Abstract: A dry or semi-dry sausage product is provided which includes up to 15% by weight of an added particulate protein component. The added protein component is in addition to the protein present in the meat used in the sausage mixture and serves to improve the performance of the resulting product, particularly after the sausage has been heat treated at high temperatures during processing to eliminate pathogens which may be present in the ingredient mix. The added protein component is typically a denatured or hydrolyzed protein and can include one or more of meat stock, milk protein hydrolyzate, yeast extract, hydrolyzed yeast, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed animal protein and cooked meat.

Abstract: A pizza sauce disk and a method for making the same are provided. The pizza sauce disk comprises a pizza sauce which includes a heat-reversible gelling agent. When activated, the gelling agent causes the pizza sauce to at least partially congeal at room temperature or below so that it may be retained in place on a non-edible support surface. Upon further cooling, the pizza sauce forms a more complete gel structure which, even after warming to room temperature, allows the disk to be handled as a cohesive mass and placed and repositioned on a pizza crust without tearing, breaking or smearing of the disk. The pizza sauce disk may optionally include cheese and assorted pizza toppings. To form a pizza with the present disk, the disk is removed from the support surface and is combined with a pizza crust shell. The pizza may then be cooked and served.

Abstract: A pizza sauce composite preform and a method for making the same are provided. The pizza sauce composite preform comprises a pizza sauce which includes a heat-reversible gelling agent. When activated, the gelling agent causes the pizza sauce to at least partially congeal at room temperature or below so that it may be retained in place on a non-edible support surface. Upon further cooling, the pizza sauce forms a more complete gel structure which, even after warming to room temperature, allows the preform to be handled as a cohesive mass and placed and repositioned on a pizza crust without tearing, breaking or smearing of the disk. The pizza sauce composite preform may optionally include cheese and assorted pizza toppings. To form a pizza with the present preform, the preform is removed from the support surface and is combined with a pizza crust shell. The pizza may then be cooked and served.

Abstract: A dry or semi-dry sausage product is provided which includes up to 15% by weight of an added particulate protein component. The added protein component is in addition to the protein present in the meat used in the sausage mixture and serves to improve the performance of the resulting product, particularly after the sausage has been heat treated at high temperatures during processing to eliminate pathogens which may be present in the ingredient mix. The added protein component is typically a denatured or hydrolyzed protein and can include one or more of meat stock, milk protein hydrolyzate, yeast extract, hydrolyzed yeast, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed animal protein and cooked meat.

Abstract: A tape slitter has a pair of parallel arbors carrying sets of cutting knives through which webbed material may be drawn and severed into elongated strands. A slide cartridge is coupled at its opposite ends to one of the arbors and a force transmitting device, all of which are arranged to be simultaneously and selectively slid in opposite axial directions. Axial force is applied to the force transmitting device by a detachable torque wrench which urges the sets of knives into positive cutting engagement. Movemment in the reverse direction drives opposite sides of the knives into cutting engagement. During shifting of the knives from one mutual cutting position to the other, the web material remains continuously threaded.

Abstract: The axial loading system is used in a tape slitter comprised of first and second arbors in spaced parallel relationship carrying male and female cutting knives for slitting tape. These cutting knives are in the form of a series of uniformly axially spaced discs on the first arbor having their corner peripheries bearing in an axial direction against corresponding female discs on the second arbor. The loading system comprises a combination threaded arrangement at one end of the first arbor with a torque applying tool for rotating the threaded means to thereby adjust the axial force of the male blades against the female blades. The torque applying tool not only enables the rotation to take place but will cease functioning after a given torque has been reached, thereby assuring that a given axial force of the male blades against the female blades will not be exceeded.