Process of obtaining concentrates of vitamins of the b12 group from waste liquors and residual products of industrial fermentation processes

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING VITAMINS OF THE B12 GROUP FROM A DIGESTED SLUDGE, THE METHOD OF PRODUCING A NEW TYPE OF DIGESTED SLUDGE AS SLUDGE MATERIAL FOR THE AFORESAID PROCESS, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES THE STEPS OF (1) INOCULATING A WASTE PRODUCT OF AT LEAST ONE INDUSTRIAL FERMENTATION PROCESS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THE WASTE LIQUORS AND MYCELIAL RESIDUALS OF (A) YEAST AND SPIRIT PLANTS, THE WASTE LIQUORS AND RESIDUALS OF (B) BREWERIES, (C) THE PRODUCTION OF ANTIBIOTICA BY FERMENTATION, (D) THE PRODUCTION OF CITRIC ACID BY FERMENTATION, (E) THE PRODUCTION OF BUTANOL AND ACETONE BY FERMENTATION, AND (F) THE PRODUCTION OF LACTIC ACID BY FERMENTATION, WITH A MIXED CULTURE CONSISTING OF SEWAGE SLUDGE FROM AN INDUSTRIAL FERMENTATION PROCESS PREVIOUSLY SUBJECTED TO THE CONVENTIONAL STEPS OF METHANE FERMENTATION, AND (2) FERMENTING THE INOCULATED WASTE PRODUCT AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE ORDER OF 30* C. AND AT A PH OF BETWEEN 7.0 AND 8.5, THEREBY OBTAINING A THIN SLUDGE HAVING A DRY MATTER CONTENT OF UP TO 2.4% AND A MICROBIOLOGICAL VITAMIN B12 ACTIVITY OF AT LEAST ABOUT 1.2 MICROGRAMS PER MILLIMETER.