Extrusion Processing of Food Products
Summary
Extrusion processing is a high-throughput thermo-mechanical technique employed to convert diverse food ingredients into a wide array of products such as expanded snacks, ready-to-eat segments, pasta and fortified meal components. Raw materials—including cereals, legumes, vegetable and fruit by-products—are blended at controlled moisture levels and conveyed into an extruder where they undergo progressive compression, heating and mechanical shear. Under these conditions, starch granules gelatinise, proteins denature and polymeric structures reconfigure, yielding characteristic changes in texture, density and functional properties. The process offers advantages of scalability, energy efficiency and versatility across feedstock compositions, enabling manufacturers to enhance nutritional value through improved digestibility, inactivation of antinutritional factors and incorporation of bioactive compounds. Global research interest reflects a shift towards sustainable valorisation of agricultural residues, development of plant-based formulations and creation of appealing textures for on-the-go consumption. Advances in screw configuration, barrel design and process control continue to expand the boundaries of product innovation, while balancing quality with economic and environmental objectives.
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Extrusion Processing of Food Products publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in extrusion processing of food products across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Extrusion cooking: A process combining heat, pressure and shear to transform mixed food ingredients into expanded or shaped products.
Extruder: A machine in which ingredients are conveyed, compressed and heated by rotating screws within a heated barrel.
Expansion ratio: The ratio of the cross-sectional area of an extrudate after exiting the die to the area of the die opening, indicative of puffing.
Shear forces: Mechanical stresses generated by screw rotation that contribute to macromolecular breakdown and texturisation.
Thermo-mechanical treatment: Combined application of thermal energy and mechanical work that alters the physicochemical properties of food components.
References
- Thermal and textural properties of extruded rice affect its cooking performances and the texture of the steamed extruded rice. Grain & Oil Science and Technology (2024).
- Use of Legumes in Extrusion Cooking: A Review. Foods (2020).
- Utilization of Food Processing By-products in Extrusion Processing: A Review. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems (2021).
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