A printer and corresponding method of printing an image on a surface of a plurality of food products by providing a system having a printer with an extendable and retractable receiving arm and a rotating food product delivery tray for continuously and automatically providing delivery of unprinted food products which are retracted into the printer, printed on, and returned by the receiving arm to the rotatable delivery tray and the tray further moves to deliver subsequent food products for printing.

A system for depositing foodstuff material in the fluid state on a foodstuff product, the system including: a product conveying line; at least one foodstuff material dispensing unit including includes a plurality of rows of nozzles; and a dispensing control unit, in which the dispensing unit includes a valve device associated to each individual nozzle to control foodstuff material flow through the nozzle, the valve device including: an open/close member, a solenoid; and a magnetic element operatively connected to the open/close member and mobile between a first position in which it closes the respective nozzle, preventing dispensing of the foodstuff material therethrough, and a second position in which a passage is opened through the nozzle for dispensing the foodstuff material.

A process for producing foodstuff products provided with a respective decoration having a given configuration, the process including the steps of: making a plurality of foodstuff products each having a surface cavity and a profile in plan view that is predetermined to reproduce the given configuration of the respective decoration; advancing the foodstuff products on a conveying line in a direction of advance; via a camera, detecting, for each foodstuff product, the respective cavity; determining one or more data indicating a volume of the cavity of the foodstuff product; providing a fluid foodstuff material dispensing unit, including a plurality of rows of nozzles transverse to the direction of advance; dispensing an amount of fluid foodstuff material in the cavity of each foodstuff product substantially equal to the volume of the cavity.

An apparatus for use in decorating cookies, baked items or other items, comprising a thermoplastic rubber base piece; a piece of polyester silk component positioned on the thermoplastic rubber base piece; and an ABS plastic top piece, wherein the apparatus is configured to eliminate lifting of the stencil while airbrushing. When airbrushing food coloring through a stencil on to cookies or other items, the polyester silk screen presses the stencil against the item firmly and evenly across its entire surface. Further, the polyester silk screen slows the movement of air therethrough. These two properties both act to reduce an undesirable effect of the airbrushing process called under-spray, in which the airstream lifts the stencil off the cookie or other item slightly, blurring the edges of the stenciled image.

An apparatus for use in decorating cookies, baked items or other items, comprising a thermoplastic rubber base piece; a piece of polyester silk component positioned on the thermoplastic rubber base piece; and an ABS plastic top piece, wherein the apparatus is configured to eliminate lifting of the stencil while airbrushing. When airbrushing food coloring through a stencil on to cookies or other items, the polyester silk screen presses the stencil against the item firmly and evenly across its entire surface. Further, the polyester silk screen slows the movement of air therethrough. These two properties both act to reduce an undesirable effect of the airbrushing process called under-spray, in which the airstream lifts the stencil off the cookie or other item slightly, blurring the edges of the stenciled image.

An interface device, coloring agent and method for imparting color to food material during the decorating of foods. This interface device, coloring agent and method for imparting color to food material during the decorating of foods can be used to impart color from solid, liquid or semi-liquid coloring compounds to a wide variety of food material such as frosting and icing.

An interface device, coloring agent and method for imparting color to food material during the decorating of foods. This interface device, coloring agent and method for imparting color to food material during the decorating of foods can be used to impart color from solid, liquid or semi-liquid coloring compounds to a wide variety of food material such as frosting and icing.

Device for providing dough products with a topping material, comprising a dough product conveyor, for transporting the dough products, a topping conveyor, for conveying the topping towards a dispensing location above the dough product conveyor, a collector for superfluous topping material from the dough product conveyor and a topping material sensor for measuring the distribution of the topping material in width direction of the topping conveyor, a controller, for controlling, based at least on the signal from the topping sensor(s), the movements of a rake.

A printer and corresponding method of printing an image on a surface of a plurality of food products by providing a system having a printer with an extendable and retractable receiving arm and a rotating food product delivery tray for continuously and automatically providing delivery of unprinted food products which are retracted into the printer, printed on, and returned by the receiving arm to the rotatable delivery tray and the tray further moves to deliver subsequent food products for printing.

A printer housing with an upper portion and a lower portion with a cavity there between and wherein the upper portion and lower portion are connected by one or more hinges such that the housing opens about the hinged connection between the upper portion and the lower portion to expose the cavity there between. The hinged connection allows the upper portion to be lifted up with respect to the lower portion to expose one or more printer components for access through the cavity. One or more hinges secure the upper portion to the lower portion and wherein the one or more hinges are positioned on a same perimeter side of the housing such that the housing opens about one side.