GB1558590A

GB1558590A - Method of producing albumin containing nutrient composition

Info

Publication number: GB1558590A
Application number: GB9701/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Blue Wing Corp
Current assignee: Blue Wing Corp
Priority date: 1976-03-08
Filing date: 1977-03-08
Publication date: 1980-01-03
Also published as: MX4413E; IL51633A0; AU2283377A; JPS52154785A; NZ182250A; DE2710554A1; NL7702502A; AU511914B2; IL51633A; BR7701387A; SE7702533L; FI770703A; ATA155577A; ZA771378B; FR2343430A1; AT355411B; IT1084256B; BE852208A

Description

(54) METHOD OF PRODUCING ALBUMIN CONTAINING NUTRIENT COMPOSITION (71) We, BLUE WING CORPORATION, a Corporation organised and existing under the Laws of the State of Idaho, of 2401 Warm Springs Avenue, PO Box 1187, Boise, County of Ada, Idaho, United States of America, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a process for producing albumin containing nutrient composition.

Animal blood obtained in a typical slaughterhouse operation is usually processed by drying or the blood is expelled as an effluent. More specifically, liquid blood obtained as a byproduct in a slaughterhouse operation is a low value material and is often dumped because no market exists for the material. Some meat packaging facilities have dryers and dry the blood to form a meal which is sold mainlv as a fertilizer or animal feedstuff. In general, the bloodmeal is processed into a dry form on or near the slaughter house premises.

Typically, blood is collected in holding vessels and periodically. when a sufficient quantity is collected, it is subjected to one of several possible heating processes which in effect dries the volatile constituents therefrom and thus the blood solids are recovered. This is conventionally accomplished in a batch type blood cooker. a ring dryer or a spray drying operation. These various drying processes utilize relatively large quantities of energy and produce obnoxious odors which are released into the atmosphere and surrounding environment. In addition, refrigeration of the blood may be required in the case of some spray drying operations. Substantial quantities of the nutrients in the blood are normally lost through bio-degradation which results during the typical storage and transit conditions of the animal blood.Furthermore, substantial degradation of the nutrient value of blood solids is typical when the blood is exposed to the high temperatures associated with blood cooker operations. Specifically, such processes will render substantial quantities of the blood protein undigestible to animals. A more efficient process for the utilization of blood obtained from slaughterhouses is needed, i.e., a method of processing blood into a usable and thus saleable commodity is needed which can be carried out without an undue expenditure of energy and without polluting the environment with obnoxious odors and effluents.

Earlier researchers have discovered the value of proteinaceous material bypassing the rumen of ruminant animals in order to improve the effectiveness of the proteinaceous material and its assimilation by the animal. For example, U.S. - Patents 3,619,200 and 3,829,564 disclose various methods for encapsulating proteinaceous materials in order to effect bypass of such proteinaceous materials through the rumen of the ruminant animal.

Recently, a process has been developed which encapsulates nutrient lipids in a protective protein-aldehyde complex coating. This process is disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,925,560, issued December 9. 1975. The protein-aldehyde coating covering the lipid is not susceptible to breakdown in the rumen but is susceptible to breakdown in the abomasum and lower gut.

This process includes finely dividing a lipid material into discrete particles or globules and forming an aqueous emulsion of the finely divided lipid and a proteinaceous material. The aqueous emulsion can then be reacted with an aldehyde such that the finely divided lipid particles are encapsulated in a protein-aldehyde complex. The emulsion is treated with aldehyde and dried to form a coated particulate solid. Thus. this encapsulation process requires an aldehyde reactant to react with the proteinaceous material to form the ruminant resistant coating over the lipid material.

An effective method for producing feed supplements which are not susceptible to breakdown in the rumen but which are susceptible to breakdown in the abomasum and lower gut without resorting to the use of exogenous chemicals is desirable.

According to the present invention there is provided a process for producing a nutrient composition comprising: a) adjusting the pH of an aqueous medium containing at least about 6 weight percent albumin to a level in the range of from 9.6 to 12.5; b) heating said aqueous medium at a temperature effective to form an albumin containing gel; and c) recovering said gel.

In accordance with preferred embodiments of the subject invention, the aqueous medium containing albumin is heated to a temperature within the range of from 40"C to 100"C. The gel can be dried by any suitable manner to a moisture content of below 13 weight percent thereof to form the particulate compositions of the subject invention.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention. from 100 to 500 weight percent of another proteinaceous material based on the weight of the albumin, can be admixed with the aqueous albumin medium to provide an improved proteinaceous containing feed supplement.

The subject invention makes possible a more efficient utilization of albumin containing products, such as animal blood and milk whey for use as a nutrient food for animals and plants, or if manufactured under acceptable standards of hygiene, for human foods or food additives. These products can be manfactured at the meat packing plants where ingredients, such as animal blood, are available. Thus. such feed supplements can be made utilizing some of the existing equipment and facilities found at meat packing plants and little additional processing equipment is required.

The term ' albumin'' as used herein is understood to be a protein found in milk whey and occurring in blood, lymph, chyle. and many other animal and vegetable tissues and fluids which has substantially a neutral pH in its natural occurring state. Albumin is soluble in water, coagulates on heating, and is readilv hvdrolvzed to a number of amino acids. One readily available source of albumin is animal blood. e.g.. the whole animal blood. Such is collected in large quantities during killing operations in meat packing plants, slaughterhouses. and the like. The blood so collected can vary in blood solid contents dependent upon the amount of dilution it receives from the wash water used to clean the kill floor.A solids content of from about 12% to about 21% can be employed for the aqueous blood mixture of the present invention. Such solids content is believed to comprise about 50coo albumin and about 50Xc other blood proteins. Thus. as used herein. blood contains from about 6 to 10.5 weight percent albumin and from about 6 to about 10.5 weight percent other blood proteins.

In accordance with the process of the subject invention, an aqueous solution containing at least about 6 weight percent albumin is contacted with a base constituent to provide a pH of the aqueous solution of from about 9.6 to about 12.5. It is noted, that when utilizing animal blood as the albumin source. the base should be added thereto before substantial bacterial degradation occurs. Generally, the pH of the blood should be adjusted to a value in the range of from about 9.6 to about 12.5 within about 24 hours from the time it is drawn from the animals. Furthermore the pH adjusted blood should be maintained at ambient temperatures. e.g., at temperatures above about 0 C and below about 40"C. for a period of time effective to begin formation of a gel.In general. the pH adjusted blood should be maintained at least about 12 hours at ambient temperature before it is heated to form the gel. In general, it is preferred that the heating occur within one to three days after its pH has been adjusted as set forth above.

Thereafter, the aqueous solution is heated to a temperature effective to form an albumin containing gel. Generally the aqueous solution is heated to a temperature within the range of from about 40 C to about 1000C until the entire solution gels. The gel so formed can then be employed as the plant or animal feed supplement or the gel can be dried to a particulate composition as will be described in detail hereinafter. The term "gel" is to be understood to mean a cross-linked three dimensional network of fibers of albumin which binds water within the network. It should be noted that in producing the feed supplements of the present invention one must employ at least about 6 weight percent albumin. Additional albumin can be employed. the only limitation being the solubility of the albumin within the aqueous medium.

Anv suitable base can be employed to adjust the pH of the aqueous medium containing the albumin. For example. the base can be an alkali metal hydroxide or an alkaline earth metal hydroxide. Especially desirable results have been obtained wherein alkali metal hydroxides. such as sodium hydroxide. have been employed. Care must be exercised in adjusting the pH of the aqueous solution to maintain the pH within the desired range of 9.6 to about 12.5. Also, it should be noted that often the pH tends to decline after the pH of the aqueous solution has been initially adjusted so that one may be required to employ additional base to maintain the aqueous solution within the described pH range.

In producing animal feed supplements it is often desirable to incorporate other proteinaceous materials into the aqueous medium containing the albumin. The amount of proteinaceous material employed can vary widely but is generally preferred that it be used in an amount at least equivalent to the amount of albumin initially solubilized. Desirable results can be obtained when the proteinaceous material is incorporated into the aqueous medium in an amount of from about 100% to 500%, based on the weight of albumin initially placed therewithin. Further, any suitable proteinaceous material which is readily soluble within the aqueous medium can be employed. Typical of such proteinaceous materials are casein, soy meal, sunflower meal, safflower meal, and mixtures of the same.

As previously stated, the aqueous medium containing the albumin, and when desired. the proteinaceous material, is heated to a temperature effective to form an albumin containing gel. While the particular temperature employed can vary widely, especially desirable results are obtained when the aqueous medium is heated to a temperature in the range of from about 40"C to about 100"C for a period of time effective to form the desired albumin containing gel. After the gel is formed, it can be dried in any conventional agricultural dehydrator or dryer to a moisture content of less than about 13 weight percent thereof and generally to a moisture content in the range of from about 8 to about 13 weight percent thereof. The drying operation can occur in a conventional manner in a conventional drying apparatus.A preferred drying apparatus is a rotary drum type agricultural dryer. It should be noted that when desired, the albumin containing gel can be employed as an animal or plant feed supplement without the requirement of drying to the particulate form.

In order to more fully describe the present invention the following examples are set forth.

However, it is to be understood that the examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be construed as unduly limiting the scope of the present invention.

Example I Initially, 800 gallons of an aqueous blood containing solution obtained from a slaughter house was pretreated with an effective amount of sodium hydroxide to yield an aqueous solution having a pH of about 10.0. The aqueous solution contained about 16 weight percent blood solids of which about 50 percent, e.g., about 8 weight percent, was albumin.

A 4 liter aliquot of the base treated aqueous solution was further treated with sodium hydroxide to yield a resultant aqueous solution having a pH of about 10.5. The resultant aqueous solution was allowed to stand at room temperature for about 18 hours. Thereafter, the pH of the solution was again measured and it was noted that the pH of the solution had dropped to about 10.0. The aqueous solution was further divided into four 1 liter aliquots.

The aliquots were then diluted with an effective amount of deionized water to provide aqueous solutions having the following blood solids contents.

Aliquot I - 16% blood solids (about 8% albumin) no dilution Aliquot II - 14% blood solids (about 7% albumin) Aliquot III - 12% blood solids (about 69 albumin) Aliquot IV - 10% blood solids (about 5% albumin) Each of the above four solutions was then employed to provide nine 100 ml samples.

An effective amount of sodium hydroxide was then incorporated into each sample so that samples having the following pH values were obtained: (1) 10.0 (4) 11.0 (7) 12.0 (2) 10.3 (5) 11.3 (8) 12.5 (3) 10.7 (6) 11.7 (9) 13.0 Each of the samples was then heated to a temperature sufficient to allow gel formation, e.g., from about 70 to about 85"C. Each sample was stirred continuously during the heating of same. The results of the above experiment are tabulated as follows: Aliquot I - samples containing 16% blood solids (about 8% albumin): Within a pH range of from about 10.7 to about 12.5 a satisfactory gel was obtained.

Aliquot II - samples containing 14%- blood solids (about 7% albumin): Within a pH range of from about 10.7 to about 12.5 a satisfactory gel was obtained.

Aliquot III - samples containing 12% blood solids (about 6% albumin): Within a pH range of from about 11.7 to 12.0 a satisfactory gel was obtained.

Aliquot IV - samples containing 10etc blood solids (about 5% albumin): No satisfactory gels were obtained at any pH within the range tested.

The term "satisfactory gel" as used hereinabove is to be understood to mean a gel of firm consistency which can readily be dried to a particulate composition within an agriculturaltype dehydrator.

Example II An experiment was conducted to determine the effectiveness of delactosed dry whey powder as the source of albumin to produce the compositions of the present invention.

Initially 40 grams of delactosed whey powder (The delactosed whey contained about 24% by weight albumin. Thus, the aqueous solution contained about 9% by weight albumin.) was admixed with 59 ml of water to form an aqeuous albumin containing solution. One gram of sodium hydroxide pellets was then dissolved in the aqueous solution to form a solution having a pH of about 11.0. The pH adjusted aqueous solution was then passed through a laboratory stone mill and the mill was adjusted to a fine gap. The mixture was passed through the mill until a smooth, homogeneous product was obtained. The pH of the homogeneous product was determined to be 10.7. The homogeneous product was then heated in a water bath. At about 70"C the product started to gel. Heating was continued until a firm gel resulted at a temperature of about 85"C.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A process for producing a nutrient composition comprising: a) adjusting the pH of an aqueous medium containing at least about 6 weight percent albumin to a level in the range of from 9.6 to 12.5; b) heating said aqueous medium at a temperature effective to form an albumin containing gel; and c) recovering said gel.

2. A process according to Claim 1, further comprising the step of drying said gel to form a particulate nutrient composition containing albumin.

3. A process according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein said aqueous medium is heated at a temperature in the range of from 40"C to 1000C for a period of time effective to form said albumin containing gel.

4. A process according to Claim 1. 2 or 3 wherein said pH is adjusted by admixing a base selected from the group consisting of alkali metal hydroxides and alkaline earth metal hydroxides with said aqueous medium.

5. A process according to Claim 4, which includes the step of admixing an additional amount of said base with said aqueous medium to maintain a pH of said aqueous medium in the range of from 9.6 to 12.5 during said heating.

6. A process of Claim 4 or 5, wherein said base is sodium hydroxide.

7. A process according to any preceding Claim, wherein said albumin is animal blood or milk whey. or mixtures thereof.

8. A process according to any preceding Claim, further comprising the step admixing proteinaceous material into the aqueous medium containing albumin in an amount at least equivalent to the amount of said albumin.

9. A process according to Claim 8. wherein said other proteinaceous material is present in an amount of from 100% to 500% based on the weight of said albumin.

10. A process according to Claim 8 or 9, which includes the step of adjusting the pH of the resultant mixture to a pH in the range of from 9.6 to 12.5.

11. A process according to Claim 8. 9 or 10. wherein said other proteinaceous material is casein, soy meal, sunflower meal, safflower meal or mixtures thereof.

12. A process according to any preceding Claim, further comprising the step of maintaining said pH adjusted albumin containing aqueous medium at ambient temperature for a period of time effective to begin the formation of gel containing said blood.

13. A process according to any preceding Claim, wherein said albumin comprises animal blood and is present in said aqueous medium in an amount of 6 weight percent thereof, said pH of said aqueous solution is from 11.5 to 11.7.

14. A process according to any of Claims 1 to 12. wherein said aqueous medium contains at least 12 weight percent blood protein.

15. A process according to any preceding Claim, wherein said aqueous medium is maintained at ambient temperature for at least 12 hours and thereafter heated to a temperature in the range of from 70"C to 80 C.

16. A process according to Claim 15. wherein said aqueous medium is maintained at a temperature between 0 C and 40"C for at least 12 hours.

17. A process according to any of Claims 1 to 11. wherein said albumin is present in said aqueous medium in the amount of from 6 to 8 weight, said pH of said aqueous solution is from 10 to 12.5, and said aqueous medium is heated to a temperature in the range of from 45"C to 80"C.

18. A process for producing a nutrient composition. substantially as hereinbefore

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. The term "satisfactory gel" as used hereinabove is to be understood to mean a gel of firm consistency which can readily be dried to a particulate composition within an agriculturaltype dehydrator. Example II An experiment was conducted to determine the effectiveness of delactosed dry whey powder as the source of albumin to produce the compositions of the present invention. Initially 40 grams of delactosed whey powder (The delactosed whey contained about 24% by weight albumin. Thus, the aqueous solution contained about 9% by weight albumin.) was admixed with 59 ml of water to form an aqeuous albumin containing solution. One gram of sodium hydroxide pellets was then dissolved in the aqueous solution to form a solution having a pH of about 11.0. The pH adjusted aqueous solution was then passed through a laboratory stone mill and the mill was adjusted to a fine gap. The mixture was passed through the mill until a smooth, homogeneous product was obtained. The pH of the homogeneous product was determined to be 10.7. The homogeneous product was then heated in a water bath. At about 70"C the product started to gel. Heating was continued until a firm gel resulted at a temperature of about 85"C. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A process for producing a nutrient composition comprising: a) adjusting the pH of an aqueous medium containing at least about 6 weight percent albumin to a level in the range of from 9.6 to 12.5; b) heating said aqueous medium at a temperature effective to form an albumin containing gel; and c) recovering said gel.

6. A process of Claim 4 or 5, wherein said base is sodium hydroxide.

described in the examples.

19. A nutrient composition wherever produced by the process of any preceding claim.