Abstract: A food preparation apparatus having a food carrier holding one or more articles of food being removeably positioned on a transport mechanism for travel in a linear direction and being simultaneously rotated and advanced subjecting the food to a predetermined level of cooking heat wherein the carrier has a predetermined weakened area for improved handling of the food after cooking. A food preparation apparatus having a discharge station allowing finished products to safely exit and not immediately handled by the operator. Because of the magnetic rail system the food-mounting skewer stays in place horizontally (hangs in space,) while pushed further along the rail by the next product. This is extremely useful for operations such as amusement parks and carnivals where the operator's attention is frequently distracted. The food being discharged will simply move along the rail, and wait for the operator, there is no chance of the product falling, or piling up due to lack of operator attention.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for the processing of oil-producing drupes, notably olives, is described comprising at least one device (20, 24) for the processing of whole drupes which effects a physical destructuring with incipient detachment of the drupe pulp from the skins and stones, under conditions which substantially avoid the oxidation mainly of the pulp's natural antioxidants; at least one device (42, 52; 110; 120, 124, 130, 134, 160, 170) for the physical separation and recovery (at 100) of the pulp essentially devoid of stones and advantageously skins, and (at 92, 96, 110) of the stones essentially devoid of pulp, advantageously with the skins, ly under conditions which substantially avoid oxidation; and at least one device (160, 170, 172, 174) for the separation and recovery of the pulp oil essentially devoid of stone oil and containing the pulp's natural antioxidants, thereby improving the purity and oxidation resistance of the pulp oil.

Abstract: The present invention relates to pizzas and pizza-type products preparation and delivery method. The present invention deals with a method for providing to consumer a freshly baked pizza-type food product using individually frozen ingredients, combining them and baking them in less than 5 minutes; the individually frozen ingredients and the pizza-type food product being respectively stored and baked in a mobile, compact and energetically autonomous baking-selling unit.

Abstract: An extruder die assembly and method for using same is disclosed which is designed for adaptation to a wide variety of commercial-grade extrusion devices common in the food industry. The extruder die assembly is inserted into an appropriate compartment within an extrusion device such that a first extrudate is directed down a coaxially aligned passageway within the forming section and combined with a fluid additive in the injection section whereupon the resulting food mass is compressed through a converging nozzle bore in the nozzle section to produce an extruded food product. The forming section and injection section are fabricated as a matching set. A novel feature of the invention is an injection nozzle which supplies fluid additives from an exterior pressurized source to a supply port formed in the extruder die assembly. The subject injection nozzle exhibits superior sealing qualities in conjunction with simplicity and flexibility.

Abstract: A method of cooking a complete meal in one vessel involving placing specified types of foods in a specific sequence of layers within the vessel, along with appropriate flavorings, so that the various foods retain their separate flavors and structural integrity and can be served separately after cooking.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for predicting tomato paste consistency loss and yield loss.

Abstract: The leading edge of a sheet of dough product impacts an impacting feature and causes the leading edge to roll over onto itself thereby initiating a roll. Engagement enhancement is utilized to increased to increase the ability of the sheet of dough product to resist sliding upon impacting the impacting feature. This provides a tighter rolled dough product having a consistent size and shape. Thus, in accordance with one specific aspect of the present invention, rolled dough products for subsequent packaging into containers may be formed that have a repeatable size and shape. By providing rolled dough products having a repeatable size and shape a more efficient and economical process results. This is because the size and shape of the rolled dough product is controlled with respect to the size of the container.

Abstract: An apparatus for bending a bar-like dough piece into substantially an M-shaped piece. A conveying section (2) continuously conveys bar-like dough pieces (1) in a traveling direction that is orthogonal to the length of the bar-like dough piece (1). Each incoming bar-like dough piece (1), whose length is measured by photosensors (38), is centered by a centering device in a centering section (3) based on the measured length of it A forming section (4) bends the centered bar-like dough piece (1) with a centrally located bending member and two bending members symmetrically located with respect to the center of the length of the bar-like dough piece. Because the symmetrically located bending members are oriented inversely with respect to the centrally located bending member, the bar-like dough piece (1) is formed into an M-shaped piece.

Abstract: A flexible mold made of silicone for confectionery, bread-making or the like, can be used in traditional ovens and microwave ovens. The tray has a stiffened edge preferably of metallic wire dipped in the silicone or of plastic or metallic frame structure, co-stamped or manually inserted into the edge. This improves handling, especially with liquid products, while keeping those flexibility features that make it easy to remove fragile contents from the oven and to deform and flatten it in order to store it in reduced space.

Abstract: Uniformly shaped snack chips, preferably tortilla-type chips, having raised surface features and a method for preparing the same. The chips can be made from a dough composition comprising pre-cooked starch-based material and pregelatinized starch. Preferably, the snack chips have raised surface features comprising from about 12% to about 40% large surface features; from about 20% to about 40% medium surface features; and from about 25% to about 60% small surface features. In one embodiment, the average thickness of the snack chip is from about 1 mm to about 3 mm; the average thickness of raised surface features is from about 2.3 mm to about 3.2 mm; the maximum thickness of the chip is less than about 5.5 mm; and the coefficient of variation of the chip thickness is greater than about 15%.

Abstract: In a method for controlling the mixing of dough ingredients in a mixer, dough ingredients are mixed. The amount of power supplied to the mixer is measured in specified time intervals. Data relating to the amount of power supplied are stored. Based on the stored data, a decline in the amount of power supplied to the mixer is identified and the mixer mixes the dough ingredients for a predetermined period of time after the decline is identified. A mixer of the present invention includes a mixing device, a motor coupled to the mixing device, a power source coupled to the motor, and a mixing-time controller.

Abstract: A method of using a rotatable roll for rolling oil-containing agricultural products or other types of cereals or foodstuffs. The roll has a roll body of metal and an outer covering of a non-metal material, especially synthetic material or a mixture of synthetic material and rubber.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for shaping or forming the leading edge portion of an elongated food product include: (a) moving an elongated food item forward over a first travel lane in a predetermined travel path in a food processing system, the elongated food item having a leading edge portion that extends beyond the primary body portion of the food, the travel lane having a floor food support surface, the food item residing on the floor support surface; (b) blowing the leading edge portion of the food item in an upward direction away from the floor support surface while the food item is moving forward in the first travel lane; and then (c) forcing the leading edge portion of the food item rearward so that it overlies and contacts an upper portion of the primary body of the food item while the food item is moving forward. Other methods and devices cut the leading edge portion of the elongated product, that may be a meat product stuffed into a casing, before the product moves up an inclined ramp.

Abstract: A method of maintaining temperature of a hot beverage in an urn with a self-heating urn (10) provided with heat packs (18) that are rapidly heated during the brewing process and then gradually release their heat to the brewed beverage within the urn after it is removed from the brewing location to a serving location at which electrical powered for heating is not available. The heat packs (18) are formed of ceramic materials, high density liquids, PCM's or the like which are capable of being rapidly heated during the brewing process but then gradually release their heat to the beverage in the urn. Alternatively, the warmer packs (18) are removably mounted within a compartment (68) within the self-heating urn (10) and are heated apart from the brewing process and then inserted into the self-heating urn (10) when it is moved to a serving location.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of preparing cooked rice, comprising steaming raw rice having a water content of less than 30% by weight and then boiling the steamed rice, to cooked rice prepared according to the present method, and to cooked rice types comprising the cooked rice.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a continuous process for the production of flour and dough using ground corn kernels where before grinding the hull and tip cap are removed from the corn kernels which ground corn produces an endosperm/germ flour. The endosperm/germ flour then is moisturized and cooked with direct and indirect heat to gelatinize about 10 to about 50 weight percent of the starch in the flour.

Abstract: A production method of Chinese fried meat dumplings includes loading meat dumplings on a conveyer, steaming the meat dumplings on the conveyer, and frying the meat dumplings by increasing a temperature of the conveyer from 50° C. to 200-280° C. in 1-8 minutes as the conveyer moves the meat dumplings toward downstream.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring a liquid undergoing anaerobic fermentation in a vessel is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an airlock containing a fluid for sealing the vessel and an electrical circuit operatively arranged to pass a current through the fluid to detect passage of bubbles through the airlock.

Abstract: The invention provides methods and moulding devices for moulding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff which is suitable for human consumption, in particular from a mass of meat, in particular chicken. The method comprises filling a mould cavity with a portion of the mass under the influence of a filling pressure exerted on the mass and for a filling period via a filling opening associated with the mould cavity, closing the filling opening of the mould cavity and holding the mass in the mould cavity for a fixing period. Then, the mould cavity is opened and the moulded product is removed from the mould cavity. The method uses fixing-pressure-exerting means which are designed to exert a fixing pressure which acts on the mass in the mould cavity after the filled mould cavity has been closed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing a dehydrated food product from a wet plant material (MH), in particular in juice or purée form, by drying the said material in the form of a thin layer (CF) on a hot wall. This process is remarkable by the fact that a film consisting of vegetable oil (HV) is distributed on the said wall (1) before depositing thereon the thin film (CF) to be dried. It makes it possible to obtain a dry product, in particular in the form of smooth and bright flakes.