A product conveying and coating system includes multiple, sequentially arranged conveyor units, with at least one conveyor unit being an open belt type. A carrier sheet is placed on a first of the conveyor units, a web of coating material in liquid form is deposited on the carrier sheet and spaced ropes of soft and sticky material are deposited on and settle into the web. The carrier sheet, web and ropes are transferred to a second conveyor unit after the coating material of the web solidifies, whereupon the ropes are cut into bar-length pieces. Thereafter, the carrier sheet is removed while the web and pieces are transferred to the open belt conveyor unit and exposed to an enrober. The enrober coats the pieces while melting portions of the web between the pieces in order to form full coated or encapsulated food products with soft and sticky cores.

A composition for coating food, in particular confectionery, jellies, and gummies, includes: (A): 60 wt. % to 99.94 wt. %, based on a total amount of the composition, of an oil having a content of monounsaturated fatty acids of more than 70 wt. %, based on a total amount of the oil; and (B): 0.06 wt. % to 0.15 wt. %, based on a total amount of the composition, of ascorbyl palmitate.

A method and popping machine for popping different types of popcorn kernels is provided, where the different types of popcorn kernels include at least mushroom type popcorn and butterfly type popcorn. The method includes determining a selected one of the different types of popcorn kernels to be popped in a first popping cycle based upon a selection made by an operator, and then retrieving and using a first set of predetermined cooking temperature set points associated with cooking the selected one of the different types of popcorn kernels during performance of the first popping cycle. The cooking temperature set points determine several items which may include when to heat a kettle of the popping machine, when to signal an operator to take action such as loading kernels or dumping popped popcorn, and when to add sugar if a sweetened popped popcorn type is desired.

A method and popping machine for popping different types of popcorn kernels is provided, where the different types of popcorn kernels include at least mushroom type popcorn and butterfly type popcorn. The method includes determining a selected one of the different types of popcorn kernels to be popped in a first popping cycle based upon a selection made by an operator, and then retrieving and using a first set of predetermined cooking temperature set points associated with cooking the selected one of the different types of popcorn kernels during performance of the first popping cycle. The cooking temperature set points determine several items which may include when to heat a kettle of the popping machine, when to signal an operator to take action such as loading kernels or dumping popped popcorn, and when to add sugar if a sweetened popped popcorn type is desired.

The present invention provides a snack food with a bar-like body and a food portion that comprises at least one type of chopped nuts, chopped grains, and chopped dried fruit wrapped at one end of the bar-like body. The food portion is bound into a solid body by means of a food binder. A nut food is applied to a bar-like body to manufacture the food into a lollipop shape, and the food portion can be stably fixed on the bar-like body by means of a special structure of a fixing end of the bar-like body. The proportions of the nuts, grains, and/or fruit in the present invention is greater than half of the weight of the food portion; thus, the food has rich nutrition, does not cause excess sugar intake, and is a snack food suitable for consumers of all ages.

A confectionery method includes dissolving at least one active ingredient in a volatile vehicle to form a solution, applying the solution to a substrate and evaporating the volatile vehicle to leave the at least one active ingredient applied to the substrate. A confection includes an edible substrate and at least one active ingredient provided to the edible substrate.

A method of coating a wide variety of foodstuffs with tasty marshmallow material simply by enclosing foodstuffs with marshmallows in the same container that permits gaseous venting, but otherwise secures the enclosed foodstuffs. Microwaving the container for one minute or less causes the marshmallow, responding to the microwaves, to radically expand many times its original size. The expanding marshmallow quickly and conveniently coats the secured foodstuffs in the container with a layer of marshmallow material to produce a tasty food treat. The addition of a stick or other handling means is highly desirable, as is a means of easily extracting the food treat from the enclosure and aids in keeping hands clean while eating the food treat.

An impregnated food in which a solid edible material is impregnated with a liquid food having a viscosity of 10,000 to 100,000 mPa.Math.s at 35 C. has a good taste of the liquid food, has nevertheless a not hard texture, and achieves a sense of unity between the solid edible material and the liquid food. The impregnated food can be produced by a process for producing an impregnated food, wherein in a hermetically closed system, the system is pressurized in a state where a solid edible material is made contact with a liquid food, and then, the pressure in the system is returned to the atmospheric pressure.

A modular device for introducing an edible fluid to a food product includes a dispenser body having a cartridge receiving cavity associated therewith. A dispenser base is coupled or coupleable to the dispenser body, and a dispenser tip is coupled or coupleable to the dispenser base and is in fluid communication with the cartridge receiving cavity when in place. An actuatable piston is operably coupled to the dispenser body in communication with the cartridge receiving cavity. An insertable and removable cartridge is carriable by the dispenser body in the cartridge receiving cavity, and is positionable so as to be in communication with the actuatable piston. An edible fluid is carried by the cartridge, the edible fluid being dispensable to a food product through the dispenser tip when in place as the actuatable piston is actuated to cause the edible fluid to be expelled from the cartridge through the dispensing tip.

A system and method for frosting a plurality of food products with an assembly including using data obtained by a camera and at least one sensor to improve the quality and consistency of automatic frosting of a plurality of food items such as cookies or brownies.