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 stick handling apparatus for handling ice cream sticks, said apparatus comprising a magazine arranged to hold ice cream sticks, a conveyor band arranged to retrieve ice cream sticks from the magazine, a stacker unit arranged to retrieve ice cream sticks from the conveyor band and to stack the ice cream sticks one after the other, a stick placing unit arranged to receive the ice cream sticks from the stacker unit for positioning the ice cream sticks inside a piece of ice cream mass, and a printer unit configured to print information on the ice cream sticks while the ice cream sticks are conveyed by the conveyor band.

A method and system of producing extruded ice cream products includes providing a plurality of extruded ice cream products in an ordered arrangement on a plurality of trays and arranging the plurality of trays for movement along a conveyor line. The plurality of trays and the plurality of extruded ice cream products are arranged thereon for downstream processing. The method and system further includes sensing at least one of a vertical product height or a horizontal product position of the plurality of extruded ice cream products arranged on the plurality of trays using at least one sensor, and analyzing the sensed at least one of the vertical product height or the horizontal product position of the plurality of extruded ice cream products using a processor to determine suitability for downstream processing.

The present disclosure relates to an ice cream machine having a filling zone and an emptying zone. The ice cream machine may include a rotatable unit, a mould for receiving ice cream, a stick providing arrangement, and a guiding structure arranged to prevent more than one stick from entering the groove of the mould from the stick providing arrangement. The stick providing arrangement is arranged such that a rotation of the rotatable unit causes the groove to match the position of the stick providing arrangement and thereby allow a single stick to enter the groove, wherein further rotation of the rotatable unit causes one of the sidewalls of the groove to bring the stick along the rotational movement of the rotatable unit.

A package for ice cream, and a process of packaging the food product are disclosed. Particularly, a first structural layer has a cavity and a flexible second layer is inserted therein. A food product such as ice cream is then introduced into the flexible second layer, and in one modification the food product may be covered with a flexible third layer, before freezing the food product. The freezing process fractures the first structural layer while the second and third layers are preferably sealed about a perimeter.

A package for ice cream, and a process of packaging the food product are disclosed. Particularly, a first structural layer has a cavity and a flexible second layer is inserted therein. A food product such as ice cream is then introduced into the flexible second layer, and in one modification the food product may be covered with a flexible third layer, before freezing the food product. The freezing process fractures the first structural layer while the second and third layers are preferably sealed about a perimeter.

The invention is directed to a method of forming a molded item said method comprising the steps of (a) providing a mold former comprising an indentation having an inner surface and a bottom face and made of plastics and manufactured by a 3-dimensional printing process, said mold former being shaped to form a mold having (i) an indentation corresponding to the desired shape of said molded item; and (ii) a series of holes extending between the inner surface and the bottom face of the mold former, (b) forming a mold in said mold former from a plastics material; (c) positioning an elongate member in said mold; (d) introducing a volume of liquid into said indentation; (e) positioning a cover over said mold and sealing it thereto; (f) causing said liquid to solidify.

A stick insertion device (1) for inserting a stick (11) into an ice cream product (3) extruded from an extrusion jet (7) and having a height seen in the extrusion direction (9) of the extrusion jet (7), and at least one end surface (5) which is substantially parallel to the extrusion direction (9) and into which the stick (11) is inserted with orientation substantially perpendicular to the extrusion direction (9), wherein the stick insertion device (1) comprises: a stick pusher (15), capable of making a linear and reciprocating movement, an actuator (17) with a first and a secondary outer position, used to activate the stick pusher (15), a servo mechanism (19) for controlling the actuator's (17) movement, a control unit (21), connected to the servo mechanism (19), characterised in that the stick insertion device (1) comprises at least one sensor (23) for measurement of the stick's (11) position in relation to the ice cream product's (3) height, horizontal position in relation to the ice cream product's (3) end surface (5) and angle (65) in relation to the ice cream product's (3) end surface (5), that the control unit (21) is connected to the at least one sensor (23) and the servo mechanism (19), that the control unit (21) is configured to control the servo mechanism's (19) stroke length based on signals from the at least one sensor (23), and that the control unit (21) is configured to control the servo mechanism's (19) start time and end time for the insertion of the stick (11) based on signals from the aforementioned at least one sensor (23).

The invention addresses the problem of providing an oily food for inhibiting water migration in frozen confectionery, the oily food being highly versatile and more effective in inhibiting water migration and being capable of application by spraying. The problem can be solved by use of an oily food for inhibiting water migration in frozen confectionery, the oily food satisfying the following requirements: 1. having a yield value of 1.7 to 12 Pa at 40 C.; 2. having plastic viscosity of 70 to 260 mPa.Math.s at 40 C.; 3. having a value of yield value/plastic viscosity of 10 or greater; and 4. having an oil content of 44 to 80 wt %.

The invention addresses the problem of providing an oily food for inhibiting water migration in frozen confectionery, the oily food being highly versatile and more effective in inhibiting water migration and being capable of application by spraying. The problem can be solved by use of an oily food for inhibiting water migration in frozen confectionery, the oily food satisfying the following requirements: 1. having a yield value of 1.7 to 12 Pa at 40 C.; 2. having plastic viscosity of 70 to 260 mPa.Math.s at 40 C.; 3. having a value of yield value/plastic viscosity of 10 or greater; and 4. having an oil content of 44 to 80 wt %.