Artificial fruits and vegetables

Claim 1

A PROCESS OF MAKING A PRODUCT WHICH SIMULATES THE TEXTURE OF AN EDIBLE PLANT-LIKE MATERIAL COMPRISING: (A) FORMING AN AQUEOUS VISCOUS SOLUTION OF A WATERSOLUBLE ALGINIC ACID SALT, THE CONCENTRATION OF SAID SALT BEING FROM ABOUT 0.5% TO ABOUT 5%, (B) CONTACTING SAID WATER-SOLUBLE ALGINIC ACID SALT SOLUTION WITH A SOLUTION CONTAINING EDIBLE ALKALINE EARTH METAL IONS WITHOUT DISTUBING THE SURFACE BETWEEN SAID SOLUTIONS THEREBY FORMING AN INSOLUBLE ALGINATE FILM AT SAID INTERFACE, (C) MAINTAINING AN EVEN AND UNIFORM REACTING INTERFACE BETWEEN SAID SOLUTIONS DURING THE REACTION PERIOD, AND (D) CONTINUING TO REACT SAID IONS WITH SAID ALGINIC ACID SALT SOLUTION BY DIFFUSION OF SAID IONS THROUGH SAID INSOLUBLE ALGINATE FILM AT A CONSTANT AND UNIFORM RATE WHEREBY FROM ABOUT 3.5 MG. OF CALCIUM IONS TO ABOUT 11.5 MG. OF CALCIUM IONS ARE BOUND TO 1 GRAM OF SAID VISCOUS ALGINIC ACID SALT PER HOUR TO A FINAL CALCIUM ION CONCENTRATION OF ABOUT 0.23 TO ABOUT 0.67 EQUIVALENT OF CALCIUM PER EQUIVALENT OF ALGINATE UNTIL THE DESIRED CELLULAR STRUCTURE IS OBTAINED.