PROCESS FOR TREATING COCOA CAKE

摘要

Preground cocoa cake powder is mixed with pH neutral or alkalized water and continuously fed into a recirculating jet mill operated by superheated steam. In the mill, butterfat is separated while the cocoa cake is ground to a uniform fine particle size. Flash vaporization of the water mixed with the cake causes the particles to “explode,” improves separation of butterfat, and aids in the grinding action of the mill. Solid particles in the exit stream of the mill are recovered by cyclone separation, as a finely ground, defatted, cocoa product. Exhaust gases and butterfat exiting the cyclone separator system are fed into a desuperheater, where butterfat is recovered. The exhaust of the desuperheater is delivered to a bag collector for further separation and recovery. Other components that have a negative effect on the cocoa powder are neutralized and/or removed, providing an enhanced taste to the final product.

主权项

1. A process for treating cocoa cake comprising the steps of:
pregrinding pressed or expelled cocoa cake using mechanical pregrinding means, thereby producing a preground raw cocoa cake; blending water with the preground raw cocoa cake; introducing the preground raw cocoa cake and water blend into a recirculating jet mill introducing superheated steam into the recirculating jet mill, grinding the preground raw cocoa cake in the mill using steam as the grinding medium, and drawing off fine ground particles of cocoa powder along with steam from the jet mill while recirculating coarse particles; separating a major part of said fine ground particles from steam exiting from the mill for use as cocoa power; and passing the steam remaining after the separation step through a desuperheater and thence to means for separation of remaining particulate matter from the steam.