Abstract: Cut, cooked peppers, substantially free of core portions, are prepared. Cooked peppers are distributed to form an essentially single layer on a suitable support such as a conveyor. They are cut both parallel to and transversely to the direction of movement of the support. The support, holding pieces of flesh and core, is moved relative to a plurality of pins to impale both. The pins are preferentially withdrawn from the pieces of flesh and remain impaled within the cores, thereby separating one from the other. In its more comprehensive aspects, the process includes the further steps of: roasting the peppers whole, including core, stem and calyx, to provide roasted peppers; and washing and tumbling the peppers after roasting to separate skins therefrom. Desirably, the pieces of flesh are acidified, diced and packaged, after separation of the cores.

Abstract: A process for making cheese including the addition of calcium chloride to milk, heating the milk slowly to about 85.degree. C., holding the milk at 85.degree. C. for about 30 minutes, adding hot food-grade organic acid to the milk to reduce pH to about 4.4 to form a curd, removing the whey and cooling curd rapidly to about 8.degree. C. The process lends to making Queso Blanco (white cheese).

Abstract: Dough intended for use in producing bakery products is homogenized and advanced to extrusion nozzles where it is cut into successive pieces that fall onto a moving conveyor. The pieces are of precisely uniform weight because a constant pressure is maintained on the dough as it is forwarded by a metering pump toward the nozzles. Apparatus for achieving such result includes an auger, a developer positioned downstream from the auger, and a transition chamber fed by the developer and located upstream from the metering pump. A pressure-measuring monitor serves to control the rotational speed of the auger, thereby maintaining the dough under constant pressure within the apparatus.

Abstract: A method for producing a molded chocolate product having a complicated concaved and convexed decorative pattern thereon involves the steps of: (a) charging a low viscosity fluidized chocolate material into a complicated concaved and convexed decorative pattern portion of an elastic mold in bag form for forming the complicated concaved and convexed decorative pattern of the chocolate product so that air bubbles necessarily incorporated into the low viscosity fluidized chocolate material ascend therethrough so as to be removed, (b) charging an ordinarily tempered fluidized chocolate material into the elastic mold to form a main body of the chocolate product, and (c) solidifying the low viscosity fluidized chocolate material and the ordinarily tempered fluidized chocolate material charged into the elastic mold followed by taking the molded chocolate product out of the elastic mold.

Abstract: A method of sterilizing a liquid milk based product comprises indirect preheating of the product and final heating to a sterilization temperature 140.degree.-150.degree. C. by direct steam injection. The product is cooled by so called flash-cooling at which steam corresponding to the added amount of steam is evaporated. The product is cooled by indirect cooling. It is now proposed that the product prior to the flash-cooling is cooled from the sterilization temperature 140.degree.-150.degree. C. to a temperature in the interval 90.degree.-120.degree. C. in an indirect, first cooling step after which the product is cooled by flash-cooling to a temperature of 70.degree.-85.degree. C. The apparatus for sterilization comprises a balance vessel (1) connected to an indirectly working first heat exchanger (4) for heating of the milk based product. A steam injection nozzle (6) is arranged in a pipe line out from the heat exchanger (4).

Abstract: Disclosed are vacuum-packed food packages (10) having enlarged head spaces (56) under high vacuum, which enable food products (58) to be retorted after sealing, with resulting improved flavor, color, texture, and/or nutrient retention. Easily removable press-on, pry-off closures (13) having movable insert disks (16) in an outer shell (14) are also disclosed. Pressing the shell upward to remove it from a container (11) first pries a protrusion (28) inside the shell over a snap rib (22) around the container, then moves the shell upward relative to the disk until the snap rib engages the edge of the disk and lifts the disk to break the seal. A tamper evidencing band (22), if included, is broken before the shell is pried off or the disk is lifted. Food packages which automatically open when heated in microwave ovens are also disclosed.

Abstract: A cotton candy machine includes a spinner head having upper and lower spinner elements spaced apart at least by about 1/2 inch and defining with a spacer a common sugar chamber operatively communicating with each spinner element. Sugar from the common chamber is directed to each element where it is heated and issues from the head in molten form. Upper and lower apertures of the apparatus are at least about 7/8 inch from respective apertures in other spinner element. The number of same size servings for the same initial amount of sugar is substantially increased over prior heads with elements or apertures not so spaced apart, while energy requirements are at the same time substantially decreased. Apparatus and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: Chocolate products are formed by feeding solid set chocolate to an extruder and passing the chocolate through the extruder at a temperature below the pour point of the chocolate to deform and extrude the chocolate.

Abstract: The nozzle plate is provided for spraying the candy melt from the first pressure vessel into the second, third, and fourth pressure vessels so as to create maximum contact of the gas and candy melt. Further, the agitation propeller is provided for dispersing again the candy melt sprayed through the nozzle plate. The process according to the present invention comprise spraying the candy melt through the nozzle plate and dispersing again the sprayed candy melt by the agitation propeller. The candy produced has gas content of 4-5 cc/g.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is shown for subjecting animal carcasses immediately after slaughter and evisceration to residence for a specific time period in a steam chamber for the purpose of preheating the skin of the carcasses to assist in controlling the moisture absorption of the carcasses in a chiller as well as for sterilization of the carcasses to kill harmful bacteria on all exposed surfaces of the eviscerated carcasses.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process of preparing a safer fore of grilled or flame-broiled foods by reducing the presence and formation of known and potential carcinogenic compounds in such foods without sacrificing the flavors and organoleptic properties normally associated with such food. The invention also relates to a grill apparatus for carrying out the grilling of such foods. Both the inventive grilling process and grill apparatus utilize a fractionating medium which is capable of separating the lower boiling point smoke compounds from the higher boiling point smoke compounds, allowing said lower boiling point flavor compounds to contact the food, while retaining said higher boiling point carcinogenic compounds and thereby preventing them from contacting the food.

Abstract: An improved controller for a feed grain conditioning device is characterized by a microcontroller which operates valve actuator relays to control the delivery of moisture to feed grains in order to adjust the grain moisture content to a desired level. A software program controls the operation of the microcontroller. It includes a main program affording user interface and an interrupt program used to calculate the moisture flow necessary to attain the target moisture content in accordance with the moisture content of untreated grain and with the grain mass flow.

Abstract: Cooking method and apparatus capable of saving calorie necessary for cooking and generating desired convection in to-be-treated materials and stirring them during cooking are disclosed. The cooking method sends a gas into the to-be-heated materials inside the cooking container to generate bubbles, and heats and cooks the to-be-heated materials while fluidizing and stirring them by ascending streams of the bubbles. According to this cooking method, the heating temperature and the intensity of the stirring stream can be combined freely under the most suitable condition for respective cooking, and freedom of cooking can be drastically improved.

Abstract: A method is described for cooking beef patties, which may be contaminated with the foot and mouth disease virus to produce cooked patties in which any foot and mouth disease virus has been inactivated. The method comprises preparing patties from a ground meat mixture having a desired fat content, and then cooking the patties in a broiler and then in a humidified oven.

Abstract: A method and machine for compressing a bacon slab are disclosed. The machine comprises a frame with a support surface having front, rear and opposite side edges. Separate hydraulic actuated pressure elements are mounted on the frame adjacent at least the rear and opposite side edges of the supporting surface. A second hydraulic fluid pressure element is mounted on the frame over the support surface. Fluid pressure sensing elements and displacement and measuring means are on each of the first and second pressure elements. A computer circuit is operatively connected to the first and second pressure elements, the fluid pressure sensing elements, and the linear displacement and measuring elements. The computer circuit includes a control to move the first and second pressure means to measure the length, width and height of the bacon slab by moving those components into contact with the bacon slab.

Abstract: Vertically-upright processing apparatus is provided for the continuous processing of proteinaceous food products. The apparatus includes an indirect, preheating heat exchanger surrounding an upper zone of the apparatus, the indirect preheating heat exchanger having a preheating medium inlet and a preheating medium outlet. An indirect cooking heat exchanger surrounds an intermediate zone of the apparatus, such cooking heat exchanger having a cooking medium inlet and a cooking medium outlet. Finally, an indirect cooling heat exchanger surrounds a bottom zone of the apparatus, the indirect cooling heat exchanger having an indirect cooling medium inlet and an indirect cooling medium outlet. The indirect cooling medium outlet is connected to the preheating medium inlet of the preheating heat exchanger.

Abstract: The invention proposes a method of sealing and/or shaping a food product and apparatus for use in performing the method. Food product is placed on a support surface (10), and a molding surface--comprising a flexible diaphragm (25) is lowered over the food product. Air pressure acting on the diaphragm applies a force to the food product for the purpose of sealing and/or shaping the food product. The arrangement produces a more random appearance to the resulting food product. A plurality of food products are acted on by a respective molding surface which are carried from a common framework. The support surface is preferably a conveyor belt and the framework is mounted for reciprocal movement so that molding pressure can be applied to the food product during an indexing movement of the support surface.

Abstract: Process for producing shaped bodies from pasty foodstuff which is arranged between two foil layers and is then introduced into a mold composed of two dies, wherein the two foil layers protrude laterally beyond the dies. The two dies are then moved toward each other, so that the foodstuff is plastically deformed and any excess foodstuff quantity is squeezed out of the gap between the two dies. After opening of the dies, the foodstuff is removed by means of the protruding portions of the foil layers and is subsequently cooled to solidification temperature. The excess foodstuff quantity located outside of the contour of the shaped body formed by the foodstuff is then broken off from the shaped body and the two foil layers are removed.

Abstract: A shelf-storable new and improved couscous food product satisfying traditional couscous granular mouthfeel is made by extruding a wheat-based doughy mass and cutting the extrudate into particles of uniform couscous size (i.e., between about 0.85 and about 2.5 mm. mesh). When examined under a magnification of 12 times, the new particles, although lacking the agglomeration structure of traditional couscous, have a mouthfeel structure characterized by (i) substantially smooth surfaces on the exterior thereof and (ii) angularly projecting edges on the exterior thereof. Further, the particles are substantially translucent, have a Water Absorption Index greater than 4.7, and have a substantially uniform and dense extrusion compacted composition comprised essentially of the starches and gluten-forming proteins in a blend of durum wheat flour or middlings or semolina and an optional content of flours or middlings or farinas of cereal grains other than durum wheat.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for spinning materials, such as saccharides and non-saccharides, is provided. The apparatus includes a spinner head which is rotatable about an axis. The spinner head includes a heating element which defines a narrow, elongate opening extending about the axis of rotation. The heating element defines an annular wall of the chamber against which material is propelled when the spinner head is rotated. The opening provides a substantially non-tortuous path in which the material is subjected to flash flow and then projected from the chamber into a basin. A helical heating cable may be used as the heating element and to provide a substantially continuous spiral opening of uniform height. The gaps between turns of the heating coil may be determined by comb-like elements which engage and maintain the turns in selected positions.