The invention relates to an apparatus for decorating frozen confectionery (1) on sticks, the apparatus comprising: a coating station (4) for applying coating material onto the frozen confectionery (1), a particle dispensing station (7) for applying particles onto the coated frozen confectionery, a conveyor (3) for moving the frozen confectionery past the coating station and the particle dispensing station, the conveyor (3) comprising gripping means (2) arranged on the conveyor (3) and having a product attached position and an opened position for gripping and releasing the stick of the frozen confectionery (1), and the conveyor (3) comprising guides for moving the gripping means with the frozen confectionery between a vertical position and a horizontal position, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a heating station (11) installed at a position between the coating station (4) and the particle dispensing station (7), and wherein the gripping means (2) are arranged to hold the frozen confectionery in the horizontal position when passing the heating station (11) and the particle dispensing station (7), and optionally coating removal means (6) for removing coating material on one side of the frozen confectionery, which coating removal means (6) are at a position after the coating station (4) in the direction of the movement of the conveyor (3) and before the particle dispensing station. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing decorated frozen confectionery on sticks making use of the apparatus.

A method of manufacturing a comestible is provided including providing at least one manufacturing instrument configured to contact the comestible. A releasing agent is atomized and expelled from an expelling device. Application of pressure to the releasing agent is unnecessary to achieve the atomizing. The atomized releasing agent is applied to either a surface of the at least one manufacturing instrument configured to contact the comestible or to a surface of the comestible.

An assembly and method for uniform decoration of the sidewall for foodstuff coats a sidewall of a baked foodstuff, such as a cake, with a plurality of decorative granular members, while restricting coating the top region of the baked foodstuff with the decorative granular members. A spray gun variably coats the foodstuff with decorative granular members at controllable rates of discharge, while at least one shield blocks the decorative granular members from the top region of the foodstuff, such that only the sidewall is coated with decorative granular members. A fan generates air flow to blow the decorative granular members through a conduit in the housing, and out through an outlet. A screen positions coplanar and adjacent to the fan to prevent backflow of granular members into the fan. The at least one shield is rectangular or curved to accommodate a rectangular-shaped cake or a disc-shaped cake.

An apparatus for coating pharmaceutical particles such as drug dosage forms or pellets is provided which includes a drum assembly mounted for rotation about a cylindrical axis of the drum and which includes an outer drum section and an inner perforated drum section mounted concentrically on an interior of the outer drum section such that an annular chamber is formed between the perforated inner drum section and the outer drum section. Two or more baffle plates are attached between an outer surface of the inner perforated drum and an inner surface of the outer drum which are configured to act as baffles to restrain or regulate the flow of air which define two or more compartments depending on the number of baffle plates. One end of the drum assembly includes an end plate with a central aperture for use in loading pellets into the drum and provide access to coating constituents that are pumped into the drum interior during the coating process. An air distribution plate is attached at the other end of the drum and has air flow passageways and is interfaced with an air introduction plate having air inlet and outlet passageways. As the drum rotates the air flow passageways in the distribution plate alternately come into flow communication with the air inlet and outlet passageways in the air introduction plate thereby providing a flow path of air into the perforate inner drum and out of the drum assembly.

An assembly and method for uniform decoration of the sidewall for foodstuff coats a sidewall of a baked foodstuff, such as a cake, with a plurality of decorative granular members, while restricting coating the top region of the baked foodstuff with the decorative granular members. A spray gun variably coats the foodstuff with decorative granular members at controllable rates of discharge, while at least one shield blocks the decorative granular members from the top region of the foodstuff, such that only the sidewall is coated with decorative granular members. A fan generates air flow to blow the decorative granular members through a conduit in the housing, and out through an outlet. A screen positions coplanar and adjacent to the fan to prevent backflow of granular members into the fan. The at least one shield is rectangular or curved to accommodate a rectangular-shaped cake or a disc-shaped cake.

A drum-type coating apparatus for applying breading material to food product is configured to eliminate, in most circumstances, a hard cylindrical drum, to be replaced by a U-hanging belt, the belly of which provides all the operative utility of a cylindrical hard drum, but better than that, provides more clearance for cleaning operations, since the upper hemi-cylinder of a hard cylindrical drum provides no utility for tumbling purposes and only, to make matters worse, obstructs cleaning operations. Also, the overall coating apparatus for supporting the U-hanging belt, flexible drum is provided with provisions for the exchangeable substitution or elimination of accessories of the tumbling and/or flipping nature, including the U-hanging belt, flexible drum itself. In the elimination configuration, food product is not routed through any tumbling and/or flipping accessory but is instead run through a flat bed configuration. That way, delicate food product is protected from disintegration.

An apparatus to apply seasoning to a foodstuff comprising a plurality of individual food portions comprises a rotatable drum supportable in a generally horizontal position and having an inlet at a first end, an outlet at a second end and a bore extending through the drum from the inlet to the outlet, with a substantial portion of the bore having a generally frustoconical interior with a larger diameter end of the frustoconical interior disposed proximal to the inlet and a smaller diameter end of the frustoconical interior portion disposed proximal to the outlet. In one embodiment, the frustoconical interior portion extends substantially from the inlet to the outlet and converges in that direction. In another embodiment, the generally frustoconical portion extends from a generally cylindrical interior portion, that is intermediate the inlet and the frustoconical interior portion, to the outlet and converges in that direction.

The present invention relates to an improved apparatus and method for delivering a comestible coating substance and more particularly, though not necessarily, to an improved apparatus for delivering a powder coating to disc-like or disc-shaped or products such as rice cakes, potato crisps/chips, dairy product and crisp/chip-like products in a manufacturing and/or packaging procedure. The present invention seeks to provide an improved system and provides a delivery system that enables first and second major surfaces of the disc-like products to be coated simultaneously.

A food product flavoring apparatus is provided. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a removable container configured to contain a flavor target, a means for agitating the flavor target, and a housing. The housing is configured to receive the agitated flavor target when the removable container is adjacent the housing such that the container opening is aligned with the housing opening. The apparatus further includes a means for applying a flavoring agent to the agitated flavor target a means for removing substantially all residual flavoring agent from the housing after the flavor target has been flavored. A method of applying a flavoring agent to a flavor target is also provided.

An adjustable breading machine for applying a coating material onto a food product, the machine includes a frame and a breading chamber enclosure through which the food product travels along the food path to receive a coating material. The adjustable breading machine may also include a hopper fixedly connected to the frame to deliver a coating material into the breading chamber enclosure. At least partially within the breading chamber enclosure is a main conveyor and an outfeed conveyor. In a first mode of operation, the outfeed conveyor lies in the food path and receives food product from the main conveyor. The adjustable breading machine includes a drum assembly operatively disposed above the outfeed conveyor having a rotatable drum for transporting food product and coating material to the outfeed conveyor. The adjustable breading machine also includes a drum adjustment assembly for moving the drum assembly between modes of operation.