Selected Patents 2005

The following list contains brief details of current patents, which appeared to the editor to be especially relevant. Inevitably, there is an element of subjectivity in the choice. Topics included in the list are based on the Divisions of the AOCS and the topical sessions held at the AOCS annual meetings. Patents are listed here at intervals as they are published in Inform.

Agricultural oil processing using potassium hydroxide (Ralph S. Daniels, Carrie Lee Mahoney, Southbury, Connecticut, US6632952B1, October 14, 2003).

A method of processing agricultural oil in which non-toxic reagents are used, so that a waste stream is evolved suitable for use as a nutrient source and wherein the non-toxic reagents include nutrient source and wherein the non-toxic reagents include nutrient components whereby the nutrient value of the waste stream is enhanced. A variation of convention refining is detailed in which potassium hydroxide is used as refining caustic instead of conventional sodium hydroxide. The resulting process exhibits improvements in waste wash characteristics, more complete oil recovery, less oil in the soapstock, reduced interlayer formation, more soap removed from the refined oil into the soapstock stream, and a less viscous soapstock.

Novel seed oil based coatings and their applications (Lance Neimann, Green Products, LLC, Romeoville, Illinois, WO2005067495A2, July 28, 2005).

A coating containing seed oil comprising the following: a seed oil used as a film forming component for the coating with at least one film forming component for the coating; at least one component to provide opacity and solar reflectivity to the coating; at least one component to provide protection to the coating from ultraviolet degradation; at least one filler component to increase the viscosity of the coating; and at least one film component that provides elongation and flexibility to the coating.

Method for producing fatty acid ester from fats and oils and fuel containing fatty acid ester (Katsuhiko Tomashino and Kiyoshi Osakada, AICS Co., Ltd., Aiche, Japan, WO2005068593A1, July 28, 2005).

A method for producing fatty acid esters wherein transesterification reactions between fats and oils and an alcohol are effected under a relatively low pressure of from approximately atmospheric pressure to 5 MPa without the use of a chemical catalyst except a solid catalyst or an enzyme catalyst, while allowing them to mutually contact satisfactorily. The method allows the production of a fuel comprising an alkyl ester as a main component, which is comparable to a gas oil in both performance capability and price, from oils and fats particularly those originated from a plant, by the use of facilities and operating conditions being safe and operated at a low cost.

Enzyme-catalyzed esterification of pendant carboxylic acid groups (Richard A. Gross & Bishwabhusan Sahoo, Polytechnic University, Brooklyn, New York, US6924129B2, August 2, 2005).

A method for enzymatically synthesizing a polymer by combining a preselected quantity of an enzyme, a first reactant selected from polymers with at least one carboxylic acid pendant group, a second reactant selected from alcohols, i.e., polyols, in a reaction vessel; heating the reaction vessel to a preselected temperature; and maintaining the reaction vessel at the preselected temperature for a preselected time with mixing, wherein an esterification reaction results at at least one carboxylic acid pendant group of the polymer with one hydroxyl group from the polyol and results in a modified polymer.

Modified physical refining of soybean oil (Robert B. Dawson, Carolina Soy Products, LLC, Warsaw, North Carolina, US6924381B2, August 2, 2005).

A solvent extraction-free process for producing refined soybean oil that is high in calcium and/or magnesium is described in which mechanically extracted crude soybean oil is subjected to a two-stage process to separate hydratable and nonhydratable phospholipids. In the first stage, the crude oil is intimately mixed with water or with a weakly acidic aqueous solution, e.g., an aqueous solution of citric acid or a similar organic acid, to form gums of the hydratable phospholipids. After removing the gums from the oil, e.g., by centrifuging, the oil from the first degumming is intimately mixed with a weakly basic solution, e.g., an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide or sodium metasilicate, to produce soapstock and reduce the magnesium and calcium in the oil to less than 100 ppm, followed by separation of the soapstock, e.g., by centrifuging. Free fatty acids are then removed through physical refining.

Fatty acid-based herbicidal composition (Wenda Mason, Monsanto Technology, LLC, St. Louis, Missouri, US6930075B1, August 16, 2005).

Disclosed is a herbicidal composition which combines two known active ingredients at concentrations of the individual active ingredients below the level generally necessary for the individual ingredients to exhibit herbicidal activity. The herbicidal activity of the disclosed composition is greater than that of either of the individual active ingredients used alone. One of the active ingredients is a fatty acid based composition selected from caprylic acid, pelargonic acid, capric acid, undecanoic acid, 10-undecanoic acid, lauric acid, oleic acid, salts thereof and mixtures thereof. In addition, other fatty acid or fatty acid salt mixtures may be used, such as soybean fatty acid or coconut fatty acid. This component is present at a concentration range of about 0.1–3.0 percent by weight. The other active ingredient is a glyphosate-based herbicidal active ingredient, e.g., the isopropyl amine salt of N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine, present at about 0.08–1.0 percent by weight.

Coated flaked fats (Edward T. Huxel, Cargill, Inc., Wayzata, Minnesota, US6932996B2, August 23, 2005).

An apparatus and method of preparing solid flakes of fats and emulsifiers having a Solid Content Index or a Solids Fat Index which is below the Agglomeration Boundary is provided utilizing a generally flat, cold plate to solidify the fat or emulsifier and a method which allows the application of a coating to the flake to assist in avoiding loss of flake separation and to maintain pourability of the flaked product.

Method for enzymatic splitting of oils and fats (Karlheinz Brunner and others, T+TOleochemie GMBH, Alzenau, Germany, US6933139B2, August 23, 2005).

Method for the enzymatic splitting of oils and fats for obtaining fatty acids and glycerol by using lipases being added to a mixture containing an oil or fat and water, wherein the splitting reaction is performed only up to a splitting degree at which slowing-down of the splitting reaction is still below a preset value using discontinuously operated loop reactors, wherein the fatty acids to be obtained are separated from the reaction mixture that is only partially split, by first separating an aqueous glycerol-containing phase from a partially split organic phase containing split fatty acids, in a self-cleaning centrifugal separator and, afterwards, the fatty acids are separated from the partially split organic phase and the residue of the organic phase freed from the free fatty acids is fed back into the splitting process.

Process for the transesterification of fat and/or oil by means of alcoholysis (Siegfried Peter and Eckhard Weidner, Uttenreuth, Germany, US6933398B2, August 23, 2005).

The present invention relates to a process for obtaining fatty acid esters from triglycerides by means of alcoholysis. In particular, the invention relates to a process for the transesterification of fat and/or oil by alcoholysis wherein, in order to accelerate the process in the initial stage, at least one alkanol fatty acid ester is added in a quantity such that the reaction mixture produced thereby consists of one phase. A high reaction rate can thereby be maintained in the process from the beginning.

Lipase variant (Jesper Vind and others, Novozymes A/S, Bagsværd, Denmark, US6939702B1, September 6, 2005).

Certain variants of Lipolase (wild-type Humicola lanuginosa lipase) have a particularly good first-wash performance in a detergent solution. The variants should comprise one or more substitutions with positive amino acids near the N-terminal in the three-dimensional structure. The variants should further comprise a peptide addition at the C-terminal and/or should meet certain limitations on electrically charged amino acids at positions 90-101 and 210.

Corn products and methods for their production (Nagel, Bruce, Mycogen Plant Science, Inc., San Diego, California, US6914176B1, July 5, 2005).

Disclosed herein is a subgroup of corn lines comprised of plants that produce seeds having low saturated fatty acid content. The plants disclosed herein can be used to produce low saturated corn material predictably, via conventional methods. Further, the plants disclosed herein can be used to produce commercially acceptable hybrids having lower saturated fat content.

Method of forming a light butter (Landon, Todd, Land O’Lakes, Inc., Arden Hills, Minnesota, US6916499B1, July 12, 2005).

A method of forming a light butter that includes removing water or butterfat from a feed material to yield a first intermediate and a second intermediate, the feed material including butter, the first intermediate including butterfat, the second intermediate including water, and at least the first intermediate or the second intermediate including interfacial butter solids, combining the first intermediate and the second intermediate to form an intermediate blend, and processing the intermediate blend to form the light butter.

Inhibitors of phospholipase enzymes (Seehra, Jasbir S. and others, Genetics Institute, LLC, Madison, New Jersey, US6916841B2, July 12, 2005).

Novel compounds are disclosed which inhibit the activity of phospholipase enzymes in a mammal, particularly cytosolic phospholipase A2. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds and methods of treatment using such compositions are also disclosed.

Method for obtaining powder from highly concentrated high viscous solutions (Cegla, Uriel G. and Shoster, Moshe, Oladur, Ltd., Tel Aviv, Israel, US6802977B2, Issued October 10, 2004).

The present invention relates to a method for obtaining a purified solid powder from highly concentrated, semi-liquid, high viscous solutions containing one or more solutes and a first solvent. The method comprises contacting the highly concentrated solution with a second solvent under high shear mixing, wherein the second solvent is miscible with the first solvent and wherein the solute has very low solubility or no solubility at all in the second solvent. Thereby a suspension of purified fine particles is obtained which can be easily separated to obtain a fine powder of the solute. Lecithin is the active ingredient that enables the invention.

Soybean oil process (Tysinger, Jerry E. and others, Carolina Soy Products, Inc., Warsaw, North Carolina, US6906211B2, Issued June 14, 2005).

A solvent extraction free, caustic refining free, process for producing refined soybean oil from soybeans is described in which soybeans, after cleaning, cracking and dehulling, are crushed in less than 60 seconds while heating the soybeans to a frictionally generated temperature of from about 300°F to about 370°F. Free fatty acids are then removed through physical refining, instead of previously employed caustic refining, since the low level of nonhydratable phospholipids does not create undesirable flavors during the physical refining process. The resultant oil exhibits a significantly greater frylife that non-hydrogenated soybean oil produced by solvent extraction and caustic refining.

Process for the production of soybean sugars and the product produced thereof (Cegla, Uriel G. and Shoster, Moshe, Oladur, Ltd., Tel Aviv, Israel, US6913771B2, Issued July 5, 2005).

The present invention relates to a method for utilizing soy molasses as a source for soy sugars which are of high oligosaccharaide content. The invention provides a method for purifying soy molasses comprising the following steps: (i) contacting the soy molasses with alcohol and hydrocarbon solvent mixture, thereby two layers comprising a lower aqueous-alcohol layer and an upper hydrocarbon layer are formed; (ii) collecting the lower aqueous-alcohol layer; (iii) removing coloring, off-flavor and odorous substances; and (iv) removing minerals, thereby a purified soy molasses of more than 90 wt% sugars, on dry matter basis, is obtained.

Vegetable oil based dielectric fluid and methods of using same (Corkran, Jerry L. and others, Cooper Industries, Inc., Houston, Texas, US6905638B2, Issued June 14, 2005).

In one aspect, the present invention provides a dielectric fluid for use in electrical equipment comprising a vegetable oil or vegetable oil blend. In another aspect the invention provides devices for generating and distributing electrical energy that incorporate a dielectric fluid comprising a vegetable oil or vegetable oil blend. Methods of retrofilling electrical equipment with vegetable oil based dielectric fluids also are provided.

Process for producing alkyl esters from a vegetable or animal oil and an aliphatic monoalcohol (Bournay, Laurent and others, Institut Français du Petrole, Rueil Malmaison, Cedex, France, US6878837B2, Issued April 12, 2005).

The invention relates to the production of alkyl esters derived from vegetable or animal oils, in particular methyl esters derived from rapeseed oil. Alkyl esters of fatty acids, and high purity glycerin, are produced using a process comprising a set of transesterification reactions between a vegetable or animal oil and an aliphatic monoalcohol employing a heterogeneous catalyst, for example based on zinc aluminate, the water content in the reaction medium being controlled to a value that is below a given limiting value.

Appetite suppressing diet bar (Pimentel, Julio Lionel, Buford, Georgia, US6884454B2, Issued April 26, 2005).

The present invention relates to a diet bar having a satiety effect on humans when consumed prior to any meal. This diet bar is composed of whole soybean containing trypsin inhibitor that increase CCK levels, which suppress appetite; and medium-chain fatty acids or medium-chain triglycerides that increase the level of beta-hydroxy butyrate which also suppress food intake. A method to decrease feed intake in humans by ingesting a diet bar comprising of whole soybean and medium-chain triglycerides and/or medium-chain fatty acids, said bar containing an adequate level of nutrients to serve as a meal.

Process for the stabilization of acylglycerols comprising high amounts of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids by means of γ-cyclodextrin (Schmid, Gerhard and others, Wacker BioChem Corp., Adrian, Michigan, US6878696B2, Issued April 12, 2005).

A method to stabilize acylglycerols comprising ω-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids against oxidative degradation characterized in that γ-cyclodextrin is mixed either batchwise or continuously with the acylglycerol comprising ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, thus forming a γ-CD/acylglycerol complex.

Process for producing alkylester of fatty acid in a single-phase continuous process (Yoo, Jeong-Woo, c/o Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP, Irvine, California, US20050080280A1, Issued April 1, 2005).

The present invention relates to a process for preparing an alkylester of fatty acid with high purity via one-step continuous process by reacting an animal fat and/or vegetable oil with a lower alcohol in the presence of alkali catalyst by passing through a continuous tubular reactor while maintaining a single-phase, removing residual lower alcohol from the reaction mixture and removing residual glycerin, catalyst, etc. by phase separation. In accordance with the present invention, an alkylester of fatty acid can be produced with a high yield of 97% or more via one-step continuous process in a continuous tubular reactor without any limitation in flow types by reacting an animal fat and/or vegetable oil with a lower alcohol in the presence of alkali catalyst and carrying out a simple separating process.

Process of extracting small molecular ingredients from biological materials under super high pressure (Zhang, Shouqin, c/o Alix Yale and Ristas LLP, Hartford, Connecticut, US20050079481A1, Issued April 1, 2005).

The process of extracting small molecular ingredients from biological materials under super high pressure is a process which makes use of super high pressure to extract small molecular active ingredients from biological materials, especially natural products, which mainly consists of extracting the mixture of solid raw material and extraction solvent under increased pressure. Said process comprises the following steps: the step of pretreatment, crash and formulation; the step of closure, charging the formulated mixture of raw material and extraction solvent into high pressure container, then closing the high pressure container; the step of increasing pressure, increasing the pressure of the high pressure container from 100 Mpa to the predefined pressure of 1000 Mpa; the step of holding pressure, holding the predefined pressure for 3-30 minutes; the step of releasing pressure, releasing the pressure of the high pressure container to normal pressure, removing the mixture. The present invention modifies the traditional extraction process of small molecular ingredients in biological materials, which not only makes extracts avoiding heating, but also has the advantages of high extraction yields, rapid extraction and broad extraction solvents.

Process for preparing blown vegetable oil (Mahlum, Larry, South Dakota Soybean Processors, Volga, South Dakota, EP1259584B1, Issued April 6, 2005).

A method for partially refining a crude vegetable oil utilizing physical refining techniques is described. The crude vegetable oil is first degummed by either (1) allowing the crude oil to settle over a period of time, such as twenty days, so that the oil becomes stratified into at least two layers, wherein one layer comprises gums with low oil content and a second layer comprises oil containing only a fraction of the gums originally present and then separating the oil layer from the gum layer, or (2) heating the crude oil to a temperature of about 270-300°F with agitation and then allowing the crude oil to settle for a period of time until the oil becomes stratified into the at least two layers. The degummed oil is then aerated and agitated while being maintained at a temperature of 170-180°F for a time period sufficient to obtain a desired oil viscosity. The resulting partially refined oil is suitable for use in industrial applications such as the preparation of urethane foams.

Fatty acid esters and uses thereof (Pollock, Charley, M. and others, International Paper Co., Loveland, Ohio, US20050075254A1, Issued April 7, 2005).

The present invention is directed to polyol esters. This invention also relates to the use of these esters in fuels, oils and lubricant packages for engines and in metal working fluids, where the esters enhance the performance properties of the composition. Esters formed from polyol, C12-C28 branched chain fatty acid, and/or C12-C28 cyclic fatty acid are useful as friction modifiers for lubricants. Monomer is a preferred source for these fatty acids.

Method for fractionating grease trap waste and uses of fractions therefrom (Garro, Juan Miguel and others, c/o McDermott Will & Emery LLP, Washington, D.C., US20050085653A1, Issued April 21, 2005).

A process for producing unsaturated and saturated free fatty acid from trap oils, trap greases, brown greases and grease trap waste as starting material. The process consist in subjecting the starting material to a pretreatment, a first purification step, a fractional step, a second purification step and eventually a hydrogenation step. Methyl esters of unsaturated and saturated free fatty acids, oleic acid and stearin are obtained from this process.

Process for the separation of saturated alkyl branched fatty acids (Soeterboek, Aloisius Ronald Mar and others, Unichema Chemie B.V. and ICI America Inc, Buurtje, Netherlands and Bridgewater, New Jersey, WO2005030693A1, Issued April l7, 2005).

The present invention relates to a process for the separation of alkyl branched fatty acids from linear fatty acids, and in particular to the separation of saturated alkyl branched fatty acids. A process for the separation of alkyl branched C12 to C24 fatty acids from a fatty acid mixture comprising linear and alkyl branched C12 to C 24 fatty acids comprises; (i) optionally hydrogenating the fatty acid mixture, (ii) cooling the mixture to form crystals, and (iii) separating the alkyl branched C12 to C24 fatty acids from the mixture by dry fractionation.

A lipid preparation for enhancing mineral absorption (Shulman, Avidor and others, Enzymotec Ltd., Migdal HaEmek, Israel, WO2005037373A1, Issued April 28, 2005).

Disclosed is a dietary ingredient comprising at least one edible lipid which does not inhibit mineral absorption, enhances mineral absorption and intake, particularly a chemically or enzymatically synthesized synthetic oil, particularly glyceride-based lipid with high levels of mono- or polyunsaturated fatty acids at positions sn-1 and sn-3 of the glycerol backbone, vegetable- and plant-derived oil, such as flax and canola oils, short- and medium-chains lipid, preferably MCT and an oil mimicking the triglyceride composition of human mother’s milk fat and its various uses. The dietary ingredient is particularly intended for use in enhancing calcium absorption and in the prevention and/or treatment of disorders associated with depletion of bone calcium and bone density, prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, for the enhancement of bone formation and bone mass maximization and for the enhancement of bone formation in infants and young children.

Genes for microsomal delta-12 fatty acid desaturases and related enzymes from plants (Lightner, Jonathan Edward and others, E. I. Du Pont De Nemours and Co, Wilmington, Delaware US6872872B1, Issued March 29, 2005).

The invention relates to the preparation and use of nucleic acid fragments encoding fatty acid desaturase enzymes to modify plant lipid composition. Chimeric genes incorporating such nucleic acid fragments and suitable regulatory sequences may be used to create transgenic plants with altered levels of unsaturated fatty acids. The preparation and use of nucleic acid fragments encoding fatty acid desaturase enzymes are described. The invention permits alteration of plant lipid composition. Chimeric genes incorporating such nucleic acid fragments with suitable regulatory sequences may be used to create transgenic plants with altered levels of unsaturated fatty acids.

System and method for identifying a food event, tracking the food product, and assessing risks and costs associated with intervention (Sholl, Jeffrey John and others, Food Security Systems, LLC, Minnetonka, Minnesota US6874000B2 Issued March, 29, 2005).

The food safety system and method of the present invention provides a comprehensive consumer risk distribution model, which can be applied to any food item. Additionally, the present invention automatically evaluates consumer risk based on how much contaminated food is at each stage of the food distribution process according to the consumer risk distribution model, allowing for quick and accurate determinations as to the efficacy of a trace recall effort. A further element of the present invention provides expert analysis of data to detect and identify food events from sporadic information. Finally, the real time detection system provides early warning data in order to intercept isolated food contamination events before the contaminated food products reach the consuming public. For the purpose of this invention, the term “pollutants” refers to toxins, harmful bacteria (such as E. coli, Coxiella burnetti, botulinum, thermosaccharolyticum, and the like), pathogens, contaminants, organic agents, inorganic agents, radiological agents, radiological agents or any other non-beneficial agents that find their way into food products. The term “harmful” is used herein to mean deleterious to human health. Such pollutants may be naturally occurring, may be the result of a contamination event (such as introduction of the food product into a non-sterile environment), or may be the result of tampering with the food products (as when someone tampered with Tylenol brand of acetaminophen capsules in 1982).

Linoleate and linolenate-lipoxygenase mutants (Feussner, Ivo and others, Institut für Pflanzenbiochemie Ipe, Halle, Germany US6875847B1, Issued April 5, 2005).

The present invention concerns a procedure for the manufacture of plant lipoxygenases with altered positional specificity as well as the lipoxygenase obtained through the procedure and its use for the hydroperoxylation of substrates. In particular the LOXs according to the invention permit for the first time the manufacture of new γ-linolenic acid derivatives in large quantity. For this γ-linolenic acid as substrate is incubated under suitable conditions with the LOXs according to the invention. Depending on the mutant LOXs put into use a hydroperoxylation of the γ-linolenic acid then ensues, preferably at position 6 or position 9 or positions 6 and 9.

Method of manufacturing improved corn zein resin films, sheets, and articles (Padua, G. and others, The Board of Trustees of The University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA, US6849113, Issued February 1, 2005).

Sheets, films, and articles of manufacture from a corn zein resin. A wet corn zein resin is formed including corn zein and a fatty acid, and the wet zein resin is cold rolled into sheets. The sheets are dried, and the dried zein resin is processed to form sheets, films, and/or articles of manufacture.

Liquid or gel laundry detergent which snaps back at the end of dispensing (Hsu, F.-L. and others, Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, a Division of Conopco, Inc., Greenwich, Connecticut, USA, US 6849587, Issued February 1, 2005).

Liquid and/or gel laundry detergent compositions which snap back at the end of dispensing, thus eliminating or minimizing the dripping from the container. Employing a non-neutralized fatty acid to the total surfactant weight % ratio within a specific range, defined by the Snap Index equation, results in liquids and/or gels with the desired snap-back property.

Universal sauce base (Hamm, D. and others, Unilever Bestfoods, North America Division of Conopco Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA, US 6863908, Issued March 8, 2005).

A universal sauce base, i.e. an edible composition, having a low pH for use in hot or cold food applications that is microbiologically stable, heat stable and freeze-thaw tolerant. The universal sauce base has an oil-in-water emulsion and comprises water, vegetable oil, starch, phospholipase A2 modified egg yolk and inorganic acid acidulent including at least phosphoric acid and other ingredients. The universal sauce base has a bland and non-sour flavor, can be used in a wide variety of food applications and can be combined with a wide range of flavors and other ingredients.

High linolenic acid flax (Kenaschuk, E., Morden, Manitoba, Canada, US 6870077, Issued March 22, 2005).

Production of and uses for flax seed having a linolenic acid content of greater than 65% based on total fatty acid content are described.

Triterpene saponins from soybeans for treating kidney disease (Holub, Bruce J. and others, Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Agriculture, Ottowa, Canada, and University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada, US 6784159, Issued Aug. 31, 2004).

A method of treating polycystic kidney disease is described. The method involves administering a soy saponin to an animal in need thereof.

Methods and Compositions for the Prevention and Treatment of Inflammation, Osteoarthritis, and other Degenerative Joint Diseases (Menard, Michael and others, Pharmanutrients, Lake Bluff, Illinois, US 6838451, Issued Jan. 4, 2005).

Conjugated linoleic acid is combined with glucosamine and ascorbic acid to provide a composition for preventing and/or treating degenerative joint diseases, including osteoarthritis and inflammation of the joints.

Modified Oilseed Material (Porter, Michael and others, Cargill, Inc., Wayzata, Minnesota, US 6841184, Issued Jan. 11, 2005).

A modified oilseed material formed from oilseed-based material is described. The modified oilseed material can be utilized in a variety of protein supplemented food products. The inventive material includes at least 85 wt% protein, at least about 40% of the modified oilseed material has an apparent molecular weight of greater than 300 kDa, and/or a MW 50 of at least about 200 kDa.

Oil or Fat Composition (Koike, Shin and others, Kao Corporation (Tokyo, Japan), US 6844021, Issued Jan. 18, 2005).

The oil or fat composition of the invention contains a monoacylglycerol and/or a diacylglycerol in a total amount of 5-100 wt% and which exhibits an index of stability against oxidation (induction time as measured through a Rancimat test at 100°C) of 7 or higher, wherein the monoacylglycerol and/or the diacylglycerol contain, as fatty acid constituents, ω3 unsaturated fatty acids in amounts of 15-90 wt%. The inventive composition reportedly exerts an excellent prevention and treatment effect on life-style related diseases through long-term ingestion. Thus, the composition of the present invention is useful for foods, pharmaceuticals and pet food or feed.

Vegetable Oil Refining (Copeland, Dick and others, IP Holdings, L.L.C., Omaha, Nebraska, US 6844458, Issued Jan. 18, 2005).

In an improved method for refining vegetable oils, organic acid is added to oil and the mixture is subjected to high shear to finely disperse the acid solution in the oil. The resulting acid-and-oil mixture is mixed at low shear for a time sufficient to sequester contaminants into a hydrated impurities phase, producing a purified vegetable oil phase.

Liquid Fatty Component Containing Composition (Ritter, H. and others, Lipton, Division Of Conopco, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey US 6846507, Issued Jan. 25, 2005).

After the addition of 2 different, specific phytosterols to a liquid fat imparts significant hardness to the fat. Preferably oryzanol and sitosterol (2-4%) are added to oil or fat for use in cosmetic products or food products. After dissolution of the sterols in the fatty compound at elevated temperature, improvement of structuring capacity of the sterols was found by rapid cooling.

Fatty Acid Soap/Fatty Acid Bars Which Process and have good Lather (Farrell, T. and Nunn, C., Unilever Home and Personal Care USA Division Of Conopco, Inc., Greenwich, Connecticut, US 6846787, Issued Jan. 25, 2005).

This invention relates to soap bar compositions which are structured in such manner (i.e. through a specific ternary composition) to provide bars that can extrude well and have good properties (e.g., lather), even at low synthetic surfactant levels.

Method for Preparing Pure EPA and Pure DHA (Rubin, D., San Diego, California, US 6846942, Issued Jan. 25, 2005).

Pure DHA and pure EPA can be obtained from a solution of EPA and DHA by forming salts of DHA and EPA which have different solubilities in the solvent, cooling the solution until the salt of EPA is formed, filtering the solution to recover the salt of EPA, and acidifying the EPA salt and the DHA salt to obtain pure EPA and pure DHA.

Liquid or gel laundry detergent which snaps back at the end of dispensing (Hsu, F.-L.G. and others, Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, Greenwich, Connecticut, US 6849587, Issued Feb. 1, 2005).

Liquid and/or gel laundry detergent compositions which snap back at the end of dispensing, thus eliminating or minimizing the dripping from the container. Employing a non-neutralized fatty acid to the total surfactant weight % ratio within a specific range, defined by the Snap Index equation, results in liquids and/or gels with the desired snap-back property.

Lipid rich compositions, production of lipid rich compositions, production of fatty acid alkyl esters from heterogeneous lipid mixtures (Haas, Michael, and others, USDA ERRC ARS, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, US 6855838, Issued Feb. 15, 2005).

The present invention relates to a method for producing fatty acid alkyl esters, involving esterifying a material containing free fatty acids (FFA) with an alcohol and an inorganic acid catalyst to form a product containing fatty acid alkyl esters, wherein (i) the material contains at least about 40% FFA and is produced by reacting a feedstock with steam and sulfuric acid at a pH of about 1-about 2 or (ii) the material contains at least about 80% FFA and is produced by reacting a feedstock with steam and alkali at a pH of about 11-about 13 and further reacting the feedstock with steam and sulfuric acid at a pH of about 1-about 2. Furthermore, the present invention concerns a lipid rich composition containing at least about 80% FFA.

Skeletal isomerization of fatty acids (Zhang, S., Akzo Nobel N.V., Arnhem, Netherlands, US 6831184, Issued December 14, 2004).

Isomerization of unsaturated linear fatty acids to branched fatty acids is carried out with at least one large pore zeolite catalyst having a pore diameter of at least 6 Angstroms. The process can be combined with hydrogenation of linear fatty acids to form saturated branched fatty acids, which comprises contacting the unsaturated linear fatty acids with at least one metal-zeolite catalyst.

Method and apparatus for processing vegetable oil miscella, method for conditioning a polymeric microfiltration membrane, membrane, and lecithin product (Jirjis, B. and others, Cargill, Incorporated, Wayzata, Minnesota, US 6833149, Issued December 21, 2004).

Vegetable oil miscella is filtered in a conditioned polymeric microfiltration membrane to recover a permeate stream depleted in phospholipids. The retentate stream can be further processed for the recovery of lecithin. The membrane which can be conditioned can be characterized as having an average pore size of between about 0.1 μ and about 2 μ.

Paint stripping compositions (Machac, J.R., Jr., and others, Huntsman Petrochemical Corporation, Austin, Texas, US 6833341, Issued December 21, 2004).

A paint remover employing soy oil or alkyl esters of soy oil as an activator is disclosed. The composition also contains an organic carbonate, an alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and water. The alcohol may be benzyl alcohol. The organic carbonate may be propylene carbonate, ethylene carbonate, or combination thereof. The activator may be an alkyl-substituted cycloalkane (naphthene), a soy oil, an alkyl soyate, or combination thereof.

Transesterification using phase transfer catalysts (Halpern, M. and Crick, D., PTC Organics, Inc., Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, US 6833463, Issued December 21, 2004).

Polyols, triglycerides, base initiators are transesterified with phase-transfer catalysts to form a mixture rich in polyol monoesters and polyol diesters. Phase-transfer catalysis is a technique for enhancing the reactivity of anions which are soluble in one phase, with an organic reactant which is soluble in another phase, in a system in which the two phases are immiscible. Preferred phase-transfer catalysts include quaternary ammonium and phosphonium salts, polyethylene glycols and derivatives of polyethylene glycols.

Method for isolating oleic acid and producing linoleic dimer/trimer acids via selective reactivity (Difranco, E., Arizona Chemical Company, Jacksonville, Florida, US 6835324, Issued December 28, 2004).

Polyunsaturated fatty acids from tall oil are conjugated and selectively polymerized in the presence of oleic acid. The fatty acids are treated with iodine (0.01–0.15%) and the mixture is heated to conjugate the polyunsaturated components. A co-catalyst (iron complexes, iron powder or bromine) may be further added to the mixture to enhance the conjugation of the polyunsaturates. Separation techniques are employed to isolate oleic acid and the linoleic acid-based dimer/trimer acids produced. A C-36/C-54 product which is useful in a number of applications including polyamide and polyester production is obtained.

Oil or fat composition (Takeuchi, H. and others, The Nisshin OilliO Group, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, US 6835408, Issued December 28, 2004).

The titled composition is composed chiefly of triglycerides containing 5–23% medium-chain fatty acids; triglycerides with two medium-chain fatty acid residues in the molecule are 1–20%. The oil or fat composition is low in body fat accumulation, has equal cooking properties with conventional edible oils and has good flavor and high safety.

Use of medium chain triglycerides for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and other diseases resulting from reduced neuronal metabolism II (Henderson, S., Accera, Inc., Broomfield, Colorado, US 6835750, Issued December 28, 2004).

Methods and compositions for treating or preventing, the occurrence of senile dementia of the Alzheimer’s type, or other conditions arising from reduced neuronal metabolism and leading to lessened cognitive function, are described. Triglycerides or fatty acids with chain lengths between 5 and 12 are administered to patients at a level sufficient to produce an improvement in cognitive ability.

Repulpable wax (Hassan, A. and others, Marcus Oil and Chemical Corp., Houston, Texas, US 6811824; Issued November 2, 2004).

Waxes prepared from hydrogenated plant oils, such as palm and soybean, are used to render cellulosic materials resistant to water. Unlike petroleum-derived water resistant coatings, the water resistant materials prepared using this composition are recyclable using conventional paper recycling methods.

Method and apparatus for preparing fatty acid esters (Goto. F., and others, Sumitomo Chemical Company, Ltd., Osaka, Japan US 6812359, Issued November 2, 2004).

Fats and oils are reacted with a monohydric alcohol in a reactor under conditions where the monohydric alcohol is in a supercritical state, and unreacted reactants and/or intermediate products are recycled to the reactor.

Formulations comprising lipid-regulating agents (Lipari, J.M., and others, Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Illinois, US 6814977, Issued November 9, 2004).

The present invention is directed to a formulation comprising a lipid-regulating agent dissolved in at least one medium-chain glycerol ester of a fatty acid as the primary solvent. One or more emulsifiers may be added to the formulation.

Soybean embryo fat/oil and process for producing soybean material with high embryo concentration (Ozawa, Y. and others, Ajinomoto Co. Inc., Tokyo, Japan, US 6814998, Issued November 9, 2004).

The purpose of the present invention is to extract oil from soybean germ. Soybeans are crudely crushed soybeans into a size of less than one half. The germ is separated and concentrated by sieving, sorting with air, separation based on the grain shape and the like. The oil prepared from the soybean material containing soybean germ as a main component is high in sterols.

Medical pressure-sensitive adhesive tape or sheet, and first aid adhesive tape (Watanabe, T. and others, Nitto Denko Corporation, Osaka, Japan, US 6815058, Issued November 9, 2004).

In this patent a medical pressure-sensitive adhesive tape or sheet, comprises a supporting base material contains 1–50 parts by weight of a fatty acid, a fatty acid ester, a fatty acid amide, a higher alcohol, or a metal soap. The supporting base material also contains 100 parts by weight of an olefin thermoplastic elastomer, a styrene thermoplastic elastomer, or a polyester thermoplastic elastomer. An adhesive layer is laminated directly or indirectly on the supporting base material.

Processes for concentrating tocopherols and/or sterols (Albiez, W. and others, Cognis Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Deuseldorf, Germany, US 6815551, Issued November 9, 2004).

A process for concentrating sterols and/or tocopherols from mixtures of fats and fatty derivatives and from residues left after they have been worked up is described. After splitting of the glycerides by hydrolysis and subsequent removal of the free fatty acids by distillation, the tocopherol/sterol esters still present are largely split into free tocopherols/sterols by an additional hydrolysis step.

Process for producing fatty acid esters and fuels comprising fatty acid ester (Tateno, T. and Sasaki, T., Sumitomo Chemical Company, Ltd., Osaka, Japan, US 6818026, Issued November 16, 2004).

A process is described for producing a fatty acid ester with a high yield from an oil or fat and an alcohol. An oil or fat is reacted with an alcohol in the presence of a solid base catalyst under conditions in which at least one of the oil or fat and the alcohol is in a supercritical state at a temperature exceeding 260°C.

Apparatus for preparing non-photosensitive fatty acid silver salt grains (Kawanishi, N. and Ando, T., Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., Kanagawa, Japan, US 6818190, Issued November 16, 2004).

An apparatus for preparing non-photosensitive fatty acid silver salt grains is disclosed. A first feeding device for feeding a silver ion-containing solution of water or a mixture of water and an organic solvent is connected to a closed mixing device. A second feeding device feeds a solution of a fatty acid alkali metal salt in water, an organic solvent, or a mixture of water and an organic solvent to the closed mixing device; a third feeding device feeds water or a mixture of water and an organic solvent to the closed mixing device. A liquid containing non-photosensitive fatty acid silver salt grains is discharged from the closed mixing device.

Lubricants for elastic fiber (Azuse, I. and Wakahara, Y., Sanyo Chemical Industries, Ltd., Kyoto, Japan, US 6821301, Issued November 23, 2004).

The present invention provides a spin finish for elastic fibers which comprises a surfactant and a base oil containing a quaternary ammonium salt of a specific composition, a base oil, and a higher fatty acid (C5-30) metal salt powder.

Method of making alkyl esters using glycerin (Luxem,, F.J. and others, Stepan Company, Northfield, Illinois, US 6822105, Issued November 23, 2004).

A method for making alkyl esters, or methyl esters, such as biodiesel, from an oil source is described. Free fatty acids contained in a triglyceride oil source are converted into a mixture of mono-, di- and tri-glycerides and subsequently transesterified together with existing into fatty acid alkyl esters.

Desaturases and methods of using them for synthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids (Browse, J.A., and others, Washington State University Research Foundation, Pullman, Washington, US 6825017, Issued November 30, 2004).

The amino acid and nucleic acid sequences of a Δ5-desaturase enzyme and a Δ8-desaturase enzyme are disclosed. The nucleic acid sequences can be used to design recombinant DNA constructs and vectors. These vectors can then be used to transform various organisms, including for example, plants and yeast. The transformed organisms will then produce polyunsaturated fatty acids. The amino acid sequences are useful for generating enzyme-specific antibodies that are useful for identifying the desaturases.

Electrochemical hydrogenation of vegetable oils (Lalvani, S.B. and Mondal, K., Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, US 6825367, Issued November 30, 2004).

This patent teaches a method of electrochemically hydrogenating an oil comprising reacting unsaturated fatty acids in the oil with hydrogen in the presence of a formate electrocatalyst.

Method for producing a fatty acid (Kase, M. and others, Kao Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, US 6825368, Issued November 30, 2004).

The present invention provides a dry fractionation process for separating saturated fatty acids from unsaturated fatty acids. A polyglycerol ester of a fatty acid is added to a raw fatty acid mixture and the resultant mixture is cooled to deposit crystals. Dry fractionation is carried out on this mixture. The cooling procedure is performed at a cooling rate of 4°C/h or less when a supersaturation ratio is 60% or more and said cooling rate is varied during the cooling. A mixture of glycerides is obtained from the fractionated unsaturated fatty acids.

Fractionation and processing of oilseed meal (Maenz, D.D. and others, University of Saskatchewan Technologies Inc. (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CA), US 6800308; Issued October 5, 2004).

This invention presents a process for the aqueous extraction, fractionation and enzymatic treatment of oilseed materials to generate products with no significant low value by-product or waste streams. In particular, the fractionation scheme generates a protein-fiber feed ingredient principally for use with ruminant animals and a high protein fraction depleted in phytin having value as feed ingredient.

Solvent and method for extraction of triglyceride rich oil (Kapila, S. and others, University of Missouri Board of Curators (Columbia, MO), US 6800318, Issued October 5, 2004).

This patent teaches using a fluorocarbon with hexane to extract oil from an oil bearing material, such as soybeans at a temperature ranging between 35°C and 55°C, and then preferably cooling resulting miscella to a temperature ranging between 15°C and 25° C.

Highly soluble, high molecular weight soy protein (Monagle, C.W. and others, Solae, LLC (St. Louis, MO), US 680,068, Issued October 12, 2004).

A soy protein with a high molecular weight is disclosed. The high molecular weight soy protein has desirable flavor and functional properties, such as high water solubility and emulsification and low sedimentation and viscosity. Low molecular weight proteins in soy flour are aggregated without using aqueous alcohol to modify the structure of the protein.

Production of liquid foods without off-flavors (Gupta, R., Assigned to inventor (Ottawa, Ontario, CA), US 6805892, Issued October 19, 2004).

In a production of liquid food product from protein containing solid food, some enzymes may produce undesirable off-flavor volatiles. Grinding solid food in a liquid under pressure achieves inactivation of enzymes over a wider window of operating temperature than possible in ambient pressure. It also permits proper cooking operation to be performed simultaneously with the grinding. A grinder operated under pressure eliminates certain components and allows the use of some low cost components, such as for making soymilk from soybeans.

Lubricants for drilling fluids (Mueller, H. and others, Cognis Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, (Duesseldorf, DE), US 6806235, Issued October 19, 2004).

This patent teaches a process for imparting lubricity to an aqueous drilling fluid used in geological exploration in which a partial glyceride of predominantly unsaturated fatty acids having from about 16 to 24 carbon atoms is added to the aqueous drilling fluid.

Trans free hard structural fat for margarine blend and spreads (Ullanoormadam, S., Premium Vegetable Oils Berhad (MY), US 6808737, Issued October 26, 2004).

A trans free structural fat suitable as a margarine fat blend for the manufacture of low SAFA (Saturated Fatty Acid) poly/mono unsaturated margarine and spreads and fat blends for margarine/spreads. The structural fat is made from selectively fractionated non-hydrogenated high melting palm oil fraction which is interesterified with dry fractionated non-hydrogenated palm kernel fraction with high yield ratios.