Food additives having enlarged concentration of phenolics extracted from fruits, and process of obtaining the same

DETAILED DESCRIPTION What is claimed is: 1.
A process for extracting plant phenolics from a fruit or vegetable, the process comprising the steps of: macerating the fruit or vegetable into particles; extracting the fruit or vegetable particles with an organic solvent acceptable in the food processing industry by agitating the particles with the organic solvent; after extraction separating the bulk of the particles from the organic solvent comprising extracted plant phenolics; concentrating the organic solvent comprising the extracted phenolics by distillation to approximately one tenth or less of its original volume to obtain a crude concentrate of plant phenolics; and removing solid material from the crude concentrate to obtain a stock concentrate of plant phenolics.
2.
The process in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of reducing the stock concentrate to dryness to provide a solid concentrate of plant phenolics.
3.
The process in accordance with claim 2 further comprising the step of agitating the solid material removed from the crude concentrate with water to provide an aqueous solution having insoluble suspended particles, and removing the water insoluble suspended particles from the resulting aqueous solution to provide a clear aqueous concentrate of plant phenolics.
4.
The process in accordance with claim 2 further comprising the step of adding a carrier selected from the group consisting of maltodextrin, rice dextrin, modified starch and edible gums to the stock concentrate before reducing the concentrate to dryness.
5.
The process in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of agitating the solid material removed from the crude concentrate with water to provide an aqueous solution having insoluble suspended particles, and removing the water insoluble suspended particles from the resulting aqueous solution to provide a clear aqueous concentrate of plant phenolics.
6.
The process in accordance with claim 5 further comprising the step of combining the clear aqueous concentrate of plant phenolics with the stock concentrate and thereafter reducing the combined concentrates to dryness to provide a solid concentrate of plant phenolics