An apparatus (1) for producing cores (33) of a fat-containing confectionery mass includes a molding apparatus (20) and a separate cooling apparatus (5). The molding apparatus (20) is cooled and serves to mold the cores (33). The molding apparatus (20) includes two molding rollers (23, 24) including a multitude of impressions (25). The molding rollers (23, 24) are driven in opposite directions. The impressions (25) hold the liquid confectionery mass flowing into the impressions (25) to form the cores (33). The cooling apparatus (5) includes a cooling roller (6) and is arranged upstream of the molding apparatus (20).

An apparatus for depositing a food product comprising a nozzle having a pressurised chamber and a food product outlet; a valve needle movable relative between a closed position and to one of a plurality of discrete open positions; and an actuator configured to set the position of the valve needle relative to the outlet, wherein the nozzle is further able to rotate in use to change the direction of flow of a food product being deposited by the apparatus.

A method for producing hollow products made of a foodstuff material that can be formed in a mould, preferably chocolate, comprising the steps of: providing a mould (40) comprising a mould cavity (44) delimited by a mould surface (42); dispensing into said mould cavity (44) a pre-set amount of said foodstuff material; subjecting said mould (40), in the mould cavity (44) of which said pre-set amount of material is contained, to at least one movement of rotation about an axis of rotation (I1, I2) for distributing said foodstuff material over the entire mould surface (42); and during the step where said mould (40) is subjected to the movement of rotation, setting selected portions (43) of said mould surface (42) in a condition of heat exchange with a thermal-conditioning fluid so as to maintain said selected portions (43) of said mould surface (42) at a temperature different from, preferably lower than, that of the other portions of said mould surface (42).

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.

A robotized line for the production of chocolate products, including a casting chamber, a refrigerated chamber and a demoulding chamber, wherein each of the chambers is equipped with an anthropomorphic robot able to move the moulds during several steps of the production process.

The present disclosure provides a three-dimensional food printing method which improves printing quality and enhances user convenience. The three-dimensional food printing method includes receiving an input of a two-dimensional image from a user terminal, generating a three-dimensional modeling file based on the input two-dimensional image, receiving an input of a type of a formulation including food ingredients from the user terminal, determining output parameters corresponding to the type of the formulation, generating printing command data by performing slicing based on the determined output parameters and the generated three-dimensional modeling file, and transmitting the printing command data to a three-dimensional food printing device.