Abstract: A process and device are disclosed for detoxicating and decontaminating produce, in particular cereals and other seeds used as foodstuffs and/or fodder. The produce or cereals are subjected to an ultrasonic treatment in an aqueous medium. It has been discovered that such a treatment surprisingly causes effective decontamination or detoxication of the contaminated produce, without affecting the appearance, taste, nutritive value of the decontaminated produce, above all cereal produce.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for controlling seasoning of kimchi, capable of meeting maximally the user's taste, by deriving a seasoning condition by deduction about the load of kimchi to be seasoned, seasoning the kimchi according to the derived seasoning condition, and varying a seasoning time derived based on the user's taste in a small range, are disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a sheet of material from a supply of the material includes a pair of rotatable rolls that define a gap which forms the material into a sheet. The size of the roll gap is maintained constant during the sheeting operation despite forces exerted on the apparatus caused by inconsistencies in the material being sheeted. The apparatus has a force-applying mechanism which applies a selected amount of force against one of the rolls to bias the one roll toward the other roll, the amount of force being sufficient to overcome any force exerted on the apparatus by the material during sheeting, which forces would otherwise result in variations in the size of the roll gap and the thickness of the resulting product. The one roll is movably mounted in scissor-like fashion and is acted on by the force-applying mechanism in a direction which biases the one roll against the other roll.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling the preparation of food product in an oven which includes a food preparation chamber. A first heat source is provided to heat the air in the chamber and a second heater is located in a water reservoir to establish the water vapor content in the chamber. The temperature of the air in the chamber and the temperature of the water in the reservoir are selected to maintain conditions in the chamber in selected relation with the equilibrium characteristics of the food product in preparation in the chamber. Different process steps and procedures can be provided in memory in the apparatus and selectively recalled for preparing food and the conditions in the chamber can be adjusted during a cooking cycle to produce a food product with desired characteristics.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing coextruded products by coextruding continuous strands of one extrudable material and enveloping sheaths and twisting these sheathed strands about each other for at least part of a full revolution. An apparatus for manufacturing such products comprises a multiplicity of nozzles each having a central bore with feeding means and an annular opening surrounding this bore having separte feeding means, which nozzles are arranged for mutual movement comprising at least part of a rotation.

Abstract: A method for prolonging the shelf-life of perishable food products includes applying a fluid coating to a surface of the food product. The fluid coating adheres to the surface and forms a solid coating that covers the surface. The solid coating is preferably an edible coating and is at least partially transparent to light having a frequency within a prescribed frequency range, and the solid coating reduces the accessibility of the surface of the food product to microorganisms. Next, the solid coating is illuminated with light within the prescribed frequency range. At least a portion of the light passes through the solid coating and deactivates microorganisms at and near the surface of the food product thereby increasing the shelf-life of the food product. An apparatus for carrying out the above method has an application device that applies the fluid coating material to the surface; a light source that illuminates the solid coating with light; and a energizing device that energizes the light source.

Abstract: A device for transmitting a heating or cooling medium to a moving substrate which includes at least one continuous channel traversing at least a major portion of the width of the moving substrate for converting a multidirectional flow of the heating or cooling medium into a unidirectional flow, a device for removing and/or preventing the presence of foreign matter within the channel, and ovens and freezers employing the same.

Abstract: A method for utilizing heat energy for cooking food includes preparing two stone materials having more than 55.5% of Calcium Oxide, and mixing the stone materials with salt and calcium chloride of different portions and heating the stone materials gradually and rapidly so as to form a slow and a fast heating materials. The slow and fast heating materials are crushed and mixed together so as to form a final heating material. The final heating material is mixed with water so as to generate steam in order to cook food.

Abstract: A multiplicity of variable density fluid streams, each having been processed to yield individual fluid streams of desired densities, are combined in a manner to achieve controlled ratios of each stream as determined by a recipe structure to produce a final mixture of a desired density. This system further allows injection of solids or other pumpable fluids utilizing the same overall control equipment, compensating for displacement to again yield a final mixture to meet a desired weight per unit volume. This system may be utilized to manufacture a variety of products, especially edible foods such as frozen toppings, marshmallows, ice creams and other comestibles. The overall control system hardware may be extended to further control related aspects of process equipment such as heat exchange functions, flowrate, level, pressure, and the like, as may be required to achieve economical utilization of the microprocessor capabilities.

Abstract: Apparatus for decontaminating poultry carcasses is disclosed. The apparatus includes a tank which has an auger to transport the carcasses from the inlet to the outlet while a disinfectant solution is introduced into the tank. The apparatus also includes one or both of the following devices: 1) an ultrasonic wave generator which directs ultrasonic waves at the carcasses in the tank; or 2) a fluid pump and conduit terminating in the tank to direct a pressurized curtain of fluid at the carcasses passing through the tank.

Abstract: A method is described herein to disinfest, decontaminate and extend the shelf life of shellfish by using an open-end system where trawled shellfish are placed on a computer controlled conveyor belt after being washed with seawater. Shellfish are then transported into pressurized treatment tanks that contain either gas or gas molecules (i.e., 1-ascorbic acid). After exiting the tank the shellfish are automatically placed in rows on a conveyor belt for their controlled, sequential irradiation. The shellfish then enter the irradiation chamber in the presence of carbon dioxide and it is then irradiated with machine generated electron beams. Upon completion, the shellfish exit the irradiation chamber via a conveyor belt and are then transported to an agitated continuous flow depuration tank that is equipped with ultra-sonification devices. The shellfish remain in these tanks until arrival at the port.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for the treatment of fluids, particularly wine, to remove unwanted substances. The wine is treated in a reverse osmosis (R.O.) treatment unit, generating a retentate and a raw permeate. The membrane for the R.O. unit is selected to pass in the permeate the unwanted substances, such as volatile acidity (ethyl acetate and acetic acid). The raw permeate is subjected to a treatment column. In the case of volatile acidity, this is an anion exchange column, which removes the acetic acid from the permeate by anion exchange and removes the ethyl acetate by base hydrolysis. This produces a purified permeate, which is depleted in volatile acidity, but contains other components desirable for the wine. The purified permeate is then recombined with the retentate from the R.O. column, and the result is wine with the volatile acidity and little else removed. This wine may be recirculated through the system to remove yet more of the volatile acidity.

Abstract: A method of making blocks of pasta filata cheese, by laminating ribbons of cheese to a desired thickness, and cutting the ribbons to length. A plastic ribbon of hot, pasta filata cheese is extruded onto a conveyor. While on the conveyor, the ribbon is chilled by either brine, cold water, or super chilled air. Heat is removed from the ribbon, only until the ribbon has set up, and is self supporting. The set up ribbon is stacked on other ribbon while the ribbon is being transported. The stacked ribbons laminate at the ribbon to ribbon contact surfaces. Lengths of the laminated ribbon are cut into blocks.

Abstract: A Kimchi fermentation and/or storage control apparatus of a refrigerator includes at least one compartment for holding Kimchi; a heater for raising the temperature of the compartment to a predetermined fermentation temperature; a cooling device for lowering the temperature of the compartment to a predetermined storage temperature; a temperature setting and mode selecting section; a temperature sensing means for the compartment; and, a microprocessor for controlling the operations of the heating means and the cooling means according to the signals supplied to the temperature setting and mode selecting section and the temperature sensor means. The microprocessor previously stores in its memory the mathematical product of amount of the time, required to obtain the acidity level of Kimchi considered as the optimum fermentation condition at a given temperature, multiplied by the temperature as a "fermentation completion value".

Abstract: A high pressure-treated cereal which has been subjected to a pressure of not lower than 1000 atm to not higher than 9000 atm in a liquid within a pressure chamber for a period of time required for internal denaturation and subsequently dried, and a method of preparing the cereal. The cereal can be cooked with reduced labor and time and is less allergenic.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method for preparing a confection from a sugar or sugarless bulking agent which comprises, in the downstream direction of conveyance, the continuous sequence of steps of:a) introducing the bulking agent into the barrel of a twin screw extruder equipped with multiple heating zones;b) extrusion mixing the bulking agent in a first series of heating zones to melt the bulking agent, wherein the first series of heating zones is configured to include a minimum time for melting the bulking agent;c) extrusion mixing the melted bulking agent from the first series of heating zones to an orifice plug, wherein the orifice plug is configured to include a minimum time for melting the bulking agent;d) extrusion mixing the melted bulking agent from the orifice plug to a heating zone having a pressure control valve, wherein the pressure control valve is configured to include a minimum time for melting the bulking agent;e) extrusion mixing the melted bulking agent from the heating zone having

Abstract: A method is disclosed for preparing a surface-pasteurized, low-fat, formed meat product. The method comprises removing surface fat, bones, and gristle, and cutting the meat into pieces. The pieces are mechanically tenderized and then mixed with water, salt, and phosphate. The mixture is massaged at 0.degree. to 15.degree. C. so that fat is conducted out of the meat and deposited on the wall of the apparatus, and protein is exuded to form a sticky surface on the pieces of meat. This procedure reduces the fat content to less than about 5% by weight of the finished product. The fat content can be adjusted to a selected level, however, by mixing fat particles with the massaged meat. The massaged meat is then formed into a selected shape and frozen. The shaped meat is subjected to portion control either before or after freezing. The portions are then partially thawed, and the partially thawed portions are surface-pasteurized at ultra-high temperature (UHT), e.g. 900-1200.degree. C.

Abstract: The disclosed invention is directed to novel ceramic compositions, and to stabilizer compositions for use with those ceramic compositions. The ceramic materials are formed of rare earth chromium oxides that include a novel combination of stabilizing compounds. Also, dryer or sterilizer devices which incorporate these ceramic compositions for generating infrared radiation for drying or sterilizing various articles.

Abstract: A thickness control system for a high speed tortilla sheeting machine automatically adjusts a pinch point gap between a pair of sheeting rollers to maintain a generally uniform thickness of the produced "masa" (i.e., corn dough) sheet. The control system includes a pair of sensors, a controller, and a pair of actuators. The sensors continuously monitor the distance to the surface of a produced masa sheet. The controller derives from the sensor output signal a measurement of the thickness of the produced masa sheet, and compares this measurement to a preset thickness. The controller then directs one or more of the actuators to change the distance between the two sheeting rollers of the tortilla sheeting machine as necessary to produce a masa sheet at the desired preset thickness.