Food products including artificial eyes or eye voids interspersed throughout the product are provided by forming a visco-elastic mass of the food product and combining pieces of solidified carbon dioxide with the visco-elastic mass. The solidified carbon dioxide sublimes throughout the visco-elastic mass and forms carbon dioxide gas. The carbon dioxide gas expands and forms eye voids nearly instantaneously and the fully formed eye voids are provided in the food product in a matter of hours. In addition, gaseous carbon dioxide stored under pressure, such as through encapsulation or in a pressurized vessel, is combined with a visco-elastic mass and the released carbon dioxide gas expands and forms eye voids defined within the visco-elastic mass.