Patent Number: 6677469
Docket Number: 19401
Serial Number: 10294166
Date Patented: 01/13/2004

Technology Description: ARS researchers have developed a way to improve the nutritional quality of certain food products having functional food ingredients. The technology is a two-step supercritical fluid fractionation process used to enrich phytosterols in vegetable oils. Phytoesterols have been shown to have diverse health benefits including lowering blood cholesterol levels and promoting growth. It uses a high pressure packed column and a supercritical fluid, preferably carbon dioxide as a solvent. The fractionation column—similar to ones that produce distillates for the petroleum industry—can obtain and enrich the desired nutraceutical component without using chemical extraction solvents. The technology reduces the free fatty acid content of vegetable oil feedstocks such as rice bran or soybean oil. The world market for functional foods and nutraceuticals is estimated at over $50 billion. There is great potential for these innovative food products to improve health, increase jobs, help growers diversify, reduce health care costs, and contribute to increased sales of high value-added products in domestic and export markets. Potential Commercial Uses: The food processing industry will be able to implement this technology. Companies that manufacture nutraceutical and functional food products will benefit from this technology. Reference: Please refer to USPN 6,677,469  (Docket No. 0194.01), "A Supercritical Fluid Fractionation Process for Phytosterol Ester Vegetable Oils," which issued on January 13, 2004. Foreign rights are not available. Inventors: Nurhan T Dunford (Formerly with ARS) Jerry W. King (Formerly with ARS) Contact: Fred J. Eller USDA, ARS, NCAUR New Crops and Processing Technology Research Peoria, IL 61604 (309) 681-6232/ Fax: (309) 681-6524 ellerfj@ncaur.usda.gov