Patent ID: 7163708

Claim:
A process for dry coating a food particle, having a size in the range from 0.5 mm to 20.0 mm, with a liquid coating material, the process comprising the steps of: (a) metering a liquid coating material into a flow restrictor; (b) injecting a gas stream through the flow restrictor concurrently with step (a) to create a zone of turbulence at the outlet of the flow restrictor, thereby atomizing the liquid coating material, wherein the gas stream is optionally heated; and (c) adding a food particle to the zone of turbulence concurrently with steps (a) and (b) to mix the food particle with the atomized liquid coating material, wherein the mixing at the zone of turbulence coats the food particle with the liquid coating material wherein the moisture level of the coated food particle is substantially the same as the moisture level of the uncoated food particle.