Extrusion technology is used to make a lot of foods that we consume every day like breakfast cereals, snacks, pasta and confectionery, just to name a few. Extrusion is a versatile processing technology that combines multiple unit operations such as mixing, heating, cooking, shaping and forming into one integrated process.
What are the benefits of extrusion for industry?
Extrusion technology offers:
- integration of a variety of processes
- improved digestibility of proteins
- reduced anti-nutrients
- enhanced functionality
- on-site processing options.
What is CSIRO doing in extrusion?
Our food innovation centre is one of only a handful of research organisations in the world with specialist pilot-scale food processing expertise and facilities in food science and manufacturing, including extrusion technology.
Some of the novel extruded food products we're researching are below.
Waste utilisation
We've transformed under-utilised food biomass into extruded products containing:
- olive pomace, a waste stream from olive oil production, rich in dietary fibre and polyphenols
- canola meal, a by-product from canola oil processing, which contains around 40 per cent dietary fibre and 40 per cent protein
- vegetable and fruit biomass from waste or second grade produce
- meat, chicken and fish meal, and squid waste from processing.
Healthy grain food products
We're transforming ancient grains and pulses into:
- healthier cereal snacks, for example broccoli and carrot vegetable-dense snacks
- healthy snacks from chickpea and sorghum
- gluten-free pastas
- high protein gels.
What can CSIRO offer industry in extrusion technology?
We can help industry:
- develop customised extruded food formulations and processes
- develop prototype products
- with pilot-scale food grade extrusion production in conjunction with sensory evaluation and test marketing.