PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A HIGH POLYPHENOL-CONTAINING COMPOSITION

PROCESS AND APPARATUSFOR PRODUCING A HIGH POLYPHENOL-CONTAINING COMPOSITIONAn object is to provide a process for producing, simply and effectively, a high polyphenol-containing composition, in5 particular, a composition the cacao polyphenol content is high while the theobromine content is low.The polyphenol-containing composition producing process comprises the following steps: (a) performing an extraction of a polyphenol-containing plant or a processed product thereof10 with a solvent, to obtain a crude polyphenol extract; (b) applying the crude polyphenol extract to a cation exchange resin subjected beforehand to hydrogen ion substitution, andsubsequently passing a first solvent containing no ionic substance through the cation exchange resin, to obtain a first15 polyphenoleluate; (c) passing the first polyphenol eluate again through a cation exchange resin subjected beforehand to hydrogen ion substitution, and then passing a second solvent containing no ionic substance through the cation exchange resin, to obtain a second polyphenol eluate; and (d) concentrating or drying the20 second polyphenol eluate. The process makes it possible to yield a polyphenol-containing composition that the polyphenol content. in solid content is 33% or more by weight, and the theobromine content is 1% or less by weight.FIG,