General Mills, Inc.

Gerald J Rudolph

James N Weinstein

Peter A Huberg

Scott A Tolson

Julie L Holmstrom

Gregory A Clanton

An extrudable food product is provided by a food cooker extruder ( ) and is mixed with an additive to form a patterned food product, using a pattern forming die ( ). The cross-sectional area of the patterned food product is reduced from an inlet end ( ) to an outlet end ( ) by a factor of at least 50:1 at an average convergence angle of &lE;45&deg; while maintaining the cross-sectional pattern to form a reduced cross-sectional patterned dough, and then is extruded through a die port ( ) having an opening equal to the reduced cross-sectional area to form a complexly patterned extrudate. The food product comprising, multiple extrudates are simultaneously formed with the flow rates for each extrudate being adjustable by an adjuster plug ( ) including a smooth cylindrical portion ( ) extendable into a passageway ( ) having a circular cross section of a larger diameter than the cylindrical portion ( ). A color additive is injected to provide a topical coating to the periphery of the flowing dough to lubricate and reduce friction of the periphery of the flowing dough with the passageway ( ) and to produce a surface coloration on the periphery of the flowing dough.

Apparatus and methods for making multiple, patterned extrudates

Apparatus and methods are disclosed where plastic extrudable food product is provided such as by a food cooker extruder and is mixed with an additive to form a patterned food product, such as by a pattern forming die. The cross-sectional area of the patterned food product is reduced from an inlet end to an outlet end by a factor of at least 50:1 at an average convergence angle of &lt;45.degree. while maintaining the cross-sectional pattern to form a reduced cross-sectional patterned dough, and then is extruded through a die port having an opening equal to the reduced cross-sectional area to form a complexly patterned extrudate. In a preferred form, the additive is injected through ports into an interstitial gap imparted by an annular shoulder between the periphery of the flowing dough and the interior wall surface of the passageway to provide a topical coating to the periphery of the flowing dough to lubricate and reduce friction of the periphery of the flowing dough with the passageway and to produce a surface coloration on the periphery of the flowing dough.

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Annandale, MN, United States of America

Gerald J Rudolph