A filling machine and a method for filling a pasty mass, in particular for the production of sausages, with a delivery pump for conveying the pasty mass with a first drive, and a dosing pump that is coupled to an outlet of the delivery pump and a transmission train via which the dosing pump is coupled to a second drive integrated into the filling machine housing.

A food processor includes a grinder to obtain a ground meat; a mixer to add fat to the ground meat; a payload bay to receive the ground meat; a plurality of evaporators coupled to the payload bay with a multiplicity of coolant tubes in each evaporator, wherein each tube enters and then exits the payload bay, further comprising one or more cryogenic valves coupled to the coolant tubes; a pump to force coolant flowing through the evaporators; and a processor with code for: chopping the ground meat and during chopping, adding salt and ice to the ground meat being chopped and adding liquid nitrogen to maintain the temperature of the meat being chopped below 5 C. to obtain a chopped meat product; adding fat to the chopped meat product and then chopping the fat and adding liquid nitrogen to maintain the temperature of the chopped meat product and fat being chopped between 1 C. and 10 C. to obtain a chopped meat and fat product, wherein the ground meat, added fat, ice and salt are present in amounts so that the chopped meat and fat product has a fat content of from 1% to 20% by weight based upon the weight of the chopped meat and fat product.

A food processor includes a grinder to obtain a ground meat; a mixer to add fat to the ground meat; a payload bay to receive the ground meat; a plurality of evaporators coupled to the payload bay with a multiplicity of coolant tubes in each evaporator, wherein each tube enters and then exits the payload bay, further comprising one or more cryogenic valves coupled to the coolant tubes; a pump to force coolant flowing through the evaporators; and a processor with code for: chopping the ground meat and during chopping, adding salt and ice to the ground meat being chopped and adding liquid nitrogen to maintain the temperature of the meat being chopped below 5 C. to obtain a chopped meat product; adding fat to the chopped meat product and then chopping the fat and adding liquid nitrogen to maintain the temperature of the chopped meat product and fat being chopped between 1 C. and 10 C. to obtain a chopped meat and fat product, wherein the ground meat, added fat, ice and salt are present in amounts so that the chopped meat and fat product has a fat content of from 1% to 20% by weight based upon the weight of the chopped meat and fat product.

The invention relates to a method for preparing a casing material for use in co-extruding food products comprising the steps of providing two or more casing material components; mixing the casing material components and feeding the resulting viscous gelling solution to the co-extrusion process to form an external layer on an extruded strand of food dough. Each of the casing material components in itself is not suitable for co-extrusion as an external layer and the composition of the viscous gelling solution is determined by changing the volumes of the casing material components used dependent on the required food product to be co-extruded and/or the composition of the viscous gelling solution is adjusted by changing the volumes of the casing material components dependent on the information on the properties of the food dough and/or the food product to be co-extruded. The present invention further relates to a method and a system for preparing food products by means of co-extrusion wherein such casing material is used.

A horizontal char slicer for cutting a food product includes a frame housing having a heating housing and a cutting device located at a discharge end of the heating housing. The heating housing includes a heating element, and the cutting device has a generally horizontal cutting plane. A generally horizontal conveyor belt extends at least the length of the frame housing, between a heating inlet for delivering the food product through the heating housing to the cutting device. The horizontal conveyor belt also extends from the cutting device to an outlet of the frame housing. The horizontal conveyor belt transports the food product away from the cutting device. A finished-product conveyor also extends from the cutting device for transporting a finished-product away from the cutting device. The finished-product conveyor and the horizontal conveyor belt are configured to work in parallel downstream of the cutting device.

A low profile water bath co-extrusion process for sausage manufacturing is disclosed, along with machines for accomplishing this process. The process is an automated assembly line which begins with co-extruded food product, such as a sausage emulsion coated with collagen and finishes with cooked, boxed, packaged link sausage. The process includes the steps of co-extrusion, linking and cutting the co-extruded food product to individual links. Following these steps and prior to a liquid smoking step, the casing is prepared by steps which includes chemical treatment of the individual links in a water bath, while dehydrating the product in a salt solution, the water bath being a two-part process and following the water bath using a forced hot air drying step. Machines disclosed include a modification of prior art screw driven water bath and a novel roller/conveyor forced hot air drying assembly that subjects individual links of a co-extruded food product to a rolling motion while simultaneously being transported horizontally and being subject to forced hot air drying.

Apparatus for orient sausages and methods of orienting sausages. The apparatus has at least one conveyor device with a moveable, in particular circulating, conveyor element on which individual sausages can be placed and transported in a conveyor direction along a path of movement. Two orientation devices are spaced from each other transversely relative to the conveyor direction and which are arranged above the moveable conveyor element, and each having at least one respective guide for laterally guiding the sausages.

Apparatus for orient sausages and methods of orienting sausages. The apparatus has at least one conveyor device with a moveable, in particular circulating, conveyor element on which individual sausages can be placed and transported in a conveyor direction along a path of movement. Two orientation devices are spaced from each other transversely relative to the conveyor direction and which are arranged above the moveable conveyor element, and each having at least one respective guide for laterally guiding the sausages.

A method for tying sausages in a rope of sausage using a tying twine supplied from a reel of twine (9) that rotates about the rope of sausage and to which a counterweight (7) is assigned, wherein the counterweight (7) and the reel of twine (9) are adapted to one another when unreeling the tying twine.

A system and method for processing a coextruded meat product including a casing enclosing a meat batter after brining in which a heated, high velocity air stream is applied to the coextruded meat product thereby mechanically removing moisture from a surface of the casing and cooking the coextruded meat product. This system and method can further improve the ability for a liquid coating to be added to the coextruded meat product in a non-drenching manner because of the superior surface preparation of the casing by the jets.