| abstract |
A reconstituted banana product, which is formed primarily of banana puree with the addition of ice cream ingredients, is extruded by a horizontal extruder. As the extrudate stream is deposited on a moving product plate of a conveyor, which moves in the same direction as the extrudate stream, the extruder is moved transversely of the direction of movement of the extrudate stream and conveyor. After a product of the desired length is deposited on a product plate, a hot wire cutoff device slices the extrudate stream into separate products which by virtue of the transverse movement, are arcuate. In order to simulate the appearance of banana seeds, an auxiliary nozzle tube, within and centered in the main nozzle of the extruder, extrudes an extrudate of a darker color. The auxiliary nozzle tube has a closed end and slots extending from the closed end. Baffles at the base of the slots deflect the extrucate from the main extruder as the extrudate of darker color is extruded. The resulting product resembles a banana and has a pattern of the darker extrudant within its body simulating banana seeds. Protuberances in the main nozzle form grooves on the surface of the product, simulating the grooves on the surface of a peeled banana. |