A pellet-coated food product and method of making the food product. In a first aspect, the invention provides a method comprising the steps: extruding an extruder feed stream to provide an extrudate; pelletizing the extrudate to provide extruded pellets; drying the pellets to provide dried pellets; providing at least a portion of an outer surface of a substrate with an adhesive to provide an adhesive substrate; applying at least a portion of the pellets to the outer surface of the substrate to provide a pellet-coated food product comprising the substrate and the pellets; and freezing the food product. In a second aspect, the invention provides a frozen, pellet-coated food product. The food product comprises a substrate comprising an outer surface and a substrate coating adhered to the outer surface of the substrate. The substrate coating comprises pellets, for example unexpanded pellets.

A system according to various embodiments can include a source for supplying a material to be treated, an extruder, at least two screws, and a drive coupled to the screws for axially rotating the screws. The extruder includes an inlet for receiving the material, which is fed therein in a controlled manner. The screws are provided within the housing of the extruder. The screws have a plurality of compression and release stages that create mechanical heat which is directly applied to the material to change the mechanical properties of the material thereby facilitating a conversion of a physical state of the material from a non-compactable state to a compactable state as the screws rotate and move the material longitudinally along the screws to produce a final product, for example, a feed tub for use as an animal feed.

A method for manufacturing an edible dog chew includes the steps of: extruding a first edible mixture through a mold having an opening in a first direction to form a lengthened chew interior material; cutting the lengthened chew interior material into defined lengths to form at least one cut chew interior material; drying the cut chew interior material to form a chew interior; and coating the chew interior with a second edible mixture different from the first edible mixture. Further methods and pet chews are also provided.

The present invention concerns a process for manufacturing an infant formula product comprising lipid globules having a volume-weighted mode diameter of at least 1.0 μm, wherein the process comprises: (a) subjecting an aqueous mixture having a protein component and a carbohydrate component to a heat treatment step; (b) mixing the aqueous mixture with a lipid component to obtain a oil-in-water emulsion having a total solids content in the range of 45-80 wt %; (d) conveying the homogenized emulsion into an extruder, independently adding digestible carbohydrates and optionally dietary fibres to the extruder and extruding the contents of the extruder to obtain an extruded material; (e) preparing an infant formula product from the extruded material, wherein step (e) involves a step wherein the extruded material is subjected to drying, wherein the drying may be selected from flash drying, vacuum drying, belt drying, microwave drying, IR drying and spray-drying, provided that the spray-drying uses an atomization system employing a two-fluid nozzle or a rotary atomization system, to obtain a spray-dried composition comprising lipid globules having a volume-weighted mode diameter of at least 1.0 μm. Alternatively, the process according to the invention does not employ a mixing step (b), but instead a lipid component is independently added during step (d). The invention further concerns Infant formula product obtainable by the process according to the invention and to a modular system suitable for performing the process according to the invention.

The present invention concerns a process for manufacturing an infant formula product comprising lipid globules having a volume-weighted mode diameter of at least 1.0 μm, wherein the process comprises: (a) subjecting an aqueous mixture having a protein component and a carbohydrate component to a heat treatment step; (b) mixing the aqueous mixture with a lipid component to obtain a oil-in-water emulsion having a total solids content in the range of 45-80 wt %; (d) conveying the homogenized emulsion into an extruder, independently adding digestible carbohydrates and optionally dietary fibres to the extruder and extruding the contents of the extruder to obtain an extruded material; (e) preparing an infant formula product from the extruded material, wherein step (e) involves a step wherein the extruded material is subjected to drying, wherein the drying may be selected from flash drying, vacuum drying, belt drying, microwave drying, IR drying and spray-drying, provided that the spray-drying uses an atomization system employing a two-fluid nozzle or a rotary atomization system, to obtain a spray-dried composition comprising lipid globules having a volume-weighted mode diameter of at least 1.0 μm. Alternatively, the process according to the invention does not employ a mixing step (b), but instead a lipid component is independently added during step (d). The invention further concerns Infant formula product obtainable by the process according to the invention and to a modular system suitable for performing the process according to the invention.

The present invention relates to extrudates which comprise folic acid. To increase storage stability a solid pH buffer is added. Such extrudates have a long shelf-life even if the extrudates comprise in addition to folic acid vitamin B1 and/or vitamin B2.

The present invention concerns a process for manufacturing an infant formula product comprising: (a) subjecting an aqueous mixture having a protein component and a carbohydrate component to a heat treatment step; (b) mixing the aqueous mixture with a lipid component; (c) subjecting the aqueous mixture comprising the lipid component, the carbohydrate component and the heat-treated protein component to a homogenization and emulsification step to obtain a homogenized oil-in-water emulsion having a total solids content in the range of 45-80 wt %; (d) conveying the homogenized emulsion into an extruder, independently adding digestible carbohydrates and optionally dietary fibres to the extruder and extruding the contents of the extruder wherein a gas is injected into the extruder, to obtain an extruded aerated material (e) preparing an infant formula product from the extruded aerated material. The invention further concerns Infant formula product obtainable by the process according to the invention and to a modular system suitable for performing the process according to the invention.

The present invention concerns a process for manufacturing an infant formula product comprising: (a) subjecting an aqueous mixture having a protein component and a carbohydrate component to a heat treatment step; (b) mixing the aqueous mixture with a lipid component; (c) subjecting the aqueous mixture comprising the lipid component, the carbohydrate component and the heat-treated protein component to a homogenization and emulsification step to obtain a homogenized oil-in-water emulsion having a total solids content in the range of 45-80 wt %; (d) conveying the homogenized emulsion into an extruder, independently adding digestible carbohydrates and optionally dietary fibres to the extruder and extruding the contents of the extruder wherein a gas is injected into the extruder, to obtain an extruded aerated material (e) preparing an infant formula product from the extruded aerated material. The invention further concerns Infant formula product obtainable by the process according to the invention and to a modular system suitable for performing the process according to the invention.

Disclosed is a method to prepare a myceliated low-quality protein composition, which includes culturing a filamentous fungus an aqueous media. Examples of low-quality protein compositions include corn gluten meal. After culturing, the material is harvested by obtaining the myceliated low-quality protein composition via drying or concentrating. The resultant composition may have its taste, flavor, or aroma modulated, such as by deflavoring and/or deodorizing. Also disclosed are myceliated low-quality protein compositions, food products comprising such compositions, and methods to make such products.

A cutting assembly for mixtures for food use which is adapted for functional connection to a dispensing apparatus of at least one continuous element constituted by a mixture for food use, and which is provided with at least one cutter facing toward the exit of the dispensing apparatus.

A cutting assembly includes a fixed frame which is rigidly coupled, and proximate, to the dispensing apparatus, at least one motorized automatic follower mechanism, supporting the at least one cutter and coupled to the frame, and a control and management unit controlled by the dispensing apparatus and designed to control the at least one actuator of the at least one motorized automatic follower mechanism.