An installation for moulding of three dimensional products from a mass of pumpable foodstuff material includes a pump having at least one pump chamber, a pump drive, and a moulding device including a mould drum, a mould member drive for moving the mould drum along a path, and a mass feed member. The mass feed member has a chamber with an inlet, a discharge mouth facing the mould member at the fill position along the path of the mould drum, an orificed grinder body and multiple mobile grinder members each arranged at one of the distinct positions of the mold cavities and cooperating with the grinding face of the orificed grinder body. The installation is advantageously employed for the manufacture of meat products from a pumpable meat mass for the manufacture of meat patties.

An apparatus for preparing a plurality of uniformly formed food products. The apparatus includes a rotatable mold plate with a plurality of voids, the plurality of voids are collected into one or more sets of voids in close proximity to each other. A first cover plate is fixed with the mold plate rotatable about the first cover plate. First and second apertures are disposed through the first cover plate, wherein each void of the plurality of voids. A vacuum is applied to the void through the first aperture and flowing food enters the void through the second aperture. The first cover plate has an empty space or is sized to expose a portion of the mold plate. A knock-out assembly is disposed with respect to the voids when outside of the first cover plate, wherein the knockout assembly interacts with voids to remove food patties from the voids.

This invention relates to a method for moulding products from a mass of food stuff, comprising: —moving a mould cavity, which is part of a mould member past a feed channel which fills the mass into the cavity, wherein the feed channel is connected to a feed pump which pumps the mass through the feed channel into the cavities. —determining and/or detecting the position of the mould cavity relative to the feed channel, controlling the desired set pressure of the pump.

This invention relates to a method for moulding products from a mass of food stuff, comprising: —moving a mould cavity, which is part of a mould member past a feed channel which fills the mass into the cavity, wherein the feed channel is connected to a feed pump which pumps the mass through the feed channel into the cavities. —determining and/or detecting the position of the mould cavity relative to the feed channel, controlling the desired set pressure of the pump.

A system for forming a food product, the system includes a mould drum that includes a multitude of cavities; a feed channel that feeds the food mass into the cavities; a seal plate located downstream of the feed channel, which seals the cavities against leakage during and/or after filling; a valve provided in the seal plate, the valve includes a piston that reciprocates between a retracted position and an extended position to open and close a connection between the feed channel and the cavities in the mould member. The feed channel is tapered or includes an insert that is tapered in a direction opposite a flow direction of the food mass through the feed channel. The feed channel includes a sloped wall that tapers in a direction opposite a flow direction of the food mass, and the feed channel has a straight wall downstream of the sloped wall.

A cold forming process for forming a meat patty includes heating a ground meat product to a temperature T.sub.1, wherein T.sub.1≤40° F. The ground meat product is formed into an uncooked patty at temperature T.sub.1. The uncooked patty is precooked to form a precooked patty having a skin of depth D comprising denatured protein. The skin is formed on at least an area on the outside of the precooked patty. At least a first portion of the meat product disposed beneath said skin is at approximately T.sub.1. The precooked patty is cooked to form a cooked patty, wherein said at least a first portion of the meat product is at a temperature T.sub.2. The cooked patty is then frozen and then packaged.

A moulding installation and method for moulding food products from a pumpable foodstuff mass are described. A revolving mould drum is provided with multiple mould cavities and a mass feed member is arranged at a fill position to transfer foodstuff mass into passing mould cavities. The foodstuff mass forms a food product in the mould cavity. A pressurized air food product ejection system includes air ducts in the mould drum that extend to the cavities and at least a portion of the surface delimiting a mould cavity is air permeable. The ejection system further includes a pressurized air source to feed pressurized air at a regulated ejection air pressure thereof to the air ducts. A controller is adapted to input at least one target parameter related to filling of the mould cavities with the foodstuff mass via the mouth of the mass feed member. The controller is adapted to automatically set an ejection air pressure by the pressurized air source on the basis of the inputted target parameter.

An installation for moulding of three dimensional products from a mass of pumpable foodstuff material, for example from ground meat. The installation comprises a feed pump and a moulding device with a mobile mould member having multiple mould cavities. A mass feed member is arranged at a fill position relative to the path of the mobile mould member, which mass feed member is connected to an outlet of the feed pump. The member has a housing defining an elongated chamber with a longitudinal axis and having a pair of spaced apart long lateral walls, short end walls, and a bottom wall facing the mould member at the fill position along the path of the mould member. The bottom wall is provided with a discharge mouth formed by one or more discharge openings spanning the path of said mould cavities, so that foodstuff mass flows into each row of mould cavities via said discharge mouth. The mass feed member is provided with a single elongated plunger that is slidably received in the chamber, sliding between the lateral walls and the end walls. At least one lateral wall is provided with an introduction mouth formed by one or more introduction openings spanning a major portion of the length of said lateral wall.

Device for dispensing a food item into a hot fluid comprises a bowl having a permanent base and a movable plate positioned about the permanent base. A bottom of the bowl defines an opening for receiving a shaft extending therethrough. The shaft is coupled to the movable plate. A shank is selectively engaged with the bowl, the shank having a handle at a proximal end thereof. A lever is pivotably attached to the shank. The pivotal attachment is spaced apart from the bowl. The lever is detachably coupled to the shaft to impart translation of the movable plate. During operation, the lever is manipulated from a first position to a second position to push the shaft to move the movable plate to thereby eject the food item out of the bowl and into a hot fluid.

A cold forming process for forming a meat patty includes heating a ground meat product to a temperature T.sub.1, wherein T.sub.1≤40° F. The ground meat product is formed into an uncooked patty at temperature T.sub.1. The uncooked patty is precooked to form a precooked patty having a skin of depth D comprising denatured protein. The skin is formed on at least an area on the outside of the precooked patty. At least a first portion of the meat product disposed beneath said skin is at approximately T.sub.1. The precooked patty is cooked to form a cooked patty, wherein said at least a first portion of the meat product is at a temperature T.sub.2. The cooked patty is then frozen and then packaged.