Abstract
The simulated moving-bed chromatographic separation system, which was invented for the advanced refining of petrochemical products in the 1960s, has been expanded to its full-fledged application in the food industry in the 1970s with refining high fructose (corn) syrup. After that, this system has been widely used for refining various functional foods such as oligosaccharides, vitamins and highly unsaturated fatty acids mainly in the sugar manufacturing industry and has also played a part in the progressive development of the food industry. This paper briefly describes the principle and the features of the simulated moving-bed chromatographic separation system which enables efficient separation and refinement through continuous operation, as well as the history of its contribution to the food industry.
