A food product is coated by applying a first coating to an exterior of the food product with a first depositor. Next, the food product is located in a dough proofer. Then, a second coating is applied to the exterior of the food product with a second depositor. Afterwards, the food product is baked in an oven. Optionally, prior to applying the first coating, a tacking agent is applied to the exterior of the food product with a third depositor. In a preferred embodiment, multiple coatings of a combination sugar and cinnamon are applied to filled dough products.

An automated food preparation system includes a seasoning-dispensing system, a sauce-dispensing system, and a conveyance system. The seasoning-dispensing system includes a plurality of vessels, a dispersion nozzle, and a conduit coupled to the dispersion nozzle. Each vessel contains one of a plurality of seasonings. The vessels are in selective communication with the conduit. The sauce-dispensing system includes a plurality of sauce reservoirs, a scanning head, and a plurality of tubes. Each sauce reservoirs contains one of a plurality of sauces. The scanning head includes openings each coupled with one of the sauce reservoirs via one of the tubes. The conveyance system transports a foodstuff between a seasoning position in which the foodstuff is disposed below the dispersion nozzle and a sauce position in which the foodstuff is disposed below the openings. The scanning head is movable to dispense one or more sauces onto the foodstuff.

An automated pizza making system, comprising: a computer-based controller; an ordering system; automated food handling devices; racks; toppings stations; ovens; cutting stations, and packaging stations. Conveyors and/or automated food handling devices move the pizzas between the racks, the topping stations, the ovens, the cutting stations, and the packaging stations, such that made to order pizzas are created without being handled by human hands. The toppings stations may comprise sauce stations, cheese stations, and meat/veggie topping stations. The ordering system may be configured to allow a plurality of customer orders and the computer-based controller is configured to process the orders, such that the automated pizza ordering system produces made to order pizzas that are picked up or delivered.

An automated pizza making system, comprising: a computer-based controller; an ordering system; automated food handling devices; racks; toppings stations; ovens; cutting stations, and packaging stations. Conveyors and/or automated food handling devices move the pizzas between the racks, the topping stations, the ovens, the cutting stations, and the packaging stations, such that made to order pizzas are created without being handled by human hands. The toppings stations may comprise sauce stations, cheese stations, and meat/veggie topping stations. The ordering system may be configured to allow a plurality of customer orders and the computer-based controller is configured to process the orders, such that the automated pizza ordering system produces made to order pizzas that are picked up or delivered.

A slicing machine includes an upper housing having feeder tube(s). A motor-driven cutting plate is horizontally attached beneath the upper housing for rotation and positioned to perpendicularly receive elongate food article(s) from the feeder tube(s) at a respective position offset from a center of rotation of the cutting plate. Reverse involute cutting blade(s) attached to the cutting plate that slices the elongate food article and having a cutting edge with an upward bevel. A curved slot formed through the cutting plate beneath the cutting edge to receive slices of the elongate food article. A base housing positioned below the upper housing has a turntable that supports a food substrate that receives the slices of the elongate food article.

A slicing machine includes an upper housing having feeder tube(s). A motor-driven cutting plate is horizontally attached beneath the upper housing for rotation and positioned to perpendicularly receive elongate food article(s) from the feeder tube(s) at a respective position offset from a center of rotation of the cutting plate. Reverse involute cutting blade(s) attached to the cutting plate that slices the elongate food article and having a cutting edge with an upward bevel. A curved slot formed through the cutting plate beneath the cutting edge to receive slices of the elongate food article. A base housing positioned below the upper housing has a turntable that supports a food substrate that receives the slices of the elongate food article.

A powder supply apparatus, comprising a powder receiving device which receives powder, a hopper for storing powder that has an outlet at the bottom thereof, a screw feeder which is provided at the outlet of the hopper, has an extrusion port, and pushes the powder received from the outlet of the hopper toward the extrusion port by a screw. The powder supply apparatus also has a diaphragm pump having a suction port and a discharge port, and discharges air sucked from the suction port to the discharge port by an operation of a diaphragm. An atmospheric passage communicates the suction port of the diaphragm pump with the atmosphere. A communicating passage communicates the discharge port of the diaphragm pump with the powder receiving device. The extrusion port of the screw feeder is positioned within the atmospheric passage so as to supply the powder to the atmospheric passage.

A powder supply apparatus, comprising a powder receiving device which receives powder, a hopper for storing powder that has an outlet at the bottom thereof, a screw feeder which is provided at the outlet of the hopper, has an extrusion port, and pushes the powder received from the outlet of the hopper toward the extrusion port by a screw. The powder supply apparatus also has a diaphragm pump having a suction port and a discharge port, and discharges air sucked from the suction port to the discharge port by an operation of a diaphragm. An atmospheric passage communicates the suction port of the diaphragm pump with the atmosphere. A communicating passage communicates the discharge port of the diaphragm pump with the powder receiving device. The extrusion port of the screw feeder is positioned within the atmospheric passage so as to supply the powder to the atmospheric passage.

Device for providing a dough sheet provided with a layer of fat, comprising a conveyor, such as a conveyor belt, with a conveying surface extending in a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction perpendicular thereto, adapted for displacing goods placed on the conveyor in a conveying direction parallel to the longitudinal direction; a dough-dispensing device for applying a continuous dough sheet on the conveyor, a fat dispensing device for applying a layer of fat on the dough sheet at least one measuring device placed above or along the conveyor for the continuous or random measurement of the local height of the dough sheet at a dough measurement location; and the local height of the layer of fat at a fat measurement location processing means for determining a measured height of the dough sheet at a position on the dough sheet and a height of the layer of fat at the same position on the dough sheet; and determining the dough-fat height ratio and thus the dough-fat volume ratio.

A stick-type food preparation system according to the present invention comprises: a forming apparatus for covering a filling-ingredient stick, which is formed by skewering a filling ingredient with a stick, with dough; an applying apparatus for applying a topping to a dough stick which is formed from the filling-ingredient stick in the forming apparatus; and a deep fryer for deep-frying in oil a semi-finished product which is formed by applying the topping to the dough stick in the applying apparatus.