Patent Publication Number: US-2012045560-A1

Title: Continuous Production of Edible Food Products with Selected Shapes

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a divisional of patent application Ser. No. 12/577,004 filed on Oct. 9, 2009, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This invention relates to a method of extruding edible compositions with utility in the form of three dimensional edible food products for human consumption. The manufacturing method disclosed herein employs melt mixing of an edible resin with selected amounts of additives, including water and other fillers, followed by extrusion wherein during or directly following extrusion the extrudate may be formed into a selected three dimensional shape which may be non-uniform. The processing conditions, including barrel temperatures and cooling profiles may be adjusted along with the relative amounts of additives and water present to provide the ability to produce extruded shapes that may obviate the need for more traditional forming procedures, such as injection molding and casting. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The prior art does provide various disclosures directed at converting various resins such as starch or related materials into an injection molded or shaped article. For example, there are disclosures pertaining to the development of edible animal chews that are digestible and/or nutritious along with a texture that can be individually adjusted to suit a wide variety of a dog&#39;s preferences or needs. 
     A variety of efforts have been considered to convert starch, with minimum degradation, into an injection molded product of a desired configuration. Such efforts have focused on the use of propylene glycol, fatty acid esters, alkali salts of protein material and/or water as a starch additive, followed by melt processing techniques such as extrusion and/or injection molding. The cited art generally is directed at extruding a product having uniform dimensions and injection molding that extruded composition to form more complex three dimensional shapes. A need exists for shaped articles that can be produced by extrusion alone and not incur the expense of matched tooling or the associated relatively slower and discontinuous injection molding process. 
     Accordingly, the present invention is directed at formulating edible food compositions for human consumption, along with selected processing/molding profiles, which formulations and processing/molding profiles allow for the continuous formation of an edible food product of a desired shape. In addition, it is also an object of this invention to provide a number of processing devices or protocols which may be used in a continuous extrusion process to produce a non-uniform, three dimensional shape food product for human consumption. 
     SUMMARY 
     In a first exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a method for forming food products of selected shape from an edible composition by extrusion, comprising the steps of providing an extruder including a barrel and a die having an adjustable orifice capable of providing a variety of cross-sectional dimensions and providing an extrudable composition comprising edible resin and water. This may then be followed by introducing the composition to the barrel and subjecting the composition to shear and heat to form a melt and conveying the melt through said orifice while varying the cross-section dimensions of the orifice to form an extrudate having thickness dimensions that vary along its length. The water content of the composition is sufficient to provide that the composition can be varied in cross-section when conveyed through the orifice with variations in the orifice cross-sectional dimension. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure relates to method for forming food products of selected shape from edible compositions by extrusion, comprising the steps of providing a first extruder, a second extruder and a third extruder, wherein the first extruder includes a first profile die, the second extruder includes a second profile die and the third extruder includes a third profile die. This may then be followed by providing a first edible composition to the first extruder and a second composition to the second extruder and a third composition to the third extruder and processing the first and second compositions through the first and second extruders including through the first and second profile dies to form first and second extrudates. Such extrudates may then be joined to one another in a shaping die, the shaping die having an opening substantially the same shape as the combined shapes of the first and second profile dies. This may then be followed by processing the third composition through the third extruder including through the third profile die to form a third extrudate and intermittently joining the third extrudate with the combined first and second extrudates in a second shaping die, the second shaping die having an opening substantially the same shape as the combined shapes of the first and second and third profile dies. 
     In a still further embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a method for forming food products of selected shape from edible compositions by extrusion, comprising the steps of providing an extruder including a barrel and a die and providing an extrudable composition comprising edible resin and water. The composition may then be introduced the barrel along with subjecting the composition to shear and heat to form a melt and conveying said melt through said die to form an extrudate and passing the extrudate between cooperating mold cavities having complementary shapes which form the shape of the food product while said extrudate is at a temperature and moisture level which allows the extrudate to form within said cooperating mold cavities. This may then be followed by forming the extrudate into the shape of a food product. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure is directed at a method for forming food products of selected shape from edible compositions by extrusion, comprising the steps of providing an extruder including a barrel and a die and providing an extrudable composition comprising edible resin and water. This may be followed by introducing the composition to the barrel and subjecting the composition to shear and heat to form a melt and conveying the melt through the die to form an extrudate. One may then provide a surface to receive the extrudate and guide the die over the surface in a predetermined pattern to position the extrudate on the surface in the predetermined pattern. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Features and advantages of the present disclosure are set forth herein by description of embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, which description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic sectional view of an exemplary extruder, according to the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of an exemplary food product, according to the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is an end view of the food product of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of a first exemplary embodiment of an adjustable die for forming the food product of  FIG. 2 , including a plurality of interacting adjacent sliding plates spread apart to form a shaped orifice for an extrudate. 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of the sliding plates of  FIG. 4  in a nearly closed-off position to provide an orifice for a connecting portion between bulbous portions. 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of another adjustable die including a flexible ring or tube that may be deformed to a desired shape by external stroking members 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of another adjustable die including plates which cooperate in a rotary manner to form an adjustable opening for an extrudate. 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of an adjustable extrusion die which includes adjustable protrusions that may form a portion of the periphery of the die and be adjusted in depth to vary the shape of the die opening. 
         FIG. 9A  is perspective view of an exemplary food product formed by extruding two similar “comma-shaped” extrudates and combining them.  FIG. 9B  illustrates the addition of a third like-shaped extrudate to form a three-lobed food product. 
         FIG. 9C  is perspective view of an exemplary food product formed by extruding two similar curved extrudates and combining them.  FIG. 9D  illustrates the addition of a third heart-shaped extrudate to form a different lobed food product. 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic representation of a flow chart of the process and apparatus for producing the food products of  FIGS. 9A-9D . 
         FIG. 11  is a side view of an apparatus for forming an extrudate into three dimensional food products using interacting wheels equipped with cooperating mold cavities. 
         FIG. 11A  is an enlarged view of one of the mold cavities of the interacting wheels of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 12  is a side view of an apparatus for forming an extrudate into three dimensional food products using interacting belts equipped with cooperating mold cavities. 
         FIG. 13  is a schematic view of a robotic workstation including an extruder, according to the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 13A  is a perspective view of a different molding surface of  FIG. 13 , including a mold cavity for a food product. 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of an exemplary food product, formed by the robotic workstation of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view of another exemplary food product, formed by a pair of rotating extrusion dies, according to the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein it is shown and described preferred embodiments of the invention. As will be realized the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modification in various respects, without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the description is to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. 
     For elements common to the various embodiments of the present disclosure, the numerical reference character between the embodiments is held constant, but distinguished by the alphanumeric character to the existing reference character. In other words, for example, an element referenced at  10  in the first embodiment is correspondingly referenced at  10 A,  10 B, and so forth in subsequent embodiments. Thus, where an embodiment uses a reference character to refer to an element, the reference character applies equally, as distinguished by alphanumeric character, to the other embodiments where the element is common. 
     In accordance with the present invention, a method of manufacturing edible food products is disclosed, which employs extrusion melt mixing of edible resin with selected amounts of additives, including water and other fillers, followed shaping into three dimensional articles of non-uniform shape. Such shaping may take place in a die set having an adjustable opening through which the starch-based melt exits the extruder, and/or by shaping the extrudate directly downstream of the die set with post-forming apparatus. Preferably, the products as described herein are manufactured in the form of food products for human consumption. 
     Edible resin herein refers to a resin that is intended for ingestion and digestion by a human. In that regard, edible resin herein does not include petroleum based resin products, such as polyethylene, polypropylene and/or other polymers that are sourced directly from petroleum by-products (e.g. from monomers that are derived from petroleum that are subsequently polymerized). Examples of edible resins therefore include starch, vegetable and/or vegetable protein, meat based material, etc., which are typically ingested and digested by a human. 
     “Non-uniform” as used herein refers to shaped articles, such as food snacks, confectionaries and the like, which do not have a profile of constant cross-section, but instead may vary in dimensions, and therefore in shape, along the length and/or width and/or height of such article. In other words, the article may preferably vary in width and height along its length. 
     Any carbohydrate of natural or vegetable origin, composed mainly of amylose and/or amylopectin, may be used to from the edible composition, in accordance with the present disclosure. Such may be extracted from various plants, such as potatoes, rice, tapioca and corn and from cereals such as rye, oats and wheat. The starch may also be extracted from fruits, nuts and rhizomes, or arrowroot, guar gum, locust bean, arracacha, buckwheat, banana, barley, cassaya, konjac, kudzu, oca, sago, sorghum, sweet potato, taro, yams, fava beans, lentils and peas. The starch, in conjunction with any other edible material or resin, may be present at between about 30-99% including all increments and values there between, such as levels above about 50%, 85%, etc. Particularly preferred, however, are potato starch and corn starch flour and mixtures thereof. 
     The starch employed herein may be raw starch, which may be understood as starch that has not seen a prior thermal molding history, such as extrusion or other type of melt processing step. However, the starch herein may, e.g., be heated for drying purposes, which would not amount to a prior thermal molding history. The raw starch itself may also be native, which may be understood as unmodified starch recovered in the original form by extraction and not physically or chemically modified. The raw starch may also be in powder form of varying particle size, which may be understood as milled and/or pre-sifted. It should be understood that the raw starch may also have varying degrees moisture present. 
     The starch composition may include cellulose. The cellulose may be, for example, a long-chain polymer of polysaccharide carbohydrate. The cellulose may also be derived or extracted from plants. The cellulose may be incorporated into the starch composition between about 1-15% by weight of the starch composition and any increment or value there between, including 4%, 10%, 11%, etc. 
     Emulsifiers or surfactants may also be incorporated into the starch composition. The emulsifier may be present between about 1-10% by weight of the starch composition and all increments or values there between, including 3%, 4%, etc. The emulsifier may include, for example, lecithin, which may be extracted or derived from, for example, egg yolk or soy beans. The emulsifier may include glycerol monostearate, polysorbate, sorbitan esters, esters of monoglycerides and combinations thereof. 
     The starch composition may also include a plasticizer. The plasticizer may include for example, glycerin. The plasticizer may be incorporated between about 15-30%, including all increments and values there between, such as levels greater than 15%, 21%, 27% etc. 
     A humectant may also be incorporated into the starch composition. The humectant may include, for example, oat fiber. The humectant may be incorporated between about 0.1-5% by weight of the starch composition including all intervals and values there between, including 1%, 25%, etc. A humectant may be understood to be any additive that may absorb water in the material. 
     The edible resin (e.g. starch) composition may also include water. The water may be introduced into the composition at between about 1-40% by weight of the starch composition and any increment or value there between in 1% increments, including e.g. 2-39%, 3-38%, etc. Preferably, the water level is such that it is sufficient to allow for the composition to be formed continuously in the die at temperatures the avoid resin degradation. Such preferred levels may be 10% by weight to 30% by weight, or 10% by weight to 20% by weight, or 10% by weight to 15% by weight, which then begins to approach the desired water level in the final product (i.e. 10% by weight to 15% by weight). 
     Accordingly, after the product has been formed, the water may be present between 10-15% by weight of the edible (e.g. starch) composition including all increments or values there between, such as, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14% or 15% by weight. However, in accordance with the present disclosure, those skilled in the art will recognize that the values are only preferred and other levels of water may be optionally selected within the broad teachings provided herein. 
     The edible (e.g. starch) composition may include a nutraceutical. The nutraceutical may be fermented soya. Fermented soya nutraceuticals are available from Bio Food, Ltd., Pine Brook, N.J. and sold under the general trademark Soynatto®. The fermented soya may be present between about 1-40% by weight of the starch composition, including all increments and values the between, including 10%, 20%, etc. 
     The edible (e.g.) starch composition may also include enzymes and/or co-enzymes which are similarly available through Bio Foods, Ltd., Pine Brook, N.J. and sold under the trademark of BT-CoQ10®. This reportedly is a biologically transformed (fermented) cell mitochondrial coenzyme and contains Coenzyme Q10, antioxidants, phytonutrients and cofactor mineral nutrients and other cell constituents. The enzymes and/or co-enzymes may be present between 0.1-10% by weight of the starch composition, including all increments and values there between such as 1%, 5%, etc. 
     Other ingredients may be introduced into the composition as well. These ingredients may include vegetable matter, fruit concentrate and fruit matter, nuts, nut bits or nut flour. Glutens may also be incorporated into the starch composition. Gluten may be understood as water-insoluble protein complex extracted from cereal grains such as maize or corn and wheat. These additives may be present individually or cumulatively between about 0.1-50% by weight of the starch composition and all increments and values there between, including 0.1-5.0%, 15%, 25%, etc. 
     The starch-based composition may further include sweeteners in the range of about 0.1 to 50% by weight. The sweeteners may be in the form of sucrose, dextrose, fructose, corn syrup, molasses, lactose, maltose, honey, sorbitol and combinations thereof. 
     The composition may also include salt in the range of about 0 to 2% to enhance flavor. 
     Additionally, additives such as flavorants, herbs, herbal extracts, vitamins, minerals, colorants, yeast products, preservatives, etc. may be incorporated into the edible (e.g. starch) composition. Yeast products may include nutritional yeast or brewers yeast such as saccharomyces cerevisiae, dairy yeast such as  kluyveromyce marxianus  or wine yeast such as  saccharomyces fermentati . These additives may be present individually or cumulatively between about 0.01-25% by weight of the starch composition and any increment or value there between, including 0.01-0.5%, 10%, 20%, etc. The composition may also include calcium carbonate. The calcium carbonate may be present between about 5-10%. 
     The edible (e.g. starch) composition may be introduced directly into the barrel of an extruder  100 , illustrated in  FIG. 1 , through a hopper or other feeding device  102 . It is contemplated that in a preferred method, the ingredients in the starch composition may be blended together prior to introduction into the hopper, the ingredients may also be blended into a plurality of sub-formulations and added to the hopper, or even introduced individually into the hopper. Various feeding devices for introducing the additives into the barrel may be contemplated including loss-in weight gravimetric blenders/feeders, auger feeders, venturi loaders, etc. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that an extruder  100  may typically contain a barrel  104  including a feed section  106 , a screw  108  and an output nozzle  110 . The barrel  104  may include a plurality of temperature control zones  112 ,  114 ,  116 ,  118  in the barrel extending from the feed section  106  to the nozzle  110 . The nozzle may feed a profile die  120 , capable of being adjusted such that the orifice  122  in the die may be adjusted in shape as the extrudate is exiting so that the extrudate may vary in shape and may cool to form food products having non-uniform dimensions. The arrows adjacent the die  120  indicate that the die may be capable of being rotated relative to the extrudate, and/or that the die orifice  122  may be opened or closed as needed to vary the profile shape and size during the extrusion process such that the width and thickness of the extrudate may be varied vs. the length to provide non-uniform shapes. 
     “Extrudate” as used herein refers to a molten composition that is forced through a shaping orifice as a continuous body and which is capable of maintaining the approximate shape of that orifice, unless otherwise acted upon, until the composition cools. 
     Table 1 below illustrates a range of various processing parameters for manufacturing the non-uniform shaped food products of the present disclosure. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Comparative Extruder Parameters 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 Throughput 
                 50-150 kg/hr 
                 300-600 kg/hr 
               
               
                   
                 Screw Diameter 
                  70 mm. 
                  72 mm. 
               
               
                   
                 Screw Length 
                 940 mm. 
                 2300 mm. 
               
               
                   
                 L/D 
                 13 
                 32 
               
               
                   
                 Extruder Type 
                 single screw 
                 twin screw 
               
               
                   
                 Initial H 2 O Level 
                 20-40% 
                 10-15% 
               
               
                   
                 Max. Heating Zone 
                 300° F. 
                 390° F. 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     The various heating zones in the extruder may be set at different temperatures so that a homogenous blend of ingredients having the ability to flow under pressure can be provided as a melt to an adjustable extrusion die. By providing a temperature profile along the barrel from feed zone to the die, combined with a given residence time and shear rate, thermally sensitive ingredients may be included in the starch composition without total degradation. 
     In addition, the melt in the barrel of the extruder may be exposed to a shear rate between the screw and the barrel of the extruder while plasticating is taking place, and the shear rate range may be in the range of about 1 sec −1  to about 5,000 sec −1  and all increments there between (for instance, such as 1000 sec −1 , such as 900 sec −1  or 800 sec −1  or 700 sec −1 , etc.). 
     Preferably, at least 0.1-50% of the thermally sensitive additives, such as vitamins, minerals and herbs, remain non-degraded, most preferably at least 75%, even more preferably at least 80-90%, and in the most preferred embodiment, over 90% of the thermally sensitive additives are not thermally degraded by the molding process. This approach then allows such additives to be distributed in the food product of the present disclosure and in a preserved state such that their nutritional or therapeutic value is maintained. 
     In one exemplary embodiment, the water content of the edible (e.g. starch) composition within a preconditioner (prior to extrusion) may first be set in the range of about 10-40% by weight with respect to that of the starch, which mixture may be achieved by mixing the starch with water in a Wenger DDC Preconditioner that provides controlled pre-moisturization and complete mixing of the water with the starch material. This may then be followed by placement of the starch/water composition into an extruder, and in that regard, preferably, a Wenger TX Magnum Extruder, available from the Wenger Company. While twin-screw operation is preferred, it is contemplated that single screw extruders may be used. Finally, in the context of the present disclosure, where the water level charged in the extruder may be preferably lowered during the course of extrusion, an extruder capable of venting may be employed, wherein such venting lowers the water level to a desired level. To facilitate such water level change, it may be preferable to apply a light vacuum to the extruder to thereby provide a more efficient removal of water from the melt therein. 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of an exemplary food product  10 , according to the present disclosure including a plurality of bulbous shapes  14 ,  14 A,  20  and connecting portions  16 ,  16 A.  FIG. 3  is an end view of the food product of  FIG. 2 . The connecting portions  16 ,  16 A which extend between adjacent bulbous shapes  14 ,  20 ,  14 A are formed by extrusion to allow the extrudate to be handled in continuous form and then separated into individual products later (for packaging, at the store, or in the home, as needed). Reference numeral  20  represents one example of how the cross-section of the food product may be varied in size and shape during the extrusion process. It should further be noted that the connecting portions  16 A may not be of a constant cross-section, as one might normally expect from an extrusion process. Bulbous shape  14 A further includes localized grooves  17  and ridges  18  illustrating still further how the shape and size of the extrudate may be varied using an adjustable extrusion die. In other words, such a food product for human consumption may be formed by using a die for the extrudate in which the orifice in such die may be varied in dimensions as the extrudate is being forced there through from the extruder to produce the non-uniform shape, for example, of  FIG. 2 . 
     In a first exemplary embodiment, the orifice in the extruder die may be formed of a plurality of interacting plates, the plates each having a shaped partial opening therein, the plates capable of sliding against one another so that the partial openings at least partially coincide and provide a cross-section (orifice) of the desired shape (see crossed arrows in  FIG. 1 .). The plates may be varied in relative position to each other so that a small connecting portion (such as  16  in  FIG. 2 ) may be formed, or a bulbous shape (such as  14 ,  20 ,  14 A may be formed), the partial opening in each individual plate cooperating with the other partial openings to form a portion of the periphery of the extrudate. Further, an intermediate shaped opening (such as forming the center shape  20  of the food product of  FIG. 2 ) may be formed. The relative positioning of the plates as the extrudate is being forced through the die allows a varied non-uniform shape, such as shown in  FIG. 2 , to be formed on a continuous basis. The plates may be moved by motorized, pneumatic or hydraulic means and the means may be programmable. The connecting portion  16 ,  16 A may have smaller cross-sectional dimensions than the main portion or the end portions of the food product, smaller meaning in the range of about 10% to about 95% and all increments in between (for instance 11%, 25%, 55%, etc.). 
     Expanding upon this description, as shown in  FIG. 4 , a plurality of adjacent slidable plates,  30 ,  32 ,  34  and  36 , each having a partial opening  31 ,  33 ,  35  and  37  formed along one end, may be moved in the direction of the arrows to vary the dimensions of the combined opening, orifice  39 , between them, thus providing an adjustable cross-section die  120 A (for instance, for bulbous shape  14  of  FIG. 2 ) that the extrudate may be formed into. The partial openings  31 ,  33 ,  35  and  37  may each be configured as curves which when interconnected by specific positioning of the slidable plates  30 ,  32 ,  34 ,  36  form, for instance, one or more cross-sections for the article to be extruded. Closing the plates relative to one another may form a somewhat smaller opening, for instance extrudate forming the smaller shape  20 , and further closing the plates relative to one another may yield the cross-section shown in  FIG. 3  as a connecting portion  16 . Accordingly, a continuous extrusion process may be operated to yield articles of varying, non-uniform cross-section which are interconnected and may be separated for individual use later. 
     In one exemplary embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the extrudate may include one or more irregular shapes  14 A with a cross-sectional dimension  18  that exceeds the cross-sectional dimension of another portion  17  of said extrudate wherein said one or more irregular shapes  14 A includes a plurality of projecting surfaces  18 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the plates of die  120 A in a position of being nearly totally closed together to form an opening  39 A from which the extrudate may form the connecting portion of the food product  16 . While  FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate 4 interacting slidable plates, any number may be used, the greater the number, the finer the detail of the features of the exterior of the extrudate. It is further contemplated that the plates may cooperate in other the linear sliding fashion and that they may rotate relative to one another, in iris-fashion, or some combination of rotary and linear interaction.  FIG. 7  illustrates the use of 4 adjacent plates  52 ,  54 ,  56 ,  58  that interact on a rotary basis by rotating around pivot points  50  (note arrows). Each plate includes a complex curved edge  51 ,  53 ,  55 ,  57  which cooperate when properly positioned relative to one another to form the cross-section  59  of die  120 C which can produce an extrudate with the shape of the bulbous shape of  FIG. 3 . 
     In a related embodiment, the die may be rotated around the extrudate as it emerges to cause the detailed features such as the bulbous portions to be formed in a non-linear fashion relative to the longitudinal axis of the food product. In other words, the extrudate may be formed with a twist by rotating the die around the longitudinal axis of the extrudate. See elliptical arrow in  FIG. 1 . This may provide an even greater variety of extruded non-uniform shapes. 
     In another related embodiment, an extrusion die may include a plurality of orifices from which extrudate may be extruded, for instance 2, and the die rotated relative to the streams E 4 , E 5  of extrudate to form the “twisted” food product  516  as shown in  FIG. 15 . In other words, the dies may be rotated around a plane located between the dies. It is further contemplated that E 4  and E 5  may have different compositions, and/or properties (flavors, colors, tastes, etc.) to provide variety in the food product. 
     In a another exemplary embodiment, the adjustable die  120 B may comprise a flexible member in the form of a ring or a tube  42  that can be deformed into various shapes by locally applying pressure to one or more areas on the periphery of the ring or tube.  FIG. 6  illustrates a ring or tube member  42  preferably formed of a relatively heat resistant and flexible plastic or rubber that can withstand the temperatures encountered in the extrusion of starch-based compositions. A plurality of stroking members  46  may be located around the periphery of the ring, the stroking members capable of extension and retraction such that such extension and or retraction may cause the ring, or tube, to change shape and vary the shape of the extrudate being forced through it. The stroking members may be attached to the ring or tube  42  so that outward distortion of the round shape may take place, as well as inward displacement. 
     In the case of a tube, the stroking members may include elongated rods or blades (not shown) that run along the length of the tube to deform the tube substantially along its entire length. In a related embodiment, the stroking members may be configured to vary the cross-section of the opening along the length of the tube such that the cross-sectional shape of the extrudate is gradually reduced from the entry point of the extrudate into the tube to the exit point where the final shape is configured, and accordingly may reduce any sharp increase in back pressure or overworking of the melt. While shown in  FIG. 6  as round, the original cross-section of the ring or tube  42  may be any shape that allows the desired cross-section of the extrudate to be formed, including combinations of geometric shapes and complex curves including, for instance, the irregular shape  14 A of the food product of  FIG. 2 . Preferably, the ring or tube may include one or more stabilizers  44  to aid in controlling the deformation of the original shape. 
     The stroking members  46  may be in the form of pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders with variable strokes to cause the ring or tube to locally change shape. The stroking distance and order may be programmed to be varied as the extrudate is being forced through the die  120 B. 
     In a related embodiment, the ring or tube  42  of  FIG. 6  may be acted upon from the outside by the sliding plates illustrated in  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  7  (instead of the stroking members) to deform the ring and cause the ring to be shaped into the desired orifice for the extrudate. This may be of use when the viscosity of the extrudate is low enough to cause sealing problems between the adjacent sliding plates. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, an extrusion die  120 D (see  FIG. 8 ) may be configured to form an orifice  60  for a starch-based melt at the output of an extruder, the orifice of any geometric shape desired for a food product. Portions  62  of the periphery  61  of the orifice  60  may be displaced to manipulate the shape of the orifice, and the shape of the melt that is forced through the orifice.  FIG. 8  illustrates one means of displacement which includes protruding portions  62  which may be varied in depth of protrusion by threaded sections  64 . It is contemplated that the die could also have movable blade portions. As the melt is forced through the orifice  60  it may be desirable to vary the depth of one or more of the protrusions  62  to form grooves, or undulations, or bumps in the periphery of the extrudate. The protruding portion may be moved by motorized, pneumatic or hydraulic means and the means may be programmable. 
     In addition, the die and/or the extrudate may be twisted relative to one another to form the features on the extrudate in a spiral fashion (see elliptical arrow in  FIG. 1 ). The die can be rotated by attaching a chain or belt driven by a motor. The extrudate may be twisted by attaching a puller and then rotating the puller around the extrudate to impart a twisting force. Accordingly, an extrudate with external features including a twist to such may be provided. 
     In a related embodiment, the extrudate from die  120 D may be directed into a tube having a pattern of spiral grooves or protrusions, so that at some point in the cooling of the extrudate, a relatively small twist may be imparted to the extrudate, as opposed to externally rotating the die or extrudate. 
     It is contemplated that individual food products of a given non-uniform shape may be cut from a continuous extrudate using rotating knife blades, a guillotine, hot wire, or the like. In one exemplary embodiment, the extrudate may be cut using a “gang cutter” with a plurality of blades, the cutter reciprocally traveling with and against the direction of travel of the extrudate such that it severs a plurality of connecting portions at once and in so doing, does not significantly affect the rate of extrusion. In other words, 2 or 10 or 20 food products, for instance, may be cut at the same time from the extrudate using a cutter with a plurality of spaced apart blades. Accordingly, the rate of extrusion may be affected by only about 5% or about 10%. 
     It is also contemplated that the extruder feeding the shape-forming die may include an accumulator so that changes in throughput of the extrudate caused by the variance in shape of the die may be accommodated without substantial effect on the quality of the melt in the barrel, or so that intermittent output may be possible. The accumulator may be positioned at a location upstream of the die wherein the melt is conveyed through the extruder and into the accumulator and then through the die. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, a food product may be formed into a three dimensional non-uniform shape by providing extrudates from a plurality of extrusion dies and combining such to form multiple lobes of a food product. “Lobe” or “lobed” as used herein refers to a rounded projection that extends from another shape, such as a four leaf clover has four lobes. 
       FIG. 9A  illustrates a food product  80  formed by combining two “comma-shaped” extrudates E A , Ec from two separate but identical dies (see  FIG. 10 ) in a shaping die and cutting the product to length.  FIG. 9B  illustrates the addition of a third extrudate E B  of similar cross-section fed to an adjusted shaping die to yield a different, 3-lobed shape  82 . 
       FIG. 10  illustrates a schematic configuration for providing such lobed shapes, including a plurality of extruders  210 ,  220 ,  230  each with a profile die  212 ,  222 ,  232 . Consistent with  FIG. 9A , extrudates E A  and E C  may be formed to the desired shape in dies  210 ,  230  and those extrudates combined in shaping die  242  while the melts are still capable of being shaped and adhered together. This may then produce, for instance, an extrudate E D  having the profile as shown in  FIG. 9A  and when cut to length, form a shaped food product. By adding a third extrudate E B  from extruder  220  and die  222 , and adjusting the shape of the combining die  242 , a shape  82  having a third lobe E B  as shown in  FIG. 9B  may be manufactured as part of a continuous manufacturing process. 
     In a related embodiment, dissimilar shaped extrudates may be combined to form other food products of varying shape.  FIG. 9C  illustrates the combination of two similar extrudates E A1  and E C1  having curved profiles that may be combined in a shaping die and cut to length to form a “V” or “U”-shaped food product  84 . The addition of a heart-shaped lobe, extrudate E B1 , provides a different shape  86 , as shown in  FIG. 9D . 
     By intermittent processing of the third extrudate through the third die, different shapes of combined extrudate may be provided as two and then three streams may be combined. 
     In another exemplary embodiment to provide food products with non-uniform, three dimensional shapes via extrusion, a starch-based edible composition may be formed into an extrudate by forcing the melt through an extrusion die and directly thereafter placing the extrudate between matched tooling to form the desired shape. The tooling may be such that the products are separated as part of the forming process or a connecting portion (see  16  in  FIG. 2 ) may be formed connecting adjacent shapes such that a continuous stream of products are formed. In this manner, the process may be continuous. 
       FIG. 11  illustrates one exemplary embodiment of a device for directly forming the extrudate into a desired shape on a continuous basis. Interacting wheels  300 ,  302  may be provided having a plurality of mating cavities  320  placed or machined into the outer periphery of the wheels  300 ,  302 , the cavities  320  each comprising one half of the shape of the food product of  FIG. 2  (for instance, see  FIG. 2  where a section has been taken along line  11 - 11  longitudinally along the food product). As the extrudate  304  exits the extrusion die (note left arrow in  FIG. 11 ), it is passed between the wheels  300 ,  302  and formed to shape by the matching cavities  320 . The matching cavities  320  comprise complementary shapes which when matched together by positioning of the interacting wheels form a mold set having a combined cavity with the shape of, for instance, the food product of  FIG. 2 . One or more cutting blades  306  may be provided on one or both wheels  300 ,  302  which severs the extrudate  304  as it passes between the wheels. 
       FIG. 11A  is an enlarged side view of one of the matching cavity portions of wheel  300  of  FIG. 11  and illustrates one of the half cavities  320  that may match a complementary cavity of wheel  302  such that when the cavities are forced together by the interaction of the wheels, an article having the shape of the combined cavities (for instance the food product of  FIG. 2 ), may be formed. 
     In a related exemplary embodiment, the lower wheel  302  shown in  FIG. 11  may be replaced with a stationary surface and as the extrudate  304  exits the extrusion die (note left arrow in  FIG. 11 ), it is passed between the upper wheel  300  and the stationary surface and formed to shape by the cavity  320 . In such a process, the food product  10  may be formed with a constant profile, such as flat, on that lower surface. It is further contemplated that the stationary surface may be concave and the lower surface of the food product may then include a convex or curved surface. 
       FIG. 12  is a side view of a similar apparatus for forming elongated shaped food products comprising a pair of cooperating belts  400 ,  402 , which are equipped with a series of matched cavities  420  along their surface. The belts  400 ,  402  may be stretched between rollers  408 . As the extrudate  404  is fed between the belts (see left arrow), the matched cavities are closed together to form a combined cavity of the desired shape and the extrudate is shaped within the matched cavities  420 . The output may be, for instance, a food product  10  having the shape of that shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     It is contemplated that complementary knife blades may be placed appropriately along the belts of  FIG. 12  to sever the food products into segments. In addition, it is contemplated that connecting portions  16  may be formed between adjacent food products by the placement of connecting slots between adjacent cavities, or that no slots may be present and individual, separated products may be formed by the matched cavities. 
     In yet another exemplary embodiment, the extrusion die may be moved relative to a molding surface to form non-uniform, three dimensional shaped food products.  FIG. 13  is a schematic representation of a work station for extruding a melt of extrudate onto a surface by feeding the melt to an extrusion die whose position is controlled by a guiding apparatus, such as a multi-axis robot, x-y table or the like. The device may be programmed to lay the extrudate in a defined pattern on the surface of a molding table or may be programmed to distribute a given quantity of extrudate into a mold cavity placed on the table. The extruder  100  like that shown in  FIG. 1  may include a plurality of heating zones  112 ,  114 ,  116 ,  118  and an extrusion die  120 . The extrusion die  120  may be connected to the end of the arm  502  of a robot  500  by a flexible coupling  506  capable of delivering the melt to the robot and capable of some flexing to allow the robot head  504  to move in a predetermined pattern to deliver the extrudate E to a molding surface  520 . A control unit  508  for the robot  500  provides signals to vary the position of the head vs. the molding surface, and therefore the location of the extrudate E emanating from the head. 
     In addition, it is contemplated that the extrusion head  504  may be stationary and that the molding surface  520  may be moved in crosswise, lengthwise and vertical planes (“X”, “Y” and “Z”) directions relative to the head to manipulate an extrudate E from the die into a complex shape (for instance a pretzel shape  510  or a word or phrase in cursive, etc.) 
     In another related embodiment, see  FIG. 13A , the molding surface  520  may comprise a first mold cavity  530  into which a log of extrudate of predetermined size and weight may be distributed by the robot  500 . A matching second mold cavity (not shown) may then be positioned over the first cavity to form a closed cavity space for a shaped article, such as a food product. 
     In a still further related embodiment, the extrudate E from the robot head  504  ( FIG. 13 ), may be delivered in a fashion to build shapes by the selective addition of successive passes by the robot head such that, for instance, a food product shape may be built up. As shown in  FIG. 14 , three parallel passes of extrudate E 1 , E 2  and E 3  may be laid on a molding surface  520  such that the passes are in contact along their lengths and when cooled adhere to one another along their edges  92 ,  94  to form food product  512 . The individual passes E 1 , E 2  and E 3  may be combined through the connection of the edges  92 ,  94  to provide an accumulation of extrudates forming as larger food product. It is further contemplated that the passes of extrudates E 1 , E 2  and E 3  may be placed one upon the other as well as side by side. 
     It is further contemplated that the adjustable dies of  FIGS. 4 ,  6 ,  7  and  8  may be combined into the robotic workstation of  FIG. 13  or to produce the multiple streams of extrudate of  FIG. 10  to produce non-uniform extrudates that may be combined together in a shaping die or may be delivered to a molding surface by a multi-axis robot. In that exemplary embodiment, the flexible coupling  506  may act as an accumulator to compensate for changes in throughput as the die orifice dimensions are adjusted and minimize any over shearing of the melt in the extruder barrel. 
     It is contemplated that for food products as described herein it may be desirable to produce such products having a plurality of layers by providing compositions from a single co-extrusion die and combining them in layer form adjacent one another, and further that via co-extrusion one layer may completely or at least partially surround the other as in a food product having a “filling”. In such latter case, it may be desirable that the filling layer have different properties from the outer or surrounding layer. 
     In addition, it is contemplated that the food products as described herein, once formed to shape, may be coated, particularly on a continuous basis with a variety of palatable coatings, such as chocolate, frosting, sugar, etc. using a variety of coating methods, such as spraying, dipping, roll coating, knife coating, curtain coating and freeze drying. 
     While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.