A snack bar is produced in accordance with a method employing an extrusion apparatus to include a base or crust, a primary filling provided on the base and a second filling or topping embedded in, yet externally exposed from, the primary filling. The primary and secondary fillings are co-extruded, with an extrusion nozzle for the secondary filling being located directly adjacent an extrusion port for the primary filling. The primary filling is non-flowable, while the secondary filling is preferably flowable. The extrusion nozzle can be repositioned either between or during extrusion operations to alter a repeating pattern for the secondary filling.

A snack bar is produced in accordance with a method employing an extrusion apparatus to include a base or crust, a primary filling provided on the base and a second filling or topping embedded in, yet externally exposed from, the primary filling. The primary and secondary fillings are co-extruded, with an extrusion nozzle for the secondary filling being located directly adjacent an extrusion port for the primary filling. The primary filling is non-flowable, while the secondary filling is preferably flowable. The extrusion nozzle can be repositioned either between or during extrusion operations to alter a repeating pattern for the secondary filling.

A product conveying and coating system includes multiple, sequentially arranged conveyor units, with at least one conveyor unit being an open belt type. A carrier sheet is placed on a first of the conveyor units, a web of coating material in liquid form is deposited on the carrier sheet and spaced ropes of soft and sticky material are deposited on and settle into the web. The carrier sheet, web and ropes are transferred to a second conveyor unit after the coating material of the web solidifies, whereupon the ropes are cut into bar-length pieces. Thereafter, the carrier sheet is removed while the web and pieces are transferred to the open belt conveyor unit and exposed to an enrober. The enrober coats the pieces while melting portions of the web between the pieces in order to form full coated or encapsulated food products with soft and sticky cores.

A confectionery product includes: a center of a paste confectionary material including a semisolid fondant wherein a quantity of liquid syrup is less than a quantity of solid sugar crystals, and at least one compound able to hydrolyze sucrose to glucose and fructose; an intermediate layer of chewy candy material; and a layer of amorphous candy material. Also disclosed is a related multilayer confectionary item including such product.

The apparatus (100) includes a die head (118) for extruding a main comestible material to form an extrudate body. A plurality of nozzles (160, FIG. 7) is located within the die head for introducing a comestible fluid into the extrudate body to form a plurality of filled capillaries. A control system (182) is capable of selectively connecting at least one of the nozzles to any one of at least two different fluid filling sources (150A, 15 OB). The control system may be capable of connecting each of the nozzles independently to different fluid sources or the nozzles may be arranged into two or more groups of flu idly interconnected nozzles that can each be independently switched between different fluid sources. The apparatus can be used to form products in which the fillings in the capillaries are varied or in which an image is formed in cross section. The apparatus can also be used to switch production between products having different fillings without stopping extrusion.

Disclosed is a method for preparing a multilayer confectionary product including a paste confectionery center, surrounded by an intermediate layer of chewy candy material, surrounded in turn by a layer of amorphous candy material, to the multilayer confectionery product obtained by the process and to an apparatus for producing the multilayer confectionary product. The multilayer confectionary product can be further coated with a hard coating.

An apparatus and method for post-extrusion filling and closing of an extrudate includes a feeder arranged in relation to an extruded rope of material flowing from an extrusion die of an extruder, wherein the rope of material has an opening that can receive a filler material. The feeder deposits the filler material into the opening of the rope of material as the rope of material flows by the feeder. A former receives the rope of material after the feeder has deposited the filler material into the opening of the rope. The former shapes the rope of material and close a portion or all of the rope around at least a portion of the deposited filler material to retain the filler material within the rope. A cutter may axially cut the rope to form the opening. A finisher may cut the shaped rope into portions containing the deposited filler material.

The apparatus having multi-nozzles for making three-dimensional structure according to the present disclosure comprises a supply unit of raw material, the supply unit having a nozzle for supplying at least two raw materials; a seat unit provided under the supply unit, where a container receiving the raw material is seated; a driving unit for moving the supply unit and the seat unit in at least any one of X, Y, and Z directions; a control unit for controlling discharging amount and moving route of the driving unit, based on the desired shape of the structure to be made.

A food product can be formed by injecting a first edible material into an assembly and discharging, from the assembly, the first edible material as straight strands substantially parallel to each other and as helical strands that overlap the straight strands. The straight and helical strands of the first edible material form a lattice structure of the food product. A rotary extrusion die system and a method that provide the food product are also disclosed, as well as other food products and a rotary extrusion die system and a method that provide the other food products.

An apparatus and method for post-extrusion filling and closing of an extrudate includes a feeder arranged in relation to an extruded rope of material flowing from an extrusion die of an extruder, wherein the rope of material has an opening that can receive a filler material. The feeder deposits the filler material into the opening of the rope of material as the rope of material flows by the feeder. A former receives the rope of material after the feeder has deposited the filler material into the opening of the rope. The former shapes the rope of material and close a portion or all of the rope around at least a portion of the deposited filler material to retain the filler material within the rope. A cutter may axially cut the rope to form the opening. A finisher may cut the shaped rope into portions containing the deposited filler material.