Biodegradable packages for fast food and method of preparing the same

• US 5,160,368 A
• Filed: 03/16/1992
• Issued: 11/03/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Juan A. Begovich
• Original Assignee: Juan A. Begovich
• Inventors: Begovich, Juan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris, Theodore
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brunsman, David M.
• Application Number:
  US07/851,121
• Time in Patent Office: 232 Days
• Field of Search: 106/154.1, 106/163.1, 106/158, 426/138, 428/2, 206/2, 206/3, 206/17, 206/23, 206/34.1, 206/571, 206/576, 206/583, 206/588, 206/594, 206/906, 206/524.1, 229/7
• US Class Current: 106/126.2
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/003 characterised by the choice of material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2003/00 Use of starch or derivatives as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0059 Degradable
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 65/466 Bio- or photodegradable packaging materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 3/00 Compositions of starch, amylose or amylopectin or of their derivatives or degradation products
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 97/02 Lignocellulosic material, e.g. wood, straw or bagasse manufacture of articles made from lignocellulosic material by dry processes B27N
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/90 in food processing or handling, e.g. food conservation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 90/10 Bio-packaging, e.g. packing containers made from renewable resources or bio-plastics

Abstract

A biodegradable package for fast food comprises a heat-molded body of a moldable composition which consists essentially of an admixture of fully biodegradable natural materials comprising flour from edible gramineous plants, crushed gramineous hay, a minor proportion of preserving agents, and a plasticizing agent for providing a starting moldable dough suitable for being molded into the shaped fast food package.

Claims

1. A biodegradable package for fast food which comprises a heat-molded body of a moldable composition which consists essentially of an admixture of flour from edible gramineous plants, crushed gramineous hay, a minor proportion of preserving agents, and a plasticizing agent for providing a starting moldable dough said body having a thickness from about 1 mm to about 10 mm.

2. A biodegradable package for fast food according to claim 1, wherein said moldable composition consists of from about 6% to about 98% by weight of said flour from edible gramineous plants, from about 2% to about 94% by weight of said crushed gramineous hay, from about 0.02% to about 1.0% by weight of said preserving agents;

and an amount of said plasticizing agent sufficient to provide a starting moldable dough.

3. A biodegradable package for fast food according to claim 1, wherein said flour from edible gramineous plants is selected from corn flour, wheat flour and sorghum flour.

4. A biodegradable package for fast food according to claim 1, wherein said crushed gramineous hay is selected from corn hay, wheat hay, sorghum hay and corncob leaves.

5. A biodegradable package for fast food according to claim 4, wherein said crushed gramineous hay comprises crushed corncob leaves.

6. A biodegradable package for fast food according to claim 1, wherein said plasticizing agent is water.

7. A biodegradable package for fast food according to claim 1, wherein said preserving agent is selected from the group comprising sodium benzoate and mono-sodium glutamate.

8. A method for the manufacture of a biodegradable package for fast food which comprises the steps of:

a) heating pieces of a gramineous plant to a temperature of from about 20°

to about 300°

C. for cooking the same;

b) milling the cooked gramineous plant pieces in the presence of water as a plasticizing agent in order to form a dough of a flour of said milled gramineous plant;

c) admixing said dough with suitable amounts of crushed hay of gramineous plants and stirring the mixture until a homogeneous dispersion is obtained;

d) adding a minor proportion of preserving agents for preventing a premature decomposition of the dough;

e) pouring said dough in a mold and heating to a temperature of from about 50°

to 350°

C., until the moisture content of said dough is reduced to provide a self-sustaining shaped package for fast food.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein said dough is fed into the mold with a moisture content of about 50% and the mold is heated until the moisture content of the composition is reduced to about 0.01%.