Apparatus having members for preparing an extruded food product and particularly a multi-colored product

Apparatus for preparing a extruded food product comprising:

• a mixer for mixing food materials to prepare a base material mixture which is emulsifiable;
• a device for emulsifying the base material mixture to obtain an emulsified product and which comprises means for solutions, including food-coloring solutions, to enter into the device for preparation of the emulsified product;
• a pump and a plurality of piping lines wherein the mixer, pump and emulsifying device are arranged in series and connected by the piping lines so that the pump receives the base mixture and pumps the base mixture to the emulsifying device;
• a plurality of tanks and a plurality of piping lines arranged in parallel so that one piping line is connected with each tank and so that each piping line is connected with the emulsifying device entering means for supplying the solutions to the emulsifying device;
• a plurality of valves arranged so that one valve is positioned with respect to each tank and solution piping line and configured so that the valves are openable and closable for controlling the supplying of the solutions from the tanks to the emulsifying device;
• a plurality of piping lines arranged in parallel for transporting emulsified product;
• a valve which is positioned with respect to the emulsifying device and the product transport piping lines for receiving emulsified product prepared by the emulsifying device and which is configured so that the emulsified product is distributed to the product transport piping lines so that when emulsified product is distributed to one product transport piping line, emulsified product is not delivered to another of the product transport piping lines;
• a plurality of mechanical extruders connected to the plurality of product transport piping lines so that each extruder is connected to one of the product transport piping lines for receiving emulsified product for extruding the product through a die to obtain an extruded product;
• a steam oven for cooking the extruded product;
• and
• a conveyor belt positioned for receiving the extruded product from the extruders and for conveying the extruded product through the oven for the cooking.