The invention relates to a method for treating a food which is in an insulating encapsulation or casing or which will be introduced into same, by means of non-conventional ohmic heating. The heating serves, in particular, to treat sausage products in an intestine, such as Brhwurst (scalded sausage), hot dogs or similar food products. The food is brought into contact with spaced electrically conductive electrodes, wherein the electrodes are connected to a controllable power source. According to the invention, the electrodes are each in the form of at least one first and one second electrode group, wherein the electrode groups are at a distance A.sub.EG to one another. Each electrode group has a number of individual electrodes, similar to a comb-like set of needles, wherein the neighbouring individual electrodes of the comb-type set of needles are each at a distance A.sub.EE to one another. The distance A.sub.EG is greater than or max. equal to the distance A.sub.EE. The respective comb-like set of needles penetrates the insulating encapsulation or the casing of the food, wherein a penetration process is carried out in such a way that entry and exit points of the comb-like set of needles are formed in relation to the food and the encapsulation or casing.

The invention relates to a method for treating a food which is in an insulating encapsulation or casing or which will be introduced into same, by means of non-conventional ohmic heating. The heating serves, in particular, to treat sausage products in an intestine, such as Brhwurst (scalded sausage), hot dogs or similar food products. The food is brought into contact with spaced electrically conductive electrodes, wherein the electrodes are connected to a controllable power source. According to the invention, the electrodes are each in the form of at least one first and one second electrode group, wherein the electrode groups are at a distance A.sub.EG to one another. Each electrode group has a number of individual electrodes, similar to a comb-like set of needles, wherein the neighbouring individual electrodes of the comb-type set of needles are each at a distance A.sub.EE to one another. The distance A.sub.EG is greater than or max. equal to the distance A.sub.EE. The respective comb-like set of needles penetrates the insulating encapsulation or the casing of the food, wherein a penetration process is carried out in such a way that entry and exit points of the comb-like set of needles are formed in relation to the food and the encapsulation or casing.

An apparatus is provided for filling tubular cases with a pasty material, in particular gathered sausage skin casings with sausage meat. The filling apparatus includes at least one filling tube on to which a case which can be filled with the material can be pulled, a receiving portion receiving a first end of the filling tube, a casing braking unit which is associated with the oppositely disposed second open end and which can be brought into operative connected relationship with the case which has been pulled over the filling tube, and a support device arranged at the receiving portion for the filling tube. The support device has at least one support portion which is variable in spacing relative to the receiving portion and which is adapted to be brought into contact with a gathered case on the filling tube for receiving transverse forces.

An improved tubular openwork fabric or net for food products, the openwork fabric including a plurality of filament assemblies. Each filament assembly is formed from one or more filaments and the filament assemblies are knitted as alternating cojoined and intermediate members. Each intermediate member includes a single filament assembly and each cojoined member includes a pair of filament assemblies that are worked together. The openwork fabric further includes an extension limiting member to limit a longitudinal extension of the openwork fabric.

Apparatus and methods for orienting a plurality of sausages with respective curvatures. A conveyor device is configured to transport the sausages along a conveyor path. The conveyor device includes a conveyor element on which the sausages can be placed at mutual spacings and with their longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to a conveyor direction of the conveyor element. A turning device is arranged over the conveyor element. The turning device is configured to be brought into contact with each of the sausages and to orient the sausages oriented approximately transversely relative to the conveyor direction of the conveyor element in identical relationship in respect of the curvatures of the sausages.

A device for separating individual sausages (12), which are separated from one another by twist points (15), at a cutting point (5), wherein a sensor (6) for detecting the twist point (15) is connected upstream of the cutting point (5), wherein, upstream of the cutting point (5), there is positioned at least one further sensor (7) which runs parallel to the sensor (6) and which is located closer to the cutting point (5) than the sensor (6), wherein the sensors (6, 7) each generate an infrared light shell.

The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for the production of foods, in particular, a stuffing machine for the production of sausages, with a load circuit that generates a leakage current IA and with a filter, a frequency converter, a motor cable and a motor. The apparatus comprises a leakage current compensator with a device for detecting a leakage current and a device for generating a compensation current that is directed opposite to the leakage current and is superimposed with the leakage current, such that the leakage current is reduced, is in particular substantially eliminated.

Packaging apparatus for producing encased products from flat-roll stock using an external user interface (i.e., a handle that is external to a housing holding the heat seal assembly that is attached to a horizontally oriented shaft that rotates a first gear in the housing to rotate an aligned second gear in the housing or an electronic control) that is attached to and/or in communication with (directly or indirectly) a heat-seal assembly with a heat-seal contact member, such as a heat-seal band, in the housing to allow a user to adjust a vertical height of the heat-seal assembly while the apparatus is operational and/or without requiring physical access to the interior of the housing.

A sausage rolling machine utilizes gravity to reduce costs when rolling a food dough casing around a sausage. A first conveyor rotates in a first direction so as to move a food dough casing toward an edge of the first conveyor. A second conveyor is disposed below the first conveyor. A sausage dispenser dispenses a sausage. A hinged unit is disposed below the sausage dispenser and includes a hinge and a tray portion extending from the hinge. The hinged unit receives the food dough casing that is falling off the edge of the first conveyor when the hinged unit is at rest, initiates wrapping of the food dough casing around the sausage, and rotates the tray portion about the hinge, causing the sausage to roll onto the second conveyor while also causing the sausage to be partially wrapped by the food dough casing.

The invention relates to a method for applying a consumable treating liquid to an individual meat product, comprising the steps of placing an individual meat product on a carrier; moving the meat product towards a liquid applier; applying a consumable treating liquid to a meat product; forcing excess liquid towards the bottom of the meat product and/or the carrier, and controllably removing the excess liquid from the meat product and/or the carrier by a liquid remover. The invention also provides a device for applying a consumable treating liquid to an individual meat product.