The patent has been granted The patent has been granted, Grant of patent is intended, Examination is in progress, Request for examination was made, The international publication has been made EP Register Verified

PROCESS FOR DRY FRACTIONATION TO OBTAIN A FINAL HARD PALM OIL MID FRACTION

Publication No. EP3841191

•

App No. EP19851542

•

Filed by AAK AB (publ)

•

Filed on 2019-08-20

•

Issued/Published on 2025-11-19

Official EPO Register

Publication No. EP3841191 A1

Application No. EP19851542 Filed: 2019-08-20

Grant Date 2025-11-19 Mention of grant

Active Oppositions 1 Active EPO Oppositions

Patent Abstract / Summary

Patent abstract is being processed or was not provided in English by the publishing office.

IPC Classifications

A23K10/18, A23K20/158, A23K50/30, A23D9/02, B01D9/00, C11B3/16, C11B7/00 C11B7/00, A23D9/02, B01D9/00, C11B3/16

Priority Claims

SE 20180051011 Date: 2018-08-24

Designated Contracting States (38 EPC States)

AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR

Parties & Representation

Applicants

AAK AB (publ)

Pulpetgatan 20, 215 37 Malmö

Inventors (1)

HJORTH, Jeppe Lindegaard

Nordre Ringgade 88, 4.TH, 8200 Århus N

Representatives / Agents

Mathys & Squire

32 London Bridge Street The Shard, London SE1 9SG

Patentgruppen A/S

Aaboulevarden 31, 4th Floor, 8000 Aarhus C

Cargill IP Department

Cargill R&D Centre Europe BV, Bedrijvenlaan 9

Key Procedural Dates

Request-For-Examination 2021-03-04

Mention Of Grant Published 2025-11-19

First-Examination-Report-Despatched 2024-06-26

Legal Status & Event History

Official European Patent Office legal and procedural status changes recorded for this file.

52 Events Recorded

Date	Code	Event Description	Auth
2020-02-28	STAA	INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF AN EP PATENT APPLICATION OR GRANTED EP PATENT	EP
2021-05-28	PUAI	PUBLIC REFERENCE MADE UNDER ARTICLE 153(3) EPC TO A PUBLISHED INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION THAT HAS ENTERED THE EUROPEAN PHASE	EP
2021-05-28	STAA	INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF AN EP PATENT APPLICATION OR GRANTED EP PATENT	EP
2021-06-30	17P	REQUEST FOR EXAMINATION FILED	EP
2021-06-30	AK	DESIGNATED CONTRACTING STATES	EP
2021-12-01	DAX	REQUEST FOR EXTENSION OF THE EUROPEAN PATENT (DELETED)	EP
2021-12-01	DAV	REQUEST FOR VALIDATION OF THE EUROPEAN PATENT (DELETED)	EP
2022-05-11	RIC1	INFORMATION PROVIDED ON IPC CODE ASSIGNED BEFORE GRANT	EP
2022-05-11	A4	SUPPLEMENTARY SEARCH REPORT DRAWN UP AND DESPATCHED	EP
2023-07-12	P01	OPT-OUT OF THE COMPETENCE OF THE UNIFIED PATENT COURT (UPC) REGISTERED	EP
2024-06-27	STAA	INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF AN EP PATENT APPLICATION OR GRANTED EP PATENT	EP
2024-07-31	17Q	FIRST EXAMINATION REPORT DESPATCHED	EP
2025-06-03	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2025-06-11	GRAP	DESPATCH OF COMMUNICATION OF INTENTION TO GRANT A PATENT	EP
2025-06-11	STAA	INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF AN EP PATENT APPLICATION OR GRANTED EP PATENT	EP
2025-07-09	RAP3	PARTY DATA CHANGED (APPLICANT DATA CHANGED OR RIGHTS OF AN APPLICATION TRANSFERRED)	EP
2025-07-09	RIC1	INFORMATION PROVIDED ON IPC CODE ASSIGNED BEFORE GRANT	EP
2025-07-16	INTG	INTENTION TO GRANT ANNOUNCED	EP
2025-10-17	GRAA	(EXPECTED) GRANT	EP
2025-10-10	GRAS	GRANT FEE PAID	EP
2025-10-17	STAA	INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF AN EP PATENT APPLICATION OR GRANTED EP PATENT	EP
2025-11-19	AK	DESIGNATED CONTRACTING STATES	EP
2025-11-19	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2025-12-04	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2025-12-17	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2026-01-07	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2026-02-09	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2026-03-04	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2026-04-10	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2026-04-13	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-04-14	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-04-15	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2026-04-17	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-04-20	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-04-23	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-04-28	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-04-30	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-06-29	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-07-03	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-07-17	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-07-21	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-07-25	PG25	LAPSED IN A CONTRACTING STATE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-08-14	PLBI	OPPOSITION FILED	EP
2026-08-15	PGFP	ANNUAL FEE PAID TO NATIONAL OFFICE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-08-18	PGFP	ANNUAL FEE PAID TO NATIONAL OFFICE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-08-19	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2026-08-21	PGFP	ANNUAL FEE PAID TO NATIONAL OFFICE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-08-10	REG	REFERENCE TO A NATIONAL CODE	EP
2026-08-30	PLAX	NOTICE OF OPPOSITION AND REQUEST TO FILE OBSERVATION + TIME LIMIT SENT	EP
2026-09-16	26	OPPOSITION FILED	EP
2026-10-09	PGFP	ANNUAL FEE PAID TO NATIONAL OFFICE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP
2026-10-10	PGFP	ANNUAL FEE PAID TO NATIONAL OFFICE [ANNOUNCED VIA POSTGRANT INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL OFFICE TO EPO]	EP

Patent & Non-Patent Citations

Cited documents and prior art referenced in search and examination reports.

25 Citations

Cited Patent Documents

EP2042607 2009-04-01

Espacenet

EP2832226 2015-02-04

Espacenet

JPH11169191 1999-06-29

Espacenet

CN102229860 2011-11-02

Espacenet

WO0205921 2002-01-24

Espacenet

WO2020040687 2020-02-27

Espacenet

CN106566656 2017-04-19

Espacenet

US12091633

Espacenet

Non-Patent Scientific Literature (NPL)

- SATSUKI HASHIMOTO ET AL: "Preparation of sharp-melting hard palm midfraction and its use as hard butter in chocolate", JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN OIL CHEMISTS SOCIETY, SPRINGER, DE, vol. 78, no. 5, 1 January 2001 (2001-01-01), pages 455 - 460, XP002976317, ISSN: 0003-021X, DOI: 10.1007/S11746-001-0285-0

[XIY] - V�RONIQUE GIBON ED - OI-MING LAI ET AL: "12 - Palm Oil and Palm Kernel Oil Refining and Fractionation Technology", 30 November 2011, PALM OIL: PRODUCTION, PROCESSING, CHARACTERIZATION AND USES, AOCS PRESS, US, PAGE(S) 329 - 375, ISBN: 978-1-61344-997-4, XP009526210

- MARC KELLENS ET AL: "Palm oil fractionation", EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF LIPID SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY, WILEY VCH VERLAG, WEINHEIM, DE, vol. 109, no. 4, 1 April 2007 (2007-04-01), pages 336 - 349, XP008132353, ISSN: 1438-7697, DOI: 10.1002/EJLT.200600309

- N.S DEORA ET AL: "Ultrasound for Improved Crystallisation in Food Processing", FOOD ENGINEERING REVIEWS, vol. 5, no. 1, 4 January 2013 (2013-01-04), US, pages 36 - 44, XP055369228, ISSN: 1866-7910, DOI: 10.1007/s12393-012-9061-0

- MARIA PATRICK ET AL: "The effect of ultrasonic intensity on the crystal structure of palm oil", ULRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY, BUTTERWORTH-HEINEMANN, GB, vol. 11, no. 3-4, 1 May 2004 (2004-05-01), pages 251 - 255, XP004502618, ISSN: 1350-4177, DOI: 10.1016/J.ULTSONCH.2004.01.017

- YE YUBIN ET AL: "Application of High-Intensity Ultrasound to Palm Oil in a Continuous System", JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY, vol. 63, no. 1, 17 December 2014 (2014-12-17), US, pages 319 - 327, XP055782729, ISSN: 0021-8561, DOI: 10.1021/jf505041s

- "Modifying lipids for use in food ", 1 January 2006, WOODHEAD PUBLISHING LIMITED, ISBN: 978-1-85573-971-0, article GIBON, V, DE SMET TECHNOLOGIES AND SERVICES, BELGIUM: "Fractionation of lipids for use in food", pages: 201 - 233, XP093298840 * whole document submitted *

- "Palm Oil: Production, Processing, Characterization and Uses", 30 November 2011, AOCS PRESS , US , ISBN: 978-1-61344-997-4, article VéRONIQUE GIBON: "12 - Palm Oil and Palm Kernel Oil Refining and Fractionation Technology", pages: 329 - 375, XP009526210, DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-9818936-9-3.50015-0

- JUN JIN , LIANG JIE , LIYOU ZHENG , MIN CHENG , DAN XIE , QINGZHE JIN , XINGGUO WANG: "Characteristics of palm mid-fractions produced from different fractionation paths and their potential usages", INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD PROPERTIES, vol. 21, no. 1, 1 January 2018 (2018-01-01), US , pages 58 - 69, XP055689145, ISSN: 1094-2912, DOI: 10.1080/10942912.2018.1437632 * pages 58-69 *

- MARC KELLENS; VÉRONIQUE GIBON; MARC HENDRIX; WIM DE GREYT: "Palm oil fractionation", EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF LIPID SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY, vol. 109, no. 4, 12 April 2007 (2007-04-12), DE , pages 336 - 349, XP072143713, ISSN: 1438-7697, DOI: 10.1002/ejlt.200600309 * pages 336-349 *

- "Modifying lipids for use in food ", 1 January 2006, WOODHEAD PUBLISHING LIMITED, ISBN: 978-1-85573-971-0, article S. MARTINI, T. AWAD AND A.G. MARANGONI: "Chapter 8 - Structure and properties of fat crystal networks", pages: 144 - 169, XP009568578, DOI: 10.1533/9781845691684.1.142

- CHEN, FANGFANG; ZHANG, HONG; SUN, XIAOYANG; WANG, XINGGUO; XU, XUEBING: "Effects of Ultrasonicc Parameters on the Crystallization Behavior of Palm Oil", JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN OIL CHEMISTS' SOCIETY, vol. 90, no. 7, 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01), US , pages 941 - 949, XP009526130, ISSN: 0003-021X, DOI: 10.1007/s11746-013-2243-y * pages 941-949 *

- MARIA PATRICK , RENO BLINDT , JO JANSSEN: "The effect of ultrasonic intensity on the crystal structure of palm oil", ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY, vol. 11, no. 3-4, 1 May 2004 (2004-05-01), GB , pages 251 - 255, XP004502618, ISSN: 1350-4177, DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2004.01.017 * pages 251-255 *

- COULTATE TOM: "Food : the chemistry of its components; 6th ed.", 1 January 2016, THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CHEMISTRY, Cambridge, ISBN: 978-1-84973-880-4, article TOM COULTATE: "Chapter 4 - Lipids", pages: 107 - 171, XP009568577

- SATSUKI HASHIMOTO , TORU NEZU , HIROSHI ARAKAWA , TOMONORI ITO , SHOJI MARUZENI: "Preparation of sharp-melting hard palm midfraction and its use as hard butter in chocolate", JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN OIL CHEMISTS' SOCIETY, vol. 78, no. 5, 1 January 2001 (2001-01-01), US , pages 455 - 460, XP002976317, ISSN: 0003-021X, DOI: 10.1007/s11746-001-0285-0 * pages 455-460 *

- YE YUBIN, MARTINI SILVANA: "Application of High-Intensity Ultrasound to Palm Oil in a Continuous System", JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY, vol. 63, no. 1, 17 December 2014 (2014-12-17), US , pages 319 - 327, XP055782729, ISSN: 0021-8561, DOI: 10.1021/jf505041s * pages 319-327 *

- "Doctoral thesis", 1 January 2015, UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY, US, article YE YUBIN: "Effect of High Intensity Ultrasound on Crystallization Behavior and Functional Properties of Lipids", pages: 1 - 220, XP093427119, DOI: 10.1021/jf202495b

Worldwide Patent Family

Related applications and patents in the same INPADOC worldwide family.

19 Family Members

Country	Publication Number	Kind	Publication Date	Action
EP	EP3841191A1	A1	2021-06-30	Espacenet
EP	EP3841191A4	A4	2022-05-11	Espacenet
EP	EP3841191B1	B1	2025-11-19	Espacenet
BR	BR112021003367A2	A2	2021-05-11	Espacenet
CN	CN112639063A	A	2021-04-09	Espacenet
CN	CN112639063B	B	2024-09-17	Espacenet
CO	CO2021003371A2	A2	2021-04-08	Espacenet
DK	DK3841191T3	T3	2026-02-09	Espacenet
ES	ES3057754T3	T3	2026-03-04	Espacenet
JP	JP2022508362A	A	2022-01-19	Espacenet
JP	JP7529666B2	B2	2024-08-06	Espacenet
MX	MX2021002108A	A	2021-05-27	Espacenet
MX	MX430478B	B	2026-01-21	Espacenet
MY	MY209635A	A	2025-07-28	Espacenet
PL	PL3841191T3	T3	2026-03-02	Espacenet
SG	SG11202101666XA	A	2021-03-30	Espacenet
US	US2021161167A1	A1	2021-06-03	Espacenet
US	US12091633B2	B2	2024-09-17	Espacenet
WO	WO2020040687A1	A1	2020-02-27	Espacenet

Official File Inspection EPC Art. 128 Public Dossier

Complete European Patent Register Dossier (148 Total Documents)

The full inspection file for Application EP19851542 contains 148 total documents, including all notices of opposition, proprietor counter-statements, examination communications, third-party observations, and procedural forms. Below are all major recorded procedural filings and publication specifications.

Open 148-Doc Register Dossier

Dossier Filing

Date: 2026-05-01 Procedure: Examination 0009250

Inspect on Register

PROCESS FOR DRY FRACTIONATION TO OBTAIN A FINAL HARD PALM OIL MID FRACTION

Patent Abstract / Summary

IPC Classifications

Priority Claims

Designated Contracting States (38 EPC States)

Parties & Representation

Applicants

Inventors (1)

Representatives / Agents

Key Procedural Dates

Patent Oppositions

Cargill, Incorporated

Legal Status & Event History

Patent & Non-Patent Citations

Cited Patent Documents

Non-Patent Scientific Literature (NPL)

Worldwide Patent Family

Complete European Patent Register Dossier (148 Total Documents)

Recorded Filings & Patent Specifications

European Patent Specification - Granted Patent (B1)

Official European Patent Register Full Dossier

European Patent Application with Search Report (A1)

Change - representative

Invitation to proprietor to file observations on the notice of opposition

New entry: Communication of a notice of opposition and request to file observations + time limit

Opposition filed

Lapse of the patent in a contracting state

Lapse of the patent in a contracting state

Lapse of the patent in a contracting state

Lapse of the patent in a contracting state

Lapse of the patent in a contracting state

Lapse of the patent in a contracting state

Lapse of the patent in a contracting state

Change - representative

(Expected) grant

New entry: Payment of fee for grant

New entry: Payment of fee for publishing/printing

New entry: Receipt of the translation of the claim(s)

New entry: Renewal fee paid

Renewal fee payment

Intention to grant the patent

New entry: Communication of intention to grant a patent

Change - classification

Change - applicant

New entry: Reply to examination report

New entry: Despatch of examination report + time limit

Communication from the examining division

New entry: Reply to examination report

New entry: Renewal fee paid

Renewal fee payment

New entry: Despatch of examination report + time limit

First examination report

Communication from the examining division

New entry: Renewal fee paid

Renewal fee payment

Amendment by applicant

Amendments

New entry: Renewal fee paid

Renewal fee payment

Supplementary search report

Change - classification

Change - extension states

Change: Validation states

New entry: Renewal fee paid

Renewal fee payment

Publication in section I.1 EP Bulletin

Request for examination filed

PCT data prior to European publication

PCT data prior to European publication

Change - representative

PCT data prior to European publication

Payment of national basic fee

Payment of the fee for supplementary search

Payment of the first designation fee

Payment of the fee for examination

PCT data prior to European publication

New entry: applicant or inventor

Validation of the patent

Extension of the patent

Language of the procedure