A cooling tool (1) for a food or an animal feed extruder (E), the cooling tool has: an inlet end (3) at which extrudate (4) can be led into the cooling tool (1); an outlet end (5) where the cooled extrudate can be discharged; an extrudate flow channel (6) extending from the inlet end to the outlet end; and at least one coolant flow channel (7a, 7b, 7b′) connected to the extrudate flow channel in a heat-transmitting manner. In a cross section (X-X) along the primary flow direction (8), the extrudate flow channel is substantially formed as a ring section; and the outer wall (9) of the extrudate flow channel (6) is formed at least from first and second segments (10, 11). The first and second segments are connected to each other by mechanical connection elements (12). The cooling tool is suitable for wet texturing of food and animal feed.

The invention is directed broadly to a method of preparing a texture modified food product for consumption by a dysphagic consumer, comprising the steps: (a) providing a cooked fish or meat; (b) comminuting the cooked fish or meat to form a paste; and (c) forming the paste into the texture modified food product shaped and textured to a generic serve of the fish or meat selected to form the paste.

Methods and devices heat or cool viscous materials, such as meat emulsions useful for producing food and other products. The devices have a heat exchanger including a first plate, a second plate attached to the first plate, and a first spacer and a second spacer arranged between the first plate and the second plate. The first plate, the second plate, the first spacer, and the second spacer define at least one temperature controlled passage for a product to pass through the heat exchanger.

The invention relates to a device and a method that can be carried out using said device, for producing meat products using pieces of raw meat that are joined together and subsequently cooked and/or that absorb a liquid composition. The device has working surfaces that encompass an inner volume, at least one of said working surfaces having a drive for back-and-forth motion and for pressing the at least one working surface against pieces of raw meat situated in the inner volume that is encompassed by the working surfaces.

This dispersion composition contains a water-based medium and a carboxymethyl cellulose having a carboxymethyl substitution degree of 0.20 or more and a cellulose-I crystallinity index of 50% or more, a water-based medium is easily dispersed even by low mixing power, and has a high viscosity.

The present invention includes meat chips and methods of making meat chips comprising: blending a meat product and a high oleic oil, and optionally a seasoning, into a meat batter; extruding the meat batter into a casing; cooking to the meat batter; slicing the meat batter into meat slices; and microwaving at a temperature not exceeding 200° F. the meat slices into a meat chip.

A meat processing unit and method for the production of an extruded meat product lacking a wrapping film and a gelled coating. The processing unit includes an extruder apparatus for a minced meat product with a distribution chamber provided with an inlet opening and with multiple outlet openings of identical section, each one in communication with an extruder head through a distribution duct to produce the extrusion on a conveyor surface movable through an air treatment unit. The outlet openings are arranged equidistant to the inlet opening and in radial symmetry in an annular arrangement, and all the distribution ducts have the same length.

Animal trimmings are converted to a finely textured beef product by heating ground animal trimmings to a temperature sufficient to liquefy fat in the animal trimmings and less than a temperature to significantly cook the animal trimmings thereby forming a heated slurry, separating at least a portion of the liquid fat from the heated slurry to form a lean textured beef slurry having a fat content of less than about 30% by weight and adding sodium carbonate to the lean textured beef slurry in an amount sufficient to provide a finely textured beef product comprising sodium carbonate in an amount of from about 0.02 to about 0.1% by weight. Finely textured beef products and mixed meat products comprising the finely textured beef products are also described.

A system and method of manufacturing whole-meat, spiral shaped jerky curls produce a stylized spiral-shaped meat snack. The system includes a plurality of meat strips, an emulsion of seasoning, a refrigerator, a plurality of perforated tubes, and a drying oven. The method begins by cooling each meat strip within the emulsion of seasoning for a first specified period of time at a first specified temperature range with the refrigerator. Each meat strip is then wrapped around a corresponding tube from a plurality of perforated tubes. Each meat strip and corresponding tube is then racked into the drying oven. Each meat strip is heated for s second specified period of time at a second specified temperature range. Each meat strip in spiral-shaped curl is then removed from the corresponding tube and each meat strip is cooled in the spiral-shaped curl for a third specified period of time at an ambient temperature.

A cooling tool (1) for a food or an animal feed extruder (E), the cooling tool has: an inlet end (3) at which extrudate (4) can be led into the cooling tool (1); an outlet end (5) where the cooled extrudate can be discharged; an extrudate flow channel (6) extending from the inlet end to the outlet end; and at least one coolant flow channel (7a, 7b, 7b) connected to the extrudate flow channel in a heat-transmitting manner. In a cross section (X-X) along the primary flow direction (8), the extrudate flow channel is substantially formed as a ring section; and the outer wall (9) of the extrudate flow channel (6) is formed at least from first and second segments (10, 11). The first and second segments are connected to each other by mechanical connection elements (12). The cooling tool is suitable for wet texturing of food and animal feed.