WO2018172167A1

WO2018172167A1 - System for delivering extruded food products

Info

Publication number: WO2018172167A1
Application number: PCT/EP2018/056454
Authority: WO
Inventors: André Noth; Fabien Ludovic Agon
Original assignee: Nestec S.A.
Priority date: 2017-03-21
Filing date: 2018-03-14
Publication date: 2018-09-27

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (100) for delivering food products (200) from a certain dough material with a certain shape and/or length, the device comprising: a cartridge (21) where a certain dough material is stored; a dispensing mechanism (10) configured to dispense in a controlled manner the dough material inside the cartridge (21); a die (31) having a certain shape through which the dough material will flow and thus will be shaped, and a cutting mechanism (40) configured to cut the flow of food product exiting the die (31) at a certain length. The frequency of the cutting mechanism (40) and the speed of the dispensing mechanism (10) typically govern the length of the food product (200) delivered. The invention further relates to a system (500) for delivering food products (200) from a certain dough material with a certain shape and/or length, comprising a device (100) as described, one or a plurality of interchangeable cartridges (21) where a certain dough material is stored and one or a plurality of interchangeable dies (31) provided with a certain shape. The invention also relates to the use of such a system (500).

Description

System for delivering extruded food products

Field of the invention

The present invention is directed to system for producing extruded food products from a dough material, the dough material being particularly provided in a container, cartridge or pack. Specifically, the system of the invention is configured to provide customized extruded food products of a certain product, shape and/or length.

Background of the invention

In many countries and cultures, food preparations based on cereals boiled in water constitute an important source of carbohydrates (glucids) in the daily diet. The most well-known example in the western world is the Italian pasta, but one can also mention noodles in the entire Asia and certainly hundreds of others that can vary on the base cereal (wheat, durum wheat, rice, corn,...), the additives (water, eggs, spinach, tomato,...), the shape and the cooking method. In what follows, pasta is taken as the general example, keeping in mind the extension discussed above.

Ready to cook products can mainly be divided in two categories: (a) dry pasta, which is extruded or shaped with wet dough initially, then it is dried and transported, sold and stored ambient with a shelf life of more than a year thanks to its low water content (around 12%); (b) chilled pasta, which is extruded or shaped also with wet dough, the pasta is then not dried but kept chilled and has to be either refrigerated or pasteurized (the water content is around 30%).

For the two types, dry pasta and chilled pasta, each product unit is produced as of today, then packed, further transported, stocked, and then sold and/or stored but under certain premises, mainly: a clearly defined type of dough (base cereal and additives) and a clearly defined shape. l There exist, however, several drawbacks of coupling the type of dough and the shape of dry and chilled pasta products at the output of the factory where they are produced, among others:

- the combinations are numerous (n doughs multiplied by m sha es) resulting in a large quantity of selling units, each one typically with a small volume;

- the pasta being shaped, an empty volume of air (or adequate gas) has to be added to the packaging to avoid damaging the shape;

the consumer has to make the choice on both dough type & shape when purchasing the product in the store, much before the moment of consumption.

Additionally, for each pasta type, the following points could also be mentioned: dry pasta has the advantages of being very economic and with a long storage life, but its cooking process is longer than the one for chilled pasta; on the other hand, chilled pasta is faster to cook and offers a higher quality, but needs to be refrigerated and cooked within a few days.

It is known in the state of the art, an alternative solution for homemade pasta allowing the consumer to define at the last moment the type of dough and the shape, with very high quality results. However, the preparation process is time consuming and requires very voluminous machines, either hand powered or sector powered, that have to be cleaned carefully afterwards. On top of that, some cooking skills are necessary to obtain the correct dough from the raw ingredients, which needs to be mixed and prepared by the user, with no guaranty on the final result.

Moreover, once the dough has been prepared and is extruded by the machine, it needs to be cut at certain defined lengths, in order to deliver properfinal pasta products. In the known systems in the prior art used for home applications, this cutting is done manually, with the corresponding actions required from the part of the user and further cleaning usually needed. Only in industrial applications an automatic cutting for this kind of products is used: this is not used typically in home applications as it would made the machines far too voluminous and costly. Some documents known in the state of the art, such as CN 204499275U or CN 104170910 A, for example, show different examples of household machines used for producing extruded dough products, typically noodles, of different shapes. However, none of these solutions presents a cutting associated to the extrusion, meaning that it will have to be the user the one further cutting the extruded product manually. Also, the product is in direct contact with the extrusion mechanism which consequently requires the cleaning of several parts afterwards.

Other solutions are present in the state of the art, such as for example those shown in documents CN 103053635 A or US 2009280205 A, for example. In these solutions, different extrusion machines are presented, allowing extruding pasta products with different shapes, where also a cutting mechanism is provided. However, in all these solutions, the dough material needs to be prepared by the user and inserted into the machine once ready, in order to extrude the different products, meaning that several cleaning operations will have to be carried out at least periodically. Moreover, these systems fail at providing a solution allowing high customization of the dispensed products, so the user is not able to choose at the last minute the preparation and type of dough products desired.

Thus, it would be desirable to provide a device for delivering extruded dough products, the device being compact and configured for home use, allowing at the same time a high customization of the type of dough product, its shape and length, just at the moment of preparing and dispensing it. These are some of the aims of the present invention, as they will be further presented in the description that follows.

Object and summary of the invention

According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a device for delivering food products from a certain dough material with a certain shape and/or length. The device of the invention comprises a cartridge where a certain dough material is stored, a dispensing mechanism configured to dispense in a controlled manner the dough material inside the cartridge, a die having a certain shape through which the dough material will flow and thus will be shaped, and a cutting mechanism configured to cut the flow of food product exiting the die at a certain length.

Preferably, in the device of the invention, the frequency of the cutting mechanism and the speed of the dispensing mechanism govern the length of the food product delivered. According to a possible embodiment of the invention, the cutting mechanism is manually operated.

The device can further comprise a control unit configured to receive information on the desired food product length so as to command accordingly the operation of the dispensing mechanism and the cutting mechanism. Typically, the control unit further receives information on the configuration of the die so as to command accordingly the operation of the dispensing mechanism and the cutting mechanism to obtain the desired food product length.

In the device of the invention, it is possible that at least part of the cutting mechanism is integrated in the die. Typically, the die is removable in the device of the invention and is attached either by insertion or by screwing.

The device of the invention can comprise one motor to actuate the dispensing mechanism and a different motor to actuate the cutting mechanism, allowing modification of the length of the food product delivered.

Preferably, the dispensing mechanism in the device of the invention comprises a pushing element configured to move in a controlled manner while expelling the dough material inside the cartridge.

In the device of the invention, the cutting mechanism preferably comprises a blade and/or a wire, configured to rotate and/or translate at the close exit of the die. Typically, the device of the invention is configured as a portable and/or handheld device.

The device of the invention typically further comprises at least one rechargeable battery or an electrical cable for connection to the network to provide the device with electric power needed for actuating the dispensing mechanism and/or the cutting mechanism and/or the control unit.

According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a system for delivering food products from a certain dough material with a certain shape and/or length, the system comprising a device as the one described, one or a plurality of interchangeable cartridges where a certain dough material is stored and one or a plurality of interchangeable dies provided with a certain shape.

According to a possible embodiment of the system of the invention, at least part of the plurality of interchangeable dies have substantially the same open section ratio through which the dough material flows and is shaped.

Yet according to a third aspect, the invention relates to the use of a system as the one described for delivering food products from a certain dough material with a certain shape and/or length.

Brief description of the drawings

Further features, advantages and objects of the present invention will become apparent for a skilled person when reading the following detailed description of embodiments of the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the figures of the enclosed drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a general overview of a system for delivering food products from a certain dough material with a certain shape and/or length, according to the invention.

Figs. 2a-f show different views of different embodiments of a dispensing mechanism dispensing dough product from a cartridge in system for delivering food products from a certain dough material with a certain shape and/or length, according to the invention. 3a-b show possible embodiments of a dispensing mechanism in system for delivering food products from a certain dough material with a certain shape and/or length, according to the invention.

Figs. 4a-c show another possible embodiment of a dispensing mechanism in system for delivering food products from a certain dough material with a certain shape and/or length, according to the invention.

5a-c show a cutting mechanism used cutting the dough product exiting a die in system for delivering food products from a certain dough material with a certain shape and/or length, according to the invention.

shows a possible embodiment of a die and a cutting mechanism integrated and used in a system for delivering food products from a certain dough material with a certain shape and/or length, according to the invention.

shows a possible embodiment of a die used in a system for delivering food products from a certain dough material with a certain shape and/or length, according to the invention, and inserted by screwing.

shows an overview of the main components in a system for delivering food products from a certain dough material with a certain shape and/or length, according to the invention.

shows a further overview of the main components in a system for delivering food products from a certain dough material with a certain shape and/or length, according to the invention. Detailed description of exemplary embodiments

The present invention aims at providing a device 100 for delivering food products from a certain dough material ^'with a certain shape and/or length, defined in what follows as extruded food products or simply food products. With the device of the invention, the user can select at the latest moment and independently from each other the type of dough or food product (by choosing a certain cartridge or pack 21 where the dough product is arranged) and the shape of the extruded food product (by choosing a certain die 31 through which the food product will flow and be shaped), as it will be further explained in detail in the following Description.

By dough it has to be understood hereafter a food product made by the mixing of cereals or grains (wheat, spelt, barley, oat, rice, corn, quinoa, teff, ...) with a liquid part (water, egg, milk, vegetables juice or puree, fruits juice or puree) and optionally any other ingredient (salt, saffron, pepper, spices, herbs,...).

The device 100 is configured preferably as a handheld and miniature device: the extrusion typically takes place directly on the top of a pan full of boiling water or on a plate for a later cooking. The device 100 is configured as a miniature device based on pre-filled cartridges 21 .

Looking at Figure 1 , the device 100 comprises: a cartridge 21 where a certain dough material is stored; a dispensing mechanism 10 configured to dispense in a controlled manner the dough material inside the cartridge 21 ; a die 31 having a certain shape through which the dough material will flow and thus will be shaped, and a cutting mechanism 40 configured to cut the flow of food product exiting the die 31 at a certain length. In the device of the invention, the operation of the dispensing mechanism 10 and of the cutting mechanism 40 are synchronized, such that the frequency of the cutting mechanism 40 and the speed of the dispensing mechanism 10 govern the length of the food product 200 delivered.

Typically, the dispensing mechanism 10 of the device 100 of the invention comprises a pushing element 1 1 shaped as a piston, configured to push the dough material inside the cartridge 21 and dispense it through the die 31 . For this reason, the configuration of the cartridges 21 can be: in its simplest form, a collapsible packaging, for example a flexible plastic laminate that is thermoformed directly on the dough; this laminate will be folded and crushed under the force of the piston 1 1 (see Figures 2a and 2b or Figures 2e and 2f); or

in a more elaborated form, a cardboard or plastic cylinder where the border of the cylinder will not be crushed, only the base of the cylinder will move and act as a piston on the product to dispense (see Figures 2c and 2d).

The base cartridge is designed considering a certain product volume, for example 200 ml of wet pasta (equivalent to around 260 gr) corresponding typically to two serving portions. For larger quantities, several cartridges 21 can be inserted and extruded sequentially in the device 100. For smaller quantities, a cartridge 21 can be extruded only partially, the rest of the product being kept and stored for a later usage in its original packaging.

The dispensing mechanism 10 can be, in its simplest form, a piston 1 1 moving linearly. The actuation of the piston 1 1 is done thanks to a single threaded screw 12 fixedly attached to the piston 1 1 , blocked in rotation but free in translation, and a nut 13 that is blocked in translation, but driven by a motor in rotation. This is schematically represented in Figure 3a.

Numerous other variations of the dispensing mechanism 10 to be used in the device of the invention are also possible, such as for example those described herewith: using the system described above (Figure 3a) but making the threaded screw 12 telescopic in order to reduce the total length of the dispensing mechanism 10;

using a central threaded screw /nut pair, 12/13, where the nut is fixed to the piston, so blocked in rotation but free in translation, and the threaded screw 12 is fixed in translation but driven in rotation by a motor (see Figure 3b): in this case, the cartridge 21 is hollow in its middle part (doughnut shape);

using several threaded screw / nut pairs, several 12/13, with the nut 13 being fixed to the piston 1 1 , so blocked in rotation but free in translation, and the threaded screws 12 being fixed in translation but driven in rotation by a motor (see Figures 4a, 4b, 4c): in this case, the cartridge 21 (cartridge chamber) is opened on its sides;

using several threaded screw / nut pairs, several 12/13, with the threaded screws 12 fixedly attached to the piston 1 1 (thus blocked in rotation but free in translation) and the nuts being blocked in translation, but driven by a motor in rotation (this case is similar to the case shown in Figure 3a with the only difference that several screw / nut pairs are used);

using a hydraulic system that will transmit the pressure to the piston 1 1 .

Considering a piston 1 1 moving in the cartridge 21 of the device 100 at a linear speed Vpiston and having a surface S_Pi_Ston, matching exactly the internal cartridge surface, and an extrusion surface Session, which is in fact the die open section, and assuming an incompressible product (dough or pasta food product), the extrusion speed at the output of the die 31 would be:

^piston piston _{n Ί} piston

= v_piston ^■ R considering R as the ratio—

By the die open section it is to be understood the effective free section in the die 31 through which the extruded dough product can flow out and be dispensed, before it is cut. When looking at Figures 5a-b-c, the effective free section will be that of the addition of the slots 32 of the extrusion, as it will be explained in more detail in what follows.

An alternative dispensing mechanism 10 to the piston execution can be a squeezing mechanism composed of two rollers rotating and pressing a flexible tube coupled to a linear movement, as used for toothpaste tubes emptying, for example. In this case, the packaging has to withstand directly the pressure during the dispensing operation.

The die 31 typically comprises a massive part closing the cartridge chamber in which open channels 32 with appropriate shapes are made to let the dough go through and thus give the pasta a given shape. It is an exchangeable reusable part of the total system 500 (as it will be defined later) located at the output of the dispensing zone (output of the dispensing mechanism 10). It can be placed and fixed in the device 100 in several different ways, as for example: inserted into an appropriate slot (see for example Figure 6), screwed directly on the device (see Figure 7), placed on an independent holder that is screwed then on the device, placed on a rotating part of the device that places it in position, etc. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least part of the cutting mechanism 40 can be integrated in the die 31 : looking for example at Figure 6, typically the blade and/or wire will be integrated in the die 31.

The die 31 is ideally made of bronze, at least for the part that is directly in contact with the product: it is known that bronze gives the dough food product a desired roughness that improves the sensory and the attachment of the sauces.

The cutting mechanism 40 is responsible to cut the pasta at a defined length during the extrusion, after exiting the die 31 , as close as possible from the output of the said die 31 . It can be composed of a rigid blade or a thin wire held tight between two gripping parts (see schematic representation for example in Figures 5a-b-c). The blade or the wire will then pass on the output of the die 31 , either back and forth or preferably always in the same direction, for example using a rotation, that will ensure a constant cutting length of the pasta or dough product extruded.

Preferably, the cutting mechanism 40 of the invention will be automatically operated; however, there is also the possibility that it is manually operated.

The cutting frequency of the cutting mechanism 40 can be adjusted as a function of the targeted pasta length: this pasta length is linked to the cutting frequency of the cutting mechanism 40 and to the extrusion speed of the dispensing mechanism 10 using the following formula:

V V · R S

L pasta ^{= extmswn} = ^{p on} considering R as the ratio— ^{p on}

f cutting f cutting ^extrusion

The device 100 of the invention preferably also comprises a control unit 50 (see Figure 1 ) configured to receive information on the desired food product length, typically coming from a user interface (not shown) receiving the user's inputs and commands and/or coming from the die, a default length being attributed to each die with full, limited or no possibility of change by the user. The control unit 50 consequently commands the operation of both the dispensing mechanism 10 and the cutting mechanism 40, preferably synchronized, so as to obtain the desired food product length.

Typically, the user interface linked to the control unit 50 of the device 100 comprises, in its simplest form, two elements: a button, to activate the dispensing mechanism 10 and the cutting mechanism 40, and a slider 80 (see Figure 9) for the selection of the targeted pasta length.

According to a second aspect, the invention also provides a system for delivering food products 200 from a certain dough material with a certain shape and/or length, as schematically represented in Figure 1 . The system 500 comprises a device 100 as previously described, one or a plurality of interchangeable cartridges 21 (n times different cartridges 21 ) where a certain dough material is stored and one or a plurality of interchangeable dies 31 (m times different dies 31 ) provided with a certain shape.

With such configuration, the user can configure the product desired. First, the type of dough product or food product is selected by the user, who selects a certain cartridge 21 with a certain food product inside, and places it in the device 100. Then, the shape of the food product is also selected by the user by selecting a certain die 31 with a certain shape and inserting it into the device 100, so the dough will be extruded through the die 31 and shaped accordingly. The user is also able to select the length desired for the food product, typically by acting on the slider 80 (see Figure 9): then, the control unit 50 will synchronize the dispensing speed (or extrusion speed of the dispensing mechanism 10) with the cutting frequency (typically the frequency of the blade or wire of the cutting mechanism 40) so as to obtain the desired product length.

There exists the possibility of having at least a few of the interchangeable dies 31 (m times the die 31 ) with different section or areas or slots of extrusion 32 (different shapes) but giving a same value of open section ratio (i.e. adding all the free available areas of all the slots 32) through which the food product will flow. The control unit will just take the input (typically from the slider 80) of the desired product length and will command accordingly the dispensing and cutting mechanisms, 10 and 40. However, some of the dies 31 in the system 500 can have not only different shapes (different slot 32 shapes) but also different values of the open section ratio, meaning that the flow of product through these dies will not be always the same (i.e. considering a constant dispensing or extrusion velocity, not the same amount of product will be dispensed in time). In this case, the control unit will typically further comprise a sensor to detect the type of die 31 that has been inserted in the device 100, in other words, to detect the type of die 31 the device 100 is working with. Typically, the die 31 will be provided with identification means that will be read and sent to the control unit 50. Then, the control unit 50 will adjust accordingly the dispensing and cutting speeds, taking into consideration this further information of the type of die (its configuration, particularly its open section ratio).

Typically, the system 500 of the invention comprises one motor 70 actuating the dispensing mechanism 10 and a different motor 71 actuating the cutting mechanism 40, independently controlled, and allowing modification of the length of the food product delivered. Typically, the blade or the wire in the cutting mechanism 40 is actuated by this additional motor 71 , using an intermediate stage that allows modifying the length of the pasta independently from the extrusion (dispensing speed) provided by the motor 70.

As the system 500 is configured to be portable, compact and preferably handheld, the electric power needed for actuating the dispensing mechanism 10 and/or the cutting mechanism 40 and/or the control unit 50 comes from rechargeable batteries 60 embedded in the handheld system, so that the system remains fully mobile for an easier use. As a consequence, the batteries have to be recharged occasionally: either with a removable battery pack that is charged on a charging base; or with batteries staying in the device 100, the full device being placed on a charging base or connected to the electrical network directly.

Preferably, dedicated sensors or current measurement on the controller of the motor 70 will allow to know when the piston 1 1 in the dispensing mechanism 10 has reached its limits. It also allows to know if a cartridge 21 has not reached its limit, so dough product remains inside, and it can be reused.

Additionally, visual (e.g. colored led) and acoustic (e.g. buzzer) means can be used in the system of the invention to give information on the status of the device 100, for example the battery 60 charge status or the end of a dough cartridge 21 having been reached. Other functionalities could also be added to the system 500.

Some of the advantages of the system of the invention relate to a new way of preparing pasta at home, offering: an incredibly broad variety of doughs and shapes combination;

providing high quality and freshness of the pasta product delivered, as if it was made by hand.

At the same time, this is provided with a system that is made simple and requires no cooking skills, no effort and very limited cleaning.

The global usage scenario of a system 500 as presented, for home use, would be the following:

Preparation:

o boiling water: a standard pan is filled with water, salt and heated; o cartridge insertion: a cartridge 21 is selected among the n allowable cartridges, inserted in the device 100 and a protective sealing lid typically closing one of the ends of the cartridge is removed;

o die insertion: a die 31 is selected, based on the shape the consumer wants to give to the pasta, and inserted in the device 100.

Pasta Dispensing with the device 100 placed directly above the cooking pan:

o extruding: when the consumer pushes the button, the cartridge 21 is pressed, forcing the dough through the die 31 to give it the defined shape; o cutting: a cutter (wire or blade) is cutting the pasta at a defined length.

The shaped pasta products fall into the boiling water.

Tidying:

o die removal: the die 31 is removed and can be cleaned in the dishwasher; o empty cartridge removal: the empty cartridge 21 , i.e. the packaging being fully pressed, is disposed of.

An alternative scenario is to extrude the pasta on a plate for a later cooking. It is for example adequate if pasta products are to be cooked all with the exact same duration in boiling water, or if pasta products are to be dried, or if pasta products are used to elaborate a more complex dish, for example lasagna, with successive layers of pasta and sauce.

These home scenarios of course assumes that a device 100 and dies 31 were acquired and that cartridges 21 of dough were bought and stored at home.

Some of the most important features of the system of the invention are: the general concept of a handheld extruded of dough cartridges;

the concept of last moment selection of dough and shape combination.

The advantages for the consumer are the following: no need to anticipate future meals at the supermarket

less volume to transport and store

larger variety available at home with the quality of a chilled dough

The advantages for the food company are also clear, and translated directly into advantages for the consumer: less selling units to manage: instead of the egg tagliatelle, egg macaroni, egg spaghetti, ... only one egg cartridge, meaning:

o only one selling unit to manage

o only one packaging to design and produce

o only one manufacturing process

As a consequence, the company making no more differentiation on shape can invest on creating new types of dough, translating into more variety for consumers and less transport and stock volumes (thanks to the compactness of cartridges), allowing lower costs directly translating into lower prices for the consumers.

Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of a system 500 as described for delivering food products 200 from a certain dough material (in a cartridge 21 ) with a certain shape (die 31 ) and/or length. Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, many modifications and alternations may be made by a person having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of this invention which is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1 . Device (100) for delivering food products (200) from a certain dough material with a certain shape and/or length, the device comprising:

a cartridge (21 ) where a certain dough material is stored;

a dispensing mechanism (10) configured to dispense in a controlled manner the dough material inside the cartridge (21 );

a die (31 ) having a certain shape through which the dough material will flow and thus will be shaped, and

a cutting mechanism (40) configured to cut the flow of food product exiting the die (31 ) at a certain length.

2. Device (100) according to claim 1 , wherein the frequency of the cutting mechanism (40) and the speed of the dispensing mechanism (10) govern the length of the food product (200) delivered.

3. Device (100) according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting mechanism (40) is manually operated.

4. Device (100) according to any of claims 1 -2, further comprising a control unit (50) configured to receive information on the desired food product length so as to command accordingly the operation of the dispensing mechanism (10) and the cutting mechanism (40).

5. Device (100) according to claim 4 wherein the control unit (50) further receives information on the configuration of the die (31 ) so as to command accordingly the operation of the dispensing mechanism (10) and the cutting mechanism (40) to obtain the desired food product length.

6. Device (100) according to any of the previous claims wherein at least part of the cutting mechanism (40) is integrated in the die (31 ).

7. Device (100) according to any of the previous claims wherein the die (31 ) is removable and attached to the device (100) either by insertion or by screwing.

8. Device (100) according to any of the previous claims further comprising one motor (70) to actuate the dispensing mechanism (10) and a different motor (71 ) to actuate the cutting mechanism (40), allowing modification of the length of the food product delivered.

9. Device (100) according to any of the previous claims wherein the dispensing mechanism (10) comprises a pushing element (1 1 ) configured to move in a controlled manner while expelling the dough material inside the cartridge (21 ).

10. Device (100) according to any of the previous claims wherein the cutting mechanism (40) comprises a blade and/or a wire, configured to rotate and/or translate at the close exit of the die (31 ).

1 1 . Device (100) according to any of the previous claims configured as a portable and/or handheld device.

12. Device (100) according to claim 1 1 further comprising at least one rechargeable battery (60) or an electrical cable for connection to the network to provide the device with electric power needed for actuating the dispensing mechanism (10) and/or the cutting mechanism (40) and/or the control unit (50).

13. System (500) for delivering food products (200) from a certain dough material with a certain shape and/or length, the system (500) comprising a device (100) according to any of claims 1 -12, one or a plurality of interchangeable cartridges (21 ) where a certain dough material is stored and one or a plurality of interchangeable dies (31 ) provided with a certain shape.

14. System (500) according to claim 13 wherein at least part of the plurality of interchangeable dies (31 ) have substantially the same open section ratio through which the dough material flows and is shaped.

15. Use of a system (500) according to claim 13 for delivering food products (200) from a certain dough material with a certain shape and/or length.