Abstract: A cooking control method and a cooking control system for a food extruder used for producing direct-puffed snacks includes a material supply mechanism, a hydration mechanism, a processing mechanism including an extruder, and a control computer. The control computer determines a specific power consumption value from the electric energy consumed by the extruder and the supplied amount of the dough material, at the time of producing snacks having excellent quality, to designate this value as a reference value, compares this reference value of the specific power consumption value with the actual specific power consumption value, and when the difference is small, controls the number of revolutions of the extruder, and when the difference is large, controls not only the number of revolutions of the extruder, but also the amount of water added and the feed amount of materials, to thereby stabilize the snack quality.

Abstract: A spray apparatus for spraying oily confectionery raw material, wherein a nozzle cap is disposed around a nozzle, the nozzle cap is interlocked with a nozzle-cap-bar drive disc through a nozzle cap driving bar, the nozzle-cap-bar drive disc is coupled with a cap-bar drive motor so that the nozzle-cap-bar drive disc is lengthwise moved to a desired position. The spray apparatus can independently control a spraying area and a particle size of the sprayed oily confectionery material in simple and automatic manner when the oily confectionery raw material is sprayed.

Abstract: A spray apparatus for spraying oily confectionery row material, wherein a nozzle cap is disposed around a nozzle, the nozzle cap is interlocked with a nozzle-cap-bar drive disc through a nozzle cap driving bar, and the nozzle-cap-bar drive disc is coupled with a cap-bar drive motor so that the nozzle-cap-bar drive disc is lengthwise moved to a desired position. The spray apparatus can independently control a spraying area and a particle size of the sprayed oily confectionery material in simple and automatic manner when the oily confectionery raw material is sprayed.

Abstract: There are provided a method of producing a pressurized gas-entrapping candy and a pressurized gas-entrapping apparatus to be used for the method. According to the method, the pressurized gas-entrapping candy is produced by preparing a hard candy with a conventional method, crushing the hard candy and sieving to obtain candy particles, attaching a pipe with fine holes in its peripheral wall to a cylindrical vessel through an opening formed in a lid of the cylindrical vessel, filling the candy particles in a space between the cylindrical vessel and the pipe, loading the cylindrical vessel in a long and cylindrical pressure-resistant vessel, feeding heating steam and then cooling water to a jacket portion of the pressure-resistant vessel, while maintaining pressurized state in the pressure-resistant vessel, to carry out heating and cooling treatments of the candy particles in the cylindrical vessel, and then releasing the pressurized state of the pressure-resistant vessel.

Abstract: A method of making a coated ball-shaped frozen dessert product in which an ice cream mix is coated around a center material. The method includes charging an edible center material into a rotary kettle, spraying an ice cream mix which has been adjusted to a temperature of -15.degree. C. to -35.degree. C. into the rotary kettle (the rotary kettle being at a temperature of -35.degree. C. to -15.degree. C.), while concomitantly feeding cooling air at a temperature of -15.degree. C. or below and coating the ice cream mix around the edible center material. In accordance with the method of the present invention, a spherical and spheroidal three-dimensional product can be efficiently produced. The frozen dessert product is free from any undesirable taste and does not contain needle holes or surface damage.

Abstract: There are provided a method of preparing pellets for a snack confectionery and an expanded snack confectionery by using the pellets. A dough for the pellets contains corn flour and potato starch. The pellets are thermally treated by using a home-type hair dryer to make those into the expanded snack confectionery.

Abstract: A process for the manufacture of fried potatoes by using as a raw material potato pieces having a specific gravity of 1.070-1.085 and cut into a thick square pillar or corrugated form. The process includes the steps of cutting a potato having said specific gravity into pieces, dipping the pieces into hot water at a temperature of 60.degree.-70.degree. C. for 5-10 minutes to blanch the same, primary frying the blanched pieces in an edible oil kept at a temperature of 160.degree.-190.degree.C., immediately freezing the fried pieces at a temperature not higher than -20.degree.C., secondary frying the frozen pieces in an edible oil kept at a temperature of 170.degree.-190.degree.C., and drying the fried pieces to obtain final products which have a moisture content of 0.5-5.0% by weight and an oil content of 30-35% by weight.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of separating nuts from kernels in a nut-and-kernel mixture in terms of the sound characteristic of nuts or kernels. Specifically each and every nut or kernel is allowed to produce sound to distinguish nuts from kernels in terms of nut-representative, 6-to-16 kilohertz high sound components detected, if any in the produced sound.

Abstract: The invention is to improve a molding nozzle assembly for producing hollow cylindrical snack foods. In order to produce hollow cylindrical snack food products of even thickness and the hollow spaces being almost perfectly circular, it includes a nozzle body having a throat, a conical hole converging to the throat and a cylindrical hole extending from the throat. An elongated pin is set in the nozzle passing through the conical hole, throat and cylindrical hole, and a mount is fixed to the nozzle body. The pin has a conical head at one end thereof and a disk collar fixed to the conical head of the pin. The disk collar has circular holes around its center.

Abstract: A process for the manufacture of an expanded hollow confectionery which allows charging of an fatty confectionery dough by an injection method. The expanded hollow confectionery is prepared by charging raw materials of grain flour, starch, seasoning and water into a steam-processing machine to prepare a steam-boiled dough, charging the steam-boiled dough into a mixer to stir the same for entrapping air therein, shaping the air-entrapped dough into a sheet, overlapping the dough sheet on another dough sheet, stamping the double-layered dough sheet to obtain flat dough pieces, drying the dough pieces, so that specific gravity of the pieces becomes 1.18-1.25, and then heating the dried pieces to cause expansion thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for drying a fried food has a dry chamber being provided with separated chambers in which the food is transported in order, a microwave oscillator for supplying a microwave energy to the respective separated chambers, and hot blast generator for supplying heated air to the respective separated chambers. The length in the food forward direction of each of the separated chamber is equal to or longer than that of just before chamber. The microwave energy supplied to each of the separated chamber corresponds to the water content of the fried food passing through the chamber.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of a hard candy containing an enzyme is disclosed, which comprises steps of preparing an unusual hard candy containing no enzyme, crushing the same into particles, mixing the enzyme with the candy particles, press treating the mixture to form a shaped mass, putting the mass into a pressure vessel, heating the vessel under pressurized inert gas to cause a partial melt of the mass, cooling the vessel to make the mass into the hard candy product, and releasing the pressure in the vessel.

Abstract: A method of producing a pressurized gas-entrapping candy is disclosed, which candy releases the gas to generate pleasant sound in mouth, as it melts therein. The candy is produced by heating a mixture of raw materials and water to dissolve the mixture and to condense the same, forming fine air bubbles therein, cooling and shaping to convert the condensate to candy pieces of a desired form, dipping the shaped candy pieces into liquid nitrogen, taking out the candy pieces therefrom to put in a pressure vessel, charging into the vessel an inert gas under pressure, and heating the vessel to cause a partial melting of the candy piece and to entrap the gas in the candy piece.

Abstract: A method of producing a pressurized gas-entrapping candy is disclosed, which candy releases the gas to generate pleasing sound in mouth, as it melts therein. The candy is produced by heating a mixture of raw materials and water to dissolve the mixture and to condense the same, cooling to solidify the condensate, crashing the solidified mass into particles, charging the particles in a mold to press the same for pre-shaping into a desired one, charging the pre-shaped piece into a pressure vessel, charging an inert gas under an increased pressure and heating the pressure vessel to cause a partial melting of the particles constituting the pre-shaped candy piece, and to entrap the gas in a candy piece which has finally no pore in its outer surface.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the production of french-fried potato strips, which have a crisp mouth feel and neither shrinkage nor deformation. The process comprises the steps of cutting raw potatoes to form strips thereof, blanching the strips, par-frying the blanched strips in an edible oil, freezing the fried strips immediately after the par-frying, and then subjecting the frozen strips to finish frying in an edible oil, while subjecting to microwave energy.

Abstract: A process for producing a snack product with an expanded coating comprising a core material selected from the group consisting of nuts, beans, seeds, expanded starchy materials coated with fatty confectionary material and shaped fatty confectionary material. While being tumbled, the core material is given a first coating by alternately sprinkling or spraying a 60:40 to 30:70 mixture by weight of a starchy flour that has small expandability but provides good savor and a highly expandable pregelatinized starchy flour and an aqueous sugar solution comprising corn syrup or a mixture of 1 part by weight of corn syrup and not more than 2 parts by weight of sucrose that is dissolved in water to give a refractive Brix value between 30 and 40.

Abstract: A dried ginseng is obtained by heating a crude or raw ginseng to soften its tissue, freezing the softened ginseng in an inert gas under pressure and then lyophilizing the frozen ginseng under reduced pressure in a conventional way. This dried ginseng retains its original miscellaneous shape and color tone inherent to the crude ginseng, is ready for extraction of the pharmacologically active ingredients therefrom when dipped in aqueous ethanol for preparation of medicinal spirit beverage and can stand long storage without spoilage by bacterial and fungal infestation.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of peanut-curd with a roasted taste and flavor, which comprises roasting peanuts, pressing the roasted peanuts to partially remove oil therefrom, pulverizing the pressed peanuts at a temperature at or below -40.degree. C., dissolving the pulverized peanuts in water, boiling the resultant mixture, cooling the mixture and adding a coagulant to the mixture to solidify the mixture to obtain peanut-curd.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of chewing gum, comprises the steps of:Forming a chewing gum composition by mixing a chewing gum base with sweeteners, flavorings, and colorants in accordance with the desired taste and appearance characteristics desired;Cooling the chewing gum composition to a temperature of at least below -15.degree. C;crushing or grinding the refrigerated composition to obtain minute fragments or finely ground pieces of the composition; andHeating the minute fragments to cause them to adhere together, and to form an integrated chewing gum element thereof.