Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a powdered porous product from at least one starting powdery and/or viscous product, characterised in that it comprises the continuous following steps without exposing the product to open air: a) preparing the starting product in order to make it viscous; b) in a thermo-mechanical machine (10) for continuously realising transport and/or mixing functions of viscous products or dry-material rich products, lowering the viscosity of the viscous product without changing its dry-material content, by intimate mixing with a gas injected into the processing machine (10) and simultaneously initiating the porosity in the viscous product; c) continuously with the processing machine (10), statically or dynamically intensifying the intimate mixture of the viscous product with a gas in order to obtain an aerated and porous mass; and d), dividing said mass in order to obtain aerated and porous particles.

Abstract: The invention proposes a method for the production of a porous powder product containing a microorganism, from a liquid concentrate comprising at least one liquid microorganism culture and a carrier composition, the carrier composition comprising at least one carbohydrate and at least one protein, the method comprising the steps of: i) preparing the liquid concentrate to have both a temperature of between and 40° C. and a viscosity greater than 150 mPa·s; ii) injecting a food grade gas into the prepared concentrate at a pressure greater than 0.3 MPa to intimately incorporate the gas into the liquid concentrate and form a stable foam with a density of between about 0.6 to about 1.2 kg/l; iii) conveying the foam to an atomizing device wherein the pressure of the foam is reduced from 0.3 MPa to atmospheric pressure to provide a partially dried product; and iv) exposing the partially dried product to a drying media to reduce both the moisture content to less than 5% moisture and the water activity to less than 0.

Abstract: The invention proposes a method for the production of a porous powder product containing a microorganism, from a liquid concentrate comprising at least one liquid microorganism culture and a carrier composition, the carrier composition comprising at least one carbohydrate and at least one protein, the method comprising the steps of: i) preparing the liquid concentrate to have both a temperature of between and 40° C. and a viscosity greater than 150 mPa·s; ii) injecting a food grade gas into the prepared concentrate at a pressure greater than 0.3 MPa to intimately incorporate the gas into the liquid concentrate and form a stable foam with a density of between about 0.6 to about 1.2 kg/l; iii) conveying the foam to an atomizing device wherein the pressure of the foam is reduced from 0.3 MPa to atmospheric pressure to provide a partially dried product; and iv) exposing the partially dried product to a drying media to reduce both the moisture content to less than 5% moisture and the water activity to less than 0.

Abstract: The invention proposes a method for the production of a porous powder product containing a microorganism, from a liquid concentrate comprising at least one liquid microorganism culture and a carrier composition, the carrier composition comprising at least one carbohydrate and at least one protein, the method comprising the steps of: i) preparing the liquid concentrate to have both a temperature of between and 40° C. and a viscosity greater than 150 mPa·s; ii) injecting a food grade gas into the prepared concentrate at a pressure greater than 0.3 MPa to intimately incorporate the gas into the liquid concentrate and form a stable foam with a density of between about 0.6 to about 1.2 kg/l; iii) conveying the foam to an atomizing device wherein the pressure of the foam is reduced from 0.3 MPa to atmospheric pressure to provide a partially dried product; and iv) exposing the partially dried product to a drying media to reduce both the moisture content to less than 5% moisture and the water activity to less than 0.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a powdered porous product from at least one starting powdery and/or viscous product, characterised in that it comprises the continuous following steps without exposing the product to open air: a) preparing the starting product in order to make it viscous; b) in a thermo-mechanical machine (10) for continuously realising transport and/or mixing functions of viscous products or dry-material rich products, lowering the viscosity of the viscous product without changing its dry-material content, by intimate mixing with a gas injected into the processing machine (10) and simultaneously initiating the porosity in the viscous product; c) continuously with the processing machine (10), statically or dynamically intensifying the intimate mixture of the viscous product with a gas in order to obtain an aerated and porous mass; and d), dividing said mass in order to obtain aerated and porous particles.

Abstract: The invention proposes a method for the production of a porous powder product containing a microorganism, from a liquid concentrate comprising at least one liquid microorganism culture and a carrier composition, the carrier composition comprising at least one carbohydrate and at least one protein, the method comprising the steps of: i) preparing the liquid concentrate to have both a temperature of between and 40° C. and a viscosity greater than 150 mPa·s; ii) injecting a food grade gas into the prepared concentrate at a pressure greater than 0.3 MPa to intimately incorporate the gas into the liquid concentrate and form a stable foam with a density of between about 0.6 to about 1.2 kg/l; iii) conveying the foam to an atomizing device wherein the pressure of the foam is reduced from 0.3 MPa to atmospheric pressure to provide a partially dried product; and iv) exposing the partially dried product to a drying media to reduce both the moisture content to less than 5% moisture and the water activity to less than 0.

Abstract: A device for continuous production by extrusion cooking of a co-extruded food product containing whole solid pieces, of the type including an extrusion die (20) provided with a contact face at the end of the outlet of a cylinder (11) of an extrusion machine (10) having at least one screw (13) for processing at least one starting material and driven in rotation within the cylinder. The extrusion die (20) is provided with a bore (23) for forming a continuous tubular string of the food product in a direction forming an angle with the axis of the extrusion machine (10). Directly at the outlet of the die (20) and in the axis of the bore (23) for forming the continuous string, the device includes elements (30) for directly incorporating at regular intervals the whole solid pieces (2) into the continuous string of food product without altering the initial dimensions thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the continuous production of a powdered product from a product in the liquid state in the form of a solution-, suspension- or emulsion-type mixture in an aqueous medium. According to the invention, during the first step (E1) of the method, the product in the liquid state is transformed into a product in the viscous state. The invention is characterised in that it includes at least one overrun step (E2, E4) and at least one product-drying step (E3, E6) comprising at least a first step (E3) involving thermomechanical treatment with at last one thermomechanical treatment machine into which the viscous state product and a determined amount of powered product from the same family as the liquid state product are injected simultaneously. The treatment machine is configured to mix the viscous state product and the powdered product such as to produce solidified particles of the product upon contact with the ambient air.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the continuous production of an expanded edible food product obtained by cooking-extrusion and containing solid inclusions having a size larger than 0.5 mm.

Abstract: A device for continuous production by extrusion cooking of a co-extruded food product containing whole solid pieces, of the type including an extrusion die (20) provided with a contact face at the end of the outlet of a cylinder (11) of an extrusion machine (10) having at least one screw (13) for processing at least one starting material and driven in rotation within the cylinder. The extrusion die (20) is provided with a bore (23) for forming a continuous tubular string of the food product in a direction forming an angle with the axis of the extrusion machine (10). Directly at the outlet of the die (20) and in the axis of the bore (23) for forming the continuous string, the device includes elements (30) for directly incorporating at regular intervals the whole solid pieces (2) into the continuous string of food product without altering the initial dimensions thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the continuous production of an expanded edible food product obtained by cooking-extrusion and containing solid inclusions having a size larger than 0.5 mm.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a powdered porous product from at least one starting powdery and/or viscous product, characterised in that it comprises the continuous following steps without exposing the product to open air: a) preparing the starting product in order to make it viscous; b) in a thermo-mechanical machine (10) for continuously realising transport and/or mixing functions of viscous products or dry-material rich products, lowering the viscosity of the viscous product without changing its dry-material content, by intimate mixing with a gas injected into the processing machine (10) and simultaneously initiating the porosity in the viscous product; c) continuously with the processing machine (10), statically or dynamically intensifying the intimate mixture of the viscous product with a gas in order to obtain an aerated and porous mass; and d), dividing said mass in order to obtain aerated and porous particles.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the continuous production of a powdered product from a product in the liquid state in the form of a solution-, suspension- or emulsion-type mixture in an aqueous medium. According to the invention, during the first step (E1) of the method, the product in the liquid state is transformed into a product in the viscous state. The invention is characterised in that it includes at least one overrun step (E2, E4) and at least one product-drying step (E3, E6) comprising at least a first step (E3) involving thermomechanical treatment with at last one thermomechanical treatment machine into which the viscous state product and a determined amount of powered product from the same family as the liquid state product are injected simultaneously. The treatment machine is configured to mix the viscous state product and the powdered product such as to produce solidified particles of the product upon contact with the ambient air.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of continuously preparing caseinate from milk proteins in non-soluble powder form in an extruder machine having two co-rotating and interpenetrating screws into which water and an alkaline reagent are introduced, and the mixture formed by the milk proteins, the water, and the alkaline reagent is subjected to a plurality of steps of kneading under pressure and of shearing with the temperature rising to obtain at the outlet from the extruder machine a caseinate paste, the caseinate paste is cooled to bring its temperature to below 20° C., a continuous thin sheet of caseinate paste is formed, and the sheet is cut up into a plurality of parallel strips, and these strips are cut up into small-sized pieces of caseinate. The invention also provides an installation for continuously preparing caseinate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the continuous preparation of pellets intended for the production of crusty and honeycombed snack-type food products from a natural starchy raw material having a starch content that is equal to or greater than 60% and a protein content below 13%. According to the invention, the raw material is preconditioned; said raw material is fed continuously into an extrusion machine with two co-rotary and co-penetrating screws; a supply and transport step, a cooking step, a degassing step and a cooling step are performed in the extrusion machine; a continuous bead of cooked dough having a moisture content of between 20 and 30% is formed; the dough is oriented in a vertical direction and pushed through a multiple-outlet mould to form several continuous beads; the beads are cut transversely to form pellets. The pellets are subsequently dried to produce pellets having a moisture content of between 10 and 12%.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of continuously preparing caseinate from milk proteins in non-soluble powder form in an extruder machine having two co-rotating and interpenetrating screws into which water and an alkaline reagent are introduced, and the mixture formed by the milk proteins, the water, and the alkaline reagent is subjected to a plurality of steps of kneading under pressure and of shearing with the temperature rising to obtain at the outlet from the extruder machine a caseinate paste, the caseinate paste is cooled to bring its temperature to below 20° C., a continuous thin sheet of caseinate paste is formed, and the sheet is cut up into a plurality of parallel strips, and these strips are cut up into small-sized pieces of caseinate. The invention also provides an installation for continuously preparing caseinate.

Abstract: Materials, for example, plant-based food products, are subjected to heat and pressure in a processing enclosure, wherein the pressure is greater than the pressure of the atmosphere. The heated, pressurized materials are then subjected to a pressure-reduction phase during which the pressure in the processing enclosure is reduced at a rate greater than 500 millibars per second and by an amplitude greater than 1 bar. The rapid pressure-reduction phase of the invention contributes to the production of processed materials having a slightly spongy structure that is due to the presence of micro-cavities that promote the recapture of subsequent moisture.