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Abstract

A novel process for the more efficient extraction with an edible oil of the red carotenoid pigment astaxanthin, from the chitinous shells and proteinaceous tissues of shellfish to provide an astaxanthin enriched dietary food ingredient, and other food products. A crustacean waste, e.g. a crawfish waste, is ground in an attrition mill to separate the soft proteinaceous tissue from the chitinous shell, the chitinous shell is removed, and the separated proteinaceous tissue is acidified to pH ranging from about 4 to 5.5 sufficient to suppress microbial degradation and improve overall pigment recovery. The acidified proteinaceous tissue is cooked, as a puree, in a kettle and extracted with certain edible oils at critical concentrations, at specified critical temperature-time relationships. The cooked product is centrifuged in a decanter centrifuge to provide two effluent streams: (a) an aqueous effluent which is separated in a three-phase separator (liquid-liquid-solid) to provide an astaxanthin enriched oil, a flavored water extract and demineralized solids, and (b) a demineralized solids effluent. The demineralized solids from both (a) and (b), the astaxanthin enriched oil, and the flavored water extract are useful as food supplements.

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