ABSTRACT
Acidulants command a prominent use in foods, beverages, and pharmaceuticals as a pH regulator, flavor enhancer, chelating agent, preservative, and antioxidant synergist. Traditional activated carbon applications in the acidulant industry include decolorizing maleic acid prior to its conversion to fumaric acid and decolorizing adipic acid prior to crystallization. Citric acid has been conventionally decolorized prior to crystallization from fermented blackstrap molasses. Citric acid has been separated from Aspergillus niger fermentation in 80% yield with the aid of activated carbon, bentonite, and ion exchange chromatography. In the preparation of sodium citrate from an organic solvent containing citric acid, the solvent was treated with activated carbon to remove impurities, and the purified solvent containing the citric acid was then extracted with sodium hydroxide to give sodium citrate. The organic solvent was recycled to extract more citric acid from the medium. Refluxing with organic solvents and cooling provided a 85 % yield of crystalline ascorbic acid as its 2-phosphate ester sodium salt.
