METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MULTIPLE FOOD EXTRUDATES

摘要

An apparatus (10) for forming an extrudable food stream such as a cooked cereal dough into differently colored and/or flavored dough streams is disclosed including an extruder (12) having screw augers (15) for advancing a plastic food mass, a head or manifold (118) for dividing the food mass into a plurality of sub streams each in turn in fluid communication with a plurality of sub-divided dough passageways, and a die head (30) having a plurality of die ports (40). Each subpassage is separately supplied an additive and has disposed therein in-line static mixer elements (59) to admix the additive into the plastic food mass before passage through the die ports (40). In a preferred form, first and second sub streams are intermixed in a non-homogenous manner before reaching the exit ports (40). The extrudates are severed into pieces (158) by a rotary cutter (36).