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Food Science & Technology vocabulary · Food Processing

Extrusion

Meaning in food science & technology, with examples

/ɪkˈstruʒən/nounCommon term

In food science & technology, extrusion means: A process that forces a food mixture through a shaped opening called a die, often while cooking it with heat and pressure, to make products like pasta, snacks and breakfast cereals.

In Turkish: ekstrüzyon

How it is used

An extruder has one or two screws (single-screw or twin-screw) inside a heated barrel. In cooking extrusion, the product expands as it leaves the die because its water flashes into steam. Operators control screw speed, temperature, moisture and die pressure. It is also used for textured plant protein and pet food.

Example sentences

  1. Extrusion lets us make corn snacks in many shapes just by changing the die.

  2. Higher moisture during extrusion gave a denser, less crunchy snack.

Common collocations

  • twin-screw extrusion
  • cooking extrusion
  • extruded snacks
  • extrusion die
  • screw speed
  • food processingThe methods that turn raw agricultural products into foods that are safer, last longer, are easier to use or are more appealing, from washing and cutting to cooking and packing.
  • textureThe way a food feels in the hand and mouth, such as hard, soft, crisp, chewy, smooth or creamy, which comes from its physical structure.
  • moisture contentThe amount of water in a food, usually given as a percentage of its weight and measured by drying a sample and weighing the loss.
  • production lineA connected series of machines and work stations through which a product moves step by step from raw material to packed finished goods.

More terms: Food Processing

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