Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Micro-organism – tissue cell culture or enzyme using process... – Preparing oxygen-containing organic compound
Patent
1997-10-07
1999-09-14
Lankford, Jr., Leon B.
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Micro-organism, tissue cell culture or enzyme using process...
Preparing oxygen-containing organic compound
426 41, 426 42, 426583, 435819, 435853, 435856, C12P 756, A23C 912, A23C 2100
Patent
active
059522070
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application claims priority of Spanish patent application P9600301, filed Feb. 8, 1996.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
As in stated in the heading above, this patent is related to a procedure for processing the whey which is produced as a by-product in the cheese-manufacturing industries, this being a by-product which constitutes a problem due to the contaminating features of its content, given that it is comprised of solid substances, particularly lactose, a readily-fermentable sugar, as well as a large number of microorganisms which might give rise to cases of undesirable fermentation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
The effluents and disposal of the whey produced in the cheese-making industries are a serious problem given that the laws currently in force are aimed at protecting the environment.
In addition to affording the possibility of eliminating the undesirable contaminating effects of the aforesaid by-product, the implementation of this procedure is the object of this patent also provides the considerable advantage of obtaining such an industrially valuable product as L-lactic acid as a final resulting by-product.
It has been known for a long time that L-lactic acid is an essential additive in the food-preserving industry which is obtained by many known methods, some of which have been created specifically for the production thereof.
Starting in 1931, a lactobacillus was employed to produce L-lactic acid, that is, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, to carry out a suitable fermentation at a controllable pH. The lactic acid contained in the fermentation medium was later removed using sulphuric acid, giving rise to an acid suitable for use in the food industry.
The aforesaid method entailed major drawbacks, given that the full use of the sugar employed was limited to 80%, and the separation and purification methods gave rise to greater degrees of contamination than those they were aimed at correcting.
Therefore, procedures were subsequently further developed aimed at preventing the aforementioned drawbacks. One of these procedures is the object of French Patent No. 83 18631, which claims a continuous fermentation system entailing different stages in which organic acids and sugars are finally obtained in the end, but which turns out to be a too highly involved industrial process.
A later procedure was described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,303, but which also entailed a major drawback on it being necessary to eliminate the proteins of relatively high molecular weights in order to obtain the lactic acid, additionally requiring that the whey be centrifuged and subsequently ultrafiltered, which gave rise to specific problems regarding the strength of the membranes employed, entailing a major reduction in efficiency and the need of employing removal techniques using different solvents, the recovery of which would involve added complications and cases of contamination.
Although the two aforementioned patents afford the possibility of obtaining a lactic acid of a purity sufficing for its use in the food industry and for the manufacture of pharmaceutical products, it can also be used in industrial processes less stringent as regards the quality of the lactic acid obtained, some of which may include the manufacture of mordants for tanning, the treatment of other surfaces and the processing of chemical products, as the most significant, unrestricted examples.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
We thus find that by employing the procedure comprising the object of this patent, two advantages which complement one another and which are, in turn, significantly valuable in themselves, are achieved. These advantages being the elimination of the contaminating effects of the whey produced as a by-product in cheese manufacture, as has been previously mentioned, and, secondly, the accomplishment of obtaining a by-product of industrial value and of high quality.
As regards the first of the aforesaid advantages, we are confronted with the need of eliminating solid substances existing in the whey, basically lactose, entailing percentages
REFERENCES:
patent: 3818109 (1974-06-01), Bechtle
patent: 3968257 (1976-07-01), Muller
patent: 4676987 (1987-06-01), Ahern et al.
patent: 4698303 (1987-10-01), Bailey et al.
patent: 4699793 (1987-10-01), Eguchi et al.
patent: 5210294 (1993-05-01), Mantovani et al.
Gonzalez Juan Fuertes
Mora Angela Maria Moya
Lankford , Jr. Leon B.
Tate Christopher
LandOfFree
Process of producing whey produced as a by-product of cheese man does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Process of producing whey produced as a by-product of cheese man, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Process of producing whey produced as a by-product of cheese man will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1509292