Method and apparatus for oil-free production of food products in a rotary impingement oven

An air impingement oven for oil-free producing from a dehydrated food product, comprising:

• a product feed end for accepting food products into a rotatable, longitudinally extending cage of cylindrical, foraminous sidewall construction arranged in at least one oven environment, wherein the food products have been prepared from starting food product material;
• wherein the cage, in which the food products are disposed, has a first sector, against which a process vapor at a temperature substantially higher than that of the products is impinged, wherein the process vapor is provided in the oven;
• wherein the cage, in which the food products are disposed, has a second sector, at which the process vapor is withdrawn at a cooler temperature while the cage is caused to rotate and the food products to traverse the cage longitudinally thereby to reduce the moisture content of the food products to fall in the range of about 28% to 60% moisture;
• and
• a product discharge end for removing the food products from the cage for further treatment.