Patent ID: 7015014

Claim:
A process for the preparation of a crystalline carotenoid compound with purity of ≧95% and that has substantially no solvent in its crystal lattice, comprising the steps of: (a) disrupting carotenoid-containing cells and separating an oily crystalline carotenoid suspension therefrom wherein no organic solvent is employed in said separation, (b) treating the oily crystalline carotenoid suspension with alkali at a pH of 9–12 and at a temperature of 10–95° C., optionally in the presence of a lower alcohol, (c) optionally adding a salt to the alkali-treated crystalline carotenoid suspension of step (b), (d) optionally separating the crystalline carotenoid suspension of step (b) from the liquid phase, (e) optionally washing the crystalline carotenoid suspension of step (b) with a salt containing aqueous solution, (f) washing the crystalline carotenoid suspension in a first washing procedure with a lower alcohol, wherein the order of performance of steps (b)–(e) and (f) is arbitrary, (g) washing the crude carotenoid crystals resulting from the (a)–(f) process steps in a second washing procedure with water or with a mixture of a lower alcohol and water, (h) washing the crystals with a fresh solvent, and (i) drying the crystals.