Purification of lactase enzyme and spray-drying with sucrose

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE ISOLATION AND PURIFICATION OF LACTASE FROM A DRIED LACTASE YEAST WHICH COMPRISES AGITATING A DRIED LACTASE YEAST IN AN AQUEOUS POTASSIUM PHOSPHATE BUFFER SOLUTION HAVING A SOLID CONTENT OF ABOUT 5% TO 15% AT A PH WITHIN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 6.5 TO 7.2 AND A TEMPERATURE OF LESS THAN ABOUT 40* C. FOR ABOUT 4 TO 20 HOURS, CENTRIFUGING A LACTASE SOLUTION FROM THE RESULTING SLURRY, COOLING THE LACTASE SOLUTION TO ABOUT 40* F. AND ADDING ACETONE AT ABOUT 40* F. TO SAID LACTASE SOLUTION UNTIL THE ACETONE CONCENTRATION IS ABOUT 40 TO 50% BY WEIGHT TO PRECIPITATE THE LACTASE, CENTRIFUGING THE LACTASE FROM SAID SOLUTION SUSPENDING THE LACTASE IN WATER TO A CONCENTRATION OF ABOUT 8% TOTAL SOLIDS, CENTRIFUGING, AND ADDING A SUCROSE CARRIER TO THE CENTRIFUGATE TO BRING THE FINAL SOLIDS CONTENT THEREOF TO ABOUT 12% TO 20% AND SPRAY DRYING SAID RESULTING LACTASE-SUCROSE DISPERSION AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 175* F. TO 265* F., WHEREBY A SPRAY-DRIED LACTASE-SUCROSE PREPARATION IS OBTAINED HAVING HIGH LACTASE ACTIVITY, HIGH STABILITY, AND EXCELLENT FLAVOR IN MILK PRODUCTS.