Abstract: A snack-slice loaf of a food product and a method for providing food portions for snack trays in which the snack-slice loaf may include multiple overlying subunits. The overlying subunits are produced by sectioning a food block using cutting and sub-cutting, or perforation. The sectioned subunits can directly be placed into a food receptacle adapted to receive the sectioned subunits, without adding or subtracting food layers. The sectioned subunits may include stacks of processed cheese.

Abstract: A method and apparatus shapes a body of cheese into curved bodies of cheese. A preferred dual-wire cutting machine implementing this method generally includes a conveyor assembly; a set of mechanical aims, two vertically strung harp wires, each of which is connected to a mechanical aim; and a drive assembly. The conveyor assembly moves an elongated body of cheese through the dual-wire cutting machine in a horizontal direction. During movement of the body of cheese, the drive assembly moves each mechanical arm in synchronization with the conveyor assembly. Due to the harp wire attached to each mechanical arm, the movement of each mechanical aim creates a cut in the elongated body of cheese, which forms curved bodies of cheese within the elongated body of cheese. Preferably the body of cheese is made of stacked layers of cheese, which may or may not have the layers offset from one another.