Food process line for in-line processing food and method for processing food

A computer-implemented method for processing food in a food process line including a plurality of process line stations, a first process line station of said plurality of process line stations equipped with an actuator for carrying out an operation in relation to the food, a second process line station of said plurality of process line stations equipped with at least one sensor acquiring data relating to the food and/or to the food process line, a third process line station of said plurality of process line stations provided in the food process line between the first process line station and the second process line station, and an interstation control system communicatively connected to the actuator of the first process line station and the at least one sensor of the second process line station, which interstation control system is configured to control the actuator of the first process line station based on data from the at least one sensor of the second process line station, further including one or more processors with the interstation control system, wherein the method comprising the following steps of executing computer readable program code by the one or more processors:

• operating the at least one sensor of the second process line station to obtain data;
• communicating the data from the at least one sensor of the second process line station to the interstation control system;
• controlling the actuator of the first process line station based on data from the at least one sensor of the second process line station;
• wherein the step of controlling the actuator of the first process line station is dependent on both an actual process variable as acquired from the at least one sensor and a desired process variable to provide a feedback loop ensuring the interstation control system exerts a control action in the first process line station at a same value as to adjust the actual process variable to obtain the desired process variable;
• wherein the plurality of process line stations are selected from the following:
• forming station for forming discrete food products from a pumpable food mass, the forming station including a temperature sensor configured to acquire temperature data relating to the food;
• dry coater for coating discrete food products with a dry coating, the dry coater provided in the food process line between a wet coating device and a fryer, the dry coater including an air knife for blowing off excess dry coating;
• wet coating device for coating discrete food products with a wet coating, the wet coating device provided in the food process line between the fryer and the forming station, the wet coating device including a temperature sensor configured to acquire temperature data relating to batter temperature;
• fryer for frying discrete food products, the fryer including the actuator for carrying out the operation in relation to the food, the fryer further including a conveyor configured to transport the food products through the fryer, wherein the actuator is configured to control velocity of the conveyor for adjusting dwell time of the food products in the fryer;
• and freezer for freezing discrete food products;
• wherein the food process line comprises, in succession, the forming station, the wet coating device, the dry coater, the fryer, and the freezer;
• wherein the interstation control system is communicatively connected to the fryer and the at least one sensor of the second process line station, and is further configured to control the velocity of the conveyor of the fryer based on the temperature data from the forming station.