This invention relates to the field of beverages and more particularly to drinking straw for consuming beverages.
Drinking straws have been around for thousands of years. In the very early years of civilization, metal tubes were used to drink beer, eliminating byproducts that likely floated to the top of the drinker's beer. In 1888, Marvin C. Stone created the first modern straw by wrapping a pencil with paper and gluing the paper together. People found that straws helped keep their mouths clean (no milk mustache) kept ice away from the drinker's lips.
Early paper straws were flimsy and often fell apart before the drinker finished their drink. In the 1960, plastic straws were introduced, lacking many of the drawbacks of paper straws while being economically similar, though not ecologically similar.
Even though plastic straws can be reused, reuse is rarely practiced leading to large quantities of non-biodegradable waste materials in our environment.
Most plastics do not degrade and remain in the environment for many years, including plastics used to make straws. Plastic straws are light-weight and so small that they fall out of recycling shredding and screening equipment. Many people litter beaches with plastic straws and many such straws wind up floating in neighboring bodies of water. As a solid, the straws can hurt sea life such as birds and turtles. As the straws decompose, the plastic material breaks down into what is known as microplastics and such microplastics have been found in baby sea turtles.
Many communities are banning plastic straws for many of the above reasons, but some people like using straws while some people need straws, such as those who have had a stroke, have autism, Multiple Sclerosis, or other physical issues.
The response to banning of plastic straws has been the return of paper straws. Paper straws work for some drinks for some amount of time, but eventually weaken, especially when drinking viscous liquids such as milk shakes and smoothies. Further, the papers and glues used to make these straws often have a taste or flavor that impacts the flavors of the drink being consumed.
In an attempt to provide a more sturdy straw, several manufacturers have begun marketing “pasta straws,” straws made from pasta. The idea is that, after the drinker has finished with the pasta straw, the pasta straw will decompose in the landfill, just as other biological waste such as leftover pasta.
Pasta have been around for hundreds of years, and years ago certain pastas were tube shaped and could well be used as a straw. Pasta straws have several weaknesses. Pasta straws are typically made of flour and water that is extruded and hardened. As most people take time consuming their beverage, the pasta straw remains in the liquid for a lengthy period of time, maybe an hour. After around half of an hour, the part of the pasta straw that is submerged begins to absorb the drink, just as pasta absorbs water during cooking, making that end of the straw expand (the hollow center becomes more narrow) and weaker. Further, the pasta straw provides a “pasta” flavor to the drink being consumed, along with some amount of the flour of which the straw is made. This leaching of the flour results in the drinker consuming unwanted calories and, for those with allergies or intolerances to certain flours, medical problems (e.g. gluten intolerances).
What is needed is a straw that will provide sufficient structure while being ecologically sound.
In one embodiment, a straw is disclosed including a substrate made of pasta and a coating over the substrate. Preferably, the coating is made of beeswax.
In another embodiment, a method of making a straw is disclosed including extruding pasta into a substrate having a hollow, tubular shape and drying the substrate until it is hard. Next, the substrate is dipped into molten beeswax and removed from the molten beeswax. Air is then blown over the substrate, thereby removing excesses of the molten beeswax and hardening the molten beeswax.
In another embodiment, a straw is disclosed including a substrate made of pasta that is dry. The substrate has a coating of beeswax covering the substrate. In some embodiments, the pasta is made from a mixture of durum wheat and water.
The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures.
Referring to
Another issue with such pasta straws of the prior art 10 is consumption of part of the pasta straw. As one puts their lips on a pasta straw of the prior art 10 and as a liquid flows through the pasta straw of the prior art 10, some of the flour molecules migrate onto the person's lips and into the liquid and are consumed by the person. This results in consumption of some carbohydrates and calories by the person drinking the liquid using the pasta straw of the prior art 10, which is unwelcome for certain in diets as well as some dietary constraints, for example, those affected by diabetes.
Still another issue with such pasta straws of the prior art 10 occurs when the pasta straw of the prior art 10 is left in the liquid for longer than a few minutes. As with all pasta, the pasta straw absorbs the liquid as spaghetti does in boiling water. After several minutes, the submerged portion of the pasta straw of the prior art 10 becomes enlarged from absorption of the liquid and after an extended amount of time, the submerged portion weakens as does stiff spaghetti after 10 minutes in water.
Referring to
Beeswax is edible, having negligible toxicity, and is approved for food use in most countries.
Beeswax 42 is used for several reasons. In support of the reasons for using a pasta material for the substrate 10A, beeswax 42 is a biological material that, in some embodiments, is organic (produced per organic farming standards). Beeswax 42 is bio-degradable and does not negatively impact the environment. Beeswax 42 has a higher melting point than many waxes (144F to 147F). During most uses as well as during storage, and transportation, the beeswax 42 will not melt as if melting occurs, the coated pasta straws 20 would stick to each other and, in some severe situations, the coating would fail, allowing the liquid to contact the substrate 10A that is made of pasta.
As an added benefit, beeswax 42 repels liquids and, therefore, impacts little or no flavor into the liquids. Therefore, beeswax 42 will not substantially (or at all) impact the flavor and taste of the liquid being consumed by the coated pasta straw 20.
Any type of hardened food matter is anticipated for the substrate 10A, including pasta made from a dough that is dried. The dough is made of one or more liquids mixed with any type of flour. The flour is any flour including, but not limited to, durum wheat flour, wheat flour, rice flour, whole wheat flour, legume flour, corn flour, barley flour, rye flour, chestnut flour, etc., as well as any other ingredient typically found in pasta (e.g. spinach to impart a green color or tomato paste to impart a reddish color). The liquid is any liquid or combination of liquids, including, but not limited to, water (e.g. tap water), milk, eggs, vegetable puree, fruit puree, etc. Further, it is fully anticipated that, in some embodiments, the dough includes other, optional ingredients such as salt, pepper, mushrooms, herbs, cheese, seasonings, food coloring, etc.
In a preferred embodiment, the coated pasta straws 20 are of tubular shape, but there is no restriction as to the shape of coated pasta straws 20 as the coated pasta straws 20 are anticipated with cross sections that are round, oval, rectangular, triangular, hexagonal, pentagonal, octagonal, etc.
Referring to
In a preferred embodiment, the substrates 10A are allowed to dry and harden before being coated with the beeswax 42. This produces a substrate 10A made of rigid, dry pasta.
Referring to
As shown in
There is a vat 40 containing beeswax 42 that is molten (the heating mechanism is not shown for clarity and brevity reasons).
In
In
Now the breakable appendages 12A are removed (cut or snapped off). Note that it is anticipated that a tiny uncovered location where the breakable appendages 12A were attached to the coated pasta straws 20 will remain uncovered with the beeswax 42 or, in some embodiments; a drop of beeswax 42 is dripped over this location after separation.
Referring to
Equivalent elements can be substituted for the ones set forth above such that they perform in substantially the same manner in substantially the same way for achieving substantially the same result.
It is believed that the system and method as described and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form herein before described being merely exemplary and explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.