Powder compositions containing vitamin C active component

Claim 2

A dry, stable, free-flowing powder composition which comprises pre-swollen cereal grain having absorbed therein from about 15% to about 45% by weight, based on the total weight of the powder composition, of a vitamin C active component selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, an alkali metal salt thereof and an alkaline earth metal salt thereof and wherein said vitamin C active component is obtained from an aqueous solution of said acid or said salts.

Claim 3

The powder composition of claim 1 which comprises from about 15% to about 25% by weight of ascorbic acid as the vitamin C active component.

Claim 4

The powder composition of claim 2 which comprises about 18% by weight of ascorbic acid as the vitamin C active component.

Claim 5

The powder composition of claim 1 which comprises from about 25% to about 45% by weight of sodium ascorbate as the vitamin C active component.

Claim 6

The powder composition of claim 4 which comprises from about 30% to about 40% by weight of sodium ascorbate as the vitamin C active component.

Claim 7

The powder composition of claim 5 which comprises from about 35% to about 38% by weight of sodium ascorbate as the vitamin C active component.

Claim 8

The powder composition of claim 1 having a particle size range of from about 250μ to about 2000μ.

Claim 11

The method of claim 8 wherein the dried mixture of step (d) is comminuted to a particle size range of from about 250μ to about 2000μ.

Claim 12

The method of claim 8 wherein the aqueous mixture of pre-swollen, non-agglutinating cereal grain of step (b) is prepared by (i) preparing an admixture of from about 40% to about 70% by weight of cereal grain with from about 60% by weight to about 30% by weight of water, all percents by weight based on the weight of the resulting admixture; (ii) heating the mixture of step (i) in an autoclave for from about 3 minutes to about 8 minutes at a temperature of from about 100° to about 140° C.; (iii) removing the mixture from the autoclave; and (iv) drying the mixture in an oven at a temperature of from about 60° C. to about 100° C. until there is a water loss of from about 10% to about 30% by weight based on the total weight of the initial admixture. to thus form the aqueous mixture of pre-swollen, non-agglutinating cereal grain.

Claim 13

The method of claim 8 wherein the aqueous solution of step (c) comprises from about 25% to about 35% on a weight/volume basis of ascorbic acid as the vitamin C active component.

Claim 14

The method of claim 8 wherein the aqueous solution of step (c) comprises from about 40% to about 70% on a weight/volume basis of sodium ascorbate as the vitamin C active component.

Claim 15

The method of claim 8 wherein the drying procedure of step (d) is carried out at a temperature of from about 50° C. to about 80° C.

Claim 16

A stable, vitamin C fortified animal feedstuff which comprises an admixture of (a) an animal feedstuff and (b) a dry, stable, free-flowing powder composition which comprises pre-swollen cereal grain having absorbed therein from about 15% to about 45% by weight, based on the total weight of the powder composition, of a vitamin C active component selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, an alkali metal salt thereof and an alkaline earth metal salt thereof and wherein said vitamin C active component is obtained from an aqueous solution of said acid or said salts.

Claim 17

A stable, vitamin C fortified animal feedstuff which comprises an admixture of (a) an animal feedstuff and (b) a dry, stable, free-flowing powder composition which comprises pre-swollen cereal grain having absorbed therein from about 15% to about 45% by weight, based on the total weight of the powder composition, of a vitamin C active component selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, an alkali metal salt thereof and an alkaline earth metal salt thereof and wherein said vitamin C active component is obtained from an aqueous solution of said acid or said salts.

Claim 18

The stable, vitamin C fortified animal feedstuff of claim 14 wherein the vitamin C active component of the powder composition is present in a concentration range of from about 100 milligrams to about 200 milligrams of the component per kilogram of the animal feedstuff.

Claim 19

The stable, vitamin C fortified animal feedstuff of claim 15 wherein the vitamin C active component is ascorbic acid.

Claim 20

The stable, vitamin C fortified animal feedstuff of claim 15 wherein the vitamin C active component is sodium ascorbate.