Methods of making food additives from banana plant stem

Abstract

Described herein are food additives prepared from the inner core of a banana plant stem, along with methods of making and using same.

1 . A method for preparing a wet banana plant stem inner core fiber food additive, comprising:
 removing outer layers of a banana plant stem to provide its inner core devoid of removed outer layers;   soaking the inner core in an aqueous medium for soaking having a controlled pH between 2 and 6;   boiling the inner core in an aqueous medium for boiling having a controlled pH between 2 and 6 to produce a boiled inner core; and   drying the boiled inner core to an extent sufficient to provide a water content that is from about 0.01% by weight to about 95% by weight to produce the wet banana plant stem inner core fiber food additive.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inner core is cut, crushed, squeezed, ground, or granulated. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising cutting the inner core to reduce the size of inner core pieces prior to soaking the inner core. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inner core is washed prior to soaking the inner core. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inner core is soaked in the aqueous medium for from about 2 to about 8 hours. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aqueous medium in which the inner core is soaked is maintained at a temperature of from about 40 ° F. to about 90 ° F. while the inner core is soaked. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aqueous medium for soaking comprises one of acetic acid, citric acid, ascorbic acid, lactic acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, or a combination of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inner core is boiled for up to 8 hours. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inner core is boiled at atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inner core is boiled at an elevated pressure. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inner core is boiled at a temperature from about 200° F. to about 250° F. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aqueous medium for boiling comprises one of acetic acid, citric acid, ascorbic acid, lactic acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, or a combination of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aqueous medium for soaking comprises one of acetic acid, citric acid, ascorbic acid, lactic acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, or a combination of two or more thereof and wherein the aqueous medium for boiling comprises one of acetic acid, citric acid, ascorbic acid, lactic acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, or a combination of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sterilizing the boiled inner core in an autoclave. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the autoclave is maintained at a temperature of from about 175 ° F. to about 250 ° F. for from about 30 minutes to about 80 minutes. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adding an amount of an enzyme deactivation agent to the boiled inner core, wherein the enzyme deactivating agent comprises:
 calcium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or a combination of two or more thereof.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adding a pH modifying amount of peroxide, calcium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or a combination thereof after the step of boiling the inner core. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inner core is dried at a temperature of from about 85 ° F. to about 325 ° F. for from about 2 minutes to about 72 hours. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the banana plant stem fiber food additive has a water content from about 2% by weight to about 50% by weight. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the banana plant stem fiber food additive has a water content from about 3% by weight to about 25% by weight. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the banana plant stem fiber food additive has a water content from about 5% by weight to about 10% by weight. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the banana plant stem fiber food additive has a water content from about 5% by weight to about 95% by weight. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processed inner core has a water content of greater than or equal to 50% by weight. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein after drying the boiled inner core, the inner core is reduced in size or is subjected to wet grinding. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising granulating the dried inner core. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adding a preservative. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adding an orally acceptable carrier comprising an ingredient selected from a colorant, a preservative, a sweetener, an emulsifier, a processing aid, and a combination of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adding a processing aid including a starch, a colorant, a preservative, a softener, a spice, a salt, a sugar, a sugar syrup, a homogenizer, an emulsifier, or an enzyme. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inner core is soaked for 2 to 8 hours in the aqueous medium for soaking at a maintained temperature of from about 40 ° F. to about 90 ° F., wherein the inner core is boiled for up to 8 hours in the aqueous medium for boiling, and wherein the boiled inner core is dried from about 2 minutes to 72 hours to an extent sufficient to provide a water content that is from about 0.1% to about 90% by weight to produce the wet banana plant stem inner core fiber food additive. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the banana plant stem fiber food additive is employed to prepare a food product having 0.1 to 50% by weight of the banana plant stem fiber food additive. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the banana plant stem fiber food additive is employed to prepare a food product having 10% to 25% by weight of the banana plant stem fiber food additive. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the banana plant stem fiber food additive is employed to prepare a food product having from about 5% to about 75% by weight of banana plant stem inner core. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising preparing a food product made from the wet banana plant stem inner core fiber food additive. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the food product is selected from a pastry, pasta, a bakery product, bread product, a sweet or savory filling, a sweet product, a sweet or savory topping, a potato product, a granola bar, a cereal bar, chili paste, soup, juice, a sauce, a pickle, a chutney, a dairy product, a gravy, a pet food, a laxative, a stool softener, a batter, a coating, and a meat product. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the food product comprises a bakery product selected from a muffin, a cupcake, a biscuit, a bagel, a cake, and a donut. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the food product comprises a sweet product selected from a chocolate and a brownie. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the food product comprises a pastry selected from a shortcrust pastry, a flake pastry, a puff pastry, a choux pastry, and a phyllo pastry. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the food product comprises a bread product selected from a baguette, a roll, a bun, naan, pita bread, and a tortilla. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the food product comprises a potato product selected from French fries, tater tots, hash browns, potato chips, and potato sticks. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the food product comprises a meat product selected from a fresh processed meat product, a cured meat product, a raw-cooked meat product, a precooked-cooked meat product, a raw fermented sausage product, and a dried meat product. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the food product comprises a fresh processed meat product selected from hamburger, fried sausage, kebab, and chicken nuggets. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the food product comprises a cured meat product selected from raw-cured beef, cooked ham, reconstituted products, bacon, and raw ham. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the food product comprises a raw cooked meat product selected from liver sausage, blood sausage, and corned beef 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the food product comprises a dried meat product selected from biltong, beef jerky, and meat floss. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the food product comprises tortilla chips. 
     
     
         46 . A method for preparing a wet banana plant stem inner core fiber food additive, comprising:
 removing outer layers of a banana plant stem to provide its inner core devoid of removed outer layers;   soaking the inner core in an aqueous medium for soaking having a controlled acidic pH between 4 and 7 or having a controlled acidic pH between 2 and 6;   boiling the inner core in an aqueous medium for boiling having a controlled acidic pH to produce a boiled inner core; and   drying the boiled inner core to an extent sufficient to provide a water content that is from about 0.01% by weight to about 95% by weight to produce the wet banana plant stem inner core fiber food additive.   
     
     
         47 . A method of making a food product, comprising:
 providing a wet banana plant stem inner core fiber food additive devoid of banana plant stem outer layers, wherein the banana plant stem inner core fiber food additive has a water content that is from about 0.01% by weight to about 95% by weight; and   mixing the wet banana plant stem inner core fiber food additive with ingredients to prepare a banana plant stem inner core food product comprising from about 5% to about 75% by weight of the banana plant stem inner core fiber food additive.   
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the banana plant stem inner core food product comprises greater than 5% of banana plant stem inner core. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the banana plant stem inner core food product comprises greater than 30% of banana plant stem inner core. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the banana plant stem inner core food product comprises up to 40% of banana plant stem inner core. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the banana plant stem inner core fiber food additive has a water content that is greater than 50% by weight. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the food product is selected from a pastry, pasta, a bakery product, bread product, a sweet or savory filling, a sweet product, a sweet or savory topping, a potato product, a granola bar, a cereal bar, chili paste, juice, a sauce, a chutney, a dairy product, a gravy, a pet food, a laxative, a stool softener, a batter, a coating, and a meat product. 
     
     
         53 . A banana plant stem inner core food product comprising:
 a banana plant stem inner core fiber food additive devoid of banana plant stem outer layers;   other ingredients that bring the banana plant stem inner core food product to have about 5% to about 75% by weight of the banana plant stem inner core fiber food additive, wherein the banana plant stem inner core food product comprises one of a muffin, a cupcake, a biscuit, a bagel, a cake, a donut, a baguette, a roll, a bun, naan, pita bread, dough, a tortilla, a shortcrust pastry, a flake pastry, a puff pastry, a choux pastry, a phyllo pastry, French fries, tater tots, hash browns, potato chips, potato sticks, a granola bar, a cereal bar, corn flakes, cookies, crackers, tortilla chips, a chocolate, a brownie, pasta, noodles, a sweet filling, a savory filling, a sweet topping, a savory topping, a pet food, a laxative, a stool softener, a batter, a coating, a cured meat product, a raw fermented sausage product, a dried meat product, hamburger, fried sausage, kebab, chicken nuggets, raw-cured beef, cooked ham, reconstituted products, bacon, raw ham, liver sausage, blood sausage, corned beef, cheese bits, biltong, beef jerky, and meat floss.