History Digestive biscuit

mcvitie & price s digestive tin box

in 1839, digestives first developed in united kingdom 2 scottish doctors aid digestion. digestives featured in advertisements berkshire-based biscuit company huntley & palmers in 1876, recipe being given in cassell s new universal cookery book of 1894. in 1851 issue of lancet london s advertising section offered brown meal digestive biscuits. @ time, asserted grain millers knew of bran , endosperm. after 10% of whole grain s coarser outer-bran coat removed, , because innermost 70% of pure endosperm reserved other uses, brown meal, representing 20% of whole grain, remained, consisting of 15% fine bran , 85% white flour. 1912 more known brown meal included germ, lent characteristic sweetness.

in 1889, john montgomerie of scotland filed u.s. patent application, granted in 1890. patent asserted prior patent existed in england dated 1886. u.s. patent, titled making malted bread , included instructions manufacture of digestive biscuits. montgomerie claimed saccharification process make nourishing food people of weak digestion .

despite rumours illegal them sold under usual name in united states, are, in fact, available in imported food sections of grocery stores , mail order.