Apparatus and method for triple co-extruding a snack product

Abstract

The triple coextrusion of snack food products having highly uniform and integral individual layers is achieved by the use of a compact, precisely toleranced coextrusion die which may be mounted at the outlet end of a cooker extruder. The coextrusion die includes a die block with smooth, unobstructed flow passages for each material. The outer passages for the casing material are substantially coaxial with the central axis of the die block and extend from end to end. A central bore and an annular passage having their central axes aligned with the central axis of the die block at its outlet end extend upstream to filler feed ports. The feed port entrances are at the outer surface of the die block between its ends. The side ports and filler feed lines connected to them do not interfere with a substantially straight flow path of casing material directly from a cooker extruder. A protruding tip formed at the outlet end of the die block by the bore and annular passage extends into a converging block or cone. The separate streams of casing material from the outer passages of the die block converge or reform in the cone into a seamless, unitary annular outer casing layer enrobing the outer filler, which enrobes the inner filler. The small diameter extrudate rope may be continuously shaped into small diameter snack products in a post-extrusion process such as crimping or molding with no substantial excess or waste.