Apparatus and method for producting colored extruded food products

• Main Authors: BORTONE, EUGENIO, SUTARIA, DEVANG JITENDRA, HANSON, PERRY
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 21.08.2005
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; BAKING; EDIBLE DOUGHS; FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BYSUBCLASSES A23B - A23J; HANDLING BAKED ARTICLES MADE FROM DOUGH; HUMAN NECESSITIES; MACHINES OR EQUIPMENT FOR MAKING OR PROCESSING DOUGHS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY ASINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OFNUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; THEIR TREATMENT, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

An apparatus and associated method for varying the color and/or flavor of an extruded food product during a single production run of a single extrusion device. The apparatus includes a multi-additive injection system, which is attached to a fluid supply line of an extrusion device. The injection system is comprised of a plurality of additive supply tanks, which are each in fluid communication with the fluid supply line via an injection manifold, and a metering mechanism which selectively controls the amount of additive injected into the supply line by each individual supply tank. The injection system may also include a central control mechanism for calibrating the amount of additive injected into the supply line and for maintaining a constant fluid volume added to the extrusion device. Each of the additive supply tanks may contain a different colorant and/or flavoring. Two variants of the injection manifold are provided as well as a novel injection sequence for use with the disclosed system.