Abstract: Systems, methods, and associated devices for casingless production of food products include: (a) providing at least one forming tube having sufficient structural rigidity to be substantially non-deformable and having a preformed internal cavity space of predetermined size and shape; (b) introducing a quantity of flowable food emulsion into the at least one forming tube; and (c) advancing the emulsion through the at least one forming tube while exposing the emulsion to predetermined processing conditions that convert the flowable emulsion held in the at least one forming tube to a non-flowable food product having the molded shape of the forming tube cavity.

Abstract: A cooking control method and a cooking control system for a food extruder used for producing direct-puffed snacks includes a material supply mechanism, a hydration mechanism, a processing mechanism including an extruder, and a control computer. The control computer determines a specific power consumption value from the electric energy consumed by the extruder and the supplied amount of the dough material, at the time of producing snacks having excellent quality, to designate this value as a reference value, compares this reference value of the specific power consumption value with the actual specific power consumption value, and when the difference is small, controls the number of revolutions of the extruder, and when the difference is large, controls not only the number of revolutions of the extruder, but also the amount of water added and the feed amount of materials, to thereby stabilize the snack quality.

Abstract: The present invention provides a kit (200) for producing a high quality sushi product with uniformity and at a high rate of production. The kit (200) includes a Nigiri Sushi mold (10, 110) and a California Sushi Roll apparatus (54, 154.) In a preferred embodiment, the kit (200) includes a traditional Japanese bento box (18,20) that houses both the Nigiri Sushi mold (10, 110) and California Sushi Roll (54, 154.) The Nigiri Sushi mold (10, 110) is made up of a mold (12, 112) having several indentations (28, 128) for supporting the preferred ingredients. The Nigiri mold (12, 112) is joined with the plate (14, 114) and is placed in the bottom half of the Japanese bento box (18) to form the lower portion of the Sushi kit (200) of the present invention. The apparatus (54, 154) used to form the California Rolls sits atop an inverted Nigiri mold (12, 112) with plate (14, 114) and includes a roller sheet (56, 156) that is flexibly attached to a base plate (64, 164.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for shaping and molding material having two sidewalls, two end walls, a bottom and at least one partition. The two sidewalls have grooves spaced at predetermined intervals on an inside surface for receiving a partition and a bottom ledge for retaining the bottom. The inside surface has a plurality of openings sized for receiving holding members and may have a variety of shapes. The bottom is shaped to mate with the shape of the inside surface of the sidewalls. The two end walls include locking mechanisms for holding the various components of the apparatus together.

Abstract: In a method of controlling a cooking process, at least two temperature values are picked up by a cooking process sensor which is adapted to be stuck at least partly into food to be cooked. Specific parameters of cooking food and/or cooking utensils are determined via the thermo kinetics of the temperature values registered, and the specific cooking food and/or cooking utensil parameters determined are utilized for controlling the cooking process. The invention likewise relates to a cooking process sensor for use with the method according to the invention.

Abstract: An improved process for continuously producing chewing gum products. A continuous extrusion machine is utilized preferably with a rotating twin-screw mixing mechanism. The timing and location of entry and the apportioned amounts of the flavor and sugar ingredients are adjusted according to preestablished data in order to provide a product with desired flavor and texture profiles. The temperature and pressure of the product are also kept within prespecified ranges.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for forming shaped food products from an emulsion or batter. A stuffing tube includes a wall defining a central passage for emulsion, and a treating fluid passage positioned within the wall and radially outside of the central passage. The stuffing tube is slideably mounted coaxially within a mold tube. Emulsion and treating fluid are deposited into the mold tube during retraction of the stuffing tube from the mold tube, where the depositions occur substantially without relative motion between the emulsion and the treating fluid, or between the emulsion/treating fluid and the inside of the mold tube. A production machine incorporating an array of stuffing tubes can be indexed with a plurality of arrays of mold tubes.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically producing at low cost a paste food product resembling in appearance a crab's leg meat tissue causing a sensation of a crab's leg meat upon eating, comprises: a first feed device (1) for feeding a cooked paste sheet; a sheet cutter assembly (4) constructed of parallel rotary cutters disposed under the first feed device (1); a convergent roll assembly (9) having an H-shaped cross-section for forming the paste sheet into a folded sheet (10), disposed under the first feed device (1); a conveyor (12) for conveying the folded sheet (10), disposed under the convergent roll assembly (9); a second feed device (14) for intermittently or continuously feeding the folded sheet (10), disposed in front of the conveyor (12); a slitting machine (17) for forming rows of parallel oblique slits in the folded sheet (10) so as to have the parallel oblique slits symmetrically arranged about a longitudinal axis of the folded sheet (10); and, a cutter for cutting the folded sheet into a block

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of maintaining the pressure difference in a heat treatment plant such as, for example, a pasteurizer for liquid foods. In a temporary production disruption, the insufficiently treated product is caused to recycle by a return stroke. The pressure difference is maintained in that the already heat-treated product is enclosed in a conduit on the downstream side (14) of the plant, and that the space for the product in the conduit is restricted. The space for the product is restricted either in that a food gas is led into the conduit, or alternatively that the product conduit (29) is provided with an expansive portion (27). The expansive portion (27) consists of a pipe length (28) with an inner elastic wall (30) which expands by means of a gas or a liquid.

Abstract: The invention relates to a proceed for solidifying the surface of raw sausage emulsion using ultrasound treatment and/or an adhesion-minimizing microstructure on the sonotrode interior surface while it is being transported, with, in the course of a continuous process, a substantial degassing of the raw product first being carried out. Subsequently, there is a direct contacting of the raw product with the surface of one or more ultrasonic sonotrodes, at least one of the ultrasonic sonotrodes being heated. As a result of the treatment, a thin, sealed, shape-stabilizing independent coagulation skin forms on the surface of the raw product. The ultrasonic energy is in the low frequency range, but has a high vibrational amplitude.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing a sterile milk product from raw milk is disclosed. After separation, the skim milk portion is conducted to a primary filter assembly having a plurality of microfiltration units arranged in series. Bacteria having a size larger than the pores in the microfilters are retained in the retentate. The retentate is discharged from the primary filter assembly and flows to a secondary filter assembly having a plurality of microfiltration units. The permeate from the units in the primary filter assembly are combined and subjected to heat treatment.

Abstract: A method and product for preserving produce including plants comprising storing the produce and plant in a container incorporated with a spinel AB2O4 and resin mixture which emits a radiation of 3-18 and 3-30 micron wave length.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for forming an emulsion or batter into shaped food products without the use of a casing. The apparatus includes a hollow stuffing tube connected to a source of suitable proteinaceous emulsion, and a molding tube mounted about the stuffing tube, the molding tube having an open end and a closed end. A supply of emulsion is conveyed under pressure into the stuffing tube to form a continuous length of shaped emulsion. Then, the shaped emulsion is directed into the molding tube, where the pressure of the emulsion bears against the closed end of the molding tube and causes the molding tube to move relative the stuffing tube. A treating fluid is directed to the interior surface of the molding tube, such that the interior surface is continuously wetted and evenly coated by the treating fluid, thereby forming a proteinaceous skin about the shaped emulsion.

Abstract: Forming a novelty (such as a sticked ice cream product) from a mouldable material which involves extruding the materials into a cavity temporarily provided with a bottom. Relative movement is thereafter caused so as to shear the cavity contained quantity of material from any such material remaining in the cavity filling nozzle prior to subsequent discharge of the moulded quantity from the cavity at a time when it no longer has a bottom.

Abstract: A system and method for moving a flowable substrate through a chamber is provided. The chamber extends between first and second open ends and is both shaped and heated such that the flowable substrate can be shaped and cooked therein. A pushing force is applied to the cooked substrate to expel the cooked substrate through the second open end. In one embodiment, the pushing force is provided by a pushing device that extends into the chamber at the first open end to loosen the cooked substrate from the chamber walls and to cause the cooked substrate to exit the chamber through the second open end. In another embodiment, the pushing force is provided by a fill device that continuously introduces the flowable substrate into the chamber. In certain embodiments, an ultrasonic energy source may be provided to prevent adherence of the food product to the chamber walls and/or to assist in loosening any adhered food product from the chamber walls.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for popping popcorn comprise a heated kettle which is controlled and monitored according to the temperature of the kettle. The kettle is initially heated to a start cook temperature and a buzzer and light alert an operator to add uncooked popcorn and oil to the kettle which lowers the temperature of the kettle below a predetermined start temperature and initiates a cooking cycle. An oil pump system is enabled at the initiation of the cooking cycle for adding oil to the kettle. As the popcorn and oil cook, the kettle temperature increases and passes through a predetermined dump temperature and the kettle automatically tilts and dumps the cooked popcorn. After the dump, the kettle temperature increases to the start cook temperature again and the buzzer and light are activated to alert the operator to add another batch of ingredients for consecutive batches of popcorn.

Abstract: The invention relates to a spray-dried composition comprising an active ingredient dispersed in a carrier comprising a combination of a wall-forming carbohydrate material with from 1 to 30% by weight of agar agar relative to the dried weight of the composition. The composition of the invention provides advantageous behavior in an aqueous environment wherein the mobility of the active agent is restricted in the gelled carrier, thus preventing the release of the agent unless shear of heat are applied. Another feature of the invention is a process for the preparation the spray-dried composition.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for shredding a block of material, the apparatus includes at least one cutting blade. A drive unit rotates the cutting blade about an axis, and a feed unit moves the block of material toward the cutting blade. The axis about which the cutting blade is rotated is generally perpendicular to the direction in which the block of material is being fed. In one embodiment, the block of material comprises a plurality of ribbons, the ribbons being stacked atop each other. In one preferred embodiment, the cutting blade comprises a serrated edge, and the distance between the teeth in the serrated edge is less than the thickness of each ribbon. In another embodiment, the shredding unit includes a plurality of blades on a rotatably driven drum.

Abstract: A continuous method using gaseous carbon dioxide or a pressurized flow of liquefied carbon dioxide is described to reduce microbial and/or enzymatic activity in a liquid product. The carbon dioxide is combined with a pressurized flow of the liquid product, or the mixture is pressurized after the mixture is formed. The pressure and temperature in the flow regions are maintained at a level which is sufficient to keep the carbon dioxide in a continuous liquid state, but which does not freeze the liquid product. The pressurized mixture of the carbon dioxide and liquid product flows through a reaction zone for a sufficient time to reduce harmful microorganisms and/or inactivate enzymes and then enters one or more expansion stages wherein the pressure of the mixture flow is sufficiently decreased to vaporize the carbon dioxide for separation from the liquid product. If necessary, heat is applied in at least one of the expansion stages to prevent a freezing of the mixture.

Abstract: A frozen confection dispensing machine for dispensing a predetermined volume of a frozen confection. In one embodiment, the machine includes a user interface and programmable control circuit to allow an operator to select the volume of extruded frozen confection for a particular product. In another embodiment, the machine includes a readily accessible hollow member to supply the machine with additional mix without interrupting extrusion of the frozen confection. In another embodiment, a plurality of frozen confection dispensing machines are located adjacent a conveyor belt for filling a pastry product with a selected volume of frozen confection.