Abstract: Apparatus (10) and methods are disclosed where plastic extrudable food product is provided such as by an extruder or pump and is combined with another food product without intermixing to form a complexly patterned food product, such as by a pattern forming die (20). The cross-sectional area of the patterned food product is reduced from an inlet end (34) to an outlet end (36) by a factor of 4:1 to as much as 50:1 at an average convergence angle of 5 to 65° while maintaining the cross-sectional pattern to form a reduced cross-sectional patterned food product, and then is extruded through a die port having an opening equal to the reduced cross-sectional area to form a complexly patterned extrudate.

Abstract: A method of shaping a spherical body composed of an outer covering layer and an inner filling, comprising a holder frame, a rotary wheel rotated forwards and backwards alternatively in the holder frame, and triangular cutter members coupled to the rotary wheel and arranged in sliding contact with each other and moved with the rotary wheel between a first position to form a center opening for the passing of a continuously fed cylindrical body consisting of dough crust and a filling, and a second position to shape a spherical body consisting of dough crust and a filling from the continuously fed cylindrical body.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for the preparation of puffed cereal cakes, preferably rice cakes, comprising the steps of: providing a cereal grain, preferably a milled parboiled rice, wherein the cereal grain is impregnated with a non-mineral food ingredient such as a sugar; introducing the grain into a mold; and puffing the cereal in the mold under pressure to form a shaped impregnated cereal cake. The cereal grains impregnated with organic food ingredients can be used to make puffed cereal cakes having improved taste, texture and nutritional properties.

Abstract: A method is provided for forming a spherical dough body by rounding a dough piece. The apparatus comprises a pair of opposed pressing and feeding members that apply pressure horizontally to the dough piece and a pressing member that repeatedly applies a force to the lower part of the dough piece, so that the lower part of the dough piece can be brought to the center thereof.

Abstract: A method for mechanically and automatically producing flat, round, dough and/or pizza bases without the use of baking tins for the dough bases and without using pre-prepared bases. Toppings and/or sauce are applied to the dough bases through at least one topping station. The dough bases are prepared from dough ingredients in a kneading and extrusion device, and then passed through a series of processing stations such as a shaping press, a metering and distribution station for tomato puree or sauce, or several metering stations for the topping, and the baking station, on a preheated transport plate. Each dough base is prepared and provided with a topping according to individual orders from a list.

Abstract: An apparatus for shaping and dispensing pureed food is provided. A mold includes a back wall having an opening formed therein. A handle is attached to the mold and a lever is pivotally attached to the handle. A plate is disposed within the mold and has a shape substantially conforming to the back wall. A bracket member extends through the opening formed in the back wall of the mold and includes a first end portion attached to a back side of the plate and a second end portion attached to the lever.

Abstract: A decorative food formed of a plurality of kinds of fluid food materials and manufactured by using a mold is provided. The decorative food has an outside shape thereof conforming to an interior surface of the mold inclusive of an opening of said mold. The decorative food has a colored pattern divided into multiple divisions extending up to a central portion of the decorative food, in a direction to extrude the food materials into the mold, the colored pattern being formed such that the multiple divisions are arranged with substantially the same ratio at any of a cross sectional area intersecting the direction to extrude the food materials, and wherein the decorative food contains therein a foodstuff. Also disclosed are an apparatus and method for manufacturing the decorative food.

Abstract: A pizza rice molding apparatus enhances the efficiency of molding a pizza rice having a substantially true circular disc-like shape and a highly valuable quality. The apparatus comprises a feed conveyer belt which can be longitudinally moved back and forth, for intermittently feeding a square planar rice food which has been compressed and fed onto the belt conveyer, a molding frame composed of a pair of molding dies which are curved outward symmetrically, and which are arranged so as to be openable and closable in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the feed conveyer belt, and an opening and closing mechanism and an elevating mechanism for the pair of molding dies, wherein the pair of molding dies have parts which correspond to side parts of a square planar rice food and which are formed into arcuate side molding parts, and parts which correspond to corner parts thereof, and which are formed into corner molding parts which are convex inward from the arcuate side molding parts.

Abstract: A baking pan for baking wedding cakes has the overall form of a cupcake pan, except that each baking unit has multiple tiers. In one embodiment, the baking pan has six baking units, each of which has three cylindrical tiers with steadily decreasing diameters to define the shape of a three-tier wedding cake. Thus, multi-tier wedding cakes are baked in one piece.

Abstract: An apparatus including two symmetrical slide members moved relative each other for shaping a cylindrical body into a plurality of spherical bodies, wherein the slide members each have two vertical sidewalls, and a plurality of U-grooves and partition flanges alternatively arranged in parallel between the vertical sidewalls, the U-grooves each having two distal ends and a depth gradually increased from one distal end to the other, the partition flanges each having two distal ends and a thickness gradually increased from one distal end to the other, the vertical sidewalls each having two distal ends and an inner side vertically curved inwards, the inner side having a vertical depth gradually increased from one distal end to the other.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for manufacturing a tridimensional pasta product by preparing a mixture of cereal flour or semolina and water; kneading the mixture to obtain a dough; injecting the dough into a mold having a tri-dimensional shape under conditions such that the dough undergoes substantially no expansion in the mold during injection; and removing the dough from the mold to provide an injection molded pasta product having the tri-dimensional shape. These molded tridimensional pasta products possess organoleptic properties which are superior to those of traditional pasta products.

Abstract: Apparatus for portioning rice, particularly for sushi, comprises a mould (14) horizontally shiftable between a charging position, in which a row of mould cavities (15) are filled with compressed rice, and a discharge position in which the mould cavities (15) are positioned over a tray (32) to receive the rice portions (11). When the mould (14) is in the discharge position, ejector members (26) move downwardly towards the mould, the ejector members (26) and the mould (14) then moving downwardly together until an over-centre mechanism is released to move the mould (14) upwardly with a snap action which causes the rice portions (11) to be released from the mould cavities (15) and placed in the receiving tray (32).

Abstract: A simple apparatus for molding and baking food in particulate or fluid form into edible unified products comprises a heated mold bottom with a cavity or recess, a base member at the bottom of the recess which can be pushed up by a rod that slides through the mold bottom, and a heated mold top that can be alternately brought down on, and lifted off, the mold bottom. By placing a measured quantity of food particles in the mold recess and bringing the mold top down in pressing contact with the mold bottom, the food particles are compressed for a selected baking period. The mold top is then raised away from the mold bottom and the base member is pushed up to eject the resulting unified product from the mold recess. The mold recess may be shaped to provide a snug fit with a preformed aluminum foil mold placed therein to produce unified food in a foil mold.

Abstract: The invention provides for the manufacture of food products. In one preferred form, methods and apparatus are provided for cutting individual confectionery products from a slab or strip of product material into a product with a particular silhouette. In another form, the invention provides methods and apparatus for both cutting and forming individual confectionery products from strips or ropes. The process can be used for simply forming products from pre-cut segments or other blanks of confectionery material, including imparting a relatively precise texture, finish or detail to such products. The products may, but need not, be subsequently enrobed in chocolate or another coating. The confectionery material may also include candied fruit bits, dry fruits, nuts, or the like.

Abstract: A method of conveying bar-like bread dough pieces is provided. By it a bar-like bread dough piece being conveyed on the conveying face of a conveyor, with its axis being perpendicular to the direction of the conveyance thereof, is caused to rotate about the axis at a point downstream of the conveyor, and then the bar-like bread dough piece having a straight shape is moved to the next step. Further, an apparatus for conveying bar-shaped bread dough pieces is provided. It comprises a conveyor, and an engaging member provided near the conveying face of said conveyor, at a point downstream of said conveyor, for allowing a bar-like bread dough piece being conveyed on the conveying face of the conveyor to rotate about its axis while the engaging member contacts the bar-like bread dough piece, the distance between the engaging member and the conveying face being adjustable.

Abstract: A method of forming consumer portions from a block of frozen foodstuff is described, in which similarly sized sections of the frozen block are removed by severing for shaping into the differently shaped consumer portions under pressure between tooling of a forming press. Each section is of a similar size and volume so that when the press is operated the severed section is formed into a consumer portion of known volume. Each consumer portion is ejected for further processing after the tooling separates. The surface of each severed section of frozen foodstuff is wetted with a liquid (typically water) just before the pressing operation.

Abstract: A mold has a pair of generally planar side walls having joined lower edges and extending upward from the lower edges at an acute angle to each other and a pair of generally triangular end walls crosswise to the side walls and forming therewith an elongated upwardly V-shaped cavity. A plurality of such side and end walls can be joined together at upper edges of the side walls to form a plurality of such cavities extending horizontally parallel to one another. Each cavity can be provided with at least one crosswise partition and a cover that is formed with a pair of parallel and downwardly open semicircular channels can be engaged over the mold for forming upwardly projecting bumps on risable dough cooked in the cavity. A heart-shaped foodstuff is made by first filling the V-shaped cavity with a mass of risable dough.

Abstract: A decorative food formed of a plurality of kinds of fluid food materials and manufactured by using a mold is provided. The decorative food has an outside shape thereof conforming to an interior surface of the mold inclusive of an opening of said mold. The decorative food has a colored pattern divided into multiple divisions extending up to a central portion of the decorative food, in a direction to extrude the food materials into the mold, the colored pattern being formed such that the multiple divisions are arranged with substantially the same ratio at any of a cross sectional area intersecting the direction to extrude the food materials, and wherein the decorative food contains therein a foodstuff. Also disclosed are an apparatus and method for manufacturing the decorative food.

Abstract: Apparatus (10) is disclosed including first and second forming rollers (18, 21) which rotatably abut with an anvil roller (20). The forming rollers (18, 21) each include a periphery forming a continuous forming surface including a plurality of axially and circumferentially spaced grooves (24) each formed as a continuous depression arranged in a serpentine and non-intersecting manner. Food (14) is simultaneously fed between a continuous strip of support material (16) and a continuous ribbon of film material (66) as they pass between a first abutment nip of the first forming roller (18) and the anvil roller (20). After extending partially around the periphery of the first forming roller (18), the materials (16, 66) and the food therebetween pass around an adjustable idler roller (70) to between a second abutment nip of the second forming roller (21) and the anvil roller (20).

Abstract: A low-density filler material for cigarettes from either a low-density tobacco composition or an extruded grain or starch composition. The low-density tobacco composition and a method of making the low-density tobacco composition by extruding a mixture of tobacco and flour or tobacco and starch under conditions whereby the solvent in the extruded mixture flashes into vapor upon release from the extrusion head. The low-density tobacco composition is formed without the aid of an added binder. The low-density flour or starch material and a method of making it by extruding flour or starch with a filler material such as calcium carbonate under conditions whereby the solvent in the extruded mixture flashes into vapor upon extrusion through the orifice die. The extruded composition can then be cut and used in place of cut tobacco filler.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing compression-molded candy comprising the steps of mixing and dissolving conventional candy mixture at a temperature of 100 to 120° C., concentrating the candy mixture to a water content of below 2.0% under the conditions of a temperature of 130 to 160° C., steam pressure of 4.0 to 9.5 kgf/cm3, and vacuum pressure of 100 to 700 mmHg, adding the conventional additives thereto, maintaining the candy mixture at a temperature of below 80° C., and molding the candy mixture by pressure packing at a pressure of 10 to 50 kgf/cm3 within 5 to 30 seconds. By lowering the ratio of water content to below 2% and pressure packing the mixture at high pressure and low temperatures, it is possible to manufacture candies of various distinct shapes stable despite changes in the outer environment.

Abstract: A method for the continuous production of semifinished parts for three-dimensional snacks made from potatoes, cereals or the like, comprising, after preparing two layers of a gelled semifinished compound of the components and/or other starchy ingredients, the step of cutting the layers in consecutive segments along parallel lines with cutting edges which act with a relative motion constituted by a translatory motion which is substantially perpendicular to a portion to be cut, combined with a translatory motion which is parallel to the cutting lines. The method also includes a step in which the layers are superimposed and die-cut with suitable punches, separating a grid-like skeleton from the snacks, each snack being formed by two perimetrically joined layers.

Abstract: This invention provides improved methods for producing molded chocolate products, fat-based confection products, particularly using substrates such as molds which have a low surface energy contacting surface.

Abstract: A machine for making a food product includes a cooking apparatus for cooking an aliquot of dough disposed in a predetermined shape about a cooking member made of a material which has a chemical composition essentially impervious to cooking temperatures. The machine also incorporates a mechanism for extracting the cooking member from the cooked dough, thereby creating a chamber in the cooked dough. This mechanism has a gripper which is disposable in grasping contact with a protruding end of the cooking member, a holder disposable in contact with the cooked dough for restraining the cooked dough, and a motive component operatively connected to at least one of the holder and the gripper for moving the one of the holder and the gripper relative to the other to remove the cooking member from cooked dough.

Abstract: An apparatus for shaping and dispensing pureed food is provided. A mold includes a back wall having an opening formed therein. A handle is attached to the mold and a lever is pivotally attached to the handle. A plate is disposed within the mold and has a shape substantially conforming to the back wall. A bracket member extends through the opening formed in the back wall of the mold and includes a first end portion attached to a back side of the plate and a second end portion attached to the lever.

Abstract: A composition and method of making a processed cereal piece fortified with a metal amino acid chelate is disclosed and described. A processed cereal piece and one or more metal amino acid chelates may be combined by either 1) admixing the metal amino acid chelate(s) into the dough, flour or other precursor prior to toasting and/or otherwise cooking; and/or 2) coating the processed cereal piece with the metal amino acid chelate(s).

Abstract: A preferred embodiment of the oil filled rounder bar with grooves for use with an endless belt-type conveyor for transporting dough pieces thereon incorporates a shaping surface formed of oil filled plastic material. The shaping surface forms a pocket with the belt of the conveyor and receives and shapes dough pieces transported along the belt of the conveyor. Preferably, an array of grooves are formed in the shaping surface to promote frictional engagement of the dough pieces with the shaping surface. Method aspects also are provided.

Abstract: A process for forming starch into a molded article using melt processing techniques which process comprises combining starch and water to form a mixture wherein the water content is in the range of about 20.0 to 40.0% by weight with respect to that of the starch and introducing and heating the mixture in an extruder wherein the water content of the product upon discharge from the extruder is less than the water content of the mixture entering the extruder. The extrudate is then, optionally dried, and introduced to a heated injection molding machine and injection molded and cooled to form a molded article wherein the water content of the molded article is at or below about 20% by weight.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of forming proofed dough for baked goods in a predetermined shape, as well as an apparatus for practicing the method. The apparatus includes a closed dough handling system that includes a pressurized dough mixer, a dough transporting device joined to the pressurized dough mixer, and an injection molding device joined to the dough transporting device. The method includes the step of transporting proofed dough from the pressurized dough mixer through the dough transporting device to the injection molding device, wherein the injection molding device fills the injection mold with dough when it is connected to the dough transporting device, thus forming one or more pieces of dough having the predetermined shape within the molds. The injection molds containing the dough may then either be conveyed into an oven to form a baked piece of dough having the predetermined shape, or conveyed into a freezer to form a frozen piece of dough having the predetermined shape.

Abstract: Topical applications are provided to the support material (16) before the deposit of the food (14) thereon or to the food (14) after the deposit of the food (14) on the support material (16). Thus, although the food (14) is continuously deposited on the support material (16), the characteristics of the food is varied by contact with the topical application. In the preferred form, the topical applications are in the form of flavors, colorants and/or fortification ingredients and especially temperature sensitive ingredients.

Abstract: There is proposed a method and an apparatus for producing packages containing foodstuffs, in which a shape (10) made in a lower foil is at least partly covered or closed during the food filling process by a ram (2) which covers the shape (10).

Abstract: Disposable, thin-walled molded articles, such as cups, plates, fast-food packages, trays, flat sheets and the like are produced by applying a starch-based baking composition onto the lower mold part of a multi-part, preferably two-part mold, and by baking and conditioning the composition to a moisture content of between 6 and 22% by weight. The baking composition, in addition to water and a starch or starch mixtures and/or flour or flour mixtures and/or starch derivatives, contains a fat-free or oil-free release agent and, optionally, other typical additives. Polyvinyl alcohol is added to the baking mixture in quantities of 0.5 to 40% by weight, relative to the starch component. The polyvinyl alcohol has a degree of polymerization of over 1000, preferably over 1600 and in particular over 2000, and the proportion of water is 100 to 360% by weight, relative to the starch component. Polyvinyl alcohol can be added either in dry form or in the form of an aqueous solution.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus (10) for making a complexly patterned extrudate. The apparatus (10) includes a food cooker extruder (12) for providing at least one extrudable food product, at least one food color supply (18), a pattern forming die (20) for mixing the food color and extrudate food product to form a complexly patterned food product, a reducing passageway for reducing the cross sectional area of the patterned dough from an inlet end (34) to outlet end (36) of at least 50:1 at an average convergence angle of .ltoreq.45.degree. and an extruder exit port at the discharge end of the reducing passageway. The methods comprise the steps of: providing a plastic extrudable food mass; providing at least one color; mixing the food mass and color to form an organized complexly patterned food dough having an initial cross sectional area; reducing the initial cross sectional area by a factor of at least 50:1 with an average convergence angle of .ltoreq.45.degree.

Abstract: A apparatus and method for infusing flavors into cereal grains and agglomerating the grains into a unitary food product. Grains of cereal, powdered soluble flavors and a moisturizing liquid are supplied to a mixer. The flavors, liquid and cereal grains are thoroughly mixed and the grains surface moisturized and then discharged into a product-forming chamber which is ultrasonically energized for a sufficient period of time so that the flavors are infused within the interiors of the grains which are agglomerated into a unitary product.

Abstract: An apparatus for compressing and baking fluid food under pressure to form unified shaped products has a heated metal mold bottom with a cavity and a heated metal mold top connected to the piston rod of a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder positioned for alternately pressing the mold top down against the mold bottom and lifting it away from the mold bottom. A hinge-like connection attached along a side of the mold bottom and a reversible drive mechanism associated with the hinge-like connection serve to swing the mold bottom over to an inverted position and then back to the molding position. The simple apparatus automatically ejects the molded food product from the inverted mold bottom. A siamese pair of mold bottoms united back-to-back are preferred for large-scale production of molded food shapes. Every inversion of a siamese pair of mold bottoms can discharge a molded product and form another molded product.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for readily mass-producing twist-shaped food products. The method is characterized in that cut V-shaped food materials are formed into twist-shaped products by being passed through a cut-spreading/transport apparatus, a twist-providing apparatus, and roll-pressing plates.

Abstract: A method for making bowl-shaped snack food products, e.g. tortilla chips. The method features placing chip preforms in open bowl-shaped cavities and partially frying the chip preforms by filling them with hot oil from above. Additionally, the preforms are partially fried from below by immersing the lower portions of the preforms in a vat of hot oil and transporting them through the hot oil. After cooking the preforms to a desired moisture content, at which point the preforms retain their bowl shapes outside of or independent of the mold cavities, the preforms are removed from the mold cavities and subsequently cooked to completion in a secondary frying operation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of making food articles such as chocolate articles. The method comprises providing first and second surfaces with cavities that are capable of alignment, depositing a first food in the form of a solidifiable liquid into the cavities of the first surface, depositing a second food in the form of a solidifiable liquid into the cavities of the second surface, aligning the cavities by moving the first and second surfaces toward each other, thus contacting the first food in the first cavities with the second food in the second cavities, and separating the aligned cavities to obtain food articles, wherein the first food comprises a first part of each food article and is joined to the second food which comprises a second part of each food article. The invention also relates to an apparatus for this purpose.

Abstract: A rounder bar for shaping pieces of baking dough advancing upon a conveyor belt has an elongated configuration having top and rear surfaces and an arcuate dough-contacting surface of convex contour with respect to the top and rear surfaces. The dough-contacting surface is provided with a non-occluding texture which minimizes adherence of the dough.

Abstract: A method of dough processing for dividing dough sheets into separate decorative portions in which a continuous repetitive die cuts of interlocking shapes therein. A no waste shape cutting method in which a plurality of identical interlocking shapes are derived from processed dough strips. Each representation defines a portion of an adjacent identical shape thereby utilizing essentially all of the usable dough with little or no waste associated therewith.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing a ready-to-eat cereal and fluid-milk breakfast food product having a firm surface and an interior comprised of fully cooked, soft and moist, fluid-milk-infused cereal grains joined together. The cereal and fluid-milk products of the present invention can be picked up and eaten hand-held because their textures do not become soggy even when the cereal grains have been infused with all the added fluid-milk. In the process of the present invention, a fluid-milk solution which contains starch complexing agents, flavors and sweeteners, are infused into cereal grains at temperatures above 180 F until the cereal grains become infused with all the fluid-milk solution, fully cooked, and soft and moist in texture.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for improving the integrity of seams of ravioli in commercial production. The improvement includes applying dry steam to the top surface of the bottom layer of pasta dough and to the bottom surface of the top layer of pasta dough before sealing the seams together. Steam is applied via a pair of steam manifolds adjacent the pasta layers and increases the adhesiveness of the pasta. In another aspect, stresses in the layers of pasta dough are relieved by forming the individual pockets into convex shapes, reducing the stresses in the upper pasta dough layer.

Abstract: Using a metal mold (8) having an insulating section provided with vapor release sections, pressure outside the metal mold (8) is reduced, and heating is performed while releasing vapor produced thereby through the vapor release sections. This can prevent insulation breakdown caused by condensation of large amounts of vapor produced by ingredients during molding and heating of molded baked snacks by means of resistance heating, dielectric heating, etc.

Abstract: A crystalline pumpable confection mass for obtaining a chewy confectionery product is provided by preparing a sugar-containing liquid medium, concentrating the medium, cooling the concentrated medium to a temperature below its sugar saturation point and kneading to induce sugar crystal nucleation, and then, the medium in which sugar crystallization was induced is heated to obtain a product which is pumpable and so that sugar crystal nucleates are retained in the heated product. To obtain a solidified product, the heated product is cooled, and additionally, the cooling and kneading and heating may be carried out in an extruder.

Abstract: Ice is prepared by freezing a diluent, such as oolong tea, lemon water, green tea, mineral water, or pickled ume extract in water, and crushing the frozen diluent into lumps of varying sizes. The lumps are sprayed with water to bind them together and are refrozen under pressure in the form of multi-void ice blocks. The ice blocks are packaged in cups and sealed by a film cap. A plurality of cups containing the ice blocks are provided in a case.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for the calculated removal of fat from pork skin. Pork skin is subjected to tumbling cycles during which the pork skin is tumbled first in warm water and subsequently in warm water containing salt and concentrated laundry detergent. As this two step cycle is repeated, fat contained within the pork skin separates and is drained from the pork skin with the rinse water. The cycle may be repeated until the pork skin contains a desired percentage of fat. The process does not require that the pork skin be ground or otherwise comminuted in order to selectively remove fat from the material, nor does the process use harsh solvents or chemicals that might render the pork skin inedible or toxic. Because the process is all natural, the reduced fat whole pork skin is edible and may be formed into a variety of canine treats through additional processing and cooking.

Abstract: This invention is directed to increasing the efficiency of production including the rate of production of urea-containing pelletized feeds, increasing the nonprotein nitrogen content of such feeds and increasing the nonprotein nitrogen ("NPN") content of such feeds while improving or maintaining the gravitational flowability of such feeds when the feeds are subjected to material handling conditions, as when they are subjected to gravitational flow.

Abstract: A new natto food is provided, which has a good color, does not scatter easily, is easily handball, has excellent dispersibility, gives gentle feeling when eating without sticking to the oral cavity, has rich taste since there is no peculiar smell, and has new flavor and deliciousness. Soybean flour and/or edible fiber are blended with natto powder. It is more preferable to employ a heat-treatment at least in one of processes comprising: blending the soybean flour and/or the edible fiber with the natto powder; pelletizing and shaping the mixture to granules, drying the shaped matter. The blending ratio of the soybean flour to 1 part by weight of the natto powder is preferably 0.15 to 0.3 parts by weight.

Abstract: A tamale roll prepared from a dough comprising from 1 to 15% by weight of wheat gluten in the presence of a humectant such as glycerol and/or maltodextrin, processes for preparing the tamale roll by steaming tamale shape dough followed by freezing or packaging in nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide or their combinations and kept refrigerated. An edible filling such as a meat or cheese filling may be placed on the tamale roll to make a tamale for serving.

Abstract: Masa handling methods for the continuous processing of masa type dough in conjunction with commonly available feed processing equipment, such as a masa extruder, an oven, or cooling apparatus. One masa handling method includes a masa separator having a pair of opposed, endless belt conveyors having facing surfaces spaced apart to receive a generally continuous masa stream output from a nozzle on the masa extruder. When the masa stream moves between the conveyors, it is gripped by their facing surfaces and moved away from the nozzle, causing the masa to be separated into individual pieces, or logs. The masa handling method can also include feeding the masa to masa hoppers fed by at least two endless belt conveyors arranged in upstream and downstream positions relative to each other.