Method of shaping a cereal product

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS IN WHICH A COOKED CEREAL DOUGH IS EXTRUDED TO FORM A CONTINUOUS EXTRUDATE AND THE EXTRUDATE IS DIVIDED INTO SEGMENTS BY PINCHING OF THE EXTRUDATE ON A PINCH LINE, THE METHOD FOR FORMING A CANOE-SHAPED CEREAL PRODUCT COMPRISING THE STEPS: (A) EXTRUDING A GELATINIZED CEREAL DOUGH CONTAINING 13 TO 35% MOISTURE UNDER EXPANDING CONDITIONS THROUGH A SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED ORIFICE, THEREBY FORMING A CONTINUOUS, MOVING, EXPANDED PLASTIC EXTRUDATE HAVING A BI-LATERAL AXIS OF SYMMETRY, SAID PLASTIC EXTRUDATE EXHIBITING TACKINESS FOR A MOMENTARY PERIOD OF TIME. (B) ORIENTING SAID MOVING EXTRUDATE TO DIRECT THE DIRECTION OF MOTION ALONG A LINE WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID PINCH-LINE, (C) ORIENTING SAID MOVING EXTRUDATE TO CAUSE SAID BI-LATERAL AXIS OF SYMMETRY TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID PINCH-LINE, (D) MAINTAINING THE SIDES OF SAID EXTRUDATE IN A SPACED-APART CONDITION, THEREBY MAINTAINING A SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED CROSS SECTION, (E) PINCHING OFF SEGMENTS OF THE EXTRUDATE SO ORIENTED BY INTERMITTENTLY PINCHING THE EXTRUDATE AT THE PINCHLINE, THEREBY PROVIDING CANOE-SHAPED CEREAL PIECES, SAID MAINTAINING AND SAID ORIENTING STEPS AND SAID PINCHING-OFF STEPS TAKING PLACE IN THE MOMENTARY PERIOD OF TIME IN WHICH THE EXTRUDATE IS TACKY, (F) SETTING THE SHAPE OF THE RESULTING CANOE-SHAPED CEREAL PIECES BY IMMEDIATELY DRYING THE SEGMENT TO A MOISTURE CONTENT BELOW ABOUT 15%.