Apparatus and methods for making multiple complexly patterned extrudates

Abstract From the Canadian patent

Apparatus (10) and methods are disclosed where plastic extrudable food product is provided such as by a food cooker extruder (12) and is mixed with a food color to form a complexly patterned food product such as by a pattern forming , die (20). The cross-sectional area of the patterned food product is reduced from an inlet end (34) to an outlet end (36) by a factor of at least 50:1 at an average convergence angle of <= 45~ 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 crosssectional area to form a complexly patterned extrudate. In the preferred form …