Process for the continuous manufacture of soft candies

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR MAKING SOFT CANDY COMPRISING: A PREPARING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF SUGAR, GLUCOSE, FAT AND BINDER, B. RAPIDLY CONCENTRATING THE SOLUTION TO A FREE-FLOWING PASTRY CONSISTENCY UNDER CONDITIONS MINIMIZING THE FORMATION OF INVERT SUGAR, C. RAPIDLY COOLING THE FREE-FLOWING PASTE OF (B) TO A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUR 70*C. D. MIXING AND STRETCHING THE COOLED PASTE TO INDUCE FORMATION OF CRYSTALLIZATION NUCLEI THROUGHOUT THE PASTE AND TO PROVIDE A HOMOGENEOUS SOFT TEXTURE, SAID MIXING AND STRECHING EFFECTED AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 70*C IN A BLENDER HAVING PARALLEL AXIS STIRRERS IN OPPOSED ROTATION WITHIN A TANK, E. HOMOGENIZING THE PASTE UNDER PRESSURE, F. EXTRUDING THE HOMOGENIZED PASTE AT A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 70*C IN THE FORM OF A WEB ONTO A COOLING BELT, G. COOLING THE EXTRUDED PASTE WEB TO A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY INTERMEDIATE BETWEEN THE TEMPERATURE AFTER EXTRUSION AND AMBIENT TEMPERATURE, H. FURTHER HOMOGENIZING THE COOLED PASTE WEB AND EXTRUDING THE HOMOGENIZING PASTE WEB IN THE FORM OF ONE OR MORE RODS ON TO A COOLING BELT, AND I. COOLING THE EXTRUDED RODS OF HOMOGENIZED PASTE TO AMBIENT TEMPERATURE.