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A flowable food dispenser for dispensing a flowable food product. The dispenser includes a housing with first and second bays, and a plurality of cassettes that are removably receivable within the bays. Each cassette is configured for receiving a pouch containing the flowable food. First and second

A flowable food dispenser for dispensing a flowable food product. The dispenser includes a housing with first and second bays, and a plurality of cassettes that are removably receivable within the bays. Each cassette is configured for receiving a pouch containing the flowable food. First and second thermal exchange units are associated with the first and second bays, respectively, in heat-exchanging association with the cassettes received therein. A temperature-controlled system is connected with the thermal exchange units for controlling them independently to independently heat or cool the cassettes in the bays and the food product that is disposed therein. A least one dispensing mechanism is associated with the first and second bays to selectively dispense the food from the pouches that are in the cassettes.

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1. A flowable food dispenser for dispensing flowable food product, comprising:a housing having first and second bays;a plurality of cassettes removably receivable within the bays, each cassette configured for receiving a pouch containing the food product;first and second thermal exchange devices ass

1. A flowable food dispenser for dispensing flowable food product, comprising:a housing having first and second bays;a plurality of cassettes removably receivable within the bays, each cassette configured for receiving a pouch containing the food product;first and second thermal exchange devices associated with the first and second bays, respectively, in heat-exchanging association with the cassettes received therein, wherein the bays have internal walls associable with the cassettes received therein for substantially extensively contacting the respective cassette to conductively transfer heat between the thermal exchange devices to or from the cassette and pouch therein through the bay walls;a temperature control system connected with the thermal exchange devices for controlling the thermal exchange devices independently for independently heating or cooling the cassettes in the bays and the food product disposed therein; andat least one dispensing mechanism associated with the first and second bays for selectively dispensing the food from the pouches that are in the cassettes received in the bays.2. The food dispenser of claim 1, wherein the bays have a plurality of sides, and the first and second thermal exchange devices extend on the two largest opposite sides of the bays for heating or cooling corresponding opposite sides of the cassettes and pouches therein.3. The food dispenser of claim 2, wherein the opposite sides have two perpendicular dimensions that are each at least twice as large as the spacing between the opposite sides.4. The food dispenser of claim 3, wherein said opposite sides are disposed substantially upright.5. The food dispenser of claim 2, wherein each thermal exchange device additionally extends on a connecting one of the sides of the respective bay to operably connect the portions of the thermal exchange device on said opposite sides.6. The food dispenser of claim 5, wherein each of the thermal exchange devices has a U-shaped cross-section about the respective bay.7. The food dispenser of claim 6, wherein each thermal exchange device comprises electric heating elements extending along said opposite sides and have a connecting portion extending on the connecting side of the bay to electrically connect the heating elements.8. The food dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a third thermal exchange unit configured for circulating a fluid for heating or cooling the dispensing system and also at least one of the bays on one or more sides of the bay other than said opposite sides.9. The food dispenser of claim 8, wherein the fluid is air, the third thermal exchange device comprises a blower, the blower and housing being configured for directing the air to the dispensing system and about said one or more sides of the at least one bays about the cassette for heating or cooling the dispensing system and pouch in the cassette and the food product therein.10. The food dispenser of claim 9, wherein the dispenser is configured for circulating the air around the bays about an axis extending through opposite sides.11. The food dispenser of claim 8, wherein the cassettes define one or more openings configured for allowing the air to be circulated through the interior of the cassettes.12. The food dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensing member associated with at least one of the bays and configured for sensing the temperature of the pouch within the cassette received in the at least one bay, wherein at least one of the cassettes defines a temperature sensing opening configured for receiving the temperature sensing member therethrough to contact the pouch therein, the temperature control system being associated with the temperature sensing member for operating at least one of the thermal exchange devices depending on the sensed temperature.13. The food dispenser of claim 12, wherein the temperature sensing member comprises a thermistor.14. The food dispenser of claim 1, wherein the bays are disposed side by side, and the food dispenser further comprises temperature limit units disposed between the bays and associated with thermal exchange device for sensing a temperature beyond a predetermined limit and causing the thermal exchange device to remain within said limit.15. The food dispenser of claim 14, wherein the temperature limit units comprise a thermistor and another temperature sensitive element that are configured for independently deactivating the thermal exchange devices when the temperature is beyond said limit.16. The food dispenser of claim 15, wherein the temperature limit units comprise a plate that is removably receivable between the bays in said association with the thermal exchange units, wherein the thermistor and said another temperature sensitive element are mounted to the plate.17. A flowable food dispenser for dispensing a flowable food product, comprising:first and second bays each configured for receiving a pouch that contains the food product and has a discharge tube for discharging the food product; andfirst and second peristaltic pumps disposed adjacent the first and second bays, respectively, for receiving the discharge tubes extending therefrom, each of the peristaltic pumps comprising:a motor-driven rotor, anda stator having a pumping position relative to the rotor for compressing the discharge tube therebetween and peristaltically pumping the food product within the discharge tube upon rotation of the rotor;wherein the stators of the fist and second pumps are movable to first and second loading positions, respectively, in which the stators are spaced from the respective rotor sufficiently to load and remove the discharge tube from therebetween; andwherein the loading positions overlap with each other, such that only one of the stators can occupy the first or second loading position at a time.18. The food dispenser of claim 17 wherein the loading positions are disposed for substantially minimizing the width of the dispenser.19. The food dispenser of claim 17, wherein the first loading position is displaced diagonally from the pumping position with respect to the horizontal.20. The food dispenser of claim 19, wherein the first loading position is displaced from the pumping position at a displacement angle of between 10° and 80° with respect to the horizontal.21. The food dispenser of claim 20, wherein each stator defines a curved compression race configured for receiving and compressing the discharge tube against the rotating rotor, the race having an input end and an output end, and the rotor being operated for pumping the food product from the input end to the output end, and in at least one of the loading and pumping positions a line extending between the input and output ends of the stator is disposed diagonally with respect to the vertical at an angle less than the displacement angle.22. The food dispenser of claim 17, wherein the bays are configured for receiving a cassette that contains the pouch, the food dispenser further comprising a thermal exchange device associated with the bays for heating or cooling the food within the cassettes received in the bays.23. A flowable food dispenser for dispensing a flowable food product, comprising:at least two bays each configured for receiving a pouch that contains the food product and has a discharge tube for discharging the food product; anda peristaltic pump disposed adjacent the bays for receiving the discharge tube extending from one of the bays, the peristaltic pumps comprising:a driven rotor, anda stator having a pumping position relative to the rotor for compressing the discharge tube therebetween and peristaltically pumping the food product with the discharge tube upon rotation of the rotor, the stator defining a curved compression race configured for receiving and compressing the discharge tube against the rotating rotor, the race having an input end and an output end, and the rotor being operated for pumping the food product from the input end to the output end;wherein the stator is movable to a loading position in which the stator is spaced from the respective rotor sufficiently to load and remove the discharge tube from therebetween, and in at least one of the loading and pumping positions a line extending between the input and output ends of the stator is disposed diagonally with respect to the vertical.24. The food dispenser of claim 23, wherein said line is disposed diagonally with respect to the vertical in both the pumping and loading positions.25. The food dispenser of claim 24, wherein the stator is movable in a direction diagonal to the horizontal between the pumping and loading positions.26. The food dispenser of claim 25, wherein the orientation of the stator in the loading and pumping positions is selected for substantially minimizing the horizontal width of the pump and of the combined width of the bays, which are disposed above the pump.27. The food dispenser of claim 23, wherein the diagonally disposed line is at an angle of between 10° and 80° with respect to the vertical.28. The food dispenser of claim of claim 23, wherein the bays are configured such that at least first and second cassettes containing the pouches are interchangeable between the bays, and the pump is disposed for pumping the food product from one of the bays and not the other such that said other bay is a temperature setting bay for heating or cooling the food product in the cassette therein, the cassette in the temperature setting bay being transferable to said one bay for association with the pump for dispensing the food product therefrom.29. A flowable food dispenser for dispensing flowable food product, comprising:a housing having first and second bays configured for receiving a pouch that contains the food product;at least one dispensing mechanism associated with the first and second bays for selectively dispensing the food from first and second discharge tubes from each pouch received in the first and second bays, respectively; anda dispensing guide disposed with respect to the dispensing mechanisms for aiming an exit opening of the discharge tubes, wherein the dispensing guide is reconfigurable for directing the food dispensed to locations at an adjustable distance from each other.30. The food dispenser of claim 29, wherein the dispensing guide is reconfigurable for selectively aiming the discharge tubes to direct the dispensed food therefrom to different location or to the substantially same location.31. The food dispenser of claim 30, further comprising a plurality of dispensing controls activatable by the user to selectively activate the dispensing mechanism to dispense the food from the discharge tubes independently or jointly.32. The food dispenser of claim 31, wherein the dispensing guide is configured for switching the controls and dispensing mechanism between an independent mode in which the controls activate the dispensing mechanism for dispensing the food from each bay independently, and a joint mode in which the controls activate the dispensing mechanism to dispense the food from both bays together depending on the configuration adjustment of the dispensing guide.33. A flowable food dispenser for dispensing flowable food product, comprising:a housing having first and second bays;a plurality of cassettes removably receivable within the bays, each cassette configured for receiving a pouch containing the food product;first and second thermal exchange devices associated with the first and second bays, respectively, in heat-exchanging association with the cassettes received therein, wherein the bays have a plurality of sides, and the first and second thermal exchange devices extend on the two largest opposite sides of the bays for heating or cooling corresponding opposite sides of the cassettes and pouches therein;a temperature control system connected with the thermal exchange devices for controlling the thermal exchange devices independently for independently heating or cooling the cassettes in the bays and the food product disposed therein; andat least one dispensing mechanism associated with the first and second bays for selectively dispensing the food from the pouches that are in the cassettes received in the bays.34. A flowable food dispenser for dispensing flowable food product, comprising:a housing having first and second bays;a plurality of cassettes removably receivable within the bays, each cassette configured for receiving a pouch containing the food product;first and second thermal exchange devices associated with the first and second bays, respectively, in heat-exchanging association with the cassettes received therein;a temperature control system connected with the thermal exchange devices for controlling the thermal exchange devices independently for independently heating or cooling the cassettes in the bays and the food product disposed therein;at least one dispensing mechanism associated with the first and second bays for selectively dispensing the food from the pouches that are in the cassettes received in the bays; anda third thermal exchange unit configured for circulating a fluid for heating or cooling the dispensing system and also at least one of the bays on one or more sides of the bay other than said opposite sides.35. A flowable food dispenser for dispensing flowable food product, comprising:a housing having first and second bays;a plurality of cassettes removably receivable within the bays, each cassette configured for receiving a pouch containing the food product;first and second thermal exchange devices associated with the first and second bays, respectively, in heat-exchanging association with the cassettes received therein;a temperature control system connected with the thermal exchange devices for controlling the thermal exchange devices independently for independently heating or cooling the cassettes in the bays and the food product disposed therein;at least one dispensing mechanism associated with the first and second bays for selectively dispensing the food from the pouches that are in the cassettes received in the bays; anda temperature sensing member associated with at least one of the bays and configured for sensing the temperature of the pouch within the cassette received in the at least one bay, wherein at least one of the cassettes defines a temperature sensing opening configured for receiving the temperature sensing member therethrough to contact the pouch therein, the temperature control system being associated with the temperature sensing member for operating at least one of the thermal exchange devices depending on the sensed temperature.