Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Plant material or plant extract of undetermined constitution... – Containing or obtained from a fruit – including berry
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-18
2003-12-09
Tate, Christopher R. (Department: 1654)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Plant material or plant extract of undetermined constitution...
Containing or obtained from a fruit , including berry
C424S725000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06660310
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of infusing edible fruits and vegetables with an agent, and more specifically to a method of infusing edible fresh and freshly-cut fruits and vegetables with a quality enhancer, a nutritional supplement, a pharmaceutical agent, any other agent beneficial to humans or animals and/or combinations thereof.
Prior to and during the harvesting process both fresh fruits and vegetables are highly metabolically active as they complete the ripening or maturation process. For example, ripening of climactic fruits such as apples, peaches and tomatoes proceeds according to a genetically defined developmental process that results in the production of numerous hydrolytic and catabolic enzymes. Essentially, these multiple enzyme systems degrade precursors in the immature fruit such as polysaccharides to their components that are present in the ripened fruit such as sugars. The natural developmental endpoint of the maturation process is an over ripened fruit that is prone to microbial attack and rot. To avoid over ripeness, microbial attack and rot and to maintain fruit and vegetable quality, the horticultural industry has developed methodologies and techniques for storage and preservation of fresh fruits and vegetables. These methods include refrigeration and modified atmosphere manipulations that retard or delay respiration and the ripening process and inhibit or slow the natural activity of hydrolytic and catabolic enzymes. These manipulations also include the application of agents such as Ca++, fungicides and coatings that retard microbial attack.
Thus, it is known in the art to immerse some foods in liquids to help preserve the food. For example, liquids containing Ca++ have been introduced under pressure into the skin of apples to prevent microbial degradation of the apples and the subsequent rotting thereof, thus extending shelf life. Other types of preservative liquids have also been used. However, today's consumer is leery of food additives. The word “preservatives” has a generally negative connotation and products that market as “all natural” and “no preservatives added” have enjoyed a great deal of success in the marketplace.
Moreover, due to the nature of preservatives, such as in the Ca++ example, it is desirable to infuse the fruit or vegetable with such preservatives immediately after harvesting to inhibit post harvest decay and microbial infection. However, it has been discovered that if nutritional, flavoring and pharmaceutical agents directed towards human benefit are applied during this directly post harvest time period (i.e., when metabolism is still active), such beneficial products may be hydrolyzed or otherwise degraded, or converted into other materials by enzymes present in the fruit or vegetable.
Past efforts to improve and enhance the taste of foods have often dealt with efforts to increase the sweetness of a food product. It is known to immerse processed vegetables in a sweetened liquid to increase the sugar content and hence enhance their taste. Of course some foods such as canned fruits are often packed in a syrup or other sweetening liquid. The modern trend, however, among consumers is to avoid the heavy syrups associated with such processed fruits, as a perception exists among consumers that it is healthier to consume fresh fruits and vegetables.
Moreover, millions of dollars are spent each year by consumers on vitamin and mineral supplements, and the benefits of vitamins in the diet are extolled from many different sources today, including a significant number of physicians. Physicians have traditionally downplayed the role of vitamin supplements and until fairly recently have instructed patients that they should be able to get all the vitamins and nutrients they need from the foods they eat. The United States government has even become involved in the process by releasing the “food pyramid” to help Americans eat a more healthy and nutritious diet.
Furthermore, while the market for healthful foods is on the rise, consumers also spend vast sums of money each year on pharmaceutical products, both prescription as well as over-the-counter medications. Medication is often taken in pill form because of the unpleasant taste of the medication. This is particularly a problem when a young child needs to take medications. Often the medicine is suspended in a liquid base to mask the flavor and to make it more palatable.
It would therefore be desirable for people to get the nutritional supplements they want and need by eating the fresh foods they already enjoy without requiring them to take a separate supplement.
Additionally, it would also be desirable to be able to take a medication by consuming a food that is already enjoyed without the need to mask the medication in a pill or liquid form.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a method for infusing fresh fruits and/or vegetables with an agent or agents including one or more of the following: vitamins, minerals, flavor enhancers, sweeteners, coloring agents, pharmaceuticals and/or substantially any other substance beneficial to humans or other animals which is capable of being infused for supplementing the characteristics and properties of the food.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method by which fresh fruits and vegetables are infused with vitamin and or mineral supplements to nutritionally enhance the food's natural properties.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method by which fresh fruits or vegetables are infused with flavor enhancers to improve the taste, texture, color or other desirable properties of the food.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method of infusing fresh fruits and vegetables with pharmaceutical agents to allow persons to receive a medically effective dose of a desired pharmaceutical.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method of infusing fresh fruits and vegetables with an agent that is not metabolized by the fruit or vegetable.
In accordance with the objects of the invention it is possible to infuse a fruit or vegetable with a substance which allows for the performance of an assay to determine or assess possible microbial contamination.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by the provision of a method of infusing an edible fresh or freshly-cut fruit or vegetable. First, the fruit or vegetable is allowed to reach a state of relative metabolic stasis or inactivity, as described hereinbelow, before the outside surface of the fruit or vegetable is disinfected. Next, an infusion bath comprising an agent to be infused and a surfactant is provided, and the fruit or vegetable is submerged therein. Finally, the infusion bath is pressurized to a pressure for a time period. The pressure may be a positive pressure or a negative pressure (i.e., a partial vacuum) as described more fully below.
Preferably, the surface of the fruit or vegetable is disinfected with a bleach solution and/or an antimicrobial soap solution. More preferably, the solution has a concentration in the range of about 0.01% to about 10%, and most preferably, the solution has a concentration of about 2%.
The agent to be infused is preferably a quality enhancing agent, a nutritionally beneficial agent, a pharmaceutical agent, or combinations of these. Most preferably, the quality enhancing agent may be an aroma enhancing agent, a flavoring enhancing agent, a sweetening agent, a color enhancing agent, or combinations of these, the nutritionally beneficial agent may be a vitamin, a mineral, an anti-oxidant, a phytochemical, or combinations of these, and the pharmaceutical agent may be a prescription drug, an over-the-counter drug, or combinations of these.
Preferably the surfactant is polysorbate 20, or an organosilicone surfactant. More preferably, the surfactant has a concentration in the range of about 0.0001% to about 1%, and most preferably the surfactant has a concentration of abo
American Moxie LLC
St. Onge Steward Johnston & Reens LLC
Tate Christopher R.
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