Process for producing dry discrete agglomerated garlic and onion and resulting products

A method for the production of a dry free flowing agglomerated product from dry powder material selected from the group consisting of garlic and onion or combinations thereof, the method making use of an upright structure forming superposed upper and lower treatment chambers that are in free unobstructed communication, the method comprising the steps of dispersing the dry powder in the air stream and continuously introducing the air stream and dispersed powder into the upper portion of the upper chamber, simultaneously introducing atomized water into the upper chamber and causing the dispersed powder particles to be co-mingled with water droplets, the resulting wetting of the powder particles by contact with water droplets causing the particles to become sticky whereby random contacts of the wetted particles in the upper chamber form dispersed moist porous aggregates that are sticky and have little firmness, continuously introducing hot drying air into the lower portion of the lower chamber, whereby such air progresses upwardly through the lower chamber and upwardly into the upper chamber, the air pressure within both the upper and lower chambers being maintained slightly below atmospheric, and causing the dispersed moist aggregates continuously to progress in free flight downwardly by gravity from the upper chamber into and through the lower chamber whereby sufficient moisture is removed from the dispersed aggregates while progressing through the lower chamber in free flight to render them nonsticky and firm, the aggregates while sticky having minimum contact and adherence with the walls of the chambers, and then subjecting the aggregates to drying to the desired final moisture content.