Patent ID: 7781192

Claim:
A process for preparing D-pantothenic acid and/or salts thereof which comprises a) fermenting at least one bacterium from the Bacillaceae family which produces D-pantothenic acid and in which the biosynthesis of pantothenic acid (pan) and/or isoleucine/valine (ilv) is deregulated and which forms at least 2 g/L of salts of D-pantothenic acid by fermentation in a culture medium, wherein no free β-alanine and/or β-alanine salt is fed to the culture medium, b) passing the D-pantothenate-containing fermentation solution through a cation exchanger, free D-pantothenic acid being formed from the salts of D-pantothenic acid, wherein the content of monovalent cations is reduced, c) adding a calcium base or salt and/or magnesium base or salt to set the free D-pantothenic acid-containing solution to a pH of 3-10, a solution or suspension being obtained which contains calcium and/or magnesium pantothenate and d) subjecting the calcium pantothenate- and/or magnesium pantothenate-containing solution to drying and/or formulation.