Apparatus, system and method embodiments for moulding soft confectionery disclosed herein include a conveyor system arranged for conveying a plurality of trays in a serial succession, a loading unit arranged for loading the trays onto the conveyor system, a depositing unit arranged for depositing liquid confectionery in mould cavities of at least two trays simultaneously, and an unloading unit arranged for unloading the trays from the conveyor system.

A depositing machine (1) comprising a removable component, a method for inserting the removable component (10) in a machine frame (2) of a depositing machine, a method for removing the removable component (10) from a machine frame (2) of a depositing machine (1), and a kit for retrofitting a depositing machine (1) with the removable component (10). The component (10) is fastened to the machine frame (2) by a substantially horizontally arranged plug-in connection (11), in particular, a bolt connection.

A piston-operated dispenser unit for confectionery food products, comprising (I) a door (4) mountable on a dispensing mouth (5) of a machine (2) for making and instantaneously dispensing confectionery products; (II) at least one dispensing tap (9), in turn comprising a main body (10), extending frontally from the door (4) and forming, inside the door (4), an outflow duct (11) for the product to be dispensed, and a piston (13), slidably mounted inside the duct (11) and mobile between an open position and a closed position of the duct (11); (III) a manually operated lever (17), connected to the piston (13) for moving the piston (13) between the open position and the closed position of the duct (11), and vice versa; and (IV) a spring (24) operating on the piston (13) to apply an action for keeping the piston (13) in the closed position.

A piston-operated dispenser unit for confectionery food products, comprising (I) a door (4) mountable on a dispensing mouth (5) of a machine (2) for making and instantaneously dispensing confectionery products; (II) at least one dispensing tap (9), in turn comprising a main body (10), extending frontally from the door (4) and forming, inside the door (4), an outflow duct (11) for the product to be dispensed, and a piston (13), slidably mounted inside the duct (11) and mobile between an open position and a closed position of the duct (11); (III) a manually operated lever (17), connected to the piston (13) for moving the piston (13) between the open position and the closed position of the duct (11), and vice versa; and (IV) a spring (24) operating on the piston (13) to apply an action for keeping the piston (13) in the closed position.

Edible confections which repeatedly rise and sink in a carbonated beverage due to changing buoyancy resulting from a time-varying population of carbonation bubbles on the surface of the confection, and the associated equipment and processes for production. A low solubility gelatin-based gummi confections are preferred because the dimensions of the confections and their surface properties are relatively invariant with time, and the submerged confections have little effect on the appearance and the level of carbonation of the beverage. Aeration by whisking produces internal bubbles which lower the specific gravity. Cold old spherification of the aerated slurry creates surfaces of the formed confections which differ considerably from surfaces produced by other processes for the production of gummi candies. The process is optimized to create, over the entirety of the surface of the confection, surface regions which are rough on length scales which promote bubble nucleation interspersed with smooth regions which promotes bubble retention.

The present disclosure describes an ultrasonic rotary molding system that is used to form edible compositions or food products as they move along a conveyor belt. The food products are formed by an ultrasonic rotary wheel that includes one or more cutting tools that cut, and perhaps three dimensionally mold, food product strips. The system may include a movable backing plate that is located below the point where the ultrasonic rotary wheel cuts the food product strips. The movable backing plate may be spring loaded and it may exert force upwards against the conveyor belt and in turn against the food product.

The installation (1) comprises: a vacuum expansion chamber (4), having an inlet (4a) provided with a first gas-tight valve device (5) for receiving a flow of semi-finished pieces (3) prepared starting from a confectionery compound and including particles, such as air bubbles and/or powders, capable of causing an expansion thereof under vacuum, and an outlet (4b). In chamber (4) there is provided a rotating drum (7) having a grille structure, intended to receive and transfer to the outlet (4b) of said chamber (4) a flow of said semi-finished pieces (3), in a controlled period of time sufficient to allow an expansion thereof under vacuum.

A cooling and conveying apparatus (10) under vacuum, at a controlled temperature, has an inlet coupled with the outlet of the expansion chamber (4), and an outlet having an associated second gas-tight valve device (18) for discharging the expanded and cooled confectionery products (3). This apparatus (10) includes at least one cooling and conveying unit (11-14) comprising a conduit under vacuum (11a-14a) in which there is provided a worm conveyor device (11d-14d; 11e-14e) including a flexible spiral screw (11e-14e) intended to cause a displacement of the expanded pieces (3) at a controlled speed.

An apparatus (1) for producing cores (33) of a fat-containing confectionery mass includes a molding apparatus (20) and a separate cooling apparatus (5). The molding apparatus (20) is cooled and serves to mold the cores (33). The molding apparatus (20) includes two molding rollers (23, 24) including a multitude of impressions (25). The molding rollers (23, 24) are driven in opposite directions. The impressions (25) hold the liquid confectionery mass flowing into the impressions (25) to form the cores (33). The cooling apparatus (5) includes a cooling roller (6) and is arranged upstream of the molding apparatus (20).

Disclosed is a system for forming and cooling gum, the system including a forming system configured to size the gum to include a substantially uniform thickness, a cooling device that is disposed in-line with the forming system and configured to continuously receive the gum from the forming system at an entry point of the cooling device, and a multi-pass conveying system configured to continuously transport the gum from the entry point to an exit point of the cooling device, the forming system and the cooling device being configured to form and cool the gum to be in a condition for stacking or collecting upon exiting the exit point of the cooling device.

Described herein is a dispensing assembly (10) for a machine (M) for dispensing cream food products. The assembly is characterized in that it comprises: a duct unit (2) having a generic tubular shape so as to define a passage for a cream to be dispensed and defining a section for inlet (2A) and a section for dispensing (2B) of the cream; and a first valve (4) and a second valve (6), each constituted by a diaphragm that can be opened under pressure, which are set inside said unit (2) at said dispensing section (2B) and are set at a distance apart from one another so as to identify a chamber (C) between them.