A pizza saucer having a housing in which components may be mounted. The housing includes a base having an upwardly facing deck, a neck that extends from the base to a head, and a manifold mounted to the head facing the deck. The housing contains at least one pump to convey pizza sauce from a source to the manifold, and a computer that controls a rotary prime mover in the base with a driveshaft extending through the deck to a tray drivingly linked to the driveshaft. An input, such as a touchscreen, is mounted to the head and faces the user during operation. With the touchscreen, the user may input the crust size. The computer actuates the pumps and the rotary prime mover, simultaneously causing the crust to rotate 360-370 degrees and the manifold to dispense sauce onto the crust until the crust is coated.

A pizza saucer having a housing in which components may be mounted. The housing includes a base having an upwardly facing deck, a neck that extends from the base to a head, and a manifold mounted to the head facing the deck. The housing contains at least one pump to convey pizza sauce from a source to the manifold, and a computer that controls a rotary prime mover in the base with a driveshaft extending through the deck to a tray drivingly linked to the driveshaft. An input, such as a touchscreen, is mounted to the head and faces the user during operation. With the touchscreen, the user may input the crust size. The computer actuates the pumps and the rotary prime mover, simultaneously causing the crust to rotate 360-370 degrees and the manifold to dispense sauce onto the crust until the crust is coated.

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.

Breadcrumbs have a grain size distribution in which the proportion of a fraction of breadcrumbs that have a grain size 2.36 mm is 8-21 mass % and the proportion of a fraction of breadcrumbs that have a grain size ≤1.18 mm is ≤45 mass %, and have a bulk density of 270-600 ml/100 g. A breadcrumb powder shaker container includes: the breadcrumbs or breadcrumb mix; and a shaker container containing a breadcrumb powder to be shaken out including the breadcrumbs or the breadcrumb mix, the shaker container having a shake-out hole. The shake-out hole has a maximum diametric length of 10-55 mm. This enables simply applying the breadcrumbs or the breadcrumb mix directly to a food material, enabling a high-quality cooked breadcrumb-coated food item, while retaining the flavor of the food material to a high level irrespective of the amount of oil used in deep frying.

An automated pizza making system and method for rapidly and efficiently preparing a pizza utilizing computer controlled components. The system includes a platform moving assembly for moving and rotating a pizza crust, a sauce dispenser assembly for dispensing a sauce on the pizza crust, a cheese dispenser assembly for dispensing cheese on the pizza crust, and a slicer assembly for slicing food items and dispensing the sliced food items on the pizza crust. A time-of-flight sensor can be utilized to scan the pizza crust for determining the amount or placement of ingredients on the pizza crust. A weight sensor can be utilized for determining the amount of ingredients placed on the pizza crust. A computer system can be utilized to execute a user's orders and control all the electrical components based on pizza parameters entered by the user in an automated mode, with minimal human assistance.

An automated pizza making system and method for rapidly and efficiently preparing a pizza utilizing computer controlled components. The system includes a platform moving assembly for moving and rotating a pizza crust, a sauce dispenser assembly for dispensing a sauce on the pizza crust, a cheese dispenser assembly for dispensing cheese on the pizza crust, and a slicer assembly for slicing food items and dispensing the sliced food items on the pizza crust. A time-of-flight sensor can be utilized to scan the pizza crust for determining the amount or placement of ingredients on the pizza crust. A weight sensor can be utilized for determining the amount of ingredients placed on the pizza crust. A computer system can be utilized to execute a user's orders and control all the electrical components based on pizza parameters entered by the user in an automated mode, with minimal human assistance.

A method for manufacturing a food product includes depositing a first foodstuff; transporting the first foodstuff in a first driven direction; depositing a second foodstuff upon a portion of an upper surface of the first foodstuff; transporting the first foodstuff with the second foodstuff deposited thereupon in the first driven direction; separating the first foodstuff with the second foodstuff metered thereupon into a plurality of sheet segments; serially transporting each sheet segment of the plurality of sheet segments from the first driven direction to a second driven direction that is transverse to the first driven direction; compressing the serially transported sheet segments for forming a plurality of thickness segments including the first foodstuff and the second foodstuff that define an elongated, food product body; separating the elongated, food product body into a plurality of food product body units; and finishing the plurality of food product body units.

A method for manufacturing a food product includes depositing a first foodstuff; transporting the first foodstuff in a first driven direction; depositing a second foodstuff upon a portion of an upper surface of the first foodstuff; transporting the first foodstuff with the second foodstuff deposited thereupon in the first driven direction; separating the first foodstuff with the second foodstuff metered thereupon into a plurality of sheet segments; serially transporting each sheet segment of the plurality of sheet segments from the first driven direction to a second driven direction that is transverse to the first driven direction; compressing the serially transported sheet segments for forming a plurality of thickness segments including the first foodstuff and the second foodstuff that define an elongated, food product body; separating the elongated, food product body into a plurality of food product body units; and finishing the plurality of food product body units.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are presented herein for slicing a food topping for placing upon a food ingredient. A topping holder is configured to position a topping stock. A blade is configured to slice the topping stock via relative motion between the topping holder and the blade. A deflector is configured to force a leading edge of the sliced portion of the topping stock away from the blade as the sliced portion moves relative to the blade.