The noodle driving apparatus includes an enclosure having a lateral partition separating the enclosure into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. At least one first cool-air provision device and at least one warm-air recovery device are disposed to a side inside the upper chamber. A number of first cool-air inlets and warm-air inlets are configured on the partition toward another side of the upper chamber. Noodles to be dried are placed in the lower chamber. Cool air produced by the first cool-air provision device is introduced into the lower chamber through the first cool-air inlets to absorb moisture from the noodles. Warm air produced from the first cool-air provision device is collected by the warm-air recovery device and introduced into the lower chamber through the warm-air inlets to dry the noodles. The noodle driving apparatus thereby achieves improved drying performance, enhanced energy consumption, and better drying quality.

The present invention is related to a conveyor system (1) for a plant for producing elongated pasta, for example spaghetti, with a transfer unit (3) for transferring conveyor elements (4) from a first conveyor unit (2a) to a second conveyor unit (2b), the transfer unit (3) comprising a rotatably mounted cam element (3a) with a gripping device (3b) and a fixedly arranged guide element (3c) with an approximately circular-segment-shaped surface section (3d), which are arranged relative to each other in such a way that a conveyor element (4) taken over by the gripping means (3b) of the cam element (3a) from the first conveyor unit (2a) can be moved by rotation of the cam element (3a) along the approximately circular-segment-shaped surface portion (3d) of the guide element (3c) to a position where the conveyor element (4) can be taken over by the second conveyor unit (2b). The present invention further relates to a plant (A) for the production of elongated pasta and to a method for conveying elongated pasta.

The noodle driving apparatus includes an enclosure having a lateral partition separating the enclosure into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. At least one first cool-air provision device and at least one warm-air recovery device are disposed to a side inside the upper chamber. A number of first cool-air inlets and warm-air inlets are configured on the partition toward another side of the upper chamber. Noodles to be dried are placed in the lower chamber. Cool air produced by the first cool-air provision device is introduced into the lower chamber through the first cool-air inlets to absorb moisture from the noodles. Warm air produced from the first cool-air provision device is collected by the warm-air recovery device and introduced into the lower chamber through the warm-air inlets to dry the noodles. The noodle driving apparatus thereby achieves improved drying performance, enhanced energy consumption, and better drying quality.

The present invention relates to technical means for producing a dried buckwheat noodle which is excellent in flavor and texture and can be produced stably. More specifically, the present invention provides: processed buckwheat flour, wherein a degree of pregelatinization of starch is 70% or more, and wherein, in gel filtration chromatography analysis of a water extract of the processed buckwheat flour, a proportion of a peak area (A) for a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 10 to 5,000 with respect to the total peak area (A/total peak area×100) is 20% or more; a dried buckwheat noodle wherein the processed buckwheat flour is used as a raw material; and a method for producing the same.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for drying non-fried instant noodles for obtaining non-fried noodles that are easily loosened without sticking of noodle strings and excellent in restorability. The present invention includes, as a step of drying non-fried instant noodles, a step of putting gelatinized noodle strings into a drying retainer, and blowing a high-speed air flow from above the retainer toward a noodle mass of the noodle strings to perform drying. In the drying step, the retainer employed has a shape such that a transition portion from a bottom surface to a side surface (side wall portion) is formed to be a curved surface with a radius of curvature of 5 to 15 mm, and preferably the high-speed air flow is blown at a wind speed of 50 m/s or higher in terms of the speed to which the noodle strings are exposed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for drying non-fried noodles for obtaining non-fried noodles that are easily loosened without sticking of noodle strings and excellent in restorability. The present invention includes, as a step of drying non-fried noodles, a step of putting gelatinized noodle strings into a retainer, the retainer having one or more small holes in a bottom surface thereof so as to give a ratio of the total area of the small holes to the area of the bottom surface of the retainer of 30% or less, or having no small hole in the bottom surface, that is, the retainer having an aperture ratio of 0 to 30%, and blowing a high-speed air flow, preferably having a wind speed of 50 m/s or higher, from above the retainer toward the noodle strings in the retainer.

A process for producing instant noodles starting from noodles divided in portions or blocks, includes the steps of: transporting the portions of noodles by means of a conveyor along a transport direction (D), the conveyor including a plurality of cup-shaped receptacles for receiving the portions of noodles, each cup-shaped receptacle having a holed bottom; subjecting the portions of noodles arranged in the cup-shaped receptacles to an upper air flow having a temperature that is comprised between 100 C. and 300 C., the upper air flow being directed from a first zone above the conveyor to a second zone under the conveyor; and subjecting the portions of noodles arranged in the cup-shaped receptacles to a lower air flow having a temperature that is comprised between 100 C. and 300 C., the lower air flow being directed from the second zone to the first zone.

The present invention is related to a conveyor system (1) for a plant for producing elongated pasta, for example spaghetti, with a transfer unit (3) for transferring conveyor elements (4) from a first conveyor unit (2a) to a second conveyor unit (2b), the transfer unit (3) comprising a rotatably mounted cam element (3a) with a gripping device (3b) and a fixedly arranged guide element (3c) with an approximately circular-segment-shaped surface section (3d), which are arranged relative to each other in such a way that a conveyor element (4) taken over by the gripping means (3b) of the cam element (3a) from the first conveyor unit (2a) can be moved by rotation of the cam element (3a) along the approximately circular-segment-shaped surface portion (3d) of the guide element (3c) to a position where the conveyor element (4) can be taken over by the second conveyor unit (2b). The present invention further relates to a plant (A) for the production of elongated pasta and to a method for conveying elongated pasta.