Patent ID: 6942881

Claim:
A colouring agent comprising curcumin, demethoxy curcumin and bis-demethoxy curcumin, the colouring agent including combined amounts of the demethoxy curcumin and the bis-demethoxy curcumin which are at least 50% of the total amount of curcuminoids, the coloring agent obtained, as a second curcuminoid colouring agent, by a process comprising: (i) providing a curcuminoid-containing material, (ii) subjecting said material to a first separation step so as to obtain a curcuminoid-containing phase and a first residue, (iii) subjecting said phase to curcuminoid crystallisation conditions to form crystals thereof, (iv) harvesting the thus formed crystals so as to obtain a first curcuminoid colouring agent in the form of curcuminoid crystals, and a second residue containing curcuminoid in non-crystalline form, (v) subjecting said second residue to a second separation step to obtain the second curcuminoid colouring agent, and a third residue.