A food product forming machine, comprising: a) a food supply (24, 4024) comprising a1) a hopper (25, 4025) for holding a supply of food product, and a2) an auger system (400, 4400) configured to deliver food product from the hopper (25, 4025), wherein the auger system (400, 4400) has at least one feed screw (402, 404, 4402, 4404) located in the hopper (25, 4025) and a feed screw drive (406, 408) configured to rotate the feed screw (402, 404, 4402, 4404); b) a rotary food pump (300, 4300) connected to the food supply (24, 4024); c) a molding mechanism (28, 4028) having a mold plate (32, 4032), the mold plate (32, 4032) being reciprocated by a mold plate drive (500, 4500) between a cavity fill position and a cavity discharge position, wherein the auger system (400, 4400) is adapted to deliver food product from the hopper (25, 4025) toward the molding mechanism (28, 4028); d) a knockout drive for reciprocating a knockout plunger (33, 4033) to discharge molded food products from a cavity (126, 4126) in the mold plate (32, 4032); and e) a manifold (27, 4027) connected to an outlet of the food pump (300, 4300) and having an outlet passageway (111c, 4111c) connected to an inlet of the molding mechanism (28, 4028) for filling the cavity (126, 4126) of the mold plate (32, 4032); characterized in that f) the hopper (25, 4025) has an opening at a lower rear of the hopper (25, 4025) configured to remove the feed screw (402, 404, 4402, 4404) therethrough, and g) the hopper (25, 4025) has a cap (530, 4530) for removably covering the opening, and h) the feed screw (402, 404, 4402, 4404) is journaled to rotate in an opening (531, 4531) of the cap (530, 4530). a) a food supply (24, 4024) comprising a1) a hopper (25, 4025) for holding a supply of food product, and a2) an auger system (400, 4400) configured to deliver food product from the hopper (25, 4025), wherein the auger system (400, 4400) has at least one feed screw (402, 404, 4402, 4404) located in the hopper (25, 4025) and a feed screw drive (406, 408) configured to rotate the feed screw (402, 404, 4402, 4404); a1) a hopper (25, 4025) for holding a supply of food product, and a2) an auger system (400, 4400) configured to deliver food product from the hopper (25, 4025), wherein the auger system (400, 4400) has at least one feed screw (402, 404, 4402, 4404) located in the hopper (25, 4025) and a feed screw drive (406, 408) configured to rotate the feed screw (402, 404, 4402, 4404); b) a rotary food pump (300, 4300) connected to the food supply (24, 4024); c) a molding mechanism (28, 4028) having a mold plate (32, 4032), the mold plate (32, 4032) being reciprocated by a mold plate drive (500, 4500) between a cavity fill position and a cavity discharge position, wherein the auger system (400, 4400) is adapted to deliver food product from the hopper (25, 4025) toward the molding mechanism (28, 4028); d) a knockout drive for reciprocating a knockout plunger (33, 4033) to discharge molded food products from a cavity (126, 4126) in the mold plate (32, 4032); and e) a manifold (27, 4027) connected to an outlet of the food pump (300, 4300) and having an outlet passageway (111c, 4111c) connected to an inlet of the molding mechanism (28, 4028) for filling the cavity (126, 4126) of the mold plate (32, 4032); f) the hopper (25, 4025) has an opening at a lower rear of the hopper (25, 4025) configured to remove the feed screw (402, 404, 4402, 4404) therethrough, and g) the hopper (25, 4025) has a cap (530, 4530) for removably covering the opening, and h) the feed screw (402, 404, 4402, 4404) is journaled to rotate in an opening (531, 4531) of the cap (530, 4530).