Patent ID: 8147890

Claim:
A method of sampling a pressed food product in a food processing line having a press which normally directs food from below into an operational molding station comprising operational spacers, said station having an operational mold plate with a plurality of cavities, an operational breather plate above said cavities, said operational mold plate moveable relative to said breather plate, and a knockout punch expelling a pressed food product from said cavities once filled; said method comprising the steps of: a. removing said operational molding station, said operational mold and said operational breather plate from said press; b. installing a test molding station comprising opposing test spacers on said press, installing a test mold plate having at least one cavity, and installing a test breather plate above said test mold plate, wherein said test spacers have a combined width greater than the width of said test mold plate; c. operating the press and expelling a pressed food product from the test mold plate; d. further, at least partially processing the pressed food downstream of said press to at least verify operational settings for downstream processing steps; and e. removing said test mold station, said test mold, and said test breather plate, and reinstalling said operational molding station and operational spacers, said operational mold plate, and said operational breather plate, said operational mold plate being greater in width than a combined width of the operational spacers and said operational mold plate having at least one more cavity than said test mold plate.