METHOD FOR OBTAINING A STABILISED FOOD DRINK MADE FROM FRUIT JUICE COMPRISING EXTRACTS OF MICROALGAE AND/OR CYANOBACTERIA

Abstract

In the field of biomass valorization, in particular algal biomass, a method for obtaining a food drink having a long shelf life, preferably of more than 6 months, of acidic pH, preferably made from fruit juice, includes extracts of eukaryotic or prokaryotic microalgae (cyanobacteria). The stabilised food drink obtained by this method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining a food drink with a long shelf life at ambient temperature with an acidic pH comprising eukaryotic or prokaryotic (cyanobacteria) microalgae, and/or purified water-soluble compounds extracted from eukaryotic or prokaryotic (cyanobacteria) microalgae, wherein said method comprises at least: a. one step of mixing said extracts and/or water-soluble compounds with the ingredients of the drink that are sensitive to heat treatments, said mixture being maintained at a pH greater than 7; b. one optional step of mixing the ingredients of the drink that are not sensitive to heat treatments with the ingredient or ingredients that have an acidic pH; c. one step of sterilisation by microfiltration of the mixture obtained at step a); d. one step of sterilisation by microfiltration or by heat treatment of the mixture obtained at step b) or of the ingredient with an acidic pH; e. one step of homogenising the sterilised mixtures obtained at steps c) and d); and f. obtaining a drink with a long shelf life and an acidic pH comprising extracts of eukaryotic or prokaryotic (cyanobacteria) microalgae and/or purified water-soluble compounds extracted from eukaryotic or prokaryotic (cyanobacteria) microalgae.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the drink is made from fruit juice, the acid ingredient being natural or concentrated fruit juice.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extracted water-soluble compounds are selected from among proteins and peptides, water-soluble vitamins, C-phycocyanin, and chlorophyll.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the eukaryotic microalgae are selected from among Chlorella, Nannochloropsis, Dunaliella and Euglena, and wherein the cyanobacteria are selected from among spirulina (Arthrospira platensis or Spirulina maxima) and AFA (Aphanizomenon Flos-aquae).

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an additional step whereby the obtained drink is bottled under aseptic conditions.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extracts of eukaryotic or prokaryotic (cyanobacteria) microalgae and/or of purified water-soluble compounds extracted from eukaryotic or prokaryotic (cyanobacteria) microalgae represent from 0.01 to 1% by weight of the drink.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step g) whereby said obtained drink is stored in darkness for 24 hours to 7 days.

8. A food drink with a long shelf life at ambient temperature with an acidic pH obtained by the method according to claim 1, comprising extracts of eukaryotic or prokaryotic (cyanobacteria) microalgae and/or of purified water-soluble compounds extracted from eukaryotic or prokaryotic (cyanobacteria) microalgae.

9. The drink according to claim 8, wherein the drink is still.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the food drink is made from fruit juice and the shelf life at ambient temperature is more than 6 months, and wherein in the step of homogenising the sterilised mixtures obtained at steps c) and d), said sterilised mixture obtained at step c) is added prior to the sterilised mixture obtained at step d).

11. The method according to claim 3, wherein the water-soluble vitamins are vitamins from the group B, minerals, including sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron, and the chlorophyll is phycocyanin.

12. The method according to claim 4, wherein the cyanobacteria is spirulina.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extracts of eukaryotic or prokaryotic (cyanobacteria) microalgae and/or of purified water-soluble compounds extracted from eukaryotic or prokaryotic (cyanobacteria) microalgae represent from 0.01 to 0.5% by weight of the drink.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extracts of eukaryotic or prokaryotic (cyanobacteria) microalgae and/or of purified water-soluble compounds extracted from eukaryotic or prokaryotic (cyanobacteria) microalgae represent 0.01 to 0.02% by weight of the drink.

15. The food drink according to claim 8, wherein the food drink is made from fruit juice.

16. The method according to claim 2, wherein the extracted water-soluble compounds are selected from among proteins and peptides, water-soluble vitamins, C-phycocyanin, and chlorophyll.

17. The method according to claim 2, wherein the eukaryotic microalgae are selected from among Chlorella, Nannochloropsis, Dunaliella and Euglena, and wherein the cyanobacteria are selected from among spirulina (Arthrospira platensis or Spirulina maxima) and AFA (Aphanizomenon Flos-aquae).

18. The method according to claim 3, wherein the eukaryotic microalgae are selected from among Chlorella, Nannochloropsis, Dunaliella and Euglena, and wherein the cyanobacteria are selected from among spirulina (Arthrospira platensis or Spirulina maxima) and AFA (Aphanizomenon Flos-aquae).

19. The method according to claim 2, further comprising an additional step whereby the obtained drink is bottled under aseptic conditions.

20. The method according to claim 3, further comprising an additional step whereby the obtained drink is bottled under aseptic conditions.

Description

EXAMPLE

[0061] Composition of the Drink:

[0062] Mixture a)

TABLE-US-00001 Ingredients Quantities per 1000 kg Reverse osmosis-purified water QS Spirulina extract (purified phycocyanin) 270 g Magnesium 1.3 kg Maltodextrin 350 g Vitamin B2 100 g Vitamin B12 2 g Potassium sorbate 340 g Sodium benzoate 200 g

[0063] Mixture b)

TABLE-US-00002 Ingredients Quantities per 1000 kg Reverse osmosis-purified water 953 kg Concentrated orange juice 47 kg

2 Equipment

2.1 Equipment for the Preparation of the Mixture

[0064] For the mixture b), made from orange juice, it was prepared by diluting concentrated orange juice. For this purpose, an immersion blender was used directly in a 1 m.sup.3 tank.

[0065] For the mixture a), comprising microalgae extract, the preparation requires mixtures of powder and dissolutions of the powder in water. For this purpose, different equipment can be used before the step involving the 1 m.sup.3 tank: the immersion blender, a 20 L food blender, a homogenising tank (100 L), a pneumatic pump in a closed circuit on the preparation tank.

2.2 the Front Filtering Assembly

[0066] The assembly is made of a tank (1 m.sup.3) containing the mixture to be filtered, a pump and the filter housing (with the filtering cartridge thereof). The tank is refilled during a test (by transfer from another tank using a pneumatic pump). A valve upstream from the housing can be used to adjust the filtration rate (to keep it constant). The nitrogen cylinder is used for integrity testing.

2.3 The Housing and Filtering Cartridges

[0067] The housing used in a sanitary Pall housing of the FBT series and fitted with a 10 cartridge. The cartridges used are Fuente II cartridges, ref. AB1FFN7WH4: these cartridges are made of pleated polyethersulfone (Ultipleat, double layer pleating), with a filtration threshold of 0.2 m of sterilising grade. They are certified to come into contact with foodstuffs. Each 10 cartridge has a filtering surface of 1.04 m.sup.2.

3 Method

[0068] 3.1 Mixture b)=Made from Orange Juice

[0069] For the preparation of the mixture b), made from orange juice, 47 kg of orange juice was poured in the tank, which was filled with water to % full. The tank was then filled with water so as to achieve a mass of 1000 kg. Finally, the mixture was homogenised with the immersion blender. The mixture was then transferred by a pneumatic pump from the preparation tank to the assembly supply tank.

3.2 Mixture a)=Containing the Microalgae Extract

[0070] The mixture of the three first powder products was conducted in a dry state using the food blender.

[0071] Then, a portion of this powder mixture (400-500 g) was slowly poured into the whirlpool of a tray containing 5-6 L of water; the stirring (by the immersion blender) was performed for approximately 15 minutes. This concentrated mixture is then poured into the 1 m.sup.3 tank filled to three quarters with water and the content of the tank was again stirred with the immersion blender. The other powder products were first mixed with water (in the whirlpool) in a concentrated form, and then added to the 1 m.sup.3 tank. The liquid products were directly added in the 1 m.sup.3 tank. After adding all the products, the content of the 1 m.sup.3 tank was homogenised with the immersion blender and by closed-circuit circulation with a pump.

3.3. Sterilisation by Microfiltration of the Mixtures

[0072] Each mixture a) then b) undergoes microfiltration (a new cartridge is used for each mixture), with the following results:

TABLE-US-00003 Mixture b) Mixture a) Pressure (bar) 2 2.46 Filtration rate (kg/h/m.sup.2) 769 (constant) 770 Filtered mass (kg/m.sup.3) 1920 790 Filtrate pH 4 pH 8.6 turbidity 36 NTU, absorbency (620 nm): 0.388

[0073] 3.4: Homogenising the Mixture a) and b)

[0074] The mixtures a) and b) sterilised at step 3.3 are mixed and homogenised in a 2 m.sup.2 tank using a pitched-blade stirring system.

[0075] The mixture a) is added first in the homogenising tank.