Method and product line for in-line processing of food products
AssigneeMarel Further Processing B.V.
InventorPatricia Hoekstra-Suurs
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method and production line for in-line processing of food products. The method comprises the step of co-extruding a food dough into a flow of co-extruded food products having a casing that comprises a protein, or a hybrid casing of a protein and a polymer, wherein the method subsequently comprises the successive steps of: a) subjecting the flow of co-extruded food products to a surface treating step, b) subjecting the flow of food products to a thermal treating step, and c) optionally, subjecting the thermally treated flow of food products to a post-thermal treating step, wherein in step b) the flow of food products is at least subsequently subjected to a first thermal treating step, and a second thermal treating step.
Claims19
A method for in-line processing of food products, the method comprising the step of co-extruding a food dough into a flow of co-extruded food products having a casing that comprises a protein, or a hybrid casing of a protein and a polymer,
- wherein the step of co-extruding the food dough into the flow of co-extruded food products includes maintaining a physical state of the protein in a crystalline form,
- wherein the method subsequently comprises the successive steps of:
- a) subjecting the flow of co-extruded food products to a surface treating step, said surface treating step comprises the step of subjecting the flow of food products to a food product strengthening step and subsequently applying liquid smoke to the flow of food products;
- b) subjecting the flow of food products obtained in step a) to a first thermal treating step, including drying the flow of food products, and a second thermal treating step;
- and
- c) optionally, subjecting the thermally treated flow of food products to a post-thermal treating step, said post-thermal treating step is selected from the group consisting of chilling, surface treating, cooking and packing the flow of food products.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.