An apparatus and method for providing a simpler and more robust mechanism for transporting materials to be dried through a vacuum microwave chamber in rotating containers. The apparatus (20) has a vacuum chamber (22), an input end (26) to introduce a container (24) into the chamber, and a discharge end (28) to remove the container. The container has spur gear teeth (60) extending along its outer circumferential surface. The apparatus has a single roller (42) having spur gear teeth (46) extending along its outer circumferential surface. The spur gear teeth of the roller mesh with the spur gear teeth of the container such that rotation of the roller about its longitudinal axis rotates the container. The apparatus also includes means for holding the container on the roller, means for moving the container through the chamber, a microwave generator 76 arranged for transmission of microwave radiation from the generator into the chamber, and means for reducing pressure inside the chamber.

Various methods are provided for providing a solid HMO product, said methods including drum-drying, belt drying, preferably vacuum bed drying, or granulation. Solid HMO products are obtained via said methods, as well as solid HMO products per se. The methods can provide solid HMO products which are different to those achieved via other methods.

A method of drying hemp plants using a rotary drying system that dries the plants without damaging the cannabidiol in the plants.

A method for preparing a pumpable batch composition of stone fruit and/or nut fruit seeds, in particular nuts, almonds or nut and almond mixtures, with the following steps: Breaking open of the already pitted or stoned stone-fruit or nut-fruit seeds first takes place by pre-crushing. A hot air and/or vacuum exposure of the composition arising from the pre-crushing then takes place for the purpose of breaking open its cells. This is followed by a usually single-stage, optionally also multi-stage, further grinding of the composition arising from the pre-crushing and the hot air or vacuum exposure to form a pumpable batch composition.

The disclosure discloses stabilized rice aleurone and a preparation method thereof, and belongs to the technical field of food processing. The disclosure uses the technology of classifying a rice aleurone layer by a tangential injection airflow impeller classifier combined with an ultrasonic vibrating screen for the first time, and simultaneously uses steam treatment coupled with thermal enzyme inactivation by drum drying as a stabilization method to prepare the stabilized rice aleurone for the first time. The drum drying equipment in the method of the disclosure realizes the two purposes of enzyme inactivation and drying, and the method of the disclosure has short process flow, simple equipment, high utilization rate, small floor space, low investment, low energy consumption and no pollution, and is suitable for industrial promotion. The obtained stabilized rice aleurone has a lipase inactivation rate of 85% or more, a peroxidase inactivation rate of 100%, a low fatty acid value, and a storage period of 12 months or more at room temperature. The product has good taste and no change in color, and can be used in industrial production and food applications. At the same time, the stabilized rice aleurone also has the characteristic of high nutritional value, is rich in functional ingredients, and can be used as a raw material for functional food development.

A method of making a porous, dehydrated food product comprises subjecting a food product to pulsed electric field treatment to form pores in the cell membranes of the food product, freezing the treated food product, and exposing the treated frozen food product to microwave radiation in a vacuum chamber at a pressure that is less than atmospheric and at which the boiling point of water is above 0 C., causing the frozen food product to thaw and water to evaporate to produce the porous, dehydrated product. The process is faster than freeze-drying and consumes less energy. The pulsed electric field treatment does not result in structural damage to the product, despite the thawing of the frozen product during the drying process.

A sheet-shaped food product is a sheet-shaped food product molded by containing a raw food material and a binding agent, in which the sheet-shaped food product is provided with a surface layer at both sides and an inner side layer, which is present between the surface layers and has lower density than each surface layer, and mass ratio (WA/WB) of dry mass of the raw food material (WA) to dry mass of the binding agent 3 (WB) is 4.9 to 7.3.

The disclosure discloses stabilized rice aleurone and a preparation method, using the technology of classifying a rice aleurone layer by a tangential injection airflow impeller classifier combined with an ultrasonic vibrating screen for the first time, and simultaneously uses steam treatment coupled with thermal enzyme inactivation by drum drying as a stabilization method to prepare the stabilized rice aleurone for the first time. The drum drying equipment realizes the two purposes of enzyme inactivation and drying, and the method has the advantages of short process flow, simple equipment, high utilization rate, small floor space, low investment, low energy consumption and no pollution, and is suitable for industrial promotion. The stabilized rice aleurone has high nutritional value, is rich in functional ingredients, and can be used as a raw material for functional food development in industrial production and food applications.

A sheet-shaped food product is a sheet-shaped food product molded by containing a raw food material and a binding agent, in which the sheet-shaped food product is provided with a surface layer at both sides and an inner side layer, which is present between the surface layers and has lower density than each surface layer, and mass ratio (WA/WB) of dry mass of the raw food material (WA) to dry mass of the binding agent 3 (WB) is 4.9 to 7.3.