Abstract: A carotenoid-enriched fraction is extracted from natural sources, such as carrots, by (i) separating the carotenoid-containing natural source into a carotenoid-containing liquid fraction and a pulp fraction, (ii) adding a carotenoid precipitation agent including calcium chloride, calcium hydroxide, calcium lactate or calcium gluconate to the liquid fraction to form a carotenoid-enriched solid precipitate, and (iii) separating the carotenoid-enriched solid precipitate from the carotenoid-depleted liquid portion.

Abstract: An environmentally-friendly process for producing a low-cost, crude, human-consumable, pectic material containing fiber which includes the steps of (i) reacting an aqueous slurry of an edible fiber with an alkaline earth metal electrolyte, (ii) separating the slurry into a pectin-rich solid fraction and a pectin-poor liquid fraction, (iii) passing the fiber through an ion exchange column to exchanging H.sup.- ions for the previously added alkaline earth metal ions on the pectin component of the fiber, and (iv) drying the fiber.

Abstract: Process for enhancing the natural bile acid binding capacity of edible pulp material by either heating an aqueous slurry of the pulp material to at least 40.degree. C. and/or sequentially reacting pulp with a first reactant, such as sodium hydroxide, for activating the pendant hydroxyl groups on the polysaccharide components of the pulp material, a second reactant, such as chloroacetic acid, for carboxylating the activated pendant groups on the polysaccharides, and a third reactant, such as calcium hydroxide, for providing calcium ions which can ionically bond to the carboxylated pendant groups.

Abstract: A carotenoid-enriched fraction is extracted from natural sources, such as carrots, by (i) separating the carotenoid-containing natural source into a carotenoid-containing liquid fraction and a pulp fraction, (ii) adding a carotenoid precipitation agent including calcium chloride, calcium hydroxide, calcium lactate or calcium gluconate to the liquid fraction to form a carotenoid-enriched solid precipitate, and (iii) separating the carotenoid-enriched solid precipitate from the carotenoid-depleted liquid portion.

Abstract: Process for enhancing the natural bile acid binding capacity of edible pulp material by either heating an aqueous slurry of the pulp material to at least 40.degree. C. and/or sequentially reacting pulp with a first reactant, such as sodium hydroxide, for activating the pendant hydroxyl groups on the polysaccharide components of the pulp material, a second reactant, such as chloroacetic acid, for carboxylating the activated pendant groups on the polysaccharides, and a third reactant, such as calcium hydroxide, for providing calcium ions which can ionically bond to the carboxylated pendant groups.

Abstract: A process for producing a margarine-type food product includes the steps of: blending a dairy substance such as skim milk with a hydrogenated vegetable oil in approximately a 60/40 ratio; processing the skim milk/oil mixture through a homogenizer to obtain an oil globule size range essentially similar to a fat globule size range found in dairy cream; blending a dairy cream with the homogenized skim milk/oil mixture; and processing the mixture of dairy cream and skim milk/oil through a butter churning process.