Food product which artificially has been given a cell-like structure by coextrusion of several components, and method and apparatus for manufacturing such food product

A food product which is a three dimensional solid at 20° C. and is elongated in at least the z-dimension and consists of at least two components A and B which have different visual appearances and have been coextruded to intersperse segments of A and segments of B, wherein each B component is a solid at 20° C. and each A component is a solid at 20° C., the segments of component A are arranged in at least two mutually distinct rows extending generally in the z-direction, and the rows of segments of component A and interspersed segments of component B are visible at at least one surface of the product extending generally in a xz plane.

A method of manufacturing by coextrusion of a plurality of extrudable edible components in an extrusion die a solid food product in which the components are extruded in a z-direction from the extrusion die and exit therefrom, and in which at least one extrudable component A′ is formed into a flow through a channel and an extrudable component B′ is formed in a flow through a channel, the flow of B′ being in generally an x direction transverse to said z direction adjacent the flow of A′, in which after exiting from said die, the flows of A′ and B′ are regularly divided generally in said x-direction by a dividing member to form at least two rows of flows of A′ and B′ separated in the x-direction, in each of which rows the flows of A′ and B′ are segmented in the z direction with a segment of flow of B′ being joined upstream and downstream to each segment of flow of A′, whereby B′ segments are interposed between adjacent A′ segments in the z direction and in which adjacent rows are joined to one another along their yz faces, and wherein after the joining of the segmental flows B′ is transformed to a normally solid material having a compressional yield point which is at least twice that of B′.

A method of coextruding at least two extrudable materials A′ and B′ in an extrusion die which comprises the steps of supplying at least one material A′ from a reservoir therefor and advancing the same by extrusion pressure as a flow through one extrusion channel and out of an exit from the channel end, and supplying at least one material B′ from a reservoir therefor and advancing the same by extrusion pressure as a narrow flow through a separate extrusion channel and out of an exit from the channel end;

• dividing each of the flows of materials A′ and B′ not prior to the respective channel exits into segments of the respective extrudates by a dividing member therefor, each said dividing member moving relative to the corresponding channel exit to traverse the entire channel exit;
• and controlling the flows of both materials A′ and B′ out of the extrusion channel exit to cause said flows to be intermittent in nature in synchronism with the movement of said dividing members.

A method of manufacturing by coextrusion in sheet, ribbon or filament form of a food product which is normally solid at 20° C. and is comprised of at least two components A and B in segment form, wherein segments of component B are in contact with segments of component A, which comprises extruding flows of an extrudable component A pre-cursor A′ and of an extrudable component B pre-cursor B′ from separate orifices of an extrusion die, subdividing each of said flows into segments and combining said subdivided flows in rows with the segments of pre-cursor B′ generally alternating with segments of pre-cursor A′ and, after extrusion, converting said pre-cursor B′ to a solid material B, in which extrudable pre-cursor B′ is adapted to be rendered normally solid by coagulation or gel formation and a coagulant or gelling reagent is incorporated in pre-cursor A′ whereby when said segments of pre-cursor B′ are in contact with segments of pre-cursor A′, said pre-cursor B′ is gelled or coagulated by said reagent.