Method and apparatus for producing a puffed foodstuff
AssigneeNew Zealand Government Property Corporation
InventorRoss A. MacKenzie
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of processing a foodstuff raw material in particulate form is described as is apparatus for performing the method. Both method and apparatus involve preheating the particulate food material in a preheating chamber and then subjecting the preheated food material to heating by microwave energy in a main processing chamber. A helical screw conveyor is provided to convey the particulate matter through the preheating and main processing chambers. The pitch of the helical screw conveyor is wider where the conveyor passes through the main processing chamber than the pitch where the screw conveyor passes through the preheating chamber.
Claims10
An apparatus for producing a puffed foodstuff from a raw food material in particulate form, said apparatus comprising a preheating chamber for preheating the raw food material;
- a main processing chamber arranged to receive preheated raw food material from said preheating chamber;
- a microwave generator arranged to direct microwave energy into the main processing chamber to puff the food material;
- screw-conveying means enclosed within said apparatus to convey the raw food material through said preheating chamber then through said main processing chamber and deliver the the resulting puffed foodstuff to an outlet, said screw-conveying means being of a material substantially transparent to micro-waves where said conveying means passes through said main processing chamber, the pitch of said screw-conveying means being wider where said conveying means passes through said main processing chamber than the pitch where said conveying means passes through said preheating chamber.
A method of producing a puffed foodstuff from a raw food material in particulate form, said method comprising the steps of:
- conveying the particulate raw food material by a screw-conveying means through a preheating chamber and subjecting the food material to preheating therein;
- subsequently conveying the preheated raw food material through a main processing chamber and subjecting the food material to further heating by microwave energy to puff the food material and delivering the resulting puffed foodstuff to an outlet, said screw-conveying means being of a material substantially transparent to micro-waves where the conveying means passes through the main processing chamber, the pitch of said screw-conveying means being wider where said conveying means passes through said main processing chamber than the pitch where the screw-conveying means passes through said preheating chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.