A New or Improved Food Product and Process of Producing the same.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Food Product and Process of Producing
the same.
I, CLIFFORD SAVILLE, Salesman, of No. 5 Charles Street, in the City and
County of New York, and State of New York, United States of America, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention has reference to food compounds, and it has for its object the
production of a food product from bananas and plantains, by a newly devised
process.
By my invention I am enabled to convert bananas and plantains into a food
product that may be kept any length of time, and in any climate, without
deterioration and which is nutritious, palatable and cheap.
In carrying out my invention I take ripe bananas or plantains and first
divesting them of their peel, reduce the fruit to a pulp by any suitable manipu-
lation such as crushing in a mill or mixer, or by pressing through a sieve, the
character of apparatus made use of being such as to prevent waste of the juice
of the fruit. To the fruit pulp thus treated I add a sufficient quantity of
starch such as corn starch, potato starch, or wheat starch, or I may use arrow-
root or rice flour, or equivalent substance-to absorb the moisture of the pulp
and render the latter of the consistency of dough. The starch is thoroughly
incorporated with the pulp by stirring, kneading or otherwise. While any of
the materials above enumerated may be combined with the fruit pulp, I prefer
to employ corn starch as giving in all respects the most satisfactory results,
though I do not intend to limit the invention to the employment of corn starch.
The quantity of starch or equivalent substance to be added to a definite quantity
of the fruit pulp will depend of course upon the ripeness or juciness of the fruit
employed.
The effect of the starch incorporated with the fruit pulp-serving as stated to
absorb the moisture and thus preserve the juice of the fiuit-is to check fermen-
tation by its quick drying quality. In ripening, the starch of the banana or
plantain is converted into saccharine matter, and the riper the fruit the smaller
the proportion of the starch element. The incorporating of the starch with the
fruit pulp besides producing the mechanical effect of absorbing the moisture of
the mass thus enabling the product to be conveniently handled-also restores
to the fruit the element (starch) converted into saccharine matter in the ripening
process.
The dough or stiffened mass of fruit pulp is rolled out or pressed into sheets
or cakes which are then thoroughly dried in any suitable manner, as for example
in a kiln. oven or drying room. In the process of drying the sheets or cakes,
the essential parts of the juice of the fruit, being absorbed by the starch, are
preserved. After the cakes or sheets of the compound are thoroughly dried they
are pulverized or ground by any means that will serve to reduce the substance
to a fine flour in which condition it is put on the market.
My new food product will be found very nutritious and palatable and can be
manufactured cheaply. Bananas or plantains in an advanced stage of ripeness
may be utilized in preparing my food product with equally good results as those
that are in prime condition, thus making it possible to utilize fiuit that other-
wise would be lost.
Heretofore bananas have been desiccated by being subjected to the influence
of heat kept at a point above that which produces fermentation and below that

page_text: which roasts or cooks. The fruit from which the moisture and juice have been
thus evaporated may be, and perhaps has been, converted into a powder or flour
before being used as a food. The loss of substance by desiccating the bananas
must be very considerable, especially if fully ripe fruit is treated. My treatment of
Instead of wasting
the bananas differs materially from this desiccating process.
the juice by evaporation I save it by incorporating the starch or equivalent
substance, with the freshly pulped fruit. The starch not only absorbs the juice,
and thereby preserves it, but by its drying nature readily transforms the soft pulp
into a dough-like material easily manipulated. Instead of a slow process of evapora-
tion, a quick-drying heat for the combination of ingredients is all that is needful in
the production of my product, while the saving in weight of the fruit treated is
obviously large. By saving the juice of the fruit, expediting the process of manu-
facture and being able to utilize fruit so fully ripe and juicy that it would not be
worth while to treat it by the desiccating or evaporating process, I am enabled to
obtain an economic food product from the banana and plantain.
My herein described food product may be used for all culinary purposes, being
adapted for making pudding, cakes, and desserts of various kinds. It is also
adapted for making fancy crackers &c., and also for making confections. It will
likewise be found a most desirable food for invalids and infants.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The process herein described of manufacturing a food product from bananas
or plantains, the same consisting in first reducing the fruit to a pulp, then adding to
the pulp a sufficient quantity of starch to absorb the moisture of the pulp, then
drying the compound and finally grinding or pulverizing the dried compound,
substantially as set forth.
2. As a new article of manufacture, a food product consisting of banana or
plantain fruit and starch combined and reduced to a flour, substantially as set
forth.
Lated 118 12 uay
CLIFFORD SAVILLE.
Hughes, Eli & Hughes,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.