What is puffed food?
Puffed food refers to food made from grains (such as corn, rice, wheat), potatoes, beans, etc. as the main raw materials. After high temperature and high pressure treatment, the water in the raw materials is instantly vaporized, causing the tissue structure to expand and loosen, and finally forming a porous and crispy texture.
Main characteristics of puffed food
1.Puffing process:
The volume of raw materials is significantly increased (expansion rate can reach several times) by extrusion puffing, frying puffing, air puffing or microwave puffing.
Typical process: The raw materials are suddenly decompressed under high temperature and high pressure, and the water evaporates rapidly to form a porous structure.
2.Texture characteristics:
Crispy and light: the interior is full of uniform pores and has a crispy taste.
Easy to dissolve: Some products (such as baby rice cereal) dissolve quickly in water.
3.Common forms:
Flakes (potato chips), balls (popcorn), strips (shrimp strips), granules (breakfast cereals), etc.
Classification of puffed food
1.According to processing methods
Direct puffed food
Raw materials are directly puffed into shape, such as popcorn and puffed corn cobs.
Indirect puffed food
Puffing first and then secondary processing, such as spraying seasoning on the surface of puffed rice cakes
2.According to the puffing principle
Extrusion puffing (most common): high temperature and high pressure processing through a screw extruder (such as cheese rings).
Fried puffing: dehydration and expansion through frying (such as potato chips).
Airflow puffing: instant puffing with hot air (such as some fruit and vegetable crisps).
Microwave puffing: microwave heating to vaporize water (such as microwave popcorn).
3.According to the raw materials
Cereals (corn, rice), potatoes (potatoes, sweet potatoes), beans (soybeans, peas), etc.
Advantages and disadvantages of puffed foods
Advantages:
The taste is attractive and suitable for leisure consumption.
High digestion and absorption rate (puffing destroys anti-nutritional factors).
Can enhance nutrition (such as adding vitamins and proteins).
Disadvantages:
Some products are high in oil, salt, and sugar (such as fried puffed foods).
Excessive processing may lead to the loss of some nutrients (such as vitamin C).
Examples of typical puffed foods
Snacks | shrimp crackers, crispy corners. |
Breakfast | puffed oatmeal rings, corn flakes. |
Healthy food | non-additive puffed quinoa flakes, high-protein energy bars. |
Puffed food has become an important category in the modern food industry due to its diverse shapes and tastes, but it is important to choose healthy products with low oil and salt.
The history of puffed food: from ancient wisdom to modern innovation
1. Original sprouts (prehistoric period-18th century)
The earliest human puffing practice can be traced back to the Mesopotamian civilization in 3000 BC. Archaeological discoveries show that ancient people put grains on hot stone slabs to burst and eat. The "rice frying" process recorded in China's "Qimin Yaoshu" (6th century) and the popcorn made by the indigenous people of Central and South America all show the early wisdom of puffing.
2. The Industrial Revolution (19th century)
• 1824: The first steam-powered popcorn machine was introduced
• 1891: American Charles Cretors invented a mobile popcorn cart
• 1895: The Kellogg brothers accidentally discovered the puffing of wheat, which gave rise to corn flakes breakfast
3. Technological Revolution (20th century)
1930s: The birth of extrusion puffing technology
1936: The first commercial grain puffing machine
1946: Cheetos cheese bars were introduced
1950s-60s: Demand for space food drove development
NASA used puffing technology to make astronaut food
1970s: Japan developed rice cracker puffing technology
Brands such as Calbee emerged
4. Modern Innovation (21st century)
• Health transformation: non-fried, low-GI puffed foods
• Cross-border applications: 3D printed puffed foods, molecular cuisine
• Global market: The market size will exceed US$52 billion in 2023
Currently, puffing technology is developing towards precise nutritional control, clean labels and sustainable production, continuing the modern vitality of this ancient food technology.
Here we provide a full set of solutions from process guidance to equipment matching.
So how are puffed foods made? What equipment does puffing production line include? The equipment in the puffing production line mentioned here are all the equipment needed for puffed foods. Please discuss in detail the equipment that needs to be added for the specific food you want to make.
Puffing production line flow chart
1.Mixer ---2.Screw conveyor ---3.Twin-screw extruder ---4.Air Conveyor ---5.Oven ---6.Hoister ---7.Flavoring machine --- 8.Cooling Machine
The function ofpuffing making machine
1.Mixer: Mixer makes the raw material adding to water and other chemical additive fully mixed.
2.Screw Conveyor: Screw conveyor is advantage is suit for powder item that is bad fluidity. In food processing industry, it is for conveying flour, powder additives, seasoning powder ect. Here is used to elevate the mixed raw materials to extruder.
3.Twin Screw Extruder: Extruding different shapes by placing different molds. The screw has a self-cleaning function, and there is no need to disassemble the screw for cleaning when the machine is stopped
4.Air Conveyor: Usedto carry products to the next machine.
5.Oven: This machine is used to dry the snacks food. The heating temperature and the drying speed can be adjust. It can be used to bake and dry the food. The oven can bake all kinds of the inflating food, pet food, TVP/TSP food, peanut, nut, chew nut and so on. The temperature can be controlled willfully and designed according to the need.
6.Hoister: elevate products to flavoring machine
Flavoring Machine: Spray seasoning oil and powder onto the snacks so as to make the snacks tasteful.It can mix liquid, such as oil, honey, syrup, with snack food, beans, peanuts, chips, teas and other food.
7.Cooling Machine: Cooling the product easy to pack or store.
What are the advantages of the puffing production line?
1. Continuous operation, efficient production, and greatly increased production capacity
2. Stable product quality and high consistency
3. here are many types of food that can be made with a twin-screw extruder.
4. Our equipment adopts advanced frequency conversion control technology, which greatly reduces the consumption of electricity and labor.
5. We have well-known partners such as Siemens.
6. Our equipment is made of food-grade stainless steel, carbon steel, etc.
7. The control system of the twin screw extruder has three frequency converters, and the speed of rotary cutting, screw speed and feeding speed can be adjusted. It can save energy, adjust speed, protect, improve process level and quality, and extend the service life of equipment. The power of the motor can be adjusted by converting the power supply frequency, and the motor can be operated at a variable speed.
Above we talked about the meaning, history and puffing equipment of puffed food, etc. If you are interested, I will recommend a company to you, please continue reading.
Recommended Company
Shandong Loyal Industrial Co.,Ltd. Is a Manufacturer Of Snacks Extruder Machine , Industrial Microwave Oven , Corn Flakes Production Line , And a Standing Director Of China Food And Drying Equipment Industry Association.
The Self-developed Twin-screw Extruder And Single-screw Equipment of Shandong Loyal Machinery Have Been Used In Production: Puffed Snack Food, Breakfast Cereal Corn Flakes, Fried Pasta, Bread Crumbs, Fruit Chips, Baby Food, Textured Soy Protein (tsp) Food, Fish Feed And Pet Food. a Variety of Snack Production Line Supporting Products.at The Same Time, The Batching, Drying, Flaking, Baking, Frying And Spraying Equipment Matching The Twin-screw Extrusion System Have All Achieved Independent Design And Production.
Our Extrusion System Is Widely Used In: Puffed Snack Foods, Breakfast Cereals, Vegetable Protein Meat Products, Soy Based Nutrition Bars, Reconstituted Rice, Grain Nutrition Powder, Modified Starch, Starch-based Sticky Music Children's Educational Toys, Degradable Starch-based Packaging Filling Materials, Bread Crumbs And Other Food Additives, Pet Food, Aquatic Feed, Biology And Chemical Industries.
Customer-specific Food Processing Plant Project Solutions
As one of the leading manufacturers of food processing equipment, we are always searching for new solutions that benefit our snack food customers. Our experienced frying engineers always find the optimal solution for your industrial batch and continuous frying system line application. That's why we also develop, design and produce custom fried snack production line.
Close collaboration with our customer is important to us even in the early development phase. No matter what the special requirements of instant noodles production line, snack food extruder machine, pasta production line application, we can develop a custom made food processing equipment to match your needs.
Loyal have a unique and efficient industrial continuous frying equipment for snack food extruder machine that provides the right crunch and desired moisture level.
The Industrial Microwave Sterilization Defrosting Drying Machine can be designed as a dry powder dosing system and a wet slurry dosing system as required.
Some snacks can also be fried according to taste requirements, and we also provide Fried Snack Production Line for the processing and packaging of fried extruded snacks.
Loyal Food Production Line meet the needs of customers to obtain snack food that meet the needs.
In ovens or drying units, electric or gas can be used as heating sources.
Loyal have a unique and efficient industrial continuous frying equipment for snack food extruder machine that provides the right crunch and desired moisture level.
The Industrial Microwave Sterilization Defrosting Drying Machine can be designed as a dry powder dosing system and a wet slurry dosing system as required.
Some snacks can also be fried according to taste requirements, and we also provide Fried Snack Production Line for the processing and packaging of fried extruded snacks.
About packaging and after-sales service
Packing: Plastic Film Suitable For Ocean Carriage
Technical Support: The customer can inform machine related problems to us via telephone, email or fax. All information will be recorded and will be reported to the After-sale Service team. Meanwhile, the sales person will be tracking the case until problem solved.
Service Team:We have a professional After-sale Service team including10 professional engineers with at least 6 years working experience. They can handle technical consultation about manufacturing process, maintenance, fault diagnosis and troubleshooting, etc.
After-sale Service available :1.Check & test before delivery 2.Instruction for installation 3.On site commissioning 4.Repair & maintenance
After the receipt the advanced payment, we will provide allocation chart at the buyer’s request. When effect the shipment, we’ll provide operation manual, etc. in English.
Puffed food, a modern food processing achievement that combines technology and deliciousness, not only meets people's multiple needs for convenience, fun and nutrition, but also demonstrates the innovative power of the food industry.
From traditional popcorn and corn flakes to innovative pet puffed food, puffing technology is constantly breaking through the application boundaries and developing in a healthier and more functional direction.
In the future, with the popularization of low-oil, low-salt, and high-fiber formulas, and the in-depth application of puffing technology in special feeds, industrial raw materials and other fields, puffed food will not only be a snack, but also a food solution that takes into account nutrition, function and sustainable development.
When enjoying the diverse experience brought by puffed food, we must not only taste its unique taste, but also make rational choices, so that technology and health can jointly create a better future for diet.
The following are five authoritative foreign literature websites in the field of Industrial food machinery:
1. Food Engineering Magazine
Website: https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/
2.Food Processing Magazine
Website: https://www.foodprocessing.com/
3.Journal of Food Engineering
Website:https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-food-engineering
4. Food Manufacturing Magazine
Website:https://www.foodmanufacturing.com/
5. International Journal of Food Science & Technology
Website:https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/