Apparatus and methods for producing food products

A fragile puffed, crisped or flaked cereal based food product producing apparatus, the apparatus comprising a feed section and a compression section, the feed section comprising a plurality of channels into which fragile puffed, crisped or flaked cereal is supplied and corresponding drive elements in the channels for moving the food along the channels, the compression section lying adjacent the feed section such that food is moved by the drive elements from the channels into the compression section, the compression section comprising tubes of selected cross-section and length, whereby in use food is moved along the channels and into the compression section by the drive elements, subjected to compression in the compression section and then leaves the compression section at the end thereof remote from the feed section;

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• the feed section further comprising a plurality of parallel rotating helixes located over the drive elements and at all times in operation spaced away from the drive elements for regulating the supply of food to the channels without compacting the food, wherein the plurality of parallel rotating helixes are adjacent and rotate in opposite directions with respect to each other.