Abstract: A method and apparatus of preparing heat-gelled foods, dried instant foods together with water added thereto, and liquid food, using microwaves, wherein the food to be prepared by microwave heating is placed in a vessel and at least one protrusion is arranged in the vessel. The protrusion is made of a material having a function of collecting microwaves and upon subjection to microwaves collects the microwaves and results in uniform heating of the food placed in the vessel.

Abstract: A system and method for making a frozen confection having a plurality of differently flavored or colored sections are provided. After creating in a mold a frozen outer layer comprising the ingredients for a first flavor or color, a carving means, such as a heated tool or a nozzle ejecting high-pressure gas, removes a portion of the frozen outer layer in accordance with a predetermined pattern. The ingredients for a second flavor or color then are added, and the mold is subjected to freezing to form the final product. Alternatively, a tool having protrusions contacting portions of the inner surface of the mold is inserted into the mold, before or after insertion of the first ingredients, the first ingredients are frozen, the tool is removed, and the second ingredients then are added and frozen. In another embodiment, a first flavor or color is sprayed onto the inner wall of the mold in a pattern and frozen.

Abstract: A utensil body 1 and a lid 2 are made of a metallic magnetic material which generates heat when eddy currents are induced therein in order to cook food with heat which is applicable to any of boiling, steaming, sauteing, frying, casseroling, and baking or roasting, which utilizes the utensil body 1 applicable to both gas combustion heating and eddy-current heating, and which allows cooking to be performed using water, oil or air as a cooking medium.

Abstract: A process for the manufacture of a coated foodstuff comprising a substantially uncooked foodstuff portion enrobed in a heat-set batter whereby the batter is set by exposing the coated foodstuff to targeted dielectric heat.

Abstract: Culture vessels for cell cultures having at least one cell culture chamber containing a cell culture mixture that is separated by a dialysis membrane from a nutrient medium in a nutrient supply chamber. Nutrients are transported through the dialysis membrane into the cell culture chamber and metabolic products are transported out of the cell culture chamber into the nutrient supply chamber. A gas exchange membrane that at least partly delimits the cell culture chamber and that is impermeable to liquids and to microorganisms that could contaminate the cell cultures is provided for feeding the gases required for cell culturing to the culture chamber and for discharging the gases generated during cell culturing. The cell culture chamber can advantageously be configured as a stand-alone module supporting both the dialysis membrane and the gas exchange membrane.

Abstract: A coffee roaster oven chamber wherein coffee beans are heated and intermixed in a fluidized bed is fabricated as a unitary structure from a transparent material that allows incandescent coils to radiantly heat coffee beans while they are concurrently heated by air heated by the same coils. In a preferred embodiment the oven chamber is fabricated from glass as a single piece structure which may be removed from the coffee roaster for adding or removing coffee beans and cleaning.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing shredded food products, such as cheese, is disclosed. The method and apparatus permits the production of cheese shreds to be accomplished in a unified operation wherein a sheet of cheese is produced and that sheet of cheese is cut to desired dimensions directly from the casting line. An arrangement of the invention may comprise a sheet former, a casting line, and a shredding assembly, all of which function as a single unit. The shredding assembly, itself a unique arrangement, first slices the incoming sheet of cheese into ribbons, and then cuts each of these ribbons to length. The sheet of cheese may be sliced into ribbons by passing the cheese through a pair of rollers having grooves or slots machined into their surfaces, the width of the slots corresponding to the desired width of the cheese ribbons. The cheese ribbons are presented to a plurality of transversely mounted elongate blades, each of which revolves about a common axis.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a sheet of material, e.g., dough or masa, from a supply of the material includes a pair of rotatable rollers that define therebetween a gap into which is input a dough mass and out of which is produced a dough sheet. Fluctuations in the size of the roller gap are sensed by detecting changes in the position of one of the rollers, which changes are input to a servo system that automatically corrects the position of the one roller so as to maintain the proper gap size. The one roller is movably mounted in scissor-like fashion and is easily driven by a servo motor. A cutter is provided which presses against one of the rollers to cut individual dough portions from the sheet. The ends of the cutter are subjected to a bending moment which induces a camber in the cutter. This prevents the central portion of the cutter from bowing away from the roller and ensures uniform pressure between the cutter and roller, even for applications with an extremely long cutter and rollers.

Abstract: The present invention is directed toward a method for transferring heat to food articles for cooking or staging ensuring bacteriological safety in the fast food production of hamburgers and other protein or farinaceous food articles. The process provides a means to initially cook frozen food articles sealed in heat conducting containers, such as a flexible pouch to cook raw food articles or previously cooked food articles, and to stage same for prolonged time periods at optimum product quality at a selected low temperature, thereby assuring precision, time and temperature-related, pathogenic risk management and food safety for public consumption. The process provides a means of holding the patties and/or other food articles encased in suitable plastic packages for prolonged time periods at an equilibrated, safe internal temperature range, selectable between 130.degree. and 185.degree. F., which temperature range is optional and maintained in order to guarantee bacteriological food safety by achieving 99.

Abstract: A cooking-extruding apparatus and method for the cooking-extrusion of biopolymers for the production of thermally treated food granulates, snack products, cereals or similar products. The cooker-extruder having a feeding hopper, a conveying screw, an exit nozzle, and at least one spatula-pump disposed between the conveying screw and the exit nozzle. Each spatula-pump includes a spatula element and plate having a matrix of holes. In operation, the spatula element assists the material being processed through the plate having a matrix of holes. An embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention includes the use of two conveying screws. The spatula-pumps are arranged serially such that the material being processed passes through one spatula-pump to the next until it is passed through the exit nozzle of the apparatus.

Abstract: An improved convection/impingement oven for continuously cooking food. The oven has a wire link type belt which moves through an elongated cooking chamber. Hot air is blown on the upper surface of the food to be cooked. A separately controlled hot air source is blown on the lower surface of the food. Hot air impingement units are placed along the length of the oven and the cooking vapors are not recirculated but instead pass along the elongated cooking chamber and are exhausted at the end. Preferably a color development and sealing section has upper and lower burners which heat the food and the heat from these burners also pass the entire length of the cooking chamber before being exhausted. Also preferably steam or a water spray is used to regulate the humidity and this may be regulated in several different sections of the cooking chamber.

Abstract: A continuous process for making fat-free potato chips without using any cooking oil whatsoever. Chipping potatoes are prepared, sliced, continuously monolayered onto a conveyer and squeegeed to remove the excess starch and moisture. The slices are initial cooked on independently controlled conveyers in a primary 3-zone oven where they are first radiant heated and then subjected to two stages of forced air convection heating by driving the air into both surfaces of the slices simultaneously as the moisture content is reduced to 15%. The slices are then final cooked in a dielectric heater where an even controlled heat is applied in two tandem drying zones where the potato slices are subjected to long wavelength (65.8 ft.) radio frequency (15 mhz) waves from two 20 kw transmitters which reduce the moisture content of the finished slices to 7%. The finished potato chips are seasoned and packaged and have the texture, appearance and mouthfeel of deep-fat fried potato chips.

Abstract: Instant fresh corn dough or masa may be prepared in short processing times, with low energy consumption and without liquid wastes by extruding a mixture of corn flour, lime and water in an extrusion or kneading chamber until a homogeneous dough is obtained, heating the homogeneous dough to cooking temperature while kneading is continued, expelling the cooked dough through a die from the extrusion chamber to a holding chamber, cooling the dough in said holding chamber and discharging the cooked and cooled dough through a discharge orifice, whereby the total processing time may be reduced to between 1.5 to a maximum of 7 minutes for the preparation of a fully nixtamalized corn dough or masa.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for cutting bar-shaped food and its bar-shaped food apparatus, capable of cutting completely food materials mass-produced and pushed out sequentially in a bar shape without leaving any protrusion on its cutting surface and simultaneously making its cutting surface round. According to the present invention, even if it is bar-shaped food having core including not less than two kinds of food materials, such food can be cut off neatly without exposing its core material to the surface of the outer covering material.

Abstract: A process for preparing sheet-like soybean protein foods which comprises molding a soybean protein raw material mixture into a sheet and irradiating it intermittently by a microwave is disclosed. The sheet-like soybean protein foods obtained have fine porous structures with considerably high strength and flexible and soft mouth feel. The desired taste can be readily given to the sheet-like soybean protein foods by boiling them in a seasoning liquid.

Abstract: The present invention is directed toward a method for transferring heat to food articles for cooking or staging ensuring bacteriological safety in the fast food production of hamburgers and other protein or farinaceous food articles. The process provides a means to initially cook frozen food articles sealed in heat conducting containers, such as a flexible pouch to cook raw food articles or previously cooked food articles, and to stage same for prolonged time periods at optimum product quality at a selected low temperature, thereby assuring precision, time and temperature-related, pathogenic risk management and food safety for public consumption. The process provides a means of holding the patties and/or other food articles encased in suitable plastic packages for prolonged time periods at an equilibrated, safe internal temperature range, selectable between 130.degree. and 185.degree. F., which temperature range is optional and maintained in order to guarantee bacteriological food safety by achieving 99.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for improving quality and increasing syrup yield within a beverage blending system. The apparatus and the associated method are adaptable to existing proportioning and blending systems or the appropriate control and measurement equipment may be installed alone to provide a highly accurate control of the blend. This control is a function of the mass flow of at least one of the components input to the proportioner. From this mass flow determination an adjusted volumetric flow value for the component(s) is determined. The ratio of the volumetric flow of the water to the syrup is used to determine a signal to control the proportional blending. Adjustment of the blend ratio is made by comparing the calculated ratio to the set beverage values. Control of the carbonation of the system is also incorporated as well as a device to fully saturate the CO.sub.2 into the liquid flow.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing a batch of dough includes a housing that supports a conveyor, a press, and a cutter. The apparatus further includes a drive motor for the conveyor and press. Upon the placement of a batch of dough on the conveyor, the conveyor feeds the batch of dough to the press. The press squeezes the batch of dough against the conveyor to compress it into a thin flat sheet. After the batch of dough has been compressed, the conveyor feeds the flat thin flat sheet to the cutter. The cutter includes an elliptically shaped cutting edge so that, as the flat thin sheet of dough passes underneath the cutter, the cutter cuts ellipses of dough for delivery to a baking device. The motor forms part of a chain drive system that drives the conveyor in an endless loop and, further, drives the press to compress the batch of dough into the thin flat sheet.

Abstract: The present invention provides improved methods and apparatus for forming dough into a desired configuration. A sheet of dough travels on a continuous conveyor across a relatively rigid support surface and beneath a dough forming element. Air is forced into an upper chamber in a pneumatic cylinder to drive the dough forming element downward into contact with the dough. The dough is cut, and a portion of the cut dough is forced upward and into contact with heated protrusions on the dough forming element, which deactivate yeast in the dough. The dough forming element moves downstream together with the conveyor while the dough is being cut and formed. Air is forced into a lower chamber in the pneumatic cylinder to drive the dough forming element upward out of contact with the dough. A portion of the air forced into the lower chamber is channeled to an interface between the dough forming element and the cut and formed dough.

Abstract: In the apparatus and method of the present invention, the solid food to be sterilized is exposed to the steam so that the steam flow directly hits the food. In the another aspect of the invention, the heating and sterilizing chamber for heating and sterilizing the food comprises drain means for draining the unnecessary fluid therefrom. As a result of that, the temperature of the food can be raised uniformly, so that the sterilization of the food without degrading the quality of the food is attainable.