Continuous double coating-natural cereal

Claim 1

In a continuous process of coating an admixture of combined comestible particles of substantially differing size, shape and density and wherein particles are first contacted by an oleoagineous coating spray in a first zone and thereafter by a dilute sweet syrup in a second zone to overcoat the fat-coated particles issuing from the first zone and effect agglomeration thereof, the improvement which comprises continuously effecting the coating in each said zone in an enclosed screw conveyor means having a length to radius (L/R) ratio of at least 10 to 1, said conveyor having cut and folded screws flights therewithin with the number of cuts and folds being sufficient in number to effect tumbling and reblending of materials both before and after spray application, and said admixture being charged at a rate sufficient in relationship to the rotational rate of said screw within the chamber space in respective conveyors to assure that materials undergoing coating occupy a majority of the chamber space intermediate the conveyor wall and the screw shaft, said conveyor screw flights being proximate and circumjacent the conveyor chamber walls, only a minor fraction of the syrup moisture evaporating during coating in said second zone.