Patent ID: 6559302
Filing Date: 2003-05-06
Classification: C08B

Abstract:
A process for preparing an edible polysaccharide comprising the step of reacting a polyol selected from the group consisting of sorbitol, glycerol, erythritol, xylitol, mannitol, galactitol, and mixtures thereof, with a saccharide selected from the group consisting of glucose, other simple sugars, hydrolyzed starch, and mixtures thereof, in the presence of from about 0.0001 wt % to about 0.3 wt % of a catalyst component consisting of a mineral acid selected from the group consisting of hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, sulfurous acid, thiosulfuric acid, dithionic acid, pyrosulfuric acid, selenic acid, selenious acid, phosphorous acid, hypophosphorous acid, pyrophosphoric acid, polyphosphoric acid, hypophosphoric acid, boric acid, perchloric acid, hypochlorous acid, hydriodic acid and silicic acid, acidic alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salts of the above mineral acids, mixtures thereof, and mixtures thereof with phosphoric acid, wherein the reaction is conducted under anhydrous melt polymerization conditions to result in a water soluble product exhibiting an APHA color of 300 or less.