CONFECTIONERY AERATION SYSTEM

摘要

A confectionery aeration system has a confectionery vessel (1; 1') for holdi ng aerated confectionery material and provided in the lower part thereof with a t least one feed outlet (3; 17) for feeding aerated confectionery to a confectionery producing process. A confectionery material re-circulation circuit (7) connects a re-circulation outlet (8) of the vessel to an inlet ( 9) of the vessel, the re-circulation circuit being provided with an aerator (12 ) arranged to aerate confectionery material flowing from the re-circulation outlet to the vessel inlet. The inlet (9) of the vessel (1) is provided with a back-pressure producing means (10) for maintaining a super-atmospheric pressure in the confectionery material in that part of the re-circulation circuit between the aerator and the vessel inlet. Fresh confectionery materi al is supplied to a supply connection (24) in the re-circulation circuit locate d upstream of the aerator. Excess confectionery material in the vessel (1) may be returned (25) to the fresh supply by way of a de-aeration unit and tempering unit. In a pre-existing installation provided with a supply hopper (16) the feed outlet (17) of the vessel leads into the supply hopper (16).