Patent ID: 6983683

Claim:
A confectionery aeration system comprising a confectionery material re-circulation circuit, the circuit comprising an aerator and a confectionery vessel, the confectionery material re-circulation circuit being arranged such that a re-circulation outlet of the vessel is connected to an inlet of the vessel, the re-circulation circuit being without any de-aeration means for producing any substantial de-aeration material in the flow path between the re-circulation outlet and the aerator, the aerator being arranged in the re-circulation circuit to further aerate aerated confectionery material flowing from the re-circulation outlet of the vessel to the vessel inlet, the vessel inlet being provided with a back-pressure producing device arranged so as to maintain a super-atmospheric pressure in the confectionery material in that part of the re-circulation circuit between the aerator and the vessel inlet, the circuit being provided with a supply connection for feeding fresh confectionery material into the recirculation circuit, and a supply of aerated confectionery material for feeding to a confectionery producing process being taken from at least one of a first feed outlet located in a lower part of the vessel and a second feed outlet which receives material which is conveyed from the aerator to the inlet of the vessel.