Patent ID: 8007848

Claim:
A seasoning method for pneumatically propelling and uniformly distributing a seasoning onto a food product to be seasoned, said method comprising the following steps: a) providing metered amounts of the seasoning from a bulk seasoning source; b) introducing said metered amounts of the seasoning into a pneumatic eductor for enclosed pneumatic transfer downstream; c) propelling the seasoning along a first gaseous flow and through the pneumatic eductor, where the seasoning and the first gaseous flow thereafter constitute a fluidized seasoning flow; d) pneumatically transferring the fluidized seasoning flow toward at least a first nozzle, wherein each nozzle is an in-line pneumatic vacuum nozzle comprising: a spool core, through which the fluidized seasoning flow passes wherein the step of pneumatically transferring the fluidized seasoning flow further comprises splitting said fluidized seasoning flow at least once and wherein the flow is split prior to entering each nozzle; and a plurality of swirl ports distributed about the circumference of the spool core; e) expelling a second gaseous flow from the swirl ports in a swirling fashion and at a velocity greater than that of the fluidized flow, such that the second gaseous flow generates a vacuum that pulls, swirls, and propels the seasoning from the fluidized flow outward from each nozzle, thereby forming a turbulent, swirling plume of seasoning; and f) directing said turbulent, swirling plume of seasoning onto said food product to be seasoned.