Abstract: A process for preparing a natural flavor concentrate comprising flavor chemicals derived from a fruit or vegetable juice distillate, wherein the distillate is subjected to reverse osmosis, is disclosed; the distillate is characterized by being substantially free of saccharide and the reverse osmosis is continued until a retentate is obtained that can phase separate, and the retentate is phase separated into an aqueous phase and a substantially anhydrous organic phase which contains a high proportion of the flavor chemicals, and the organic phase is recovered. The natural concentrate derived from the process, which is substantially free of saccharide, is also disclosed.

Abstract: A process for enzymic oxidation of a fatty acid to produce an oxidation product and an apparatus for carrying out the process are presented. The process is carried out in the presence of water and oxygen wherein the fatty acid, water and enzyme for the oxidation are substantially uniformly distributed throughout a porous bed of solid suppport material in the substantial absence of a continuous liquid phase. Oxygen is passed through the bed and the oxidation product is recovered from the porous bed. By this process, methyl ketones can be produced from saturated fatty acids. The porous bed is contained within an apparatus which includes a sealable vessel, a gas inlet for supplying the oxygen gas to the reactor and a gas outlet. The gas is forced through the inlet and into passage means defining a plurality of upwardly extending passages that can open along their length into the bed and that are spaced 5 to 20 cm apart.

Abstract: When preparing hop extract containing iso-alpha-acids, improved yield of iso-alpha-acids is obtained by contacting a solution of extracted alpha-acids in a water-immiscible non-polar liquid with a sufficiently strong aqueous solution of acid to provide a pH of less than 1 in an aqueous phase that separates from the non-polar liquid. After contacting with the acid, the alpha-acids are isomerized such as by forming alpha acid salts and heating the salts.