Multi-colored products, particularly food products, are obtained by preparing a base mixture suitable for preparing an emulsion, pumping the base material mixture to an emulsifier device and supplying a coloring solution to the emulsifier device and emulsifying the base material mixture and coloring solution to obtain a colored material mixture emulsion, passing the colored emulsion to a distribution valve which is connected to a plurality of parallel piping lines connected in series to extruders to pass differing colored emulsions to the extruders for extrusion. To obtain the differently colored products, a first coloring solution is delivered to the emulsifier device for a time, the colored emulsion is passed to the distribution valve and to one piping line and one extruder in series and then after that time, a differently colored solution is delivered to the emulsifier device to obtain a differently colored emulsion, the distributing valve is controlled to deliver the differently colored product to a second piping line and extruder in series to obtain a second differently colored product from the second extruder.

Apparatus for preparing an extruded food product, particularly a multi-colored food product, includes a mixer for mixing food materials for obtaining a base material mixture which is emulsifiable and includes an emulsifying device for emulsifying the base material mixture to obtain an emulsified product, and tanks are provided for supplying different solutions, particularly differently colored food-coloring solutions, to the emulsifying device for inclusion in the emulsified product. A valve is positioned for distributing emulsified product to a plurality of piping lines which are arranged in parallel and which are connected to mechanical extruders in a one-to-one relation so that when emulsified product is distributed to one emulsified product transport piping line, emulsified product is not delivered to another of the piping lines so that emulsified product is distributed to different product transport piping lines which feed different mechanical extruders for separately extruding products which differ one from another. For further treating product extruded by the extruders, a steam oven is provided for cooking the product, and a conveyor belt is positioned to receive the extruded product and transport it through the steam oven for cooking.

An extruder and continuous mixing apparatus operating to continuously mix, at least partially bake and extrude a preselected formulation of ingredients to provide an at least partially baked output product which, upon final baking, exhibits a cookie-like crumb structure with structural integrity. The extruder includes at least one screw-type element which is rotatably arranged in the extruder to vigorously mix and convey at least certain ingredients of the preselected formulation, including flour and oil, input through a feed port means at the upstream end of the extruder, wherein the total water content, by weight, of the ingredients is less than a preselected amount. A temperature control means operates to heat treat the ingredients during the vigorous mixing and conveyance by the screw-type element. The vigorous mixing and heat treatment is applied to the ingredients for substantially the entire length of the extruder. A continuous mixing apparatus is coupled to an output of the extruder to receive the heat treated ingredients at an upstream inlet. A source of water is coupled to the upstream inlet of the continuous mixing apparatus to add a preselected amount of water to the heat treated ingredients to increase the water content and modify the consistency of the ingredients after heat treatment and vigorous mixing and conveying. The continuous mixing apparatus is arranged for a gentle mixing and conveyance of the heat treated ingredients and added water. In addition, a radio frequency device is coupled to the downstream end of the continuous mixing apparatus to leaven, brown and final bake the output products.

The present invention related to the production of baked products having a relatively high oil content using a cooker extruder. Ingredients comprising flour and oil are mixed and heated in a cooker extruder to promote Maillard browning and flavor development. The dough-like mixture produced in the extrusion cooker is leavened and further browned using post-extrusion baking, such as microwave, dielectric radio frequency, infrared, conductive, or convection baking, or a combination thereof. The shortening or fat content of the dough-like mixture may be from about 12% by weight to about 40% by weight, preferably from about 20% by weight to about 30% by weight, based upon the weight of the dough-like mixture. Separation of oil from the remaining mass and extruder surging and starch gelatinization are avoided preferably by admixing water into heat-treated ingredients comprising flour and oil after and during substantial cooling of the heat-treated ingredients. The extruder is operated at low pressures, typically less than about 20 bars absolute, suitably less than about 10 bars absolute. The relative amount of cystalline or granulated sugar, such as sucrose, subjected to the heat treatment is used to control the tenderness and crunchiness of the final product.

The present invention relates to the production of cookies which exhibit a cookie crumb-like structure and structural integrity using a cooker extruder to mix and heat ingredients comprising flour and oil to promote browning and flavor development. The dough-like mixture produced in the extrusion cooker is leavened and further browned using post-extrusion baking, such as microwave, dielectric radio frequency, infrared conductive, or convection baking, frying, or a combination thereof. The shortening or fat content of the dough-like mixture may be from about 12% by weight to about 40% by weight, preferably from about 20% by weight to about 30% by weight, based upon the weight of the dough-like mixture. Separation of oil from the remaining mass and extruder surging and starch gelatinization are avoided preferably by admixing water into heat-treated ingredients comprising flour and oil after and during substantial cooling of the heat-treated ingredients. The extruder is operated at low pressures, generally less than about 20 bars absolute, preferably less than about 10 bars absolute. The relative amount of solid, crystalline or granulated sugar, such as sucrose, subjected to the heat treatment may be used to control the tenderness and crunchiness of the final product.