A cigarette filter inspection method of inspecting a solid flavor element to be disposed in a void between two filter plugs placed in outer filter wrapper, and the cigarette filter inspection method includes an illumination step of irradiating the void with illumination light, an imaging step of obtaining an inspection image of a region containing the void, a filler detection step of detecting the flavor element based on contrast between the void and the flavor element in the inspection image, and an inspection step of inspecting the flavor element detected in the inspection image.

A method for adjusting the dry matter content in curd involves feeding the starting product into a nozzle separator of the device via a feed line while determining a content of dry matter and/or protein, and measuring the mass flow of the starting product. The starting product is centrifugally separated by the nozzle separator into a whey fraction and a curd fraction. The whey fraction and the curd fraction are separately discharged from the nozzle separator and the mass flow of the whey fraction is measured. The mass flow rate of supplied starting product is adjust as a function of the determined content of dry matter or protein of the starting product, the measure mass flow of the starting product, and the measured mass flow of the whey fraction. A determination of the dry matter content and/or the protein content of the curd fraction is carried out on the basis of the determined mass flow of the starting product and the mass flow of the whey fraction and the determined dry matter content and/or protein content of the starting product.

A channel, which is slanted upwardly from a loading end thereof to an unloading end thereof by an angle in the range of 10° to 45°, accommodates a motorized screw feeder; a settling tank, defined above the loading end of the channel, has at least two areas which are separated by at least one filtering surface which is permeable to whey; a first area is adapted to receive curd to be drained, and is open toward the channel so that the curd can fall into the channel by gravity and be conveyed by the screw feeder toward the unloading end; the second area is adapted to receive the whey filtered through the filtering wall.

A countertop cooking appliance is an apparatus that is used to manufacture food, particularly cheeses, with controlled heating, mixing, drainage, and pressure cycles. The apparatus is also configured to accept various cooking patterns for different foods based on different recipes. A perforated drainer is used to hold ingredients for mixing, completed cheese curds, and the finalized cheese product. A processing receptacle is a container that holds the perforated drainer and temporarily stores whey and process byproducts. A byproduct receptacle is a storage unit for whey and other liquid byproducts produced in the cheese development process. A fluid pump applies pressure to fluids collected in the processing receptacle, transferring them to the byproduct receptacle. A linear actuator provides mechanical power to one of several detachable food-interacting heads, which consequently chops, mixes, or otherwise agitates the contents of the perforated container.

A method and apparatus for oil removal from food surfaces is shown. An air flow chamber directs air flow around a food product surface and contains the removed oil.

A countertop cooking appliance is an apparatus that is used to manufacture food, particularly cheeses, with controlled heating, mixing, drainage, and pressure cycles. The apparatus is also configured to accept various cooking patterns for different foods based on different recipes. A perforated drainer is used to hold ingredients for mixing, completed cheese curds, and the finalized cheese product. A processing receptacle is a container that holds the perforated drainer and temporarily stores whey and process byproducts. A byproduct receptacle is a storage unit for whey and other liquid byproducts produced in the cheese development process. A fluid pump applies pressure to fluids collected in the processing receptacle, transferring them to the byproduct receptacle. A linear actuator provides mechanical power to one of several detachable food-interacting heads, which consequently chops, mixes, or otherwise agitates the contents of the perforated container.

A support structure for a whey draining belt includes a beam formed of a metal material, and a slide plate formed of a plastic material and fixedly connectable to an upper part of the beam for allowing the whey draining belt to slide over the slide plate.

A method and system for processing a fermented dairy product, including feeding, in a product feed conduit, fermented dairy product to a separator, separating the fermented dairy product into a heavy phase and a light phase, returning a part of the light phase to the product feed conduit, such that the returned part of the light phase is mixed with fermented dairy product that is fed into the separator, while another part of the light phase is removed from the fermented dairy product, such that the heavy phase forms a concentrated, fermented dairy product.

An apparatus for fusing curd provided and comprises a container to receive curd to form a curd stack, which has associated thereto a pressure parameter specifying a pressure required at the bottom of the curd stack to produce a curd block from a bottom portion of the curd stack. The apparatus also comprises a gas pressure system to apply a gas overpressure in the container when a pressure value at the bottom of the curd stack is below the pressure parameter. The gas overpressure has a value equal to or greater than a difference between the pressure required at the bottom of the curd stack and the pressure value at the bottom of the curd stack. A method for fusing curd is also provided and includes applying an overpressure to a curd stack to compensate for insufficient pressure at the bottom of the curd stack.

A countertop cooking appliance is an apparatus that is used to manufacture food, particularly cheeses, with controlled heating, mixing, drainage, and pressure cycles. The apparatus is also configured to accept various cooking patterns for different foods based on different recipes. A perforated drainer is used to hold ingredients for mixing, completed cheese curds, and the finalized cheese product. A first receptacle is a container that holds the perforated drainer and temporarily stores whey and process byproducts. A second receptacle is a storage unit for whey and other liquid byproducts produced in the cheese development process. A fluid pump applies pressure to fluids collected in the first receptacle, transferring them to the second receptacle. A linear actuator provides mechanical power to one of several detachable food-interacting heads, which consequently chops, mixes, or otherwise agitates the contents of the perforated container.