One of the common problems encountered in the production of the confection is the time lost during the cooling of the hot sugar. The slowness of the cooling process adversely affects the quality of the sugar, therefore the color of the sugar darkens and its taste goes off. The length of the cooling period which lasts for approximately 7-8 hours results in working at low performance and increase in labor costs.

In state of art, in the production of confection particularly of the popping candy, the mixing process is ended and the cooling process is started following the mixture of the contents at a definite temperature.

In prior art, United States Patent US6364521 discloses that the hot sugar mass mixed with gas formed from the mixture of popping candy content is cooled in the water-cooled sugar reactor. However in such cooling, the sugar mixture is collected at the bottom of the reactor as a thick layer and heat conductivity is realized slowly due to its spongy structure comprising gas balloons and the cooling and crystallization period of the sugar is extended.

Again in prior art, US Patent Application 2001/0011587 the candies are passed through a cooling tunnel by placing on a conveyor belt. The cooling units are on and under the conveyor belt in the tunnel.

The object of this invention is to utilize from a wider surface in the production reactor wall of confection for cooling efficiency in a short time.

The method of producing confection realized in order to attain abovementioned objects of the present invention has been illustrated in the attached drawings, wherein; Figure 1 is a side view of a reactor used in the method.

Figure 2 is a cross view of a reactor used in the method.

The components shown in the figures have been enumerated as below; 1. Reactor 2. Material inlet cover 3a. Water inlet valve 3b Gas inlet valve 4. Crank device 5. Transmission means 6. Gear 7. Shaft 8. Motor 9. Rail 10. Wheel 1 la. Water Outlet Valve lib. Gas Outlet Valve 11. Confection outlet cover According to the method which is the subject of the invention, the reactor is rotated around a horizontal axis at a low speed for cooling the sugar mass in the production of confection and the hot sugar is cooled at a shorter time by spreading on the walls of the reactor as a thin layer.

A reactor (1) and a crank device (4) are used in the application of this method.

The reactor (1) which is made of a material resistant to the atmosphere pressure like steel and etc. has preferably a cylindrical shape having a horizontal axis. However it may be in a sphere, prism, ellipsoid and similar forms. There are water-gas inlet valves (3a and 3b), water-gas outlet (11 a and lib) valves and confection outlet cover (12) for the discharge of the sugar in the reactor (Figure 1).

The crank device (4) consists of a drive part and a conveyance part. A gear (6), a chain or a shaft (7) driving the gear can be used in the conveyance part. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, there is a motor (10) in the conveyance part and a gear (6) placed in the neck part of the reactor as a conveyance part and a shaft (7) driving the said gear. In this embodiment there are also rail (9) and wheels (10) in the conveyance part facilitating the rotation of the reactor body. In an alternative embodiment, the reactor is rotated by means of a crank device comprising a wheel rotated by a drive part and a rail rotated by the wheel covering the reactor.

The production of confection is started by mixing process following the discharge of the thick sugar syrup which is the main material in to the reactor. In the production of popping candy, a high pressurized inert gas is applied to the reactor. The gas balloons captured in the sugar within the mixture are divided in to different sizes and amounts of balloons due to the rotation/strike at high speed.

The temperature of the mixture in the reactor is around 160 °C during this process.

In order to lower this temperature, the reactor is cooled by circulating cold water through its walls and applying cold air/water to its walls by various cooling methods. During the cooling process, the reactor is preferably rotated around a horizontal axis for preventing the sugar mass from staying as a thick layer in a specific area. Therefore the heat conductivity is accelerated by spreading the sugar inside the reactor as a thin layer. The reactor can be rotated around an axis or a point at different angles and directions by means of a crank device. For instance

during the rotation cycle of the reactor, the direction of the rotation can be changed when the sugar mass comes across to an area closer to the gas and water inlets. In another embodiment, the reactor is rotated around itself permanently at the same direction. However the sugar mass spreading to the walls of the reactor clogs the gas and the water inlets and it is eliminated by the conventional anti- clogging methods. That the reactor rotates at certain angles and keeps its rotation after stopping for a while can be considered as another embodiment as well.

The rotation speed of the reactor can change depending on the density of the sugar, sizes of the reactor and temperature of the fluid applied externally during the cooling determining the coefficiency of the heat conductivity. In order to provide efficient cooling, the reactor is rotated around its axis slowly preferably 2 rpm. The fluid of the hot sugar mass over the wall is slow due to its dense structure. During the rotation, the hot sugar is spread over the inside of the reactor and the heat conductivity is accelerated. Thus, dense sugar mass is cooled at a shorter time with respect to the prior methods.

Thanks to this method, the cost of the cooling process is reduced in the production of popping candy and cooling is provided at a shorter time without adversely affecting the quality of sugar. Furthermore the capacity is enhanced through this process.