Apparatus and method for producing aerated confectionery masses

• Main Authors: SIMBUERGER STEPHAN, PEARSON STEPHEN MALCOLM, BIZYS EGIDIJUS
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 29.03.2016
• Subjects: AGRICULTURE; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; CHEWING GUM; COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; COFFEE MILLS; CONFECTIONERY; DAIRY PRODUCTS, e.g. MILK, BUTTER, CHEESE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; FISHING; FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; FORESTRY; FURNITURE; HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HUNTING; ICE-CREAM; MAKING THEREOF; MANUFACTURE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS; MILK OR CHEESE SUBSTITUTES; PREPARATION THEREOF; SPICE MILLS; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL; THEIR TREATMENT, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES; TRAPPING

For producing an aerated confectionery mass, a raw confectionery mass is fed at a feed rate from a supply to an aeration unit for introducing gas into the confectionery mass and wherein the aerated confectionery mass is fed to a production line for the production of confectionery or tablets. The feed rate of the raw confectionery mass is controlled such that it corresponds to the demand of the production line, the amount of introduced gas is controlled in response to the feed rate of the confectionery mass so that the aeration level of the confectionery mass remains substantially constant and the temperature of the aeration mass within the aeration unit is controlled such that it remains substantially constant and independent from the feed rate. The aeration unit may include a rotor for stirring and kneading the confectionery mass containing the introduced gas, the rotational speed of the rotor being controlled such that it is enhanced for higher feed rates and reduced for lower feed rates in order to produce gas bubbles of approximately the same size independent from the feed rate. In order to keep the bubble size small during the depositing step, the depositing is realized via a pressurized manifold containing multiple nozzles.