Apparatus, pods and methods for processing expandable food materials

A combination of a counter-top, low shear food cooker/extruder apparatus and a pod, used together for the customized, on demand, preservative-free production in the home of fresh, ready to eat foods such as breakfast cereals and similar food products, from dry ingredients tailored to particular taste and texture preferences, to avoid allergens and to achieve better overall output quality due to minimized starch damage within the final food product, and for the production in the home of pet food products, all at an economical cost per batch, wherein:

• said apparatus comprises a compression module for receiving said pod;
• said pod contains a chamber for storage and processing of the dry ingredients used in preparing the desired food product;
• said compression module includes:
• means for introducing water into the dry ingredients within said chamber in said pod;
• and
• means for mixing and heating the dry ingredients and water within said chamber in said pod to form the food product;
• and
• said compression module further includes means for expelling the food product from said pod and from said compression module.

A combination of a cooker and extruder apparatus for the customized production of food products and a pod containing ingredients that are processed in said pod when said pod is placed into said apparatus while said apparatus is sitting on a countertop or in a pet feeding area within the home, wherein:

• said apparatus comprises:
• compression module means for subjecting the ingredients within said pod to low shear thermo-mechanical processing, including:
• a process chamber into which said pod containing the ingredients is inserted;
• means for introducing water into the ingredients within said pod;
• means for mixing the ingredients and water within said pod to form a food product;
• means for heating the food product within said pod;
• and
• means for expelling the food product from said pod;
• dryer module means for drying the expelled food product;
• and
• control means for controlling operation of said compression module means and said dryer module means;
• and
• said pod comprises:
• means for storing the ingredients within said pod;
• means for containing the ingredients and water within said pod during mixing and heating of the ingredients and water to form the food product;
• and
• means for extracting the food product from said pod in preparation for expulsion from said compression module of said apparatus.

A combination of a cooker and extruder apparatus and a pod for the customized, low shear thermo-mechanical processed production of food products from dry ingredients that are contained and processed within said pod when said pod is placed into said apparatus while said apparatus is sitting on a countertop or in a pet feeding area within the home, wherein:

• said pod comprises a chamber containing the dry ingredients and extrusion means;
• said apparatus comprises;
• a compression module into which said pod containing the dry ingredients is inserted, said compression module includes:
• means for introducing water into the dry ingredients;
• mixing means for mixing the dry ingredients and water within said chamber to form the food product;
• heating means for heating the food product within said chamber;
• and means for expelling the food product from said chamber through said extrusion means;
• and
• wherein said extrusion means comprises a pressure-actuated trigger means and an extrusion nozzle connected to said chamber when a pre-determined pressure is reached within said chamber.

A combination of a counter-top, low shear food cooker/extruder apparatus and a pod, used together for the customized, on demand, preservative-free production in the home of fresh, ready to eat foods such as breakfast cereals and similar food products, from dry ingredients tailored to particular taste and texture preferences, to avoid allergens and to achieve better overall output quality due to minimized starch damage within the final food product, and for the production in the home of pet food products, all at an economical cost per batch, wherein:

• said pod contains a chamber for storage and processing of the dry ingredients used in preparing the desired food product;
• said apparatus comprises:
• a compression module including a chamber for inserting therein said pod carrying the raw food materials and for processing therein the food materials within said pod, a quick-release sealed chamber cover for maintaining high pressure in said chamber during the cooking/extrusion process, a heating element that surrounds said chamber, a variable speed piston for ejecting processed food materials from said pod, a piston drive mechanism, and an adjustable pressure-activated nozzle for controlling the expansion rate of food materials ejected from said pod;
• a dryer module including a variable speed blade for cutting extruded/expanded food material to desired lengths, a bin for capturing and containing said food material, a heater for drying and toasting said food material, a blower for circulating said food material during the drying/toasting process, and an enclosure that houses the blade, bin, heater and blower;
• and
• a control unit including an electro/mechanical hardware and circuitry, which controls all electrical, mechanical, and physical aspects of the cooking, extrusion, drying and toasting processes.

A method of producing food products comprising the steps of:

• inserting and storing food materials of a particular recipe in a chamber of a pod;
• sealing said chamber of said pod;
• inserting said pod into a compression module of a cooking and extruding apparatus to produce food product from the food materials;
• sealing and locking said pod within said compression module;
• introducing water into the food materials;
• mixing the food materials and water;
• activating a heating element to begin the process of cooking the food materials;
• raising the pressure and boiling point of the food materials continuously above their atmospheric levels to thereby transform the starches within the food material to a plasticized state;
• after a specified elapsed cooking time dependant on recipe and ingredient quantities of the food material, deactivating said heating element to terminate the cooking process;
• extruding the food material from said pod by decreasing the volume of said chamber and, thereby, further increasing the differential pressure between the food materials within said chamber and atmospheric pressure outside of said chamber;
• once the pressure of the food materials within said chamber reaches a pre-determined level, opening a nozzle or valve and allowing the pressurized food material to flow from said chamber through said nozzle or valve;
• continuing to extrude the food material until all food materials within said chamber have been ejected from said chamber;
• and
• causing approximately ninety five percent of the water content within the food material to instantaneously boil upon exiting from said chamber through said nozzle or valve, thereby causing the ejected food material to expand, with the expansion rate being dependent upon original water content of the recipe and controlled by multiple mechanical parameters such as nozzle orifice size and piston speed;
• and
• causing the plasticized starches throughout the food material to go through a glass transition, that is, to form cellular structures that cool rapidly to maintain the size, shape and texture of the expanded food product.

A disposable pod for use with a counter-top, low shear food cooker/extruder apparatus for the customized, on demand, preservative-free production in the home of fresh, ready to eat foods such as breakfast cereals and similar food products, from dry ingredients tailored to particular taste and texture preferences, to avoid allergens and to achieve better overall output quality due to minimized starch damage within the final food product, and for the production in the home of pet food products, all at an economical cost per batch, wherein said pod comprises:

• a first chamber for storage and processing of the dry ingredients;
• means for introducing water into said first chamber so that the dry ingredients and water can be mixed together to form a food product;
• means for mixing the dry ingredients and the water to form the food product;
• and
• means for extruding the food product from said pod.

A disposable pod for use with a counter-top, low shear food cooker/extruder apparatus for the customized, on demand, preservative-free production in the home of fresh, ready to eat foods such as breakfast cereals and similar food products, from dry ingredients tailored to particular taste and texture preferences, to avoid allergens and to achieve better overall output quality due to minimized starch damage within the final food product, and for the production in the home of pet food products, all at an economical cost per batch, wherein said pod comprises:

• a first chamber for storage and processing of the dry ingredients;
• means for introducing water into said first chamber so that the dry ingredients and water can be mixed together to form a food product;
• means for mixing the dry ingredients and the water to form the food product;
• and
• means for extruding the food product from said pod;
• wherein said water introducing means comprises a second water blister chamber within said first chamber, which second chamber is mechanically burst or pierced, allowing water from said second chamber to flow into said first chamber and be mixed together with the dry ingredients to form the food product;
• and
• wherein said means for mixing comprises means for subjecting the dry ingredients and water to a combination of timed vibration at controlled frequencies and mechanical manipulation.

A disposable pod for use with a counter-top, low shear food cooker/extruder apparatus for the customized, on demand, preservative-free production in the home of fresh, ready to eat foods such as breakfast cereals and similar food products, from dry ingredients tailored to particular taste and texture preferences, to avoid allergens and to achieve better overall output quality due to minimized starch damage within the final food product, and for the production in the home of pet food products, all at an economical cost per batch, wherein said pod comprises:

• a first chamber for storage and processing of the dry ingredients;
• means for introducing water into said first chamber so that the dry ingredients and water can be mixed together to form a food product;
• means for mixing the dry ingredients and the water to form the food product;
• and
• means for extruding the food product from said pod;
• wherein said water introducing means comprises a reservoir outside said pod and said pod includes means for injecting the water from said outside reservoir into said first chamber for mixing the water together with the dry ingredients to form the food product;
• and
• wherein said means for mixing comprises means for subjecting the dry ingredients and water to a combination of timed vibration at controlled frequencies and mechanical manipulation.

A disposable pod for use with a counter-top, low shear food cooker/extruder apparatus for the customized, on demand, preservative-free production in the home of fresh, ready to eat foods such as breakfast cereals and similar food products, from dry ingredients tailored to particular taste and texture preferences, to avoid allergens and to achieve better overall output quality due to minimized starch damage within the final food product, and for the production in the home of pet food products, all at an economical cost per batch, wherein said pod comprises:

• a first chamber for storage and processing of the dry ingredients;
• means for introducing water into said first chamber so that the dry ingredients and water can be mixed together to form a food product;
• means for mixing the dry ingredients and the water to form the food product;
• and
• means for extruding the food product from said pod;
• wherein said water introducing means comprises a second water blister chamber within said first chamber, which second chamber is mechanically burst or pierced, allowing water from said second chamber to flow into said first chamber and be mixed together with the dry ingredients to form the food product;
• and
• wherein said means for mixing comprises means for subjecting the water in said first chamber to heating to cause resultant steam migration into the dry ingredients.

A disposable pod for use with a counter-top, low shear food cooker/extruder apparatus for the customized, on demand, preservative-free production in the home of fresh, ready to eat foods such as breakfast cereals and similar food products, from dry ingredients tailored to particular taste and texture preferences, to avoid allergens and to achieve better overall output quality due to minimized starch damage within the final food product, and for the production in the home of pet food products, all at an economical cost per batch, wherein said pod comprises:

• a first chamber for storage and processing of the dry ingredients;
• means for introducing water into said first chamber so that the dry ingredients and water can be mixed together to form a food product;
• means for mixing the dry ingredients and the water to form the food product;
• and
• means for extruding the food product from said pod;
• wherein said water introducing means comprises a reservoir outside said pod and said pod includes means for injecting the water from said outside reservoir into said first chamber for mixing the water together with the dry ingredients to form the food product;
• and
• wherein said means for mixing comprises means for subjecting the water in said first chamber to heating to cause resultant steam migration into the dry ingredients.

A disposable pod for use with a counter-top, low shear food cooker/extruder apparatus for the customized, on demand, preservative-free production in the home of fresh, ready to eat foods such as breakfast cereals and similar food products, from dry ingredients tailored to particular taste and texture preferences, to avoid allergens and to achieve better overall output quality due to minimized starch damage within the final food product, and for the production in the home of pet food products, all at an economical cost per batch, wherein said pod comprises:

• a first chamber for storing and processing the dry ingredients;
• means for introducing water into the first chamber;
• means for processing the dry ingredients and water in said first chamber to form food material;
• an integrated nozzle;
• means for extruding the food material through said nozzle;
• and
• cutting blades integrated within said nozzle, making cleaning of the apparatus optional but unnecessary.

More than one disposable pod for use with a counter-top, low shear food cooker/extruder apparatus for the customized, on demand, preservative-free production in the home of fresh, ready to eat foods such as breakfast cereals and similar food products, from dry ingredients tailored to particular taste and texture preferences, to avoid allergens and to achieve better overall output quality due to minimized starch damage within the final food product, and for the production in the home of pet food products, all at an economical cost per batch, wherein:

• each said disposable pod comprises:
• a first chamber for storing and processing the dry ingredients;
• means for introducing water into the first chamber;
• means for processing the dry ingredients and water in said first chamber to form food material;
• an integrated nozzle;
• and
• means for extruding the food material through said nozzle;
• and
• said pods are connected together by folding means, and said pods can be run in succession through the apparatus.

A disposable pod for use with a counter-top, low shear food cooker/extruder apparatus for the customized, on demand, preservative-free production in the home of fresh, ready to eat foods such as breakfast cereals and similar food products, from dry ingredients tailored to particular taste and texture preferences, to avoid allergens and to achieve better overall output quality due to minimized starch damage within the final food product, and for the production in the home of pet food products, all at an economical cost per batch, wherein:

• said pod comprises a multi-piece, single serving construction;
• said pod includes upper and lower side walls constructed from flexible thermoplastic material or flexible aluminum composite foil, or any other similar material that is, to the extent necessary, FDA approved;
• said pod further including heat seams that seam together said upper side wall and said lower side wall, an internal chamber formed by said side walls, said internal chamber including a dry ingredient pouch and a water blister that is designed to burst at specific process pressure, allowing water to flow from said water blister into said dry ingredient pouch;
• and
• said pod further including a flexible nozzle and seams at both ends of said pod nozzle to keep pre-processed food and foreign matter out of said nozzle.

A disposable pod for use with a counter-top, low shear food cooker/extruder apparatus for the customized, on demand, preservative-free production in the home of fresh, ready to eat foods such as breakfast cereals and similar food products, from dry ingredients tailored to particular taste and texture preferences, to avoid allergens and to achieve better overall output quality due to minimized starch damage within the final food product, and for the production in the home of pet food products, all at an economical cost per batch, wherein:

• said pod comprises a multi-piece single serving construction;
• said pod includes a cylindrical side wall constructed from rigid and flexible thermoplastic material or aluminum alloy, or any other similar material that is, to the extent necessary, FDA approved, that is closed at either ends to form an internal chamber, wherein said side wall is structurally reinforced by the apparatus chamber wall during processing;
• said internal chamber includes a dry ingredient chamber and a water pouch that is designed to burst at a specific pressure, allowing the water to flow from said water pouch into the dry ingredients in said dry ingredients chamber;
• said pod further includes a rigid pod nozzle that is sealed by a food burst disk that is designed to burst at extrusion pressure, allowing processed food to extrude through said nozzle with its specially engineered geometry for low shearing and optimum expansion/texturing of the extruded food product;
• said pod further includes a sealed compression plate that forces processed food material through said extrusion nozzle under apparatus generated pressure;
• said pod further includes an internal fat pouch sealed by a fat burst ring and fat discharge channels, wherein said fat burst ring is designed to burst at extrusion pressure, allowing fat to flow from said fat pouch through said fat discharge channels to dispense onto the extruding food material, wherein the force of said compression plate on the food material within said chamber applies force to said fat pouch and forces the fat out said fat discharge channels.

A disposable pod for use with a counter-top, low shear food cooker/extruder apparatus for the customized, on demand, preservative-free production in the home of fresh, ready to eat foods such as breakfast cereals and similar food products, from dry ingredients tailored to particular taste and texture preferences, to avoid allergens and to achieve better overall output quality due to minimized starch damage within the final food product, and for the production in the home of pet food products, all at an economical cost per batch, wherein:

• said pod comprises a multi-piece construction
• said pod includes a cylindrical side wall and an internal wall, constructed from rigid and flexible thermoplastic material or aluminum alloy, or any other similar material that is, to the extent necessary, FDA approved, an annular closure at one end and a full closure at the other end to form an annular internal chamber, wherein said side wall is structurally reinforced by the apparatus chamber wall during processing and said internal wall is structurally reinforced by the internal heater shell of the apparatus during processing;
• said internal chamber includes an annular dry ingredient chamber and a water pouch within said annular chamber designed to burst at a specific pressure, allowing the water to flow into the dry ingredients;
• said pod further includes multiple rigid pod nozzles that are sealed by food burst disks designed to burst at extrusion pressure, allowing processed food to simultaneously extrude through said nozzles with their specially engineered geometry for low shearing and optimum expansion/texturing of the extruded food product;
• said pod further including a compression plate, sealed with 0-rings, that forces processed food material through said extrusion nozzles 608 under appliance generated pressure;
• said pod further including internal fat pouches, each sealed by a fat burst ring, and fat discharge channels, said fat burst rings being designed to burst at extrusion pressure, allowing fat to flow through said fat discharge channels and dispense onto the extruding food material, wherein the force of said compression plate on the food material within said annular chamber applies force to said fat pouches and forces the fat out of said fat pouches and through said discharge channels.

A disposable pod for use with a counter-top, low shear food cooker/extruder apparatus for the customized, on demand, preservative-free production in the home of fresh, ready to eat foods such as breakfast cereals and similar food products, from dry ingredients tailored to particular taste and texture preferences, to avoid allergens and to achieve better overall output quality due to minimized starch damage within the final food product, and for the production in the home of pet food products, all at an economical cost per batch, wherein:

• said pod comprises a multi-piece construction;
• said pod includes a cylindrical side wall and an internal wall, constructed from rigid or semi-rigid thermoplastic material, or any other similar material that is, to the extent necessary, FDA approved, an annular closure at one end and a full closure at the other end to form an annular internal chamber, wherein said side wall is structurally reinforced by the apparatus chamber wall during processing and said internal wall is structurally reinforced by the internal heater shell of the apparatus during processing;
• said internal chamber includes an annular dry ingredient ring chamber;
• said pod includes means for introducing water into said annular ring chamber during processing;
• said pod includes a rigid pod nozzle that is sealed by a food burst disk that is designed to burst at extrusion pressure, allowing processed food to extrude through said nozzle with its specially engineered geometry for low shearing and optimum expansion/texturing of the extruded food product;
• said pod further including a compression plate that is sealed with 0-rings, wherein said compression plate forces processed food material through the extrusion nozzle under apparatus generated pressure;
• and
• said pod further includes an adhesive-backed freshness seal which is removed by the user prior to loading said pod into the apparatus.

A disposable pod for use with a counter-top, low shear food cooker/extruder apparatus for the customized, on demand, preservative-free production in the home of fresh, ready to eat foods such as breakfast cereals and similar food products, from dry ingredients tailored to particular taste and texture preferences, to avoid allergens and to achieve better overall output quality due to minimized starch damage within the final food product, and for the production in the home of pet food products, all at an economical cost per batch, wherein:

• said pod comprises a multi-piece single serving construction;
• said pod includes an upper side wall and a lower side wall, constructed from flexible thermoplastic material or flexible aluminum composite foil, or any other similar material that is, to the extent necessary, FDA approved;
• said pod includes heat seal seaming means for sealing said upper and lower side walls together to form a first internal chamber and a second internal chamber;
• said first internal chamber includes a dry ingredient pouch or blister;
• said second internal chamber includes a second water pouch or blister;
• said pod further includes means for separating said two pouches or blisters prior to processing;
• said pod further includes a rigid pod nozzle that is sealed by a food burst disk that is designed to burst at extrusion pressure, allowing processed food to extrude from said first internal chamber through said nozzle with its specially engineered geometry for low shearing and optimum expansion/texturing of the extruded food product.

At least two disposable pods for use with a counter-top, low shear food cooker/extruder apparatus for the customized, on demand, preservative-free production in the home of fresh, ready to eat foods such as breakfast cereals and similar food products, from dry ingredients tailored to particular taste and texture preferences, to avoid allergens and to achieve better overall output quality due to minimized starch damage within the final food product, and for the production in the home of pet food products, all at an economical cost per batch, wherein:

• each said pod comprises a multi-piece single serve construction;
• each said pod includes an upper side wall and a lower side wall, constructed from semi-rigid thermoplastic material, or any other similar material that is, to the extent necessary, FDA approved;
• each said pod includes heat seal seaming means for sealing said upper and lower side walls together to form a first internal chamber and a second internal chamber;
• each said first internal chamber includes a dry ingredient pouch or blister;
• each said second internal chamber includes a second water pouch or blister;
• each said pod further includes means for separating said two pouches or blisters prior to processing;
• each said pod further includes a rigid pod nozzle that is sealed by a food burst disk that is designed to burst at extrusion pressure, allowing processed food to extrude from said first internal chamber through said nozzle with its specially engineered geometry for low shearing and optimum expansion/texturing of the extruded food product;
• and
• wherein said pods are connected together by connection means and include alignment holes that can interact with pins in the apparatus that engage the alignment holes to insure proper seating of said pods within the apparatus and advancement of said pods through the apparatus.

A disposable pod for use with a counter-top, low shear food cooker/extruder apparatus for the customized, on demand, preservative-free production in the home of fresh, ready to eat foods such as breakfast cereals and similar food products, from dry ingredients tailored to particular taste and texture preferences, to avoid allergens and to achieve better overall output quality due to minimized starch damage within the final food product, and for the production in the home of pet food products, all at an economical cost per batch, wherein:

• said pod comprises a multi-piece single serving construction;
• said pod includes a cylindrical side wall, constructed from epoxy coated aluminum alloy, or any other similar material that is, to the extent necessary, FDA approved, which is closed at either ends to form an internal chamber;
• wherein said side wall is structurally reinforced by the apparatus chamber wall during processing;
• said internal chamber includes a dry ingredient chamber;
• said pod further including means for injecting water into said dry ingredient chamber so that the water can flow into the dry ingredients;
• said pod further including a rigid pod nozzle that is sealed by a food burst disk that is designed to burst at extrusion pressure, allowing processed food to extrude through said nozzle with its specially engineered geometry for low shearing and optimum expansion/texturing of the extruded food product;
• said pod further including a sealed compression plate, with o-ring seals, that forces processed food material through said extrusion nozzle under appliance generated pressure;
• and
• said pod further including an adhesive-backed freshness seal which the user removes prior to loading said pod into the appliance.