EXTRUSION PROCESS AND SYSTEM WITH VENT STUFFER FOR PROCESSING HYGROSCOPIC STARTING MATERIAL

Abstract

The invention relates generally to an extrusion process using at least one hygroscopic starting material. More specifically, the present invention relates to an extrusion process using at least one hygroscopic starting material wherein a vent stuffer is located down-stream of a feeding location and up-stream of a first kneading and melting section.

Claims

1. An extrusion process comprising the steps of: a) feeding an extruder barrel with at least one hygroscopic starting material; b) a vent stuffer at a location down-stream of the feeding location of step a) and up-stream of a first kneading and melting section; and c) extruding the mixture.

2. The extrusion process according to claim 1, wherein the resultant product is a food or confectionary product.

3. The extrusion process according to claim 1, wherein the resultant product is a food.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the hygroscopic starting material has a water activity between 0.1 to 0.4 and a transition temperature below 40° C.

5. The process according to claim 4, wherein the hygroscopic starting material has an water activity between 0.1 to 0.4 and a glass transition temperature between −10° C. to 40° C.

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein a vacuum of the vent stuffer is from 400 to 950mbar.

7. The process according to claim 1, wherein the kneading and melting section is an area in the extrusion process wherein the glass transition temperature of the mixture is exceeded through thermo-mechanical energy.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein a liquid is injected into the extruder.

9. The process according to claim 1, wherein the extrusion process does not include a vent stuffer at a location down-stream of a first kneading and melting section and a front plate.

10. An extruder system suitable for extruding compositions with at least one hygroscopic starting material, comprising: an extruder, a dry-feed dosing system, a vent stuffer, one or more extruder barrels, a liquid injection system and a front plate, wherein the vent stuffer is at a location down-stream of the feeding location and up-stream of the a first kneading and melting section of the extruder system.

11. The extruder system according to claim 10, wherein extruder system does not include a vent stuffer at a location down-stream of a first kneading and melting section and a front plate.

12-14. (canceled)

Description

EXAMPLES

[0031] The invention is further described with reference to the following examples. It will be appreciated that the invention as claimed is not intended to be limited in any way by these examples. The following recipe is used to demonstrate the beneficial effect of a vent stuffer using hygroscopic starting material within an extrusion process.

TABLE-US-00001 Ingredients Weight-% Yeast Extract 30 Powdered Biohydrolysates 30 Maltodextrine 15 Sugar 10 Salt 15

[0032] A dry mix of the above mentioned ingredients are added by a dry-feed dosing to an extruder barrel.

[0033] In case no vent stuffer was used within the second extruder barrel the process had to be stopped after 1 hour at a throughput of 150 kg/h as caking of the hygroscopic starting material occurred in the feeding area of the extruder system.

[0034] In case a vent stuffer was used at a location down-stream of the feeding location and up-stream of a first kneading and melting section (within the second extruder barrel) no caking of the hygroscopic starting material occurred within the process after 3 hour at a throughput of 300 kg/h and a vacuum of the vent stuffer of 700 mbar. It has been observed that a higher throughput will result in a quicker caking in case no vent stuffer is used. Therefore with the usage of a vent stuffer at a location down-stream of the feeding location and up-stream of a first kneading and melting section the throughput of extruded product has been increased as well as the operation time without any caking has been observed.