Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Plant material is basic ingredient other than extract,...
Patent
1993-03-02
1995-04-18
Pratt, Helen
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Plant material is basic ingredient other than extract,...
426271, 426465, 426489, 426599, A23K 302, A23L 1025
Patent
active
054076960
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a pressed juice of green leaves of true grasses or its dry powder, and a process for producing same. More specifically, this invention relates to a pressed juice of green leaves of true grasses or its dry powder substantially free from additives as a natural food, having less contents of chlorine and nitrate group which are undesirous to a human body and having improved palatability and preservability.
When stems and/or leaves (which are genetically named "green leaves" in the present specification) of true grasses are dried, there occurs a phenomenon that they generally fade into yellow or brown. Moreover, it is well known that even if they are kept green for a short period of time after production, dry products thereof lose a green color during storage, and changes such as browning, degradation, change in smell, etc. take place.
The present inventors have so far made studies on powdering of plant green juices obtained by pressing green leaves of true grasses, their stabilization, their long-term storing method, etc. The results thereof have been reported by the present inventors in a process for producing powders of plant green juice powder having improved drinkability (Japanese Patent Publication No. 36177/1971), a process for producing powders of cereal green leaves (Japanese Patent Publication No. 38548/1971), a process for producing powders of plant green juices (Japanese Patent Publication No. 41177/1971), and the other considerable scientific literature.
The green color of green plants is chlorophyll. It is well known that the chlorophyll is changed into pheophytin upon undergoing an action of ultraviolet rays, acids or an enzyme (chlorophyllase), and brown and red colors of pigments such as xanthophyll, carotinold, flavonoid, etc. in the green plants become prominent.
The present inventors proposed, in said Japanese Patent Publication No. 38548/1971, etc., a process in which powders of green leaves of cereals free from an offensive odor and stably preversable for a long period of time are produced by adjusting pH of a plant green juice obtained by mechanically pressing green leaves of cereals to 6 to 9 with an alkaline substance, for example, a carbonate, a bicarbonate or a hydroxide of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal, such as sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide or magnesium hydroxide, and then spray-drying or lyophilizing the resulting green juice.
The green leaf powders of cereals produced by the above proposed process can be stored for a relatively long period of time, usually 1 to 2 years without discoloration or fading of the green color inherent in the green juices. However, they contain alkaline substances added to adjust pH as stated above, which is undesirous from the aspect of a natural food in which the presence of additives is unacceptable. Moreover, the green powders usually contain about 10 to 25% by weight of minerals including the alkaline substances added to adjust pH. Half thereof are free inorganic minerals which are present in the form of inorganic acid salts (e.g., hydrochloride, nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, silicate and phosphate) of metals such as Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Mn and Zn. They may ordinarily be present as composite mineral salts. These salts include a large number of salts having hygroscopicity or deliquescence which are a great cause to make wet the green leaf powders. Moreover, some of the inorganic minerals are bitter or salty, having an adverse effect on palatability of the green leaf powders.
Besides, the green leaf powder of the cereals contain considerable amounts of chlorine and nitrate group (NO.sub.3) by absorption of a nitrogen fertilizer, a potassium fertilizer, etc. However, excess intake of these chlorine and nitrate group is undesirous to a human body; especially the nitrate group seems likely to be related to carcinogenesis.
The present inventors have made assiduous investigations over a process in wh
REFERENCES:
patent: 2465967 (1949-03-01), Graham et al.
Hagiwara Hideaki
Hagiwara Yoshihide
Hagiwara Yoshihide
Pratt Helen
LandOfFree
Green juices or dry powders thereof does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Green juices or dry powders thereof, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Green juices or dry powders thereof will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-65289