How they take on water and therefore on how they react in the process

[Adam Fleming]

For any product that is being produced using the extrusion process; raw materials and their characteristics are the most important variable.

Grasp of why things happen as they do in the process and why the process and product being produced react as they do, can come about only when there is a basic understanding of the raw materials and how they flow, cook and potentially over-process.

Since different types of ingredients have different properties; each ingredient reacts very differently during the process and as the product’s defining characteristics are produced. For example, both starches and proteins undergo fundamental transformations during processing, but those transformations are very different from one another.

What complicates matters further is that most ingredients used in the process are a combination of the fundamental components (carbohydrates, protein, fat, etc.). So, all components are processing at the same time and undergoing a complex combination of transformations.

Insights into how raw material work in food extrusion

A fundamental understanding of the raw materials that are used, and their properties, is essential to knowing how to select raw materials during the product development phase as well as understanding how changes in raw materials are contributing to processing difficulties during production.

A webinar that is being organized by Compliance4All, a leading provider of professional trainings for all the areas of regulatory compliance, will offer understanding of these matters relating to raw materials for food extrusion processing.

Dr. Brad Strahm, who is a Principal with the XIM Group, LLC, a firm providing consulting services in the area of product development, process engineering, troubleshooting equipment engineering, and project management; will be the speaker at this webinar. to know more about this area from this expert, please register for this webinar by visiting Food Extrusion Processing

Discussion of raw materials used in extrusion

Dr. Strahm will offer fundamental food-science information about the raw materials that are typically used in the extrusion process of food products. The material covered will include information covering the structure, characteristics and cooking of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and other additives important to the food extrusion cooking process.

Dr. Strahm will talk extensively about carbohydrates, which will include extensive information about starches – the most common component in extruded food products. Other aspects such as structure, cooking requirements, selection based on flavor, appearance and texture will also be explained. The speaker will also explain other carbohydrates such as fiber and sugar and their impact on the extrusion process and on developing the functional aspects of the extruded food product.

Proteins and fats

Proteins are also very important in extruded food products, even though they react very differently and their structure is very different from that of carbohydrates. Proteins play an important role in meat analog products as well as in protein enriched foods that are popular today.

The speaker will also talk about fats, which are also an important component in extruded products and have a large lubricating effect on the process. Fats also have an important energy-dense role to play in food products. The particle size of the raw materials plays an important role in how they take on water and therefore on how they react in the process. In this discussion, Dr. Strahm will talk about particle size as well as particle size distribution and its impact on efficiently producing quality product.

Many additives that are often used in extruded products that have a large impact on the process and on the product produced will be discussed. The speaker will share a few tricks of the trade for modifying cell structure and texture with the participants.

In this webinar, which will be of high value and usefulness to professionals associated with food processing and cooking, such as Product Developers, Production Managers, Production Operators, Quality Assurance Technicians, Purchasing Agents and Maintenance Personnel; Dr. Strahm will cover the following areas:

o  Carbohydrates: starch, fiber, sugars

o  Proteins: plant and animal sources

o  Fats

o  Additives

o  Importance of particle size.