Abstract: An apparatus and method for increasing Vitamin D content in mushrooms is disclosed. A mushroom slurry of comminuted or pulverized mushrooms or mushroom parts and liquid, such as water, is passed under a UV light source and subjected to one or more pulses of UV light. The slurry may be conveyed to the UV light source by a vibrating conveyor. After UV light exposure, the treated slurry may be dried and ground into a powder, or the treated slurry may be filtered and the insoluble portion may be dried and ground into a powder. The irradiated mushroom powder has a mass fraction of Vitamin D2 of at least 2500 IU/gram of powder, and more preferably at least 20,000 IU/gram of powder. Irradiated mushroom powder may be incorporated into consumable food product for humans or animals, and/or may be incorporated into topical preparations for cosmetic use.

Abstract: A method for forming a food product into a circular shape, wherein both ends of an elongated food product are connected each other and closed, or into a C-shape, wherein both ends of the elongated food product face each other and opened. The method includes (a) fixing one end of the elongated food product to a rotatable core member, (b) pressing the food product toward the core member by moving the core member close to and away from a pressing roller, when the food product is formed into a circular shape by being wound around the core member by rotating the core member, and (c) separating the formed food product and the core member by releasing the food product from the core member, after forming the food product 3 into a required shape by being wound around the core member.

Abstract: The invention relates to a manufacturing process of stirred or drinking fermented milk or fresh cheese comprising a smoothing step after fermentation wherein said smoothing step is performed by a ring-shaped rotor-stator mixer, each ring of the rotor and the stator being provided with radial slots having a given width, and adjusting the rotational speed to adjust the peripheral velocity.

Abstract: A method and a device for leading media in a thermal treatment system for a liquid product where, determining the led-in volume of the expelling medium while a medium is being expelled from the treatment system and by setting the determined volume of the expelling medium in a ratio to a nominal capacity of the treatment system, the shutting off of a product pipe on the outlet side following a medium change on the inlet side can be accomplished independent in time of the performance of the medium change on the inlet side. This reduces product losses and permits the treatment of residual amounts remaining in the treatment system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cooking device for cooking of foodstuffs, comprising a cooking chamber, a product conveyor, a shape-controlling belt, and a lifting member, the product conveyor being arranged to convey said foodstuffs through said cooking chamber, the shape-controlling belt being an endless belt extending along an upper return path, and a lower work path, the lifting member being arranged to shift a part of the lower work path between a first position in which the belt extending along said part is slacking and is adopted to contact said foodstuffs on the product conveyor, and a second position in which the belt extending along said part is adopted to be separated from said foodstuffs on the product conveyor. The invention further relates to a method for switching a cooking device between being adapted for shape-controlled cooking and non-shape-controlled cooking of foodstuffs, and use of the cooking device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a UHT system for heat treating temperature-sensitive food products, in particular desserts or dessert-like products, comprising a pre-heating zone and a subsequent high-heating zone. The aim of the invention is to achieve accurate and fast temperature adjustment of the food product leaving the pre-heating zone to the temperature conditions at the inlet of the high-heating zone in a UHT system of the generic type, and at the same time, with an equal dwell time for all partial amounts of the food product, to ensure that the food product is treated in a particularly thermally gentle manner and to keep the mechanical loading of the food product as low as possible.

Abstract: A slow cooker having a thermometer such as a capillary thermometer and a graphic display device for indicating a temperature condition of the food product contained within the cooking vessel, the thermometer measuring the temperature of an outer surface of the cooking vessel and the graphic display device displaying the temperature measured by the thermometer but adjusted by a correlation factor to indicate at least an approximate temperature of the food product within the cooking vessel.

Abstract: Method and device for cutting a soft food mass, in particular for cutting machine-processed cheese, such as processed cheese or mozzarella, whereby the food mass is present as a broad food ribbon of small ribbon thickness, whereby the food ribbon is fed by means of a conveyor belt with a travel speed leading to a longitudinal cutting system, in particular in the form of a cutting roller, which cuts the food ribbon with axially arranged cutting disks into parallel longitudinal strips, whereby the direction of rotation of the longitudinal cutting system corresponds to the travel direction of the food ribbon, whereby the cutting disks in each case have blades that are provided with at least one tooth, whereby the tooth height is greater than the ribbon thickness, whereby the peripheral speed of the cutting roller is adjusted in such a way that a tooth is immersed in the food ribbon when cutting with the tips of the teeth and creates a slot of a specific slot length in the food ribbon that moves in the same direc

Abstract: A method of deep-frying food in a fryer basket having multiple segregated compartments. The fryer basket divider has a generally planar wire mesh sized to reside within the fryer basket to form multiple compartments in the fryer basket, with a handle extending from the top. The handle has oppositely disposed distal ends extending generally perpendicularly from the side of the mesh and which are retractable by squeezing the handle.

Abstract: A form for use with a springform pan to make a uniform thickness crust that has both bottom and side surfaces, the pan having a bottom and sidewall surface, the form comprising a variable or fixed sidewall ring having top and bottom rims, a defined height, inner and outer surfaces, and two parallel slits extending between the rims that are over-lapable to set the sidewall ring diameter, and a plurality of spacers, that affix to a sidewall selected from the group consisting of the pan sidewall surface and the sidewall ring to control the spaced distance between the sidewall ring outer surface and pan sidewall surface to yield a substantially uniform side thickness crust, and wherein the sidewall ring is configured to enable the sidewall ring bottom rim to cut through raw crust material placed adjacent the pan sidewall surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing popping candy which is formed in moulds. A reactor with one or more trays holds the product and one or more moveable transmission mechanisms and one or more lids provided at each end of the reactor act as inlets and outlets. One or more two way valves regulate and maintain inside pressure of the reactor and cooling and heating mechanisms are provided.

Abstract: A cooking apparatus and method provide for relative movement between a first support member for food items and at least one stop member and/or relative movement between a first support member for food items and a second support member for food items. Relative lateral movement between a first support member and a stop member facilitates rolling movement of rollable food items. Relative up-and-down movement between first and second support members facilitates alternating support and attendant positioning of food items.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for forming beverages using a beverage cartridge and sonic energy. A cartridge may include a sonic receiver, such as a feature that extends into an interior space of the cartridge and is arranged to receive a sonic emitter that introduces sonic energy into the interior space. The sonic receiver may be excited by sonic energy, which causes the sonic receiver to itself introduce sonic energy into the cartridge.

Abstract: A process for producing a frozen confectionery product is provided, the process comprising: supplying a frozen confection to a nozzle which has an orifice having a non-circular cross-section; dispensing a filling comprising sauce and/or inclusions into the frozen confection inside the nozzle; extruding the frozen confection and filling from the nozzle through the orifice until the extruded frozen confection makes contact with a receiving surface; wherein the longest axis of the product is parallel to the direction of extrusion; and then cutting the extruded frozen confection with an iris cutter.

Abstract: A countertop griddle and related methods of cooking food with a countertop griddle including a warming tray. The warming tray can be rotatably attached to the countertop griddle such that the warming tray can be rotatably pivoted from a covering disposition to an intermediary disposition to an open disposition. When in the covering disposition, the warming tray can serve to protect a user from exposure to grease spatter and to receive heat conducted from a cooking surface. During cooking, the warming tray can be rotated to the intermediary disposition such that the user can manipulated the food item being prepared. Finally, the warming tray can be rotated to an open disposition defining a serving tray for receiving a cooked food item. The warming tray can be detached from the countertop griddle when the warming tray is positioned in any of the covering, intermediate or open dispositions.

Abstract: A counter-top grease collector receptacle that is co-operative with a cooking vessel to collect and dispose of cooking fluids and grease. A cover defines a sloped cooking vessel support. A mechanism or wedge may be provided to control the slope angle. A receptacle has an interior that is adapted to operatively receive and contain fluids drained from the cooking vessel. The receptacle is located beneath the cooking vessel support to enable gravity transfer of fluids from cooking vessel to receptacle. An oil drain stem is adapted to operatively removably couple the cooking vessel to the receptacle. The cover is cooperative with the cooking vessel support and receptacle to enclose and conceal the receptacle interior. An auxiliary funnel inlet may also be provided above the receptacle to receive fluids from cooking vessels not otherwise adapted to couple through the oil drain stem.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods are provided for baking a food product in a portable baking oven. The baking oven includes a main body, lower and upper stones, a heat shield suspending the upper stone above the lower stone, and a heat element emanating heat upward to a rotating flat panel having the lower stone thereon. Convection heat from the heat element moves upward from below the rotating flat panel and past a periphery of the flat panel, channeled by the heat shield to the upper stone, to move along the upper stone, and then down along the heat shield, on the opposite side. With this arrangement, the heat element heats the upper and lower stones with convection heat moving between the lower and upper stones in a side-to-side manner.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a frozen confectionery product and to a method of manufacturing same. It furthermore relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a frozen confectionery product by rotary vertical extrusion. Said apparatus comprises a nozzle (14) at least one ice-cream passage (20, 22) with at least one inlet port (24, 26) and an outlet port (28), and at least one chocolate passage (30, 32) with respectively an inlet port (34, 36) and an outlet port (38, 38?). The outlet ports are provided in the nozzle (14) and have elongated cross-sections, and each chocolate outlet port (38, 38?) extends in parallel to an ice cream outlet port (28), so as to form annular or helical chocolate layers upon rotation of the nozzle and the container with respect to each other.

Abstract: An electric heating cooker with weighing function and a weighing control method thereof are provided. An electronic scale (5) with weighing function is added under the traditional electric heating cooker and stores cooking experience database and food information database. It solves the problem that users aren't accurate about the amount of water to add for a given weight of ingredient. And experience curve of heating power are designed at different weight points for food such as rice or meat, and also it makes the cooker to intelligently adjust parameters according to the taste feedback of the user so as to be more closer to the user's taste for the cooking next time; additionally it is capable of showing the total and average content of heat quantity, cholesterol, protein, fat, salt and cook oil of various foods in current cooking or if there are unmatched foods.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and a sorting apparatus for sorting potato products that are moved in a product flow through a detection zone, whereby irregular products are detected in the product flow and are separated from the product flow, characterized in that a light beam having a wavelength of in between 350 and 450 nm is directed towards said products in said detection zone and wherein the intensity of the light that is irradiated by the products is detected in a detection band from 460 nm to 600 nm, wherein a product is qualified as an irregular product and is separated from the product flow when said intensity is below a predetermined value. Further, the invention also concerns a method and a device for detecting the presence of solanine in potato products by means of fluorescence.