GB595237A - Process for the extraction of proteins from vegetable protein meals - Google Patents

Abstract

Saturated protein solutions are prepared from vegetable protein meals by introducing a quantity of said meal continuously or in successive fractional batches into such a quantity of an aqueous acid, alkali or salt solution, capable of dissolving vegetable proteins, as will give with the said quantity of meal a substantially saturated protein solution, and separating the deproteinised meal from the solution, the rates at which the meal is introduced into and the deproteinised meal separated from the solution being such that the ratio of the weight of meal present in the solution to the weight of solution at any one time is sufficiently small, for example, 1 : 50 to 1 : 60, to enable the particles to move freely in the solution during their lexiviation. In an example, 50 tons coconut meal is treated with 25-30 tons of a 6 per cent aqueous salt solution, the meal being added in 0.5 ton portions and the deproteinised meal being removed before addition of the next fraction of meal by passing the suspension of meal from the extraction zone to a separation zone, suitably comprising a centrifugal filter or vibrating screen, and recycling the filtrate back to the extraction zone to remove any protein flocculates. The clear saturated filtrate ultimately obtained may be treated to isolate the dissolved protein by addition of the salt used in preparing the above-mentioned aqueous salt solution.