Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for providing a very light pre-dusting coating on a food piece intended for batter-coating. The apparatus includes a movable belt on which is provided a preliminary coating of breading material on which the product pieces are placed. A series of drag plates are then provided across the belt supported from above in a position to engage the breading material on the belt and to provide a standing wave of breading material pushed up by contact with the drag plates. These plates then distribute the standing wave of breading material over the top of the product while the plate lower edges remove a majority of the top coating.

Abstract: To a breader conveyor there is added a plurality of restrained flow cascading tumbling conveyors positioned to produce roughness of the breading. Slip plates at the terminal portions of the conveyors act to restrain the free flow of the battered and flour breaded chicken until pushed off onto a following conveyor. The breaded chicken in excess flour tumbles from one conveyor to another to produce a rough, flaky breading texture. The breaded chicken is then separated from the excess flour by an output wire conveyor and is fried or cooked in the conventional manner.