Method for co-extrusing dough mass with particulate matter in the outer dough

In a co-extrusion method for forming a continuous food product having dissimilar inner and outer portions wherein said inner portion is enveloped in intimate contact by said outer portion and said outer portion is a dough material, said method including the steps of:

• extruding the inner portion through an inner extrusion port;
• and
• enveloping said inner portion with the outer portion and passing the inner portion and the enveloping outer portion through an outer extrusion port thereby continuously forming a composite rope-like food product having said outer portion in intimate contact with said inner portion;
• the improvement comprising:
• providing edible particulate material in said outer portion dough material prior to said outer portion dough material enveloping said inner portion;
• passing said outer portion dough material containing particulate material through an exit passage formed by recessing said inner extrusion port a distance D from an outer extrusion port wherein said distace D is sufficient to permit said particulate material contained in said outer portion dough material to pass through said exit passage
• whereby said outer portion dough material envelops said inner portion;
• causing turbulence in said outer portion dough material when said outer portion is enveloping said inner portion at the intersection where the outer dough surrounds said inner dough whereby particles of said particulate material in said outer portion dough material tumble and therefore at least a portion of said particles partially penetrate the exterior surface of said outer portion dough material;
• and
• bringing said outer portion dough material into contact with a land surface provided in said outer extrusion part after said turbulence causing step, thereby removing dough covering the part of said particles which penetrate said exterior surface.