A zero contact double screw and ergonomic double screw housing combination for foodstuff mixers and portioning devices. The system includes a multi-prong support segment at the discharge end of the double screw and double screw housing which connects and secures the double screw to the double screw housing to support and space the double screw apart from the surrounding double screw housing in a configuration which eliminates contact between the outer surface of the double screw and the inner surface of the double screw housing. The housing has an exterior portion with scooped out portions providing for substantially reduced thickness, volume, and mass, while remaining configured to provide durability and longevity of use similar to that of a screw housing that is substantially fully cylindrical throughout its diameter.

A method for processing a protein-containing foodstuff portion to control the thickness. The method includes cutting a raw protein-containing foodstuff portion to make cuts on a surface of the raw protein-containing foodstuff portion, the raw protein-containing foodstuff portion has a first initial thickness; and after the raw protein-containing foodstuff portion is cut, pressing the raw protein-containing foodstuff portion, wherein after pressing a thickness of the raw protein-containing foodstuff portion is reduced from the initial thickness.

A system configured to hydrate and process foodstuff materials can include an exterior tube, an inner shaft, and multiple water inlets. The exterior tube can have a foodstuff inlet, an outlet, and a longitudinal axis, and can facilitate the conveyance of foodstuff materials along a material passage from the foodstuff inlet to the outlet. The inner shaft can be located within the exterior tube, can extend along the longitudinal axis, and can combine with the exterior tube to define the material passage. The inner shaft can be configured to be rotationally driven and can include one or more particle resizing features extending therefrom. The multiple water inlets can be spaced apart along the length of the material passage and can be configured to provide water to the foodstuff materials at different locations along the length of the material passage as the foodstuff materials are being conveyed along the material passage.

A moulding device and a method for moulding food products from a mass of foodstuff which can be transferred by pumping are provided. The device includes a stationary frame with a revolving moulding drum assembly having a peripheral surface in which mould cavities are provided, and a mass feed device including a shoe member with a filling mouth adjoining the peripheral surface of the moulding drum assembly in order to fill said cavities with the foodstuff as they move past. In operation, the pressurized mass of foodstuff introduced into a mould cavity causes an outward force onto said shoe member. A non-revolving component is provided, concentrically supported by the moulding drum assembly, including the shoe member and an interconnected moulding drum assembly engaging counterforce element to counteract the entire outward force exerted by the pressurized foodstuff on the shoe member.

The invention provides a device and a method for conveying and treating food items in liquid in a tank. The device is designed for transferring and treating food items in liquid simultaneously, such as cooling, thawing or treating the food items with additives. The blade of the invention is a dual action blade as it both advances the food items along the container as well as creating repeated forward and backwards pushing of the items as the blade is rotated.

A system includes a food dispenser, a cooking surface, and an arm assembly. The arm assembly is configured to receive a food product from the food dispenser and transport the food product to the cooking surface. The arm assembly includes an arm portion, an actuator, a cylinder, and a piston. The actuator drives rotation of the arm portion about a first rotational axis. The cylinder is attached to the arm portion and is rotatable relative to the arm portion about a second rotational axis. The piston is axially movable within the cylinder. The piston includes multiple stages. At least one of the stages is movable axially relative to another of the stages between a first position and a second position.

Systems and methods describe continuously and progressively hydrating and post-processing material, such as food material for meat analogue products. First, material is provided to be conveyed through a material passage between an exterior tube and a rotating inner shaft, with the rotating inner shaft including one or more particle resizing features extending around the rotating inner shaft. Concurrently, the material is post-processed, via the particle resizing features, to reduce the material into a plurality of smaller material particles. Also concurrently, water is continuously and progressively provided to the material to produce hydrated material particles.

The present invention relates to a magazine turret attachment for a portioning machine for dividing a strand-like product into individual portions and a portioning machine having such a magazine turret attachment. The magazine turret attachment includes a turret base rotatable about a rotation axis which has at least one chute extending through the turret base and the chute axis of which extends at least approximately parallel to the rotation axis of the turret base; and at least one first chute module which may be reversibly arranged on the turret base in the area of the first chute and which is provided with only one chute extending through said first chute module and the chute axis of which extends coaxially to the chute axis of the first chute of the turret base and the cross-section of which corresponds at least approximately to the cross-section of the at least one chute of the turret base in order to form a first reception chute for a strand-like product.

A frozen product of minced fish meat frozen into granules includes: 90 wt % or more of meat granules having a substantially columnar shape with a 3 mm to 7 mm diameter; and 10 wt % or less of meat granules with a short diameter of 2 mm or less. A method of producing the minced fish meat frozen into granules includes: raising the temperature of fish meat which has been frozen at −20° C. or less to a temperature of from −10° C. to −5° C.; mincing the fish meat while maintaining the temperature of the fish meat at −10° C. to −5° C. by using a meat mincer having a feed screw, a plate, and a plate knife at a rotation speed of 200 rpm or less; lowering the temperature of minced fish meat to −20° C. or less; and crushing the minced fish meat frozen at −20° C. or less into granules.

An apparatus for preparing a plurality of uniformly formed food products. The apparatus includes a rotatable mold plate with a plurality of voids, the plurality of voids are collected into one or more sets of voids in close proximity to each other. A first cover plate is fixed with the mold plate rotatable about the first cover plate. First and second apertures are disposed through the first cover plate, wherein each void of the plurality of voids. A vacuum is applied to the void through the first aperture and flowing food enters the void through the second aperture. The first cover plate has an empty space or is sized to expose a portion of the mold plate. A knock-out assembly is disposed with respect to the voids when outside of the first cover plate, wherein the knockout assembly interacts with voids to remove food patties from the voids.