Cost-Effective Sweetener Production Techniques

Recombinant microbial hosts for efficient production of steviol glycoside sweeteners like rebaudioside M. The hosts are engineered to express genes for key enzymes in the steviol biosynthesis pathway. These include genes for UDP-glucose synthesis, steviol glycosylation, and synthesis of precursor molecules like UTP.

Continuous purification of steviol glycosides like rebaudioside D and M from crude stevia extracts using simulated moving bed chromatography without adding organic solvents. The process involves passing the extract through a series of adsorbent beds with water as the mobile phase to selectively retain impurities and enhance the steviol glycoside content. The method provides a cost-effective and scalable way to obtain purified steviol glycosides without using organic solvents.

Process to make high purity acesulfame potassium sweetener by controlling pH during synthesis to reduce impurities. It involves forming a cyclic sulfur trioxide adduct, hydrolyzing it to form acesulfame-H, neutralizing to form crude acesulfame potassium, then treating to make finished acesulfame potassium with low impurity levels. Keeping the neutralization pH at or below 11 reduces degradation and impurity formation.

Process for producing high purity acesulfame potassium. The process involves concentrating a crude acesulfame potassium solution containing acesulfame potassium and acetoacetamide to form an intermediate acesulfame potassium composition with low acetoacetamide. The intermediate composition is then separated to obtain a finished acesulfame potassium product with reduced acetoacetamide compared to the crude input.

A process for producing high purity acesulfame potassium with reduced impurities like 5-chloro-acesulfame potassium that can be difficult to separate out. The process involves minimizing contact time between a solvent and cyclizing agent during the reaction to form a cyclic sulfur trioxide adduct. The adduct is then hydrolyzed and neutralized to produce high purity acesulfame potassium with less than 35 wppm 5-chloro-acesulfame potassium.

Producing steviol glycosides, such as rebaudioside A, from recombinant cells expressing modified UDP-glycosyltransferase enzymes. The modified enzymes have mutations compared to the wild-type Stevia rebaudiana enzymes. Expressing the modified enzymes in cells to enable more efficient and scalable production of steviol glycosides as natural sweeteners compared to extracting from Stevia plants.

Biocatalytic method for producing sweeteners and flavor enhancers like homoeriodictyol dihydrochalcone and hesperetin dihydrochalcone from plant compounds like phloretin. The method uses enzymes like oxidases, reductases, and methyltransferases to convert phloretin into the desired dihydrochalcones via steps like hydroxylation and methylation.

A process for producing high purity acesulfame potassium with reduced levels of impurities like 5-chloro-acesulfame potassium. The process involves short contact times between the acetoacetamide salt and cyclizing agent to form a cyclic sulfur trioxide adduct, followed by hydrolyzing, neutralizing, and crystallizing steps to obtain the finished acesulfame potassium.

Production of high purity acesulfame potassium compositions by controlling pH during neutralization to reduce impurities like acetoacetamide-N-sulfonic acid. The process involves hydrolyzing a sulfur trioxide adduct to form acesulfame-H, then neutralizing to form crude acesulfame potassium. By maintaining a pH below 11, impurity formation is minimized.

Novel Stevia rebaudiana plant cultivars with traits like self-compatibility, high leaf yield, improved disease resistance, and increased steviol glycoside content. The plants are produced by controlled breeding using self-compatible varieties. The plants are processed to extract steviol glycosides for use as sweeteners and flavor enhancers in consumables.

Processes for producing high purity acesulfame potassium compositions containing low amounts of impurities like acetoacetamide. The processes involve concentrating and separating steps to reduce impurity levels. The crude acesulfame composition is evaporated to form a concentrated intermediate composition with less water and impurities. This is crystallized and filtered to produce the finished acesulfame potassium composition containing reduced acetoacetamide.

Recombinant microorganisms such as yeast or fungi that have been genetically modified to produce steviol glycosides like stevioside and rebaudioside in high yields. The modifications involve introducing genes encoding key enzymes from the stevia plant biosynthetic pathway into the microorganisms. This allows the microorganisms to synthesize the sweet compounds from inexpensive feedstocks, offering a more cost-effective and scalable way to produce steviol glycosides compared to extracting them from the stevia plant.

Biocatalytic process for producing steviol glycosides like reb A and reb M from starting materials like glycerol, glucose, maltodextrin or existing steviol glycosides. The process involves using an enzyme-producing microorganism to convert the starting material into the desired steviol glycoside. The process can be optimized for yield and purity of the target glycoside. The microorganism can also be engineered to enhance specific glycoside conversions.

Producing stevia sweeteners through recombinant biomanufacturing using genetically engineered cells expressing novel glycosyltransferase enzymes. The process involves modifying the enzymes that convert steviol glycosides in the stevia plant to enhance production of targeted sweeteners like rebaudioside A.

Producing highly purified steviol glycoside sweeteners like reb A and reb M using biocatalysts. The process involves contacting a starting composition with microorganisms or enzymes that can catalyze the conversion of the starting materials to the target steviol glycoside. This allows efficient and scalable production of steviol glycosides from various organic substrates, providing a cost-effective alternative to extraction from Stevia plants.

A process for drying active ingredients like flavors and extracts into stable flakes that can be used in foods, supplements, and medicines. The process involves spreading a wet mixture of the active ingredient, a carrier, and a stabilizer on a heated belt dryer. The mixture is dried to produce flakes with low moisture content and water activity. The flakes retain the active ingredient without volatilization or degradation.

Methods for producing high quantities of Rebaudioside D and Rebaudioside M stevia sweeteners using recombinant techniques. The methods involve expressing specific biosynthetic genes in yeast or other cells to create an artificial biosynthetic pathway for these steviol glycosides. The recombinant cells can produce Rebaudioside D and Rebaudioside M at much higher yields than natural stevia plants. This allows commercial production of these steviol glycosides for use as sweeteners in foods and beverages.

Cultivating cardoon plants to obtain inulin, biomass, seeds, oil, and protein flour. The plants are grown in clayey soil without significant fertilization. The above-ground parts are harvested in year 1 before flowering. From year 2 onward, the below-ground parts are harvested between flowering and senescence. The roots are cleaned, dried, and extracted to obtain inulin. The remaining biomass is pressed to extract more inulin. The harvested above-ground parts provide additional biomass and seeds/oil/protein. The process enables integrated production of valuable products from the cardoon plants.

Extracting health beneficial compounds like caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, and dicaffeoylquinic acid from yerba mate to make a composition for use in beverages and food products. The extraction involves contacting yerba mate with a solvent, filtering to remove impurities, and eluting the desired compounds from the filter. The extract is then dried to obtain a composition rich in those compounds.

Biocatalytic process to make highly purified steviol glycosides like rebaudioside A from organic compounds like glucose using enzymes. A key enzyme is UDP-glycosyltransferase UGT76G1, which adds glucose units to form rebaudioside A. The process involves converting starting compounds to target steviol glycosides by contacting with biocatalysts like enzymes or microorganisms. The starting compounds can be steviol glycosides or other organic compounds. The process allows efficient and economical production of highly purified steviol glycoside sweeteners using biocatalysis.