Cooling die and method for producing meat-like food

Abstract

Provided is a cooling die 12 for producing a meat-like food product. The cooling die 12 is disposed downstream, in an extrusion direction X, of an extrusion apparatus 31 that extrudes an introduced protein ingredient as an extrudate 33 with an oriented fibrous structure, has an internal portion with a channel 14 through which the extrudate 33 moves, and is configured to cool the extrudate 33 that is moving in the channel 14. The cooling die 12 includes a loosening unit 39 that is disposed in a part of the channel 14 in a movement direction X of the extrudate 33. The loosening unit 39 occupies at least a part of a cross section of the channel 14 in a direction that is orthogonal to the movement direction X, and has a plurality of through holes 32 that extend through the loosening unit 39 in the movement direction X. The extrudate 33 is loosened by passing through the plurality of through holes 32.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.