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 method for processing vegetables prior to a preservation step such as blanching, cooking or sterilization. The raw, washed and trimmed starting vegetables are pre-processed by exposing them at a temperature of 0-25.degree. C. to a gas containing oxygen under a partial pressure greater than the partial pressure of oxygen in air at the temperature. The gas may be pressurized air. The pre-processing step reduces weight loss in vegetables after they have been blanched, cooked or sterilized.

Abstract: A dry raw cereal material having a starch fraction is fed into the inlet (38) of a twin screw preconditioning unit (10). The dry material is rapidly advanced and mixed in the first two zones (31, 32) and conveyed into a third zone (33). Water is introduced by ducts (42) and is admixed with the dry material to form a well mixed wetted cereal material. The screws (14, 16) include blank segments (14c, 16c) having radially extending pins (40) to create a material plug in the barrel (30) of the preconditioning unit (10). Steam is added to the wetted material in the next zone (34) to form a heated wetted cereal material which is worked in the fourth zone (34) to form a heated precooked non-continuous cereal compacted dough material which is generally maintained below its gelatinization point.

Abstract: The present invention is a surface pasteurizer and method for treating the surface of raw foods, by exposing the surface to a treatment gas in the absence of air, so rapidly and ending the treatment, by streaming the treatment gas back into vacuum, so rapidly that the interior of the food is unaffected by treatment and so that the pasteurizer is able to process a high volume of food in a given time period. The treatment may have for its object (1) killing surface microorganisms on such items as meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables, and packaging materials; (2) firming the surface layer over a sensitive interior on such items as encapsulated liquids, permeation membranes, and edible coated objects; or (3) weakening the surface layer over a sensitive interior in order to more easily remove the surface layer on such items as peeled grains, fruit and vegetables.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for ultrasonically energized slitting of a slab of confectionery material wherein a slitting tool incorporates a plurality of slitting knives spaced apart in accordance with the desired width of the product, which strips are further processed by transverse cutting and/or molding or other processing steps such as chocolate enrobing to provide improved confectionery products.

Abstract: An improved process for cooking foodstuffs, e.g. french fried potatoes from a cold initial state, in a hot air oven with a steam phase and a roasting phase, includes the following steps: preheating a refining chamber to a predetermined temperature, introducing the foodstuff to be cooked into a basket mounted for rotation within the refining chamber, switching on a basket-rotating drive, switching on a hot air fan, reheating the refining chamber, refining the foodstuff in the refining chamber, part of the water contained in the foodstuff passing into the ambient atmosphere within the refining chamber, thereby creating an atmosphere of increased moisture (steam phase), replacing the moist atmosphere with relatively drier hot air, thereby beginning a roasting phase, and switching off the heating, fan, and basket-rotating drive when cooking is completed.

Abstract: A process for operating a coffee roaster to obtain reduced levels of pollutants in exhaust gases vented from the coffee roaster. In the process, fuel gases are combusted in a combustion chamber and all of the combusted gases are directed into a roasting chamber for roasting coffee beans in the roasting chamber. The exhaust gases from the roasting chamber are then separated into a recycle stream and an exhaust stream with the recycle stream comprising the majority of the exhaust gases. The recycle stream is returned to the combustion chamber. The exhaust stream is then subjected to secondary combustion at relatively low temperatures prior to venting.

Abstract: Apparatus for rapid cooling of a liquid to be cooled including a heat exchanger including a housing for containing a cooling liquid, a plurality of cooling conduits traversing the housing in thermal contact with the cooling liquid and defining a cooling conduit inlet and a cooling conduit outlet and a vacuum generator associated with the interior of the housing for reducing the pressure in the housing until the cooling liquid boils whereby a heat transfer coefficient of the cooling liquid is generally maximized.

Abstract: Certain denaturable protein food products can be whipped into a stable foam product. These include milk products such as whole milk, skim milk, cream, half-and-half, evaporated milk and reconstituted powdered milk; and egg products including whole eggs, egg yolks, egg whites and reconstituted dried egg products including whole eggs, egg yolks, egg whites; and uncooked meat products such as finely divided muscle and blood. The un-denatured food products are concurrently denatured and whipped into a foam. The denaturing results from heating, altering the pH, and/or adding denaturing agents such as rennet. The products are identified as PRO-WHIP and include, for example, whipped milk products, whipped egg products, and whipped meat products alone and in various combination with coffee, tea, chocolate or fruit juices.

Abstract: This invention discloses an automated corn popping apparatus including a kettle, a support arrangement for supporting and operating the kettle, a display arrangement for enclosing the corn popping apparatus, a controller for automatically operating the corn popping apparatus, and a conduit system for introducing cooking oil into the kettle. In a preferred embodiment, the kettle includes a kettle and an agitator mechanism. A support arrangement includes a mechanism for rotating the kettle from a position for popping corn to a position for dumping corn into the display arrangement. Also, a shaft mechanism is used for raising and lowering the lid and rotating the agitator mechanism. The shaft mechanism is in fluid association with a source of cooking oil at one end of its length, and has apertures located near the other end of its length so as to provide a conduit for the supply of cooking oil directly into the kettle.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for forming a single extrudable food stream such as a cooked cereal dough into a plurality of differently colored and/or flavored dough streams is disclosed including an extruder (12) having screw augers (15) in a main passageway (14) for advancing a plastic food mass, a head or manifold (18) for dividing the plastic food mass into a plurality of substreams such as a branching passageway section in fluid communication with a plurality of sub-divided dough passageways, and a die head (30) having a plurality of die ports (40) for each subpassageway. Each subpassage is separately supplied an additive and has disposed therein a multiplicity of in-line static mixer elements (59) to admix the additive into the substreams of the plastic food mass before passage through the die ports (40). In a preferred form, a portion of the food mass is bled from a first substream and fed to the exit ports (40) of a second substeam to create an extrudate including zones of distinct food mass.

Abstract: A process for maturing meat products, in particular pork products, such as ham, "coppa", bacon, sausage and the like, characterized in that the product is let in a substantially sealed environment at less than atmospheric pressure, heat being supplied to the product to compensate the heat lost by evaporation of its intrinsic water and to maintain its temperature within a predetermined range of values.

Abstract: A method for producing a dough product from starch containing ingredients of cellular structure, to obtain a product containing at least 50 percent starch material. This method comprises extruding the ingredients by passing them through an extruder of a predetermined inner barrel diameter. Within this barrel, an extruder rotor of predetermined outer diameter is accommodated to exert a mixing, kneading and heating effect onto the ingredients and to form a substantially homogeneous mass. This mass is then discharged and distributed from the extruder under predetermined pressure into a straight heated tube of an inner cross-section larger than the outer diameter of the screw(s). In this way, a plug flow of the mass through the heated tube is established to cook the mass at a predetermined temperature and for a predetermined period. Finally, the mass is formed at the end of the tube into a desired shape, but maintains mostly its cellular structure at least in part.

Abstract: A pressing column for the pressing, for example, of hams in molds is provided with shelves to support the molds. The shelves are mutually connected by links which allow a certain mutual movement between the shelves in the vertical direction. By raising the upper part in the pressing column, the shelves can be pushed in from the side of the column from a platform which is adjustable in height. Hereafter, the upper part can be lowered and the contents of the molds are pressed in a normal manner with a pressing apparatus. After the pressing and the boiling of the hams, the shelves are again separated and the molds are removed.

Abstract: A vitamin concentrate delivery system including a positive displacement pump having a pump drive and a pump controller, and a flow measurement or detection unit having a magnetic flow tube, a transmitter and a recording device to regulate the flow of liquid vitamin concentrates into food products. A method of adding the vitamin concentrates to the dairy products is also described.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of quickly freezing vegetables, whose cells are broken and commercial value is lost when processed by a conventional freeze-preservation method, and stocking them in a freezing environment. The method according to the present invention comprises the first step of adding at least one selected from a group consisting of monosaccharide, disaccharide, oligosaccharide and sugar alcohol and polysaccharide, with or without salts, to vegetables to pickling them for several hours, the second step of quickly freezing the vegetables processed in the first step and the third step of storing the quickly frozen vegetables in a freezing environment. Polysaccharides surround cells of vegetables to remove water content of cells and protect them and monosaccharide, disaccharide, oligosaccharide and sugar alcohol and/or salts permeates into cells and is replaced with water content to prevent growth of water crystal.

Abstract: A method pertaining to the baking of products (B) in a baking oven (1) in which the products are supported by at least one rotary oven trolley (17) comprises rotating the trolley through a number of revolutions in one direction (R1) during the baking process, and thereafter reversing the direction of rotation and continuing rotation of the trolley through several revolutions in the opposite direction (R2) before again reversing the direction of rotation of the trolley. The trolley (17) keeps the same axial position in both directions of rotation. An arrangement for carrying out the method includes a drive device (20-26) for alternating rotation of the oven trolley through an equal number of revolutions in both directions during the baking process.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuous manufacture of viscous food products such as process cheese-type products wherein a formulation is continuously pumped through a processing chamber comprising an elongated tube or housing having a rotor which shears the formulation as it travels longitudinally through the tube while imparting little or no axial motion to the formulation as a result of contact with the rotor. The temperature of the formulation as it enters the processing chamber may be in the range of about 150.degree. F. to about 250.degree. F., and the residence time of the formulation may be between about 30 seconds and about 8 minutes. The formulation may be subjected to shear of between 10 and 1,000 sec.sup.-1 with an absolute viscosity .mu. of between about 20 and 50 poise, while the rotor is operated at a rotational velocity of between about 10 rpm and 800 rpm.

Abstract: A process for improving cake baking properties of wheat flour is disclosed. The process includes the steps of introducing a quantity of wheat flour into a container which is provided with mixing devices; heating the wheat flour at a temperature in the range of 110.degree.-140.degree. C. to dry the wheat flour while injecting nitrogen gas into the container, whereby air exposure of the wheat flour is prevented; rotating the container, thereby continuously mixing the wheat flour with the nitrogen gas during the heating step; and cooling the heated flour to 50.degree. C. while preventing air exposure of the heated flour.

Abstract: An apparatus for preparing beverages comprises a liquid container and a drink medium container including a housing having a tubular member extending downward into the liquid container. The drink medium container includes a filter apparatus capable of containing a drink medium. A drink container includes a tubular liquid inlet in fluid flow communication with the drink medium container. The liquid container is in fluid communication with the drink container such that when liquid in the liquid container is heated, the liquid can flow upward from the liquid container through the tubular member, filter apparatus, and through the tubular liquid inlet into the drink container. The liquid container includes a double wall construction to maintain the temperature on an outer surface thereof at a relatively low level.