An Improved Cattle Food and Process of Producing same.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 24th Dec., 1897
An Improved Cattle Food and Process of Producing same.
I, Orro ZÜRCHER, of The Walsingham House, Piccadilly W. 153, of London,
Great Britain, merchant do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improved food for cattle and also the process of pro-
ducing same, and has for its object the preparation of a cattle food, which shall
not possess in any excessive degree the peculiar taste appertaining to the banana;
and as a further object of my invention, to provide other uses for bananas of
which the larger portion of the immense yearly crop must be allowed to decom-
pose on account of over-production, or, more precisely, the absence of a suitable
method or means of preserving same.
Hitherto various attempts have been made to employ bananas as food by suitably
subjecting the fruits either in a whole state or otherwise, to a drying process, with
the object of making a preserve of the same.
The various processes, however, of producing such preserves from ripe bananas
have proved so complicated, that only small quantities find a market, especially
as the same cannot compete in price with other preparations, as f. i. figs, grapes,
It is also known, that the ripe banana ferments very quickly and is thus
greatly exposed to become musty.
etc.
Moreover, the fact that the ripe fruit in drying must not touch each other on
account of the same being so exceedingly tender, and only one layer of the same
can be spread out to dry, the employment of immense surfaces have thus been
necessary for such drying process.
I am aware on the other hand, that the use of the unripe bananas (containing
a large percentage of starch) for the purpose of making flour is known, but this
preparation also in spite of many trials created no demand in the markets of the
world, already overladen with a long list of various kinds of cereal flour. When
the fact is taken into consideration, that the producers of cereals frequently find
themselves compelled to sell their products under cost price, it is not surprising
that the introduction of banana-flour hardly offered any prospect of proving a
successful business venture.
In proof that neither the ripe nor the unripe dried bananas are serviceable to
any extent worth mentioning, is the fact, that yearly in the West-Indian Islands
and in Central-America alone, at least 15 Million bunches of bananas remain
ungathered and subsequently rot. In other words in these districts at least two
Hundred Million pounds (dried) of really valuable nutritive fruit is lost to the
world in consequence of the absence of a practical means of utilising the same.
This immense loss can be obviated by the use of the bananas and plantains for
the production of a cattle food, said food being found to have all the qualities
which a fattening food should possess.
I effect this object by employing the unripe fruit, to bind or give a consistency
to said food, which I produce in the form of a cake or in any other suitable form.

page_text: Hereby it is possible to attain a durable food cake, which will not crumble and
which is further capable of extensive transport. To the banana-flour (compara-
tively free of sugar), any desired percentage of sugar can be added by suitably
almixing the ripe fruit to the unripe, and thus a durable and consistent prepara-
tion is attained which will keep for a considerable time, and, as previously
mentioned, can be freely handled for storage and transport purposes.
The manufacturing process is as follows:
The peeled or unpeeled unripe fruits are first dried and ground into flour, while
the ripe fruit (peeled or unpeeled) is reduced to pulp, which when the fruit is
ripe, is of such consistency. that the peelings can be separated by sieving or
skimming. The pulp of the ripe bananas is then mixed with the product of
the unripe Musa-fruits, producing a dough, which may be pressed into forms, as
is done for instance in the process of brick-making; the product is then cut, dried,
and packed and will keep for an indefinite time.
The drying process is rapidly effected by the presence of the porous flour.
As indicated in the preamble of this specification the percentage of sugar may
he increased by concentrating the said pulp by means of the application of steam
in a vacuum, or, in any other suitable manner.
The more concentrated the pulp, the less amount of banana-flour or paste would
be required to produce a cake of the necessary consistency.
The resulting food-cakes contain a high percentage of starch, sugar and other
nutritive matters, and, as previously indicated, their percentage may be combined
at will by adding more or less condensed pulp from ripe fruit.
Said cakes have further the characteristic flavour of the ripe banana, but only
in a very slight degree: experience and tests having proved, that animals take
to this food on account of its agreeable taste, and that they retain a desire for
such food for an indefinite time. Moreover, the said cakes contain about 1/2%
only of fat, so that the same in a dry state will keep for any length of time and
remain unchanged, as regards their nutritive properties.
The importance of being able to put the banana on the market on a com-
mercially practicable basis may be imagined from the fact, that considerably more
than half of the yearly banana crop is allowed to decompose, because so far, the
banana is only shipped as a delicacy, for which purpose the banana dealers accept
only bunches of certain dimensions and weight, and at a certain stage of ripeness.
As the plantations produce bananas the whole year round without possible inter-
ruption, it is impossible for the planter to dispose of his entire crop, and the
result is, that, as stated above, he looses more than half of it, as the ripe bananas
pass to rapid decomposition, especially so, under the influence of the tropical
climate.
From an economical and agricultural point of view, it is therefore of the
utmost importance, to furnish an article, which renders it possible to make full
use of the entire crop of bananas, ripe or unripe. This task has been solved most
completely by the process claimed herewith, and in a double sense, inasmuch, as
on the other hand the food cakes may, according to description, form a market-
able product on a large scale, and at same time a durable article of unlimited
demand.
Moreover, as the meal of the unripe fruit will keep for an unlimited time, the
same can he always on hand. so that the manufacture of food-cakes forming the
subject of this invention, could be carried out immediately the harvest of the said
ripe fruit had been gathered, and without any risk with reference to the rapid
decomposition of the same.
!
I desire also to call attention to the fact, that no outside substance is employed
to give a consistency to my preparation, which, as before mentioned, is alone,
the product of the same fruit in two separate stages of ripeness.
The preparation also contains those substances which are so important for the
fattening of cattle, for instance, Albuminous-matter, Starch and Sugar and not
only does the preparation contain these substances in a rich measure, but it is

page_text: also possible to vary the percentage of the contents of the same at will, as herein-
before described.
The manufacture of my improved preparation is also a very simple one and
requires no extensive plant, which is of course of importance, especially as the
fruits treated by my process, are those of tropical climates.
In conclusion I would mention that I reserve, besides the right of employing
bananas, also of using plantains or other Musa-fruits, for my improved food, or
preparation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim is:
1. As an improved article of manufacture, a new durable preparation out of
bananas, plantains, and other Musa-fruits, consisting of, the meal of the respective
unripe dried fruit, and of as much pulp of the ripe fruits, as requisite for the
production of a dough which is subsequently formed and dried, substantially as
described.
2. The process for the manufacture of a new preparation, as afore claimed,
characterised by, the peeling, cutting, drying and grinding of the unripe fruit,
and mixing the meal thus produced with the pulp of the ripe fruit, so as to
obtain a dough, forming the latter into cakes, and drying the same, substantially
as described.
3. In the process afore claimed, the employment of the ripe fruit in the form
of a fruit-pap, the latter being produced by squeezing the ripe fruit and separating
(by sieving or skimming), the skins of the fruit from the mass so obtained, for
the purpose, and substantially as described.
4. In the process claimed under claim 2. the employment of the fruit pulp in
a concentrated state, such concentration being effected by subjecting the pulp to
the action of steam, before mixing the said pulp with the fruit-meal (of the unripe
banana), the evaporation or concentration of the fruit pulp arranged to be effected
in a vacuum or not, substantially as described.
Fateu
He day
aquasoAT TO
1001.
OTTO ZÜRCHER.
By Robert Deissler
Agent for the Applicant.
31A Luisenstrasse, Berlin, N.W. Germany.