COMPOSITION

The present invention relates a powderous formulation comprising at least one carotenoid and/or one carotenoid derivative, which can be produced easily and which can be used in many fields of application.

Examples of carotenoids and carotenoid derivatives are a- or b-carotene, 8'-apo- -carotenal, 8'-apo- -carotenoic acid esters such as the ethyl ester, canthaxanthin, astaxanthin, astaxan- thin esters, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin or crocetin and their derivatives.

Solid powderous formulation comprising at least one carotenoid (and/or carotenoid deriva tive) need to be stable and easy to be produced. Furthermore, the formulation should also be handled easy, which means the flowability of the formulation should be good.

Surprisingly it has been found that a powderous composition comprising at least two different kind of maltodextrins has improved properties.

One surprising advantage of the powderous composition according to the present invention is that the composition is not sticky (even during the drying process, which is usually done by spray-drying). The composition does not stick to the wall of the drying apparatus. Therefore the loss of material during the production is decreased as well as the time for cleaning is shortened. Furthermore the new formulation has also excellent flowability properties.

Therefore, the present invention relates to a powderous composition (I) comprising

(i) up to 70 weight-% (wt-%), based on the total weight of the powderous composition, of at least one carotenoid and/or one carotenoid derivative, and

(ii) 5 - 30 wt-%, based on the total weight of the powderous composition, of at least one D-glycose oligomer (preferably a maltodextrin) (G01 ) having a DE of < 18, and

(iii) 5 - 30 wt-%, based on the total weight of the powderous composition, of at least one D-glycose oligomer (preferably a maltodextrin) (G02) having a DE of > 18, and

(iv) 5 - 70 wt-%, based on the total weight of the powderous composition, of at least one modified polysaccharide.

It is clear that the percentages always add up to 100. The composition according to the present invention is a dry powder. Nevertheless it can also comprise some water, which originates from the emulsion. Usually and preferably, the water content is less than 5 wt-%, based on the total weight of the powderous composition. Usually less than 4wt-%.

Preferably, the at least one carotenoid and/or one carotenoid derivative is chosen from the group consisting of a- or b-carotene, 8'-apo- -carotenal, 8'-apo- -carotenoic acid esters such as the ethyl ester, canthaxanthin, astaxanthin, astaxanthin esters, lycopene, lutein, zeaxan- thin or crocetin and their derivatives.

Therefore, the present invention relates to a powderous composition (II), which is powderous composition (I), wherein the at least one carotenoid and/or one carotenoid derivative is chosen from the group consisting of a- or b-carotene, 8'-apo^-carotenal, 8'-apo^-carotenoic acid esters such as the ethyl ester, canthaxanthin, astaxanthin, astaxanthin esters, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin or crocetin and their derivatives.

The powderous formulation comprises up to 70 wt-% of the at least one carotenoid and/or one carotenoid derivative, based on the total weight of the powderous formulation.

The formulation can contain also as less about 0.1 wt-% of the at least one carotenoid and/or one carotenoid derivative, based on the total weight of the powderous formulation.

Preferably the powderous formulation comprises 1 - 60 wt-% of the at least one carotenoid and/or one carotenoid derivative, based on the total weight of the powderous formulation.

Therefore, the present invention relates to a powderous composition (III), which is powderous composition (I) or (II), wherein the formulation comprises 0.1 - 70 wt-% of the at least one carotenoid and/or one carotenoid derivative, based on the total weight of the powderous formulation.

Therefore, the present invention relates to a powderous composition (IN’), which is powderous composition (I) or (II), wherein the formulation comprises 1 - 60 wt-% of the at least one carotenoid and/or one carotenoid derivative, based on the total weight of the powderous formulation. Furthermore, the powderous composition according to the present invention comprises two different kind of D-glycose oligomer (preferably maltodextrin). These two different kind of D- glycose oligomer (preferably maltodextrin) differ in view of their DE value.

Dextrose equivalent (DE) is a measure of the amount of reducing sugars present in a sugar product, relative to glucose, expressed as a percentage on a dry basis. For example, a maltodextrin with a DE of 10 would have 10% of the reducing power of dextrose (which has a DE of 100). Maltose, a disaccharide made of two glucose (dextrose) molecules has a DE of 52, correcting for the water loss in molecular weight when the two molecules are combined (180/342). Sucrose actually has a DE of 0 even though it is a disaccharide, because both reducing groups of the monosaccharides that make it are connected, so there are no remaining reducing groups. For solutions made from starch, it is an estimate of the percentage reducing sugars present in the total starch product.

In all glucose polymers, from the native starch to glucose syrup, the molecular chain begins with a reducing sugar, containing a free aldehyde. As the starch is hydrolyzed, the molecules become shorter and more reducing sugars are present. Because different reducing sugars (e.g. fructose and glucose) have different sweetness, it is incorrect to assume that there is any direct relationship between DE and sweetness.

The DE describes the degree of conversion of starch to dextrose:

starch is close to DE = 0,

glucose/dextrose is DE = 100 (percent).

The standard method of determining DE is the Lane-Eynon titration, based on the reduction of copper(ll) sulfate in an alkaline tartrate solution, an application of Fehling's test.

For the present invention the first D-glycose oligomer (preferably maltodextrin) (or mixture of them), which is the ingredient (ii) of the formulation and defined as (G01 ), has a DE of less than 18, preferably less than 15, more preferably less than 12, even more preferably less than 10.

Most preferably the first D-glycose oligomer (preferably maltodextrin) (or mixture of them), which is the ingredient (ii) of the formulation, has a DE of 2 - 10.

Therefore, the present invention relates to a powderous composition (IV), which is powderous composition (I), (II), (III) or (IN’), wherein (G01 ) or mixture of (G01 )s has a DE of less than 15. Therefore, the present invention relates to a powderous composition (IV’), which is powder- ous composition (I), (II), (III) or (IN’), wherein (G01 ) or mixture of (G01 )s has a DE of less than 12.

Therefore, the present invention relates to a powderous composition (IV”), which is powder ous composition (I), (II), (III) or (IN’), wherein (G01 ) or mixture of (G01 )s has a DE of less than 10.

Therefore, the present invention relates to a powderous composition (VI’”), which is powder ous composition (I), (II), (III) or (IN’), wherein (G01 ) or mixture of (G01 )s has a DE of 2 - 10.

For the present invention the second D-glycose oligomer (preferably maltodextrin) (or mixture of them), which is the ingredient (iii) of the formulation and defined as (G02), has a DE of more than 18, preferably more than 20.

Most preferably the second D-glycose oligomer (or mixture of them), which is the ingredient (iii) of the formulation, has a DE of 20 - 45.

Therefore, the present invention relates to a powderous composition (V), which is powderous composition (I), (II), (III), (IN’), (IV), (IV’), (IV’), (IV”) or (IV’”), wherein (G02) or mixture of (G02)s has a DE of more than 20.

Therefore, the present invention relates to a powderous composition (V’), which is powderous composition (I), (II), (III), (IN’), (IV), (IV’), (IV’), (IV”) or (IV’”), wherein (G02) or mixture of (G02)s has a DE of 20 - 45.

The (G01 ) and (G02) can be used in the same amounts (1 :1 mixture) as well as in different amounts according to their definition of amounts as described above.

The composition according to present invention comprises at least one modified polysaccha ride.

Preferably the modified polysaccharide is modified starch.

Therefore, the present invention relates to a powderous composition (VI), which is powderous composition (I), (II), (III), (IN’), (IV), (IV’), (IV’), (IV”), (IV’”), (V) or (V’), wherein the modified polysaccharide is modified starch. Preferably the modified polysaccharide is of formula (I)

wherein

St is a starch,

R is an alkylene group and R’ is a hydrophobic group.

Therefore, the present invention relates to a powderous composition (VI’), which is powder ous composition (I), (II), (III), (IN’), (IV), (IV’), (IV’), (IV”), (IV’”), (V) or (V’), wherein the modified polysaccharide is of formula (I)

wherein

St is a starch,

R is an alkylene group and R’ is a hydrophobic group.

Preferably the modified polysaccharide is starch sodium octenyl succinate.

Therefore, the present invention relates to a composition (VI”), which is powderous compo sition (I), (II), (III), (III’), (IV), (IV’), (IV’), (IV”), (IV’”), (V) or (V’), wherein the modified polysac charide is starch sodium octenyl succinate.

Preferably, the powderous composition (I), (II), (III), (IN’), (IV), (IV’), (IV’), (IV”), (IV’”), (V), (V’), (VI), (VI’) and (VI”) according to present invention has an average inner particle size D [0,5] (inner phase) of less than 500 nm, preferably 150nm - 450nm.

All the sizes of the inner phase D [0,5] in the context of the present patent application were determined by using a Mastersizer 2000. The particle size of the inner phase was determined after redispersing the powderous composition in water. Therefore, the present invention relates to a powderous composition (VII), which is powder- ous composition (I), (II), (III), (IN’), (IV), (IV’), (IV’), (IV”), (IV’”), (V), (V’), (VI), (VI’) or (VI”), wherein the powderous composition has an average inner particle size D [0,5] (inner phase) of less than 500 nm.

Therefore, the present invention relates to a powderous composition (VII’), which is powderous composition (I), (II), (III), (IN’), (IV), (IV’), (IV’), (IV”), (IV’”), (V), (V’), (VI), (VI’) or (VI”), wherein the powderous composition has an average inner particle size D [0,5] (inner phase) of 150nm - 450nm.

Preferably the powderous composition according to the present invention is a spray dried composition. Other method of production can also be used.

Therefore, the present invention relates to a composition (VIII), which is powderous composition (I), (II), (III), (IN’), (IV), (IV’), (IV’), (IV”), (IV’”), (V), (V’), (VI), (VI’), (VI”), (VII) or (VII’), wherein the powderous composition is a spray dried composition.

The powderous composition according to the present invention can be produced by using technologies known to a person skilled in the art.

In first step an emulsion comprising all ingredients ((i) - (iv)) and water is produced, which is then dried (usually and preferably by spray drying). The water content of the powderous composition depends on the conditions of the applies drying process.

One advantage of the powderous composition according to the present invention is that during the spray-drying procedure, the powderous composition is not sticky and therefore the powderous composition does not stick to the wall of the spray drying tower and therefor the loss of the powderous composition during the drying process is very low and the effort to clean the drying apparatus is lowered.

Therefore the present invention relates to process for production of powderous composition (I), (II), (III), (IN’), (IV), (IV’), (IV’), (IV”), (IV’”), (V), (V’), (VI), (VI’), (VI”), (VII), (VII’) or (VIII), characterized in that in a first step an emulsion comprising all ingredients (i) - (iv) and water is produced, which is then in a second step dried to form a powderous composition. The powderous compositions (I), (II), (III), (IN’), (IV), (IV’), (IV’), (IV”), (IV’”), (V), (V’), (VI), (VI’), (VI”), (VII), (VII’) and (VIII) according to present invention are used in food, feed and/or personal care formulations.

Preferably the powderous compositions (I), (II), (III), (IN’), (IV), (IV’), (IV’), (IV”), (IV’”), (V), (V’), (VI), (VI’), (VI”), (VII), (VII’) and (VIII) are used in a liquid formulation, preferably in a beverage.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to food, feed and personal care formulations comprising at least one powderous composition (I), (II), (III), (IN’), (IV), (IV’), (IV’), (IV”), (IV’”), (V), (V’), (VI), (VI’), (VI”), (VII), (VII’) and/or (VIII).

These formulations can be in any form. Solid, liquid or gel-like.

Preferred are liquid food, feed and personal care formulation comprising at least one powderous composition (I), (II), (III), (IN’), (IV), (IV’), (IV’), (IV”), (IV’”), (V), (V’), (VI), (VI’), (VI”), (VII), (VII’) and/or (VIII).

More preferred are beverages comprising at least one powderous composition (I), (II), (III), (IN’), (IV), (IV’), (IV’), (IV”), (IV’”), (V), (V’), (VI), (VI’), (VI”), (VII), (VII’) and/or (VIII).

Therefore, a further embodiment of the present invention relates to food, feed and personal care formulations comprising at least one powderous composition (I), (II), (III), (IN’), (IV), (IV’), (IV’), (IV”), (IV’”), (V), (V’), (VI), (VI’), (VI”), (VII), (VII’) and/or (VIII).

Therefore, a further embodiment of the present invention relates to liquid food, feed and personal care formulations comprising at least one powderous composition (I), (II), (III), (IN’), (IV), (IV’), (IV’), (IV”), (IV’”), (V), (V’), (VI), (VI’), (VI”), (VII), (VII’) and/or (VIII).

Therefore, a further embodiment of the present invention relates to beverages comprising at least one powderous composition (I), (II), (III), (IN’), (IV), (IV’), (IV’), (IV”), (IV’”), (V), (V’), (VI), (VI’), (VI”), (VII), (VII’) and/or (VIII).

The concentration of the powderous composition in the food, feed and/or personal care formulations depends on the kind of these formulations.