The invention comprises a method and apparatus for infusing a product component, comprising the steps of: placing the product component into a container; positioning into the product component an expansion agent, the expansion agent comprising at least one of a liquid form and a solid form; pressure sealing the container; forming, through a phase change of the expansion agent, gas bubbles of the expansion agent in the product component; and forming a gas phase propellant of the expansion agent in the container, where the product component is permeated with the expansion agent, such as where the product component is a cream, fat, dairy product, and/or milk substitute.

The invention comprises a method and apparatus for packaging a dispensable substance, including the steps of: placing a first product component into a container; adding a second product component into the container at an initial pressure of less than 1.31 atm, the container comprising a valve dispensing port; sealing the container; and increasing pressure in the container through a phase change of the second product component to a final pressure in the container, the final pressure at least 0.26 atm greater than the initial pressure. Optionally, the second product component warms in the container at least ten degrees Celsius and undergoes a phase change from a solid or liquid to a gas, which increases pressure in the container and functions as a propellant and/or as an expansion agent.

A handling device for handling products that are conveyed by a transport device, the handling device including at least one handling unit having a plurality of movably supported movement carriages, and a plurality of handling elements that are embodied as vacuum grippers. The plurality of handling elements move relative to the movement carriages in each case at least substantially parallel to a product support surface of the transport device.

A method for feeding articles includes the steps of: feeding transversally, by a first conveyor, a succession of parallel rows of articles to a transfer area; moving longitudinally, using a second conveyor, a succession of rows of articles from the transfer area; sending at least one row of articles, coming from the first conveyor, to a storage unit whilst the row of articles is fed transversely, preferably perpendicularly, to the row; transferring the row of articles inside the storage unit, positioning the row of articles in a longitudinal direction at an outfeed section of the storage unit; extracting longitudinally portions in sequence of the row, portions formed preferably by one or more articles, from the storage unit and feeding the portions of row to the transfer area.

A method of producing and packaging of spun sugar is described. The process may include the steps of (a) obtaining liquefied sugar in a floss head, by heating sugar at a temperature of 126-140C; (b) instantly cooling the liquefied sugar to obtain sugar threads wherein the hygroscopicity of the sugar threads is kept low by carrying out both steps above under a controlled environment; (c) packaging of the Candy Floss/Spun Sugar in cups/containers of Candy Floss/Spun Sugar which are sealed with a specialized lid, wherein the ratio of the weight of Candy Floss/Spun Sugar (in grams) to the volume of the cup (in ml) is kept within control on the basis of an experimentally derived ratio; (d) re-packaging the cups of Candy Floss/Spun Sugar, in a secondary packaging material under a controlled environment which further helps in reducing moisture transmission inside primary packaging.

An apparatus and a method for packaging substantially plate-shaped or cuboid-shaped products in the food industry in a packaging material film, the apparatus having feeding devices for feeding products to a packaging station; guiding devices for feeding a blank of the packaging material film to the packaging station, wherein the product is inserted into the blank such that the packaging material film substantially wraps around the product; discharge devices for discharging the product from the packaging station in a wrapped state; and holding devices being movably configured and arranged to move with the product through the packaging station.

A puzzle of chocolate-based material puzzle pieces is formed by providing a transfer sheet having a design of food-grade material on a first side of the transfer sheet and providing a puzzle piece template having passages shaped as pieces of the puzzle. The puzzle piece template is arranged on top of the first side of the transfer sheet. The passages of the puzzle piece template are filled with a chocolate-based material. After crystallization, the chocolate-based material in the passages of the puzzle piece template form the chocolate-based material puzzle pieces of the puzzle. The chocolate-based material puzzle pieces are removed from the template.