Disclosed are methods and apparatus for forming frozen food products, especially frozen foamed food products wherein the products contain bubbles having a reduced average size preferably in a narrow size range or contain ice crystals having reduced size.

Disclosed are methods and apparatus for forming frozen food products, especially frozen foamed food products wherein the products contain bubbles having a reduced average size preferably in a narrow size range or contain ice crystals having reduced size.

An individual frozen drink dispenser includes a housing having a base configured to support a blender cup, a dispensing chamber disposed above the blender cup and configured to support a frozen beverage container containing frozen ingredients suitable for preparing a frozen drink, at least one dispensing mechanism configured to move from a pre-dispense position to a dispense position in which the dispensing mechanism drives the frozen ingredients from the frozen beverage container into the blender cup, and a drive mechanism coupled to the housing and configured to drive the movement of the dispensing mechanism from the pre-dispense position to the dispense position. A method of preparing a frozen drink is further disclosed.

There is provided a frozen food product, such as frozen juice, and the method of providing same. This involves cooling the food product, such as a juice, to a slurry temperature within a freezing temperature range for the juice to provide a slurry, the juice slurry comprising a liquid juice component and a frozen juice component; providing the juice slurry to a container; and freezing the juice slurry within the container.

A mounting plate for a smoothie vending machine vertically disposed on the housing of the vending machine. The mounting plate is vertically hinged and swingable outward from the housing. The mounting plate is positioned and arranged between a front door of the smoothie vending machine and a plurality of smoothie dispensing tanks contained in the housing. The mounting plate is positioned and arranged to swing open to enable access to the smoothie dispensing tanks and a plurality of blender motors for refilling and maintenance. A means for retrieving and moving a cup are disposed on the mounting plate.

A drinking vessel has a body with a plurality of chambers formed therein and an access channel opening to a compartment at a base of the body. Each of the plurality of chambers opens to the compartment at the bottom of the body. Each of the plurality of chambers opens at a top of the body. The access channel is adapted to receive a straw or a tube therein. The body is a plurality of walls formed therein. The plurality walls define the plurality of channels in the body. The plurality walls extend from an inner wall of the body to an exterior of the access channel.

The invention relates to a method of producing a frozen confection product, the method comprising the steps of: providing an ingredient mix free from added sugar or comprises below 0.2% wt, the composition comprising 3-17 wt. % fat, 3-17 wt. % milk solids non-fat, and 1-10 wt. % protein comprising casein and whey, the ingredient mix having a pH of 6.1-6.4; homogenising the ingredient mix and subsequently pasteurizing the composition at a temperature of 80°-100° C. for a period of 0.5-3 min to form agglomerated protein comprising casein and whey, adding 3-25 wt. % of sugar to the ingredient mix; and freezing while optionally aerating the ingredient mix, to form a frozen confection product. The invention also relates to a product obtained with the method.

The invention relates to a method of producing a frozen confection product, the method comprising the steps of: providing an ingredient mix free from added sugar or comprises below 0.2% wt, the composition comprising 3-17 wt. % fat, 3-17 wt. % milk solids non-fat, and 1-10 wt. % protein comprising casein and whey, the ingredient mix having a pH of 6.1-6.4; homogenising the ingredient mix and subsequently pasteurizing the composition at a temperature of 80°-100° C. for a period of 0.5-3 min to form agglomerated protein comprising casein and whey, adding 3-25 wt. % of sugar to the ingredient mix; and freezing while optionally aerating the ingredient mix, to form a frozen confection product. The invention also relates to a product obtained with the method.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing edible ice products comprising: (a) a thermally insulated food grade material chamber; (b) at least one atomizing beverage nozzle (s) inserted in said thermally insulated chamber for spraying beverage droplets into said thermally insulated chamber; (c) at least one beverage valve(s), disposed between a beverage source and said atomizing beverage nozzle (s), for controlling the beverage flow rate into said chamber; (d) at least one gas expansion nozzle (s), inserted in said thermally insulated chamber, for expanding the gas in its liquid state to its gaseous state, and for jetting gas on said beverage droplets, in said thermally insulated chamber; (e) at least one gas flow regulator(s), disposed between a gas source and said gas nozzle (s) for regulating the gas flow rate into said gas expansion nozzle (s); (f) a controller for controlling said beverage valve (s) and said gas flow regulator (s); and (g) wherein said controller controls said beverage valve (s) and said gas flow regulator(s) for ensuring that said sprayed beverage droplets meet the jetted gas for freezing said droplets for forming a texture controlled edible ice product in said thermally insulated chamber.

Hardpack frozen desserts providing a carbonation sensation even after frozen storage over an extended shelf life, and methods of making such hardpack frozen desserts are described. Hardpack frozen desserts have a particular solute content, providing a solute molarity of at least 1.0 molar, and/or a solute molality of at least 0.78 molal, and/or an Aw of the mixture of 0.91 or less.