped fine film evaporator. 
     
     
         13 . The set-up according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein each of said vessels and is capable of holding a volume of at least 100 liters, preferably of at least 500 liters and most preferably of at least 3000 liters, and/or   wherein the volume that can be hold by vessel is bigger than the volume that can be hold by vessel.   
     
     
         14 . The set-up according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein said set-up further comprises vessel, and   wherein vessel is arranged such that a liquid composition can be fed from liquid outlet of evaporator into vessel and from vessel through inlet into vessel.   
     
     
         15 . A product comprising the powder of  claim 7 , wherein said product is preferably food, a beverage, a nutraceutical, a cosmetic or a pharmaceutical product, and/or wherein said product comprises preferably less than 500 ppm, more preferably less than 200 ppm and most preferably less than 100 ppm, of said powder, based on the total weight of the powder.