EXTRUSION TECHNOLOGY: AN EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING

Abstract

Extrusion technology is an efficient method of producing varieties of new food products with minimal loss of nutrients. It is a food processing technique that integrates numerous unit activities such as mixing, heating, kneading, shearing, shaping, and forming into a single process. Food extrusion is a type of extrusion that is used in the food processing industry. It is a procedure in which a mixture of materials is driven through an aperture in a perforated plate or die with a food-specific pattern, and then cut to size by blades. The extruder is the machine that drives the mixture through the die, and the mixture is known as the extrudate. The extruder is made out of a big revolving screw that is firmly fitted into a stationary barrel, with the die at the end.This paper focuses on the operational practises used in the food processing business as well as their effects on various foods and their physiochemical properties. Extrusion processing is significant in food processing because it is used to make pasta, textured vegetable protein (TVP), ready-to-eat cereal snacks, baby meals, morning cereals, dietary fibre, pet foods, cereal-based modified starch, and conventional items. Extrusion cooking aids in the inactivation of enzymes and lowers microbial activity, Because of the high temperature, extrusions have an influence on the quality of food items. The most significant influence is on nutritional and physio-chemical characteristics. Because of the forward shifting of chemical structure, nature of protein, carbohydrates, and other elements. Extruded products are manufactured using many types of extruders. Key-words: Extrusion, minimal processing technology, extruded products, ready-to-eat cereal snacks, and HTST.