PROCESS FOR PRODUCING CAROTENE AND DEVICE USED FOR IT

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently produce a carotene from a palm oil. SOLUTION: A natural oil or fat having a carotene content of 400 ppm or higher is esterified with a lower alcohol to give an ester having a carotene content of 350 ppm or higher and an acid value of 0.5 or lower. The ester is extracted with a hydrophilic solvent to separate it into a concentrated carotene ester phase containing 0.8 mass% or more carotene and an ester phase having carotene removed therefrom, containing 150 ppm or less carotene. The concentrated carotene ester phase is purified by chromatography to give a purified carotene.