A refrigerated food pan cooling device includes a food pan receiving well and a cooling system, wherein the cooling system includes a refrigeration system with a compressor, a condenser, a metering device and an evaporator. The evaporator includes at least one first refrigerant line downstream of the metering device and upstream of the compressor. The first refrigerant line runs along an external surface of at least one of the well walls. The condenser is configured as a hot wall condenser, that lacks any fan or blower, wherein the hot wall condenser includes at least one second refrigerant line downstream of the compressor and upstream of the metering device. The second refrigerant line runs, at least partly, along an internal surface of at least the first exterior sidewall to transfer heat through the first exterior sidewall to ambient air.

Apparatus and methods of seasoning food product in a mechanized food product line advantageously seasons the food product in cartons or containers therefor so that the number of days or so of shipment from the process plant to destinations like grocery stores does double duty as time for the seasoning to be absorbed. Food product can be loaded into containers, which are placed on a conveyor line and passed under a seasoning dispenser which thereby applies a top coat. The containers are conveyed to shrink wrap stations or like packaging closure processes, then to refrigerated or freezer storage and onward by refrigerated or freezer motor vehicles. The dispensing apparatus has metering provisions for application of a measured amount and a controller for switching the dispenser ON as a container passes underneath and then OFF as the container goes past.

Apparatus and methods of seasoning food product in a mechanized food product line advantageously seasons the food product in cartons or containers therefor so that the number of days or so of shipment from the process plant to destinations like grocery stores does double duty as time for the seasoning to be absorbed. Food product can be loaded into containers, which are placed on a conveyor line and passed under a seasoning dispenser which thereby applies a top coat. The containers are conveyed to shrink wrap stations or like packaging closure processes, then to refrigerated or freezer storage and onward by refrigerated or freezer motor vehicles. The dispensing apparatus has metering provisions for application of a measured amount and a controller for switching the dispenser ON as a container passes underneath and then OFF as the container goes past.

Work-saving improvements for food-process lines include (1) mounting alternate machines of a food process line on pivot hardware to speed up washing and maintenance operations, (2) mounting the machines on rolling riding gear in order to speed up the activities of building and re-building food process lines of a different series of machines, or (3) isolate the food process line in its own tunnel and hence its own climate-controlled atmosphere to reduce conflicts with running two food process lines side by side where one food process line is a source of air borne allergens.

Work-saving improvements for food-process lines include (1) mounting alternate machines of a food process line on pivot hardware to speed up washing and maintenance operations, (2) mounting the machines on rolling riding gear in order to speed up the activities of building and re-building food process lines of a different series of machines, or (3) isolate the food process line in its own tunnel and hence its own climate-controlled atmosphere to reduce conflicts with running two food process lines side by side where one food process line is a source of air borne allergens.

Work-saving improvements for food-process lines include (1) mounting alternate machines of a food process line on pivot hardware to speed up washing and maintenance operations, (2) mounting the machines on rolling riding gear in order to speed up the activities of building and re-building food process lines of a different series of machines, or (3) isolate the food process line in its own tunnel and hence its own climate-controlled atmosphere to reduce conflicts with running two food process lines side by side where one food process line is a source of air borne allergens.

Work-saving improvements for food-process lines include (1) mounting alternate machines of a food process line on pivot hardware to speed up washing and maintenance operations, (2) mounting the machines on rolling riding gear in order to speed up the activities of building and re-building food process lines of a different series of machines, or (3) isolate the food process line in its own tunnel and hence its own climate-controlled atmosphere to reduce conflicts with running two food process lines side by side where one food process line is a source of air borne allergens.

An automated food processing system provides consumable items to a temporary storage location such as an enclosure of a food processing device. A seasoning dispensing apparatus is located relative to the enclosure to dispense a seasoning over the consumable items within the disclosure. The seasoning dispensing apparatus includes a metering device that provides a discrete seasoning portion for dispensing and a distributor that uniformly dispenses the discrete seasoning portion over the consumable items.

An automated food processing system provides consumable items to a temporary storage location such as an enclosure of a food processing device. A seasoning dispensing apparatus is located relative to the enclosure to dispense a seasoning over the consumable items within the disclosure. The seasoning dispensing apparatus includes a metering device that provides a discrete seasoning portion for dispensing and a distributor that uniformly dispenses the discrete seasoning portion over the consumable items.

A method of preparing a composite foodstuff is provided and comprises providing a core, providing a barrier composition and applying the barrier composition to at least a portion of the core and providing a fat based coating having a lower fat content than the core. The fat based coating is applied to the barrier coated cores. The hardness of the fat based coating does not decrease over a period of storage.