Aqueous smoke solution for use in foodstuffs and method of producing same

Claim 1

A PROCESS OF MAKING AN AQUEOUS WOOD SMOKE FLAVORED SOLUTION FOR USE IN FOODSTUFFS COMPRISING BURNING WOOD WITH A LIMITED AMOUNT OF AIR TO FORM SMOKE, CONDUCTING THE SMOKE UPWARDLY THROUGH A COLUMN PACKED WITH INERT MATERIAL COUNTERCURRENTLY TO A STREAM OF WATER AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 40*F. TO 140*F. MOVING DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE COLUMN, REMOVING THE RESULTING SMOKE EXTRACT FROM THE COLUMN BEFOR ITS TEMPERATURE GOES ABOVE 140*F., COOLING THE AQUEOUS SMOKE EXTRACT TO MAINTAIN THE EXTRACT AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW 140*F., RECYCLING THE AQUEOUS SMOKE EXTRACT DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE COLUMN COUNTERCURRENTLY TO WOOD SMOKE MOVING UPWARDLY THEREIN UNTIL THE AQUEOUS SMOKE EXTRACT REACHES A TITRATABLE ACIDITY OF AT LEAST 3%, AND FILTERING THE EXTRACT TO REMOVE UNDERSIRABLE MATERIAL INCLUDING BENZPYRENE.