Abstract: The invention relates to a process for controlling the solidification or crystallization of a fat or a fat-containing food, wherein the solidification or crystallization is carried out under the influence of a magnetic field. The process can be used particularly advantageously where the fat is polymorphic, for example, cocoa butter, and the magnetic field allows the fat to be produced in a particular crystalline form. Thus, a cocoa butter containing product in solid form can be produced, the cocoa butter having been formed directly from a liquid phase in crystal form VI without passing through another crystal form and without the addition of seed crystals.

Abstract: The amount of a fat ingredient employed to produce a chocolate product is reduced by preparing the chocolate product with limonene as an ingredient so that a reduced-fat product is obtained, particularly for preparing a product having a fat content of from, by weight based upon a total product weight, of from 16% to 25%. An oil containing the limonene, particularly a deodorized oil, may be employed for providing the limonene.

Abstract: Shaped articles of fat-containing confectionery material are formed by extruding a fat-based confectionery material under pressure so that it passes to and through a flow-constriction and a die so that the material subjected to extrusion and the extrudate from the die are in a non-pourable state and so that the material subjected to extrusion plastically deforms and so that the extrudate is plastically deformable, and then while the extrudate is plastically deformable, extrudate is placed in a molding tool and pressed to shape an article which then is demolded, or extrudate is fed to a nip of counter-rotating rollers having depressions which upon passage of the extrudate in the nip between the rollers shape the extrudate.

Abstract: A confectionery product which has discrete pieces of a chocolate material, which is a chocolate, a chocolate substitute or a chocolate analogue, having specific characteristic shapes which are images dispersed in a confectionery material is prepared by distributing the discrete pieces having a temperature less than 20.degree. C. into a stream of frozen, chilled or ambient confectionery material to obtain a composite product, and the composite product may be mixed.

Abstract: A fat-containing confectionery material is passed through an extruder and to and through a flow-constriction die to obtain an extrudate from the die so that the material passed through the extruder and die and so that the extrudate from the die are at a temperature so that the material and extrudate are in a non-pourable state and so that the material passed to the die plastically deforms, and the material is passed by pins positioned in the die so that the extrudate obtained from the die has passages which extend transversely to an extrudate cross-section to obtain a product structure having the passages.

Abstract: A marking machine for automatically marking cartons passing on an intermittently moving conveyor includes a printing head cyclically moved by a pneumatic cylinder into engagement with the cartons. The motion of the printing head is controlled by guide elements extending from the printing head cooperating with slots in adjacent side plates. The printing head passes durng its cyclical movement across an ink roll disposed above the side plates. A backer plate drops behind the carton surface to be marked just before the printing stroke of the print head. The movement of the backer plate is provided by the guide elements extending from the printing head. The type face on the printing head can be oriented to face upwardly for marking the side of the cover of an egg carton or be oriented to face downwardly for marking a separator in a filler flat.