Abstract: There is described a dispensing apparatus for dispensing a food product from a container. The dispensing apparatus comprises a support for supporting a container of product when the container is loaded into the apparatus, an actuator for effecting movement of the support in a first direction during a product dispensing stroke of the apparatus and in a second direction during a return stroke of the apparatus; and a retainer for retaining a spent container of product so that a spent container is removed from the support during the return stroke.

Abstract: There is described a dispensing apparatus for dispensing a food product from a container. The dispensing apparatus comprises a support for supporting a container of product when the container is loaded into the apparatus, an actuator for effecting movement of the support in a first direction during a product dispensing stroke of the apparatus and in a second direction during a return stroke of the apparatus; and a retainer for retaining a spent container of product so that a spent container is removed from the support during the return stroke.

Abstract: A piercing device comprising a main body, a piercing needle and a stud member, in which said piercing needle protrudes in a first direction from a first slider, in which said first slider is mounted on a first track provided on said main body, and is reciprocally moveable along a piercing axis between a stand-by position and a piercing position, in which said stud member is removably mounted to second slider and protrudes therefrom in a second direction opposite to said first direction, in which said second slider is mounted on a second track and is moveable along said piercing axis in said second direction, in which said first slider comprises a first connector part and said second slider comprises a second connector part, in which in a first device configuration said first slider is in said stand-by position and is located relative to said second slider such that said first connector part is spaced from said second connector part, and in which in a second device configuration said first slider is in said pi

Abstract: There is described a dispensing apparatus for dispensing a food product from a container. The dispensing apparatus comprises a support for supporting a container of product when the container is loaded into the apparatus, an actuator for effecting movement of the support in a first direction during a product dispensing stroke of the apparatus and in a second direction during a return stroke of the apparatus; and a retainer for retaining a spent container of product so that a spent container is removed from the support during the return stroke.

Abstract: There is described an apparatus for dispensing a food product from a container loaded into the apparatus. The apparatus comprises a first sensor for sensing electrically conductive material, wherein the first sensor is arranged to sense whether a first section of electrically conductive material has been removed from covering an aperture in the container to enable the food product to be dispensed by the apparatus through the aperture.