Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Beverage or beverage concentrate
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-10
2001-05-29
Weier, Anthony J. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Beverage or beverage concentrate
C426S590000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06238722
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to grinding of fibrous food products, and more specifically to very fine grinding of Kava root.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Kava root is an herb which is becoming more popular as a social drink. It may be used as a nonprescription treatment for anxiety. Kava is the root of the piper methysticum plant, which is native to Malasia and the Polynesian Islands.
Traditionally, Kava has been rough ground and used to form a drink through infusion. This process is similar to the brewing of coffee by infusing hot water through relatively large coffee grounds. This process is wasteful, because a significant amount of the active ingredients in the raw Kava remain behind in the ground root. Thus, a relatively expensive material is used in an inefficient manner.
Further, the resulting infusion has a very strong taste. This taste is objectionable to those who have not grown up with the drink and developed a taste for it.
It would be desirable to provide improved techniques for preparing Kava root. Preferably, these techniques would enable Kava root to be ground extremely fine so that a much greater percentage of the active ingredients can be extracted. It would also be desirable to provide a ground Kava root product which did not have the traditional objectionable taste.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a method for preparing Kava root involves a multi-stage grinding process to give a resulting very small particle size. Because Kava root is fibrous, and tends to catch fire when ground extremely small, an ambient nitrogen atmosphere is provided during one or more stages of the grinding process to prevent combustion. The resultant very finely ground Kava powder is preferably mixed with other materials, such as ascorbic acid and other food-grade acids, to remove the objectionable taste.
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Hill Kenneth C..
Weier Anthony J.
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