Patent ID: 6817858
Filing Date: 2004-11-16
Classification: A23J,A23P,B29C

Abstract:
A cooling die, for use in the manufacture of high moisture extruded food products, said cooling die including:an inlet end and an outlet end; a plurality of plate members stacked in plane-parallel relationship thereby to define a main body portion of the cooling die between the inlet and outlet ends; a plurality of extrudate flow channels extending through the cooling die from the inlet end to the outlet end and defined by individual through bores in each plate member that align when the plate members are stacked, each extrudate flow channel having a major dimension in a direction extending radially away from a longitudinal axis of the cooling die main body portion that is at least 2.5 times the width in a traverse direction of the channel; a plurality of cooling fluid flow channels extending through the cooling die from the inlet end to the outlet end and defined by individual through bores in each plate member that align when the plate members are stacked; means for connecting the cooling die to an outlet of a food extruder, a cooling fluid source and a cooling fluid receptacle; and product flow distribution means, located adjacent the inlet end, adapted to direct extrudate from the outlet of the food extruder into said extrudate flow channels.