How the Extrusion Process is Used in the Food Industry
The development of the extrusion process has provided the plastic industry with a platform from which it has been able to develop a wealth of products and solutions.
This is due to the process’s versatility, flexibility and range of aesthetics, among other things.
But it is not just the plastic industry that has adopted extrusion into its manufacturing processes. Extrusion is also used extensively within the food industry, and the process is not far from how plastics are handled.
Food Extrusion Process
In the food industry, extrusion sees ingredients ground to the correct size (often like flour). It is then sent to be mixed with any other necessary components and cooked using steam. Finally, the mixture of soft ingredients is forced through a die which is specifically designed to shape the product as desired and then cut it into a predetermined size.
Examples of foods that are extruded include:
- Pasta
- Cereal
- Breadcrumbs
- Cookie dough
- Pre-made snacks
- Baby food
- Pet Food
- Chewing gum
- Dried soups and beverages
Extruded Food Benefits
Extrusion, in one form or another, has been in use within the food industry since the early 1900s, although it was actually first used in the 1800s to produce sausages.
This is because the extrusion process lends itself extremely well to mass production, so manufacturers can produce large quantities of food, quickly and efficiently.
Additionally, extrusion also ensures a level of consistency to food products that are expected and required within the food industry. This is especially the case when mass producing branded products, for quality control.
There are also a number of chemical changes which occur when extruding food that can benefit the final product.
These include things such as the breakdown of certain naturally occurring toxins and the reduction of microorganisms.
