A food preparation system includes a plate including a food preparation surface for placing food thereon. A cryogenerator is in thermal connection with the food preparation surface and can cool the food preparation surface to a temperature below 230 K.

The invention relates to a method for preparing a heat treated and tempered cheese wrap, as well as the cheese wrap itself. The method includes melting previously refrigerated cheese into a disc shape, and subjecting the cheese disc to alternating heating and cooling steps to produce a pliable, low to no carbohydrate, and gluten free cheese wrap. The product can be used, for example, as a snack or as a bread substitute in sandwich wraps and roll ups.

A method for calculating a dry ice block necessary to preserve a product during transport, includes calculating a surface area:weight ratio needed for the dry ice block to preserve the product in at least one of a chilled condition and a frozen condition, and forming the dry ice block into a shape having said surface area:weight ratio. A related apparatus is also provided.

A device for controlling the temperature of foods along a conveying path includes a buffer unit arranged in a region between a loading station and an unloading station. The buffer unit has at least two deflecting rollers. A first deflecting roller engages, in a first portion of a conveying device, in a continuous conveying chain, continuous conveying belt, or the like, which moves from the loading station toward the unloading station when driven. A second deflecting roller engages, in a second portion of a conveying device, in the continuous conveying chain, continuous conveying belt, or the like, which moves from the unloading station toward the loading station when driven. The first drive unit is coupled in the region of the loading station and a second drive unit is coupled in the region of the unloading station to the continuous conveying chain, continuous conveying belt, or the like.

An apparatus and method for processing grain material to generate a consistently high densified grain with a desired length, shape and size. The densified grain processing apparatus comprises a die assembly, a cooling assembly and a break-off assembly. The method includes receiving the grain material by the die assembly and forcing the grain material through an extrusion passageway that evenly distributes the grain material into a plurality of orifices thereby producing a high density shaped grain before the grain material exits the die assembly. A coolant is pumped to a coolant passage by means of an at least one pump and cools the shaped grain by passing the shaped grain through at least one of the cooling tube inside a cooling chamber. The break-off assembly then breaks off a predetermined length of the shaped grain.

Method and system to prepare and store untreated foods destined for processing and conservation packaging. The system eliminates bacteria from untreated or transformed foods, and includes a degasser, an injector to inject gas or liquid and a cooler. Degassing is carried out after the foods have been gathered together, cut, washed, and optionally treated to neutralize the enzymatic activity, then cooled, before the products are sterilized or pasteurized. The degassing is followed by reinjection of non-condensable neutral gas. During the reinjection of neutral gas which takes place in a liquid form, cooling is imposed on the degassed foods to the vaporization of the neutral gas projected into the enclosure where the foods are confined. All of the operations are directed to the elimination of the non-sporulated microorganisms, which limits the inoculum found in the products when they are stored.

Method and system to prepare and store untreated foods destined for processing and conservation packaging. The system eliminates bacteria from untreated or transformed foods, and includes a degasser, an injector to inject gas or liquid and a cooler. Degassing is carried out after the foods have been gathered together, cut, washed, and optionally treated to neutralize the enzymatic activity, then cooled, before the products are sterilized or pasteurized. The degassing is followed by reinjection of non-condensable neutral gas. During the reinjection of neutral gas which takes place in a liquid form, cooling is imposed on the degassed foods to the vaporization of the neutral gas projected into the enclosure where the foods are confined. All of the operations are directed to the elimination of the non-sporulated microorganisms, which limits the inoculum found in the products when they are stored.

Heat exchange devices (30) and methods of using same are provided. In a general embodiment, the present disclosure provides for heat exchange devices (30) that are cooling devices having a double helical coil (32) in a phase-mixing-cooling section, a helical coil (36) in a phase-separation-cooling section, and a back-pressure valve (34) intermediate the two coils (32,36). The cooling devices provide maximum extraction of the heat content from a heated food product using a direct-injected liquid cryogen, and complete separation of the gaseous cryogen phase from the cooled product, while avoiding the formation of a stable foam. Hybrid direct-indirect cooling devices are also provided, as well as methods for using same.

An apparatus for maintaining the temperature of an article at a temperature that is below the ambient air temperature includes an enclosure having an outer wall that defines an interior chamber for holding a volume of sealed air. An insert is disposed inside of the chamber and has a body that is made of a porous graphite foam material. A vacuum pump penetrates the outer wall and fluidly connects the sealed air in the interior chamber with the ambient air outside of the enclosure. The temperatures of the insert and article is maintained at temperatures that are below the ambient air temperature when a volume of a liquid is wicked into the pores of the porous insert and the vacuum pump is activated to reduce the pressure of a volume of sealed air within the interior chamber to a pressure that is below the vapor pressure of the liquid.

A vessel having an opening for receiving the product and walls surrounding the vessel at all sides except the opening. The interior of the vessel is filled with a fluid having a specific gravity lower than a specific gravity of a medium surrounding the walls outside the vessel. While the vessel is oriented with the opening facing downwards, the vessel and/or product is/are conveyed to ensure that the product enters the interior through the opening.