Continuous Coating Method
AssigneeGeneral Mills, Inc.
InventorsDaniel R Green, Jekaterina Severova-Epp, Thomas M Jarl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are methods and systems for continuously coating food pieces. The methods include a steps of directing and uncoated food stream through an enrober to apply a first coating to at least a portion of a surface of each food piece to form a coated stream and continuously redirecting a portion of the coated stream back through the enrober along with the stream of uncoated food pieces to apply at least one additional coating to the portion of the coated stream.
Claims20
A system for making a food composition, the system comprising:
- a. an enrober configured to apply a coating to at least a portion of a surface of each food piece in a stream of food pieces to produce a stream of coated food pieces;
- b. a dryer configured to receive the stream of coated food pieces and produce a stream of dried coated food pieces;
- c. a splitting apparatus configured to split the stream of dried coated food pieces into at least two stream portions;
- and
- d. a conveyor apparatus configured to redirect at least one stream portion, representing from about 20% to 60% of the stream of dried coated food pieces, back to the enrober for application of a second coating on the at least one stream portion.
A system for making a food composition, the system comprising:
- a. an enrober comprising a first drum-type enrober component configured to apply a liquid component of a coating to a stream of food pieces, a second drum-type enrober component configured to tumble a dry component of the coating with food pieces including the liquid component, a conveyor apparatus configured to convey a stream of food pieces from the first drum-type enrober component into the second drum-type enrober component and to convey the dry component into the second drum-type enrober component, and a dispenser component configured to apply the dry component of the coating to the conveyor beneath the stream of food pieces;
- b. a splitting apparatus configured to split the stream of coated food pieces into at least two stream portions;
- and
- c. a second conveyor apparatus configured to redirect at least one stream portion back through the enrober.
An enrober comprising a first drum-type enrober component configured to apply a liquid component of a coating to a stream of food pieces, a second drum-type enrober component configured to tumble a dry component of the coating with food pieces including the liquid component, a conveyor apparatus configured to convey a stream of food pieces from the first drum-type enrober component into the second drum-type enrober component and to convey the dry component into the second drum-type enrober component, and a dispenser component configured to apply the dry component of the coating to the conveyor beneath the stream of food pieces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.