GB2450866A - Apparatus and method for applying flavouring slurry - Google Patents

Apparatus and method for applying flavouring slurry Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2450866A
GB2450866A GB0712835A GB0712835A GB2450866A GB 2450866 A GB2450866 A GB 2450866A GB 0712835 A GB0712835 A GB 0712835A GB 0712835 A GB0712835 A GB 0712835A GB 2450866 A GB2450866 A GB 2450866A
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United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
flavouring
rate
slurry
food products
supplied
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB0712835A
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GB0712835D0 (en
Inventor
Peter David Wilson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to GB0712835A priority Critical patent/GB2450866A/en
Publication of GB0712835D0 publication Critical patent/GB0712835D0/en
Priority to PCT/GB2008/002120 priority patent/WO2009004292A1/en
Publication of GB2450866A publication Critical patent/GB2450866A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23P—SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS
    • A23P20/00—Coating of foodstuffs; Coatings therefor; Making laminated, multi-layered, stuffed or hollow foodstuffs
    • A23P20/10—Coating with edible coatings, e.g. with oils or fats
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23P—SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS
    • A23P20/00—Coating of foodstuffs; Coatings therefor; Making laminated, multi-layered, stuffed or hollow foodstuffs
    • A23P20/10—Coating with edible coatings, e.g. with oils or fats
    • A23P20/15—Apparatus or processes for coating with liquid or semi-liquid products
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A21—BAKING; EDIBLE DOUGHS
    • A21C—MACHINES OR EQUIPMENT FOR MAKING OR PROCESSING DOUGHS; HANDLING BAKED ARTICLES MADE FROM DOUGH
    • A21C15/00—Apparatus for handling baked articles
    • A21C15/002—Apparatus for spreading granular material on, or sweeping or coating the surface of baked articles
    • A23L1/0047—
    • A23L1/217—
    • A23L1/22—
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L19/00—Products from fruits or vegetables; Preparation or treatment thereof
    • A23L19/10—Products from fruits or vegetables; Preparation or treatment thereof of tuberous or like starch containing root crops
    • A23L19/12—Products from fruits or vegetables; Preparation or treatment thereof of tuberous or like starch containing root crops of potatoes
    • A23L19/18—Roasted or fried products, e.g. snacks or chips
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L27/00—Spices; Flavouring agents or condiments; Artificial sweetening agents; Table salts; Dietetic salt substitutes; Preparation or treatment thereof
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L7/00—Cereal-derived products; Malt products; Preparation or treatment thereof
    • A23L7/10—Cereal-derived products
    • A23L7/117—Flakes or other shapes of ready-to-eat type; Semi-finished or partly-finished products therefor
    • A23L7/13—Snacks or the like obtained by oil frying of a formed cereal dough
    • A23P1/082—
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23P—SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS
    • A23P20/00—Coating of foodstuffs; Coatings therefor; Making laminated, multi-layered, stuffed or hollow foodstuffs
    • A23P20/10—Coating with edible coatings, e.g. with oils or fats
    • A23P20/12—Apparatus or processes for applying powders or particles to foodstuffs, e.g. for breading; Such apparatus combined with means for pre-moistening or battering
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23P—SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS
    • A23P20/00—Coating of foodstuffs; Coatings therefor; Making laminated, multi-layered, stuffed or hollow foodstuffs
    • A23P20/10—Coating with edible coatings, e.g. with oils or fats
    • A23P20/15—Apparatus or processes for coating with liquid or semi-liquid products
    • A23P20/18—Apparatus or processes for coating with liquid or semi-liquid products by spray-coating, fluidised-bed coating or coating by casting
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
    • B05B13/00—Machines or plants for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces of objects or other work by spraying, not covered by groups B05B1/00 - B05B11/00
    • B05B13/02—Means for supporting work; Arrangement or mounting of spray heads; Adaptation or arrangement of means for feeding work
    • B05B13/0221—Means for supporting work; Arrangement or mounting of spray heads; Adaptation or arrangement of means for feeding work characterised by the means for moving or conveying the objects or other work, e.g. conveyor belts
    • B05B13/025—Means for supporting work; Arrangement or mounting of spray heads; Adaptation or arrangement of means for feeding work characterised by the means for moving or conveying the objects or other work, e.g. conveyor belts the objects or work being present in bulk
    • B05B13/0257—Means for supporting work; Arrangement or mounting of spray heads; Adaptation or arrangement of means for feeding work characterised by the means for moving or conveying the objects or other work, e.g. conveyor belts the objects or work being present in bulk in a moving container, e.g. a rotatable foraminous drum

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Food Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
  • Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Nutrition Science (AREA)
  • Confectionery (AREA)
  • Formation And Processing Of Food Products (AREA)

Abstract

Flavouring drums are used in the snack food industry to apply a flavouring mixture to snack food products such as potato chips, tortilla chips, corn chips, extruded snacks and the like. The invention provides an apparatus for applying flavouring slurry to food products as they pass through a flavouring drum 1. The apparatus includes a small mixing vessel 7 for mixing together a liquid, such as an edible oil, and flavouring particles to form a flavouring slurry. A pump 16 is provided to transfer the flavouring slurry from the mixing vessel 7 directly to a delivery means 15, for applying the flavouring slurry to the food products as they pass through the flavouring drum 1. The operation of the apparatus can be controlled in 'real time' and may include rate determining means for measuring or deriving the rate at which food products are supplied to the flavouring drum 1. Control means, optionally in the form of an electronic control unit 11, are provided to control the operation of the pump 16 such that that the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means 15 is selected in accordance with the rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring drum 1.

Description

TITLE
Apparatus and method for applying flavouring slurry
DESCRIPTION
Technical Field
The invention relates to an apparatus and method for applying flavouring slurry (i.e. a liquid such as an edible oil containing suspended solids such as flavouring particles) to a variety of different food products including dried pasta and snack food products such as potato crisps, potato chips, tortilla chips, corn chips, extruded snacks and the like.
Background Art
Food products like dried pasta and snack food products such as potato chips, tortilla chips, corn chips, extruded snacks and the like can be flavoured by two known processes.
Process 1: In the first process the food products are flavoured by coating them with a dry flavouring mixture while feeding them through a rotating flavouring drum where they are tumbled to make sure the flavouring mixture is evenly distributed. The dry flavouring mixture will normally consist of flavouring particles such as granules or powder.
: In some cases the food products are sprayed with a fine coating of edible oil such as S... . . *. 25 vegetable oil before the flavouring particles are applied. S ** * S
Process 2: S..
* In the second process the food products are flavoured by coating them with a wet flavouring mixture or slurry that consists of flavouring particles suspended in an : 30 edible oil such as vegetable oil. Once again, the food products are fed through a rotating flavouring drum where they are tumbled to make sure the flavouring mixture is evenly distributed.
The flavouring slurry is prepared in a batch process where fixed quantities of edible oil and flavouring particles are mixed together slowly for a long period of time in a mixing vessel. The slurry is then stored in a storage vessel where it is constantly agitated to prevent the flavouring particles from coming out of suspension. Before it is supplied to a delivery nozzle and used to the coat the food products as they pass through the flavouring drum, the flavouring slurry is normally transferred from the storage vessel to a separate delivery vessel where once again it is constantly agitated.
The known processes are not capable of applying the flavouring particles to the food products in a consistently even manner. This means that significant amounts of the food products that exit the rotating flavouring drum will eventually be discarded because they have either been coated with too much flavouring or too little. A known problem with the second process in particular is the fact that the flavouring slurry that is applied to the snack foods will sometimes have the wrong proportion of edible oil to flavouring particles. This can result from incorrect quantities of edible oil and flavouring particles being supplied to the mixing vessel, for example. Since the flavouring slurry is prepared in a batch process, it is normally impossible to correct the error and the entire batch must be discarded.
Another problem is the tendency of the flavouring particles to come out of suspension when the flavouring slurry is being held in the storage and delivery vessels.
Insufficient agitation or the creation of "dead zones" where the flavouring slurry * .* * remains substantially stationary is normally to blame for such separation. If the *::::* 25 flavouring slurry is no longer properly mixed when it is applied to the snack foods then some of the food products will be coated with too much edible oil while others are coated with too much flavouring. So-called "spotting" can also occur where food S..
* products are coated with discrete clumps of flavouring particles instead of the :. flavouring particles being evenly distributed. * **S * 3
*..S.. * .
A further problem is known to arise when the flavouring slurry is transferred between the mixing vessel, the storage vessel and the delivery vessel using centrifugal or rotary lobe pumps. These can experience "compacting" problems where the action of the pumps themselves causes the flavouring particles to come out of suspension where they compact against the pump walls and lead to jamming.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention provides an apparatus for applying flavouring slurry to food products as they pass through a flavouring drum, the apparatus comprising a mixing vessel for mixing together a liquid and flavouring particles to form a flavouring slurry, and a pump for pumping the flavouring slurry directly to a delivery means for applying the flavouring slurry to the food products as they pass through the flavouring drum.
A significant advantage of the present invention is that the flavouring slurry can be pumped directly from the mixing vessel to the delivery means "on demand" (i.e. only when it is actually needed to coat the food products) rather than having to be produced in advance in a batch process and then held in storage and delivery vessels before it can be applied to the food products. The problems arising from the flavouring particles coming out of suspension are therefore avoided.
The mixing of the liquid and flavouring particles in the mixing vessel and the rate at which the flavouring slurry is supplied to the delivery means can also be carefully controlled in "real time" to adapt to changing circumstances and manufacturing demands. This ensures that the flavouring is evenly and consistently applied to the * ** S.'. surface of the food products at all times during operation of the manufacturing plant *5aS of which the present apparatus fonns a part. 5, .. S. *
:. It also means that the storage and delivery vessels associated with the second process are no longer required, leading to significant cost reductions.
S
S *s*
: ** 30 The size and configuration of the mixing vessel is important in making sure that the liquid and flavouring particles are properly mixed in a short period of time. The inventor has realised that the best mixing results are achieved by using a small capacity vessel (preferably holding no more than about 30 litres of flavouring slurry) together with high-speed impeller rotation (typically about 1450 rpm). The average mixing time (i.e. the average time that an individual flavouring particle will remain within the mixing vessel) will preferably be no less than about 3 minutes and no more than about 5 minutes.
The actual capacity of the mixing vessel will normally be selected with reference to the operating parameters of the manufacturing plant, and in particular to the maximum rate at which the food products that need to he coated are to be supplied to the flavouring drum, because this will determine the maximum rate at which the flavouring slurry will need to be supplied to the delivery means. Two or more mixing vessels can be provided if necessary. The mixing vessels can be arranged entirely independently of one another such that each mixing vessel has its own pump for pumping the flavouring slurry directly to a separate delivery means for applying the flavouring slurry to the food products as they pass through the flavouring drum. The mixing vessels can also be arranged to supply flavouring slurry to the same delivery means. A single pump can be used to pump flavouring slurry from each of the mixing vessels directly to the same delivery means. Alternatively, each mixing vessel can have its own pump for pumping the flavouring slurry directly to the same delivery means.
The volume of flavouring slurry within the mixing vessel is preferably kept relatively constant (or at least within certain accepted limits) and liquid and flavouring particles are supplied to the mixing vessel to replace the flavouring slurry that is pumped ***.
directly to the delivery means. As a result, the total volume of flavouring slurry that is supplied to the delivery means over the period of time when the present apparatus is operating will normally significantly exceed the capacity of the mixing vessel.
There will often be a short lead time (typically about 3 minutes) when the present apparatus is operated for the first time before the liquid and the flavouring particles are properly mixed and the pump can be operated to pump the flavouring slurry from the mixing vessel to the delivery means. Subsequently, the liquid and flavouring particles that are supplied to the mixing vessel will be mixed together with any existing volume of flavouring slurry.
The pumping of the flavouring slurry to the delivery means can be carefully controlled in an automated maimer. The apparatus may further include a rate determining means for measuring or deriving the rate (either volumetric or mass flow rate, for example) at which the food products are being supplied to the flavouring drum, and control means for controlling the operation of the pump such that the rate (volumetric flow rate, for example) at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means is selected in accordance with the rate at which the food products are being supplied to the flavouring drum.
The control means is preferably configured to automatically alter the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means in response to a change in the rate at which the food products are being supplied to the flavouring drum. For example, the control means can be configured to increase the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means in response to an increase in the rate at which the food products are being supplied to the flavouring drum, and to decrease the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means in response to a decrease in the rate at which the food products are being supplied to the flavouring drum. In practice, this automated matching of the respective rates means that the correct amount of flavouring slurry is applied to the food products by the delivery means at all times. * *.
It will normally be the case that for any given food product there will be a known relationship between the rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring * * * S * * drum and the rate at which the flavouring slurry is to be pumped to the delivery *** means. The control means will preferably make use of this known relationship when controlling the operation of the present apparatus. Deviations from the known :* 30 relationship are possible in certain circumstances, for example in response to the results of post-production testing or the moisture content of the food products.
The appaiatus may further comprise sensor means for measuring or deriving the volume of the flavouring slurry within the mixing vessel. In practice, the sensor means may monitor the level of the flavouring slurry within the mixing vessel and may be of any suitable type.
The rate at which the liquid and/or flavouring particles are supplied to the mixing vessel may be fixed. In this case, the control means can be configured to alter the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means if the volume of the flavouring slurry exceeds certain accepted limits. For example, the control means can be configured to increase the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means if the volume of the flavouring slurry in the mixing vessel increases above a certain volume, and to decrease the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means if the volume of the flavouring slurry in the mixing vessel decreases below a certain volume.
The control means can also be configured to alter the rate at which the liquid and/or flavouring particles are supplied to the mixing vessel in response to a change in the rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring drum or the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means. For example, if the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped out of the mixing vessel to the delivery means happens to be increased then the rate at which the liquid and/or flavouring particles are supplied into the mixing vessel can also be increased.
***: It will be readily appreciated that a zero rate setting can be used to prevent any liquid ***.
and/or flavouring particles from being supplied to the mixing vessel. Similarly, a zero * :. rate setting can be used to prevent any flavouring slurry from being pumped out of the mixing vessel to the delivery means. In the latter case a zero rate setting is equivalent to the pump being stopped.
S
The control means can be used to alter the proportion (or ratio) of the liquid and flavouring particles supplied to the mixing vessel. More particularly, if post-production testing of the coated food products indicates that the amount of liquid or flavouring particles is not within certain limits then the control means can alter the proportion of liquid and flavouring particles accordingly. The post-production testing will normally be carried out in a laboratory setting and the results can then be used to manually vary the proportion of the liquid and flavouring particles being supplied to the mixing vessel. For example, if the results of the post-production testing indicate that too much flavouring is being applied to the food products by the present apparatus then an operator can use the control unit to reduce the rate at which the flavouring particles are supplied to the mixing vessel while keeping the corresponding rate for the liquid unchanged. If post-production testing can be carried out in "real time" by some sort of sensing means then the results could be used by the control means to automatically alter the proportion of the liquid and flavouring particles being supplied to the mixing vessel.
Although the intention is that the operation of the present apparatus will be as automated as possible, it is generally preferred that some level of manual control is provided for. The control means may therefore include a user interface (such as a graphical user interface (GUI)) to enable the present apparatus to be manually controlled as required. Direct control of the supply of flavouring slurry to the delivery means and the supply of liquid and flavouring particles to the mixing vessel may therefore be achieved manually by an operator through the control means.
The food products will normally be supplied to the flavouring drum on some sort of conveying means (such as a conveyor belt, for example) moving at constant speed. * **
However, changes in the speed of the conveying means may result in a change in the * *** rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring drum and the speed of ** ** the conveying means can be monitored by the rate determining means. This provides *. * * * * a convenient way of automatically controlling the pump to ramp down to a stop if the *** conveying means happens to stop for any reason. * S * *S.
Although it is the volume of the food products being supplied to the flavouring drum that is most important in determining the amount of flavouring slurry that needs to be applied, this is difficult to measure directly. If the bulk density of the food products is assumed to be relatively constant then the volume can be determined by taking a measurement of the weight of the food products. (However, care should be taken to make sure that changes in the weight are a direct result of changes in the volume of the food product rather than a change in moisture content, for example.) The rate determining means may therefore include weighing means for weighing the food products as they are supplied to the flavouring drum. Any change in the volume or weight of the food products being supplied to the flavouring drum may result in a corresponding change in the volumetric or mass flow rate, respectively.
The pump is preferably a peristaltic pump (either rotary or linear) operating at variable speed. It has been found that peristaltic pumps do not suffer from the problem of "compacting" mentioned above. In addition, the moving parts of the peristaltic pump do not come into contact with the flavouring slurry and there is no risk of contamination. The pump will normally be selected with reference to the operating parameters of the manufacturing plant, and in particular to the maximum flow rate at which the food products are to be supplied to the flavouring drum because this will determine the maximum flow rate at which the flavouring slurry will need to be supplied to the delivery means. Two or more pumps can be provided (either in parallel or series) if necessary. The speed of the pump will always be controlled to be within safe operating limits.
The delivery means can take the form of a nozzle and is preferably located at the flavouring drum. * ** * * * * S. S...
*, 25 The flavouring drum is normally open-ended and is mounted so that its longitudinal axis is inclined relative to the horizontal. The food products are fed into the higher of : . the two openings where they are coated with the flavouring slurry and move through *..
the rotating flavouring drum in a tumbling motion under gravity. S. * S S ***
: 30 The control means may be implemented using a single electronic control unit, for S * example. Alternatively, a number of linked electronic control units can be provided.
The apparatus is suitable for coating a wide variety of different food products including dried pasta and snack food products such as potato crisps, potato chips, tortilla chips, corn chips, extruded snacks and the like. The liquid may be an edible oil such as a vegetable, seed or nut oil, for example. The flavouring particles may be supplied in the form of granules or powder.
The present invention further provides a flavouring apparatus comprising a rotating flavouring drum, conveying means for supplying food products to the flavouring drum, a mixing vessel for mixing together a liquid and flavouring particles to form a flavouring slurry, a pump for pumping the flavouring slurry directly to a delivery means for applying the flavouring slurry to the food products as they pass through the flavouring drum, and control means for controlling the operation of the pump such that the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means is selected in accordance with the rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring drum by the conveying means.
The control means is preferably configured to automatically alter the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means in response to a change in the rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring drum by the conveying means. The apparatus preferably includes weighing means for weighing the food products as they are supplied to the flavouring drum by the conveying means.
The present invention further provides a method of applying flavouring slurry to food *::::* 25 products as they pass through a flavouring drum, the method comprising the steps of :., mixing together a liquid and flavouring particles to form a flavouring slurry, and * pumping the flavouring slurry directly to a delivery means for applying the flavouring *** * slurry to the food products. ** * S * ***
: 30 The method preferably further comprises the steps of determining the rate at which * * food products are supplied to the flavouring drum, and controlling the operation of the pump such that the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped to the delivery means is selected in accordance with the rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring drum.
The rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means can be altered automatically in response to a change in the rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring drum. For example, the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means can be increased in response to an increase in the rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring drum, and the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means can be decreased in response to a decrease in the rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring drum.
The liquid and flavouring particles are preferably mixed together in a mixing vessel to form the flavouring slurry.
The rate at which the liquid and/or flavouring particles are supplied to the mixing vessel can be altered in response to a change in the rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring drum or in the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means.
The method may further comprise the step of altering the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means in response to a change in the volume of the flavouring slurry in the mixing vessel. For example, the rate at which the *.,.: flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means can be increased if the *** * 25 volume of the flavouring slurry in the mixing vessel increases above a certain volume, ** ** and the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means * * S * * can be decreased if the volume of the flavouring slurry in the mixing vessel decreases S..
below a certain volume. I. *..
The method may further comprise the step of altering the proportion of liquid and flavouring particles that are mixed together to form the flavouring slurry. -li-
The step of measuring or deriving the rate at which food products are supplied to the flavouring drum may further comprise measuring or deriving one of the weight, volume and bulk density of the food products being supplied to the flavouring drum.
Drawings Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of an apparatus according to the present invention.
Figure 1 shows a standard rotating flavouring drum 1. The flavouring drum I has a near opening 2 and a far opening 3 and its longitudinal axis is inclined relative to the horizontal such that the near opening is elevated with respect to the far opening. The inner surface 4 of the flavouring drum is corrugated with alternating ridges and valleys (not shown) to promote tumbling.
Snack food products SF are extruded by an extrusion apparatus (not shown) from a mixture of dry ingredients and water. The extruded snack food products are then dried in a drying apparatus (not shown) before being fed to an input conveyor 5. The moisture content of the snack food products is measured before and after drying and is assumed to be constant once the extrusion apparatus has reached its steady-state operating condition. The snack food products SF are moved along the input conveyor and fed into the near opening 2 of the flavouring drum 1 where they are coated with flavouring slurry that is delivered by a delivery nozzle 15 and tumbled to make sure the flavouring is evenly distributed. The snack food products SF pass through the *..,, flavouring drum I in a tumbling motion under gravity until they fall out of the far opening 3 onto an output conveyor 6 and are taken to a different part of the manufacturing plant. * * S
S S..
A mixing vessel 7 has a first inlet pipeline 8 along which vegetable oil is supplied from a storage container (not shown) and a second inlet pipeline 9 along which flavouring particles are supplied from a storage container or hopper (not shown). The respective rates at which the vegetable oil and flavouring particles are supplied to the -12-mixing vessel 7 are determined independently by valves 10 that are operated under the control of an electronic control unit 11.
The mixing vessel 7 includes an impeller 12 for thoroughly mixing the vegetable oil and flavouring particles together to form a flavouring slurry.
The mixing vessel 7 includes an outlet pipeline 13 that connects to a common pipeline 14 through which the flavouring slurry is supplied to a delivery nozzle 15 located within the flavouring drum 1. The flavouring slurry is transferred from the mixing vessel 7 to the delivery nozzle 15 by the action of a variable speed peristaltic pump 16 that is located in the common pipeline 14 and operated under the control of the control unit 11. The speed of the pump 16 can be altered to change the rate at which the flavouring slurry is supplied to the delivery nozzle 15.
The size of the mixing vessel 7 will normally be chosen with reference to the intended production parameters of the manufacturing plant, and in particular to the intended rate at which the snack food products will be supplied to the flavouring drum I along the input conveyor 5. However, it is generally preferred that the capacity of the mixing vessel 7 does not exceed 30 litres in order to promote thorough mixing of the vegetable oil and flavouring particles within a short period of time. The relatively small capacity of the mixing vessel 7 places limits on the rate at which the flavouring slurry can be supplied to the delivery nozzle 15. If the intended rate at which the snack food products will be supplied to the flavouring drum I requires the flavouring slurry to be supplied to the delivery nozzle 15 at a rate that is higher than that which *:::* 25 can be provided by a single mixing vessel then the apparatus can include one or more :.. additional mixing vessels. A second mixing vessel 19 can be located in parallel with * the first mixing vessel 7 and is shown ghosted in Figure 1. An outlet pipeline 20 of the second mixing vessel 19 is connected to the common pipeline 14 in parallel with * the outlet pipeline 13 of the first mixing vessel 7. Flavouring slurry is therefore * *a * 30 transferred from the second mixing vessel 19 to the delivery nozzle 15 by the action * of the pump 16. Although not shown, the pump 16 could be replaced by a pair of -13-variable speed peristaltic pumps located in the outlet pipelines 13 and 20 (i.e. upstream of the common pipeline 14).
A weighing means 1 7 (which in practice may take the form of a weigh belt, for example) is located at the input conveyor 5 and weighs the snack food products SF as they pass along the input conveyor to the flavouring drum 1. The weight measurements (which can be made continuously or at regular short intervals) are fed back to the control unit 11.
A sensor 18 (which in practice may take the form of an acoustic sensor) is located in the mixing vessel 7 and measures the fluid level of the flavouring slurry in the mixing vessel. Since the dimensions of the mixing vessel are fixed, the fluid level measured by the sensor 18 corresponds to the volume of the flavouring slurry within the mixing vessel 7. The fluid level measurements (which can be made continuously or at regular short intervals) are fed back to the control unit 11.
The apparatus is highly automated and is designed to function during normal operation with little or no manual intervention. However, the valves 10 and the pump 16 can also be controlled manually by an operator, preferably through the electronic control unit 11. For this reason the control unit 11 includes a graphical user interface (GUI) II a that enables an operator to manually alter the various rates etc. Operation of the apparatus will now be explained in more detail. * ** * . I * S...
25 Prior to the start of a batch run, the valves 10 are opened by the control unit 11 to ** allow vegetable oil and flavouring particles to flow into the mixing vessel 7 at predetermined rates. The impeller 12 is rotated to mix the vegetable oil and S..
flavouring particles together to form a flavouring slurry. After a predetermined :. period of time (typically about 3 minutes), or when it is otherwise determined that the * S..
vegetable oil and flavouring particles are thoroughly mixed, the pump 16 is operated by the control unit 11 and ramps up to a predetermined speed that corresponds to a predetermined rate for the transfer of the flavouring slurry from the mixing vessel 7 to the delivery nozzle 15. Flavouring slurry is therefore pumped under the action of the pump 16 at the predetermined rate to the delivery nozzle 15. At the same time, snack food products SF are supplied to the flavouring drum 1 along the inputconveyor 5 at a constant speed. The snack food products SF are coated with the flavouring slurry inside the flavouring drum I and move through the flavouring drum under the influence of gravity to arrive at the output conveyor 6.
The weight of the snack food products SF on the input conveyor 5 is measured by the weighing means 1 7 and the control unit 11 uses the weight measurements to automatically alter the speed of the pump 16 and hence the rate at which the flavouring sluny is supplied to the delivery nozzle 15.
The normal rate at which the snack food products will be supplied to the flavouring drum I will often be known in advance. The normal rate at which flavouring slurry must be supplied to the delivery nozzle 15 can therefore be determined by the control means 11 and the pump 16 will be ramped up to a speed that corresponds to the normal rate for the supply of flavouring slurry to the delivery nozzle 15 so that all of the snack food products are properly coated as they pass through the flavouring drum 1. If the weight measurements provided by the weighing means 17 indicate that the rate at which the snack food products are being supplied to the flavouring drum 1 has deviated from the normal rate then the control unit 11 will determine a new rate for the supply of flavouring slurry to the delivery nozzle 15 and then ramp the pump 16 to * ::: :* a new speed that corresponds to that new rate. For example, if the weighing means 17 *, ** measures an increase in the weight of the snack food products SF, indicating an * 25 increase in the rate at which the snack food products are being supplied to the ** flavouring drum 1, then the control unit 11 will ramp up the speed of the pump 16 to increase the rate at which the flavouring slurry is supplied to the delivery nozzle 15. *
*** S..
S S
In general terms, the normal rate at which the snack food products are supplied to the flavouring drum may be represented by x kg/sec and the normal rate at which the flavouring slurry is supplied to the delivery nozzle 15 may be represented by y m3/sec. During operation of the apparatus, the rate at which the snack food products -15-are supplied to the flavouring drum I may increase to X kg/sec. Once this is determined by an increase in the weight measurements provided by the weighing means 17, the control unit 11 will automatically increase the speed of the pump 16 so that the rate at which the flavouring slurry is supplied to the delivery nozzle 15 is increased to Y m3/sec. The relationship between x kg/sec and y m3/sec, and between X kg/sec and Y m3/sec, for any given snack food product is stored in the control unit 11, optionally in the form of a look-up table or a mathematical function.
If the speed of the pump 16 is changed then the control unit ii may automatically control the valves 10 to change the rate at which one or both of the vegetable oil and the flavouring particles is supplied to the mixing vessel 7.
The control unit 11 can automatically control the valves 10 to change the rate at which one or both of the vegetable oil and the flavouring particles is supplied to the.
mixing vessel 7 in response to changes in the fluid level (and hence the volume) of the flavouring slurry within the mixing vessel as measured by the sensor 19. The control unit 11 can also use the fluid level measurements provided by the sensor 19 to automatically control the speed of the pump 16 and hence the rate at which the flavouring slurry is supplied to the delivery nozzle 15. These provide useful feedback loops to try and keep the volume of flavouring slurry within certain agreed limits where possible. * *0 * S S * S.
*::::* An operator may use the control unit 11 to make small adjustments to the proportion :.. (or ratio) of vegetable oil and flavouring particles supplied to the mixing vessel 7.
* 25 The control unit 11 can achieve this by independently controlling the valves 10. S..
S S. * . * S..
S
S.....
S -16-

Claims (34)

  1. I. An apparatus for applying flavouring slurry to food products as they pass through a flavouring drum, the apparatus comprising: a mixing vessel for mixing together a liquid and flavouring particles to form a flavouring slurry; and a pump for pumping the flavouring slurry directly to a delivery means for applying the flavouring slurry to the food products as they pass through the flavouring drum. -
  2. 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: rate determining means for measuring or deriving the rate at which food products are supplied to the flavouring drum; and control means for controlling the operation of the pump such that that the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means is selected in accordance with the rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring drum.
  3. 3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control means is configured to automatically alter the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means in response to a change in the rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring drum. * * * * * **
    **** . . *,****
  4. 4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control means is configured to increase the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery * 25 means in response to an increase in the rate at which the food products are supplied to *** * the flavouring drum, and to decrease the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means in response to a decrease in the rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring drum.
  5. 5. An apparatus according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the control means is configured to alter the rate at which the liquid and/or flavouring particles are supplied -17-to the mixing vessel in response to a change in the rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring drum.
  6. 6. An apparatus according to any of claims 2 to 5, wherein the control means is configured to alter the rate at which the liquid and/or flavouring particles are supplied to the mixing vessel in response to a change in the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means.
  7. 7. An apparatus according to any of claims 2 to 6, wherein the control means is configured to control the proportion of the liquid and flavouring particles supplied to the mixing vessel.
  8. 8. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the rate determining means includes weighing means for weighing the food products.
  9. 9. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising sensor means for measuring or deriving the volume of the flavouring slurry within the mixing vessel.
  10. 10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control means is configured to alter the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means *:*::* in response to a change in the volume of flavouring slurry in the mixing vessel. * * ****
  11. 11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the control means is configured to increase the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery *** means if the volume of the flavouring slurry in the mixing vessel increases above a certain volume, and to decrease the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means if the volume of the flavouring slurry in the mixing vessel decreases below a certain volume.
  12. 12. An apparatus according to any of claims 9 to 11, wherein the control means is configured to alter the rate at which the liquid and/or flavouring particles are supplied -18-to the mixing vessel in response to a change in the volume of flavouring slurry in the mixing vessel.
  13. 13. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the pump is a peristaltic pump.
  14. 14. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising a plurality of mixing vessels.
  15. 15. A flavouring apparatus comprising: a rotating flavouring drum; conveying means for supplying food products to the flavouring drum; a mixing vessel for mixing together a liquid and flavouring particles to form a flavouring slurry; a pump for pumping the flavouring slurry directly to a delivery means for applying the flavouring slurry to the food products as they pass through the flavouring drum; and control means for controlling the operation of the pump such that the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means is selected in accordance with the rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring drum by the conveying means. * ** * * * * *. ****
  16. 16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the control means is configured *:. to automatically alter the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means in response to a change in the rate at which the food products are S..
    supplied to the flavouring drum by the conveying means. * . * a..
  17. 17. An apparatus according to claim 15 or claim 16, further comprising weighing means for weighing the food products as they are supplied to the flavouring drum by the conveying means.
  18. 18. A method of applying flavouring slurry to food products as they pass through a flavouring drum, the method comprising the steps of: mixing together a liquid and flavouring particles to form a flavouring slurry; and pumping the flavouring slurry directly to a delivery means for applying the flavouring slurry to the food products.
  19. 19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of: measuring or deriving the rate at which food products are supplied to the flavouring drum; and controlling the operation of the pump such that the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped to the delivery means is selected in accordance with the rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring drum.
  20. 20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the rate at which flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means is altered in response to a change in the rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring drum.
  21. 21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means is increased in response to an increase in the rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring drum, and the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means is decreased in ****. response to a decrease in the rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring drum.
    : . 25 I..
  22. 22. A method according to claim 20 or claim 21, wherein the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means is altered automatically by a control means.
  23. 23. A method according to claim 20 or claim 21, wherein the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means is altered manually.
    -20 -
  24. 24. A method according to any of claims 19 to 23, wherein the liquid and flavouring particles are mixed together in a mixing vessel to form the flavouring slurry.
  25. 25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the rate at which the liquid and/or flavouring particles are supplied to the mixing vessel is altered in response to a change in the rate at which the food products are supplied to the flavouring drum.
  26. 26. A method according to claim 24 or claim 25, wherein the rate at which the liquid and/or flavouring particles are supplied to the mixing vessel is altered in response to a change in the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means.
  27. 27. A method according to any of claims 24 to 26, further comprising the step of altering the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly the delivery means in response to a change in the volume of the flavouring slurry in the mixing vessel.
  28. 28. A method according to claim 27, wherein the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means is increased if the volume of the flavouring slurry in the mixing vessel increases above a certain volume, and the rate at which the flavouring slurry is pumped directly to the delivery means is decreased if *:*: the volume of the flavouring slurry in the mixing vessel decreases below a certain *.
    volume. I* ** * * *
    * .:. 25
  29. 29. A method according to any of claims 24 to 28, wherein the rate at which the liquid and/or flavouring particles are supplied to the mixing vessel is altered in response to a change in the volume of the flavouring slurry in the mixing vessel.
    S
    **SS.S * S
  30. 30. A method according to any of claims 18 to 29, further comprising the step of altering the proportion of liquid and flavouring particles that are mixed together to form the flavouring slurry.
  31. 31. A method according to claim 30, wherein the proportion of liquid and flavouring particles that are mixed together to form the flavouring slurry is altered automatically by a control means.
  32. 32. A method according to claim 30, wherein the proportion of liquid and flavouring particles that are mixed together to form the flavouring slurry is altered manually.
  33. 33. A method according to any of claims 19 to 32, wherein the step of measuring or deriving the rate at which food products are supplied to the flavouring drum further comprises measuring or deriving one of the weight, volume and bulk density of the food products being supplied to the flavouring drum.
  34. 34. An apparatus for applying flavouring slurry to food products substantially as herein described and with reference to the drawing. * ** * * * * ** * * * I... ** ** * I I * I
    S I.. * I * I..
    I
    *IIIII * I
GB0712835A 2007-07-03 2007-07-03 Apparatus and method for applying flavouring slurry Withdrawn GB2450866A (en)

Priority Applications (2)

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GB0712835A GB2450866A (en) 2007-07-03 2007-07-03 Apparatus and method for applying flavouring slurry
PCT/GB2008/002120 WO2009004292A1 (en) 2007-07-03 2008-06-23 Apparatus and method for applying a coating liquid

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
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IT202000017965A1 (en) * 2020-07-24 2022-01-24 Arco Srl STRUCTURE OF MACHINE FOR COOKING SNACKS IN SALT BATH

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US20050169099A1 (en) * 2003-10-21 2005-08-04 Mp Equipment Mixing system and process
WO2007008384A2 (en) * 2005-07-07 2007-01-18 Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd. Food articles with delivery devices and methods for the preparation thereof

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2942689A1 (en) * 2009-03-06 2010-09-10 Philagro France Pelleting realizing device for vegetable articles e.g. transplant, has control unit connected to program controller that controls electrovalve and rotation speed of drum, where control unit generates control set point of program controller
IT202000017965A1 (en) * 2020-07-24 2022-01-24 Arco Srl STRUCTURE OF MACHINE FOR COOKING SNACKS IN SALT BATH
WO2022018653A1 (en) * 2020-07-24 2022-01-27 Arco Srl Structure of a machine for cooking snacks in a salt bath

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WO2009004292A1 (en) 2009-01-08

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