Aggregate of eyeballs of crustaceans, method for using the same, food containing the same and process for producing the same

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for efficiently utilizing crustaceans, particularly, krill as resources. More particularly, the present invention provides a method for efficiently recovering and utilizing lipophilic effective substances such as carotenoids, highly-unsaturated fatty acids, and phospholipids which are components thereof. There are provided an aggregate of eyeballs of a crustacean; use of an aggregate of eyeballs of a crustacean as a supply source of a carotenoid, highly-unsaturated fatty acids and/or phospholipids; a food or a nutritional hearth supplement for furnishing a carotenoid, highly-unsaturated fatty acids/or phospholipids, which contains an aggregate of eyeballs of a crustacean as it is or in a pulverized state; and a process for producing an aggregate of eyeballs of a crustacean containing reducing a water content of the crustacean to facilitate the separation of the eyeballs and separating the eyeballs from a fish body by physical impact, followed by recovering them. The crustacean is preferably krill or mysid.

1 . An aggregate of eyeballs of a crustacean.  
   
   
       2 . The aggregate of eyeballs according to  claim 1 , wherein the crustacean is krill or mysid.  
   
   
       3 . A method of using an aggregate of eyeballs of a crustacean as a supply source of carotenoids, highly-unsaturated fatty acids and/or phospholipids.  
   
   
       4 . The method of using an aggregate of eyeballs of a crustacean according to  claim 3 , wherein the aggregate of eyeballs of a crustacean is subjected to a solvent extraction to thereby obtain a carotenoid-containing lipid.  
   
   
       5 . The method of using an aggregate of eyeballs of a crustacean according to  claim 3 , wherein the crustacean is krill or mysid.  
   
   
       6 . A food or a nutritional supplement for furnishing carotenoids, highly-unsaturated fatty acids/or phospholipids, said food or said nutritional supplement comprising an aggregate of eyeballs of a crustacean as it is or in a pulverized state.  
   
   
       7 . The food or the nutritional supplement according to  claim 6 , wherein the crustacean is krill or mysid.  
   
   
       8 . A process for producing an aggregate of eyeballs of a crustacean comprising: 
 reducing a water content of the crustacean; and    releasing the eyeballs from a fish body by physical impact, followed by recovering them.    
   
   
       9 . The process for producing an aggregate of eyeballs of a crustacean according to  claim 8 , wherein the water content is reduced by heating.  
   
   
       10 . A process for producing an aggregate of eyeballs of a crustacean comprising: 
 drying the crustacean by reducing a water content thereof to 15% or less by heating; and    subjecting the crustacean to vibrate on a sieve to thereby recover the eyeballs.    
   
   
       11 . A process for producing a highly-pure aggregate of eyeballs of a crustacean comprising: 
 drying the crustacean by reducing a water content thereof to 15% or less by heating;    subjecting the crustacean to vibrate on a sieve, followed by recover the eyeballs; and    removing a foreign matter other than the eyeballs with a wind grading machine or an inclined grading machine.    
   
   
       12 . The process for producing a highly-pure aggregate of eyeballs of a crustacean according to  claim 8 , wherein the crustacean is krill or mysid.  
   
   
       13 . The process for producing a highly-pure aggregate of eyeballs of a crustacean according to  claim 10 , wherein the crustacean is krill or mysid  
   
   
       14 . The process for producing a highly-pure aggregate of eyeballs of a crustacean according to  claim 11 , wherein the crustacean is krill or mysid