Patent ID: 6051267
Filing Date: 2000-04-18
Classification: A23G

Abstract:
In a process for preparing a food article wherein a chocolate or other fat-containing confectionery material is fed into a screw extruder which comprises a screw comprising a screw root from which screw threads extend at a pitch and which comprises a barrel wall which contains the screw and wherein the screw is rotated to apply pressure to the material to advance the material within the barrel wall through the extruder and to and through an extruder flow-constriction and die to obtain an extrudate from the die so that the material advanced through the extruder and so that the extrudate from the die are in a non-pourable state and so that the material advanced to the die plastically deforms and so that the extrudate is plastically deformable for a period of time, an improvement comprising controlling a temperature of the screw and a temperature of the barrel wall so that the screw temperature is higher than the barrel wall temperature for controlling material and extrudate temperature so that the material advanced through the extruder and so that the extrudate from the die are in the non-pourable state and so that the material advanced to the die is deformed plastically and so that the extrudate is plastically deformable for the period of time.