INULIN MANUFACTURING PROCESS
Inulin is a group of polysaccharrides produced from different types of plants (chicory, Jerusalem artichoke, wheat, banana, dahlia, etc.) to stock energy. It is a dietary fiber used as a pre-biotic agent to stimulate the gastrointestinal bacteria and presenting potential other benefits for human health.
The extraction step generates a mixture of polysaccharides with various degree of polymerization (from DP1 to around DP150) and various impurities. The purification consists of recovering only the long chains (DP>70) which compose the preferred members of the inulin family.
Our Applexion™ ion exchange technology can be used to demineralize the extract and reduce its ionic load. Evaporators will perform more efficiently while the cleaning costs will be reduced. The quality of the final inulin powder will also be increased by removing ionic contaminants.
Our ApplexionTM SC chromatography technology can be used to separate short chains from long chains to produce an inulin enriched in the fraction that is the most valuable for you.
PRODUCTION OF FOS-95 FROM INULIN
While the long polysaccharide chains compose the inulin, the very short chains can be valorized as Fructo-oligosaccharides or FOS (polymers with DP2-4).
If required, the short chains mixture can be demineralized with our Applexion™ ion exchange technology to enhance the performance of the next steps.
The ApplexionTM SC is used, as for the inulin, to recover only the fraction of DP2, DP3 and DP4 by removing the DP1 and DP>4. The technology enables you to produce FOS-95, a purer and more concentrated FOS that can be spray-dried and valorized as a powder.
Novasep can also provide you with:
- Services from process development to plant start-up to design your new production unit from various qualities of plant raw materials
- Sample production services thanks to our pilot units to produce your first kilos of inulin or FOS
- Analytical services to check and define your best inulin and/or FOS ingredient profile
