Food processing devices capable of performing multiple functions, including mixing and extruding pasta or other food products, are described. The food processing devices have a door assembly with a feed chute extending from an opening in the mixing bowl and leading to an extruder. The door assembly can be closed or opened, depending on the type of food processing to be performed. The food processing device mixes food ingredients within the mixing bowl while the door assembly is in a closed position. When the food ingredients are sufficiently mixed, the door assembly is moved to an open position to allow the mixed food ingredients to flow through the feed chute to the extruder. The disclosed food processing devices conveniently allow for both mixing and extruding of food products within a single device configured to efficiently and safely perform both tasks.

A shaping assembly for producing a discrete spiral shaped food product includes a die that defines at least one aperture that is centered on an aperture axis. The at least one aperture extends to an aperture exit and allows for the movement of a stream of food mass through the aperture and out the aperture exit. A shaping tool includes at least one slicing blade that is disposed over at least a portion of the aperture exit to slice the stream of food mass into a plurality of food mass portions. A coupling arrangement engages the shaping tool to facilitate rotation of the slicing blade to spin the plurality of food mass portions into a spiral shaped stream of food mass. The slicing blade simultaneously slices and spins the stream of food mass to create the spiral shaped stream of food mass. A crimper is used to cut the spiral shaped stream of food mass into the discrete spiral shaped food products.

A shaping assembly for producing a discrete spiral shaped food product includes a die that defines at least one aperture that is centered on an aperture axis. The at least one aperture extends to an aperture exit and allows for the movement of a stream of food mass through the aperture and out the aperture exit. A shaping tool includes at least one slicing blade that is disposed over at least a portion of the aperture exit to slice the stream of food mass into a plurality of food mass portions. A coupling arrangement engages the shaping tool to facilitate rotation of the slicing blade to spin the plurality of food mass portions into a spiral shaped stream of food mass. The slicing blade simultaneously slices and spins the stream of food mass to create the spiral shaped stream of food mass. A crimper is used to cut the spiral shaped stream of food mass into the discrete spiral shaped food products.

This method for producing stuffed food(s), each stuffed food including an outer envelope in a first food product, and an inner stuffing in a second food product, includes the following steps: providing a sheet of the first food product, and a roller of the second food product, and winding the sheet around the roller.

This method for producing stuffed food(s), each stuffed food including an outer envelope in a first food product, and an inner stuffing in a second food product, includes the following steps: providing a sheet of the first food product, and a roller of the second food product, and winding the sheet around the roller.

Visually distinct, flaked Ready-to-Eat (R-T-E) cereal products with varied texture and thickness are produced by forming a cereal dough and forcing the same through an extrusion die assembly including various spaced openings which establish a plurality of dough streams which are merged prior to reaching a die outlet. Directly at the die outlet, a resulting dough extrudate is sliced by a cutter unit to form dough discs which are then dried and cooled, during which the discs curl and form cereal flakes having varying textures defined, at least in part, by distinct sets of surface bumps. The number and configuration of the bumps can be altered by changing the number, shape and/or position of the various spaced openings of the die assembly, while the thicknesses of the resulting cereal flakes can be varied by just altering an operational speed of the cutter unit.

Visually distinct, flaked Ready-to-Eat (R-T-E) cereal products with varied texture and thickness are produced by forming a cereal dough and forcing the same through an extrusion die assembly including various spaced openings which establish a plurality of dough streams which are merged prior to reaching a die outlet. Directly at the die outlet, a resulting dough extrudate is sliced by a cutter unit to form dough discs which are then dried and cooled, during which the discs curl and form cereal flakes having varying textures defined, at least in part, by distinct sets of surface bumps. The number and configuration of the bumps can be altered by changing the number, shape and/or position of the various spaced openings of the die assembly, while the thicknesses of the resulting cereal flakes can be varied by just altering an operational speed of the cutter unit.

Device for forming and dividing of at least one string-shaped pasty foodstuff into slice-shaped products, with a forming nozzle for extruding the string-shaped foodstuff along a conveying direction through a nozzle opening, which determines the thickness of the slice-shaped product, at least one forming plate that is arranged downstream of the forming nozzle and that can be displaced during extrusion with at least one positioning element in at least one component transversally to the conveying direction, and with a control unit that controls the positioning element synchronously to the extrusion velocity in a way that the at least one forming plate forms a longitudinal contour of the slice-shaped product variably during extrusion.

A method for cleaning die plates for the production of pasta or snacks includes:

a first step in which a working fluid is placed in contact with one of two end faces of the die plate to be cleaned, and

a second step, in which the pressure of the working fluid is increased to force the working fluid to penetrate the holes of the die plate in order to push the residue of the mixture, present in the holes, so that it exits from the opposite end face of the die. A machine for cleaning the die plates includes a jacket that internally defines a chamber, an opening, a component for introducing a working fluid into the chamber, and a component for increasing the pressure of the working fluid to force it to pass through the holes of the die plate which are occupied by the mixture to be removed.

The invention relates to a method and a device for the production of portions from at least one continuous strand of a food product, in particular for the production of meatballs. The machine comprises: an extrusion device which can deliver a continuous strand in a vertical direction, and a portioning device that includes at least one cutting system. The cutting system comprises cutting elements (30) which can be moved transversely to the vertical direction between an open position, in which the strand passes between the cutting elements, and a closed position for cutting the strand and forming portions of the food product. In addition, each cutting system comprises ejection means (5) for ejecting the forming portions downwards from the cutting elements. The ejection means include at least one lower channel (5, 105) that is fluidly connected to a compressed fluid such that compressed fluid can be injected into the lower channel when the lower channel is in a closed position. The lower channel is formed in a body of the corresponding cutting element.