Patent ID: 7550168

Claim:
A process for preparing fruit-like spherical products with two dimples spaced at opposite extremes of the spheres comprising: extruding an aqueous alginate sol or an aqueous low-methoxy pectate sol through a cylindrical nozzle whilst extruding an aqueous solution containing calcium ions through a tube which tube is centrally located in the cylindrical nozzle and co-terminous with the nozzle to produce an extrudate and cutting off the extrudate using a cutting assembly at the nozzle below the surface of a bath of an aqueous solution containing calcium ions to produce portions of the extrudate and allowing the portions of the extrudate to gel by diffusion of calcium ions into the sol from the bath of an aqueous solution containing calcium ions and from the aqueous solution containing calcium ions extruded through the tube which is centrally located in the cylindrical nozzle, thereby producing a fruit-like spherical gelled product with two dimples spaced at opposite extremes of the spheres.