Seasoning dispensing apparatus and methods for food process line

A method of seasoning food product in a mechanized food product line in a process plant therefor, comprising the steps of:

• provide a plurality of rectangular cardboard shipping cartons having left and right sidewalls, a bottom wall, flaps for eventually closing to form a closed top, as well a leading front wall and trailing rear wall,
• line the cartons with plastic liner,
• dispose the plurality of liner-lined cartons serially on a conveyor,
• ensure each carton and liner are open,
• convey cartons serially under seasoning dispensing apparatus,
• begin a bottom coating process,
• sense and predict by an automatic controller when the front of a carton passes under a vertical plane under which a seasoning dispenser will dispense a curtain-like shower of seasoning mix,
• promoted alignment of the sidewalls of the underpassing carton to be perpendicular to the vertical plane by spaced side rails,
• begin dispensing cycle by the automatic controller starting a seasoning dispensing curtain,
• sense and/or predict by the automatic controller when the rear of carton passes past the vertical plane,
• end dispensing cycle in consequence thereof by the automatic controller stopping the seasoning dispensing curtain and thus ends the bottom coating process, whereby a measured amount of seasoning mix is dispensed into the underpassing carton and without much loss by missing the target of the open-topped container,
• load into each bottom-coated carton a plurality of whole pieces of any of uncooked or under-cooked birds, beef, pork or fish,
• begin a top coating process,
• sense and predict by an automatic controller when the front of a carton passes under a vertical plane under which a seasoning dispenser will dispense a curtain-like shower of seasoning mix,
• promoted alignment of the sidewalls of the underpassing carton to be perpendicular to the vertical plane by spaced side rails,
• begin dispensing cycle by the automatic controller starting a seasoning dispensing curtain,
• sense and/or predict by the automatic controller when the rear of carton passes past the vertical plane,
• end dispensing cycle in consequence thereof by the automatic controller stopping the seasoning dispensing curtain and thus ends the top coating process, whereby a measured amount of seasoning mix is dispensed into the underpassing carton and without much loss by missing the target of the open-topped container.

A method of seasoning food product in a mechanized food product line in a process plant therefor, comprising the steps of:

• provide a multiplicity of cutlets of food product,
• serially place on a first of two conveyor lines,
• pass under a seasoning dispenser top coat,
• remove off the top coated cutlets of food product,
• provide a plurality of empty styrofoam food package trays,
• stack or partially-stack several cutlets in each empty styrofoam food package tray,
• serially place on a second of two conveyor lines,
• convey to a heat-shrink wrapping station,
• wrap cutlet-loaded, top coated styrofoam food package tray in heat shrink film,
• shrink film to seal the cutlet-loaded, top coated styrofoam food package, and continue on to refrigeration or freezer storage.