Food Extrusion Technology

Who Should Attend?
This course is designed to explain the fundamentals of food extrusion and illustrate the application to food processing operations. The program will be of particular value to:
  • Food scientists, technologists, technicians and engineers working in R&D
     and operations involved with food extruders
  • Managers and individuals employed by cereal, snack, pet food, modified
     starches and proteins manufacturers

The course will also appeal to professionals working in allied industries, equipment manufacturers and ingredient suppliers involved with food extrusion.

Course Description

Food extrusion has become a very important processing operation. Today, the food extruder is used to produce pasta and other cold formed products, ready-to eat cereals, snacks, pet food, aquatic feeds, confectionery products, modified starches for soup, infant food and instant foods, beverage bases and texturized vegetable proteins.

This 12 hour ON DEMAND course is designed to provide a thorough background in extrusion principles and practice. Details of both single and twin screw extrusion of foods will be covered. Emphasis will be placed on describing the basic scientific and process engineering principles to extrusion operation in a simple, clear and concise approach that enables good understanding of the extrusion process.

This fundamental approach will lead directly to the discussion of the control and operation of extruders to optimize production and product quality.

The chemical nature and modifications of food components making up the ingredients commonly used in extrusion operations will be described. Combined with a better understanding of extrusion principles, the course should lead to better understood, controlled and optimum extrusion operation.

Course Director
	Dr. Brad Strahm, Principal, The XIM Group, LLC

Dr. Brad Strahm is a Principal with The XIM Group, LLC, a firm providing consulting services in the area of product development, process engineering, equipment engineering, and project management located in Sabetha, KS. Dr. Strahm holds degrees in Agricultural Engineering from Kansas State University and Business Administration from Kennedy- Western University.

Dr. Strahm had 12 years of experience participating in extrusion, drying, and laboratory research and sales support with Wenger Manufacturing before founding The XIM Group in 2005. His unique blend of experience and expertise in food chemistry, process engineering, and equipment engineering lends itself to a robust understanding and ability to communicate about all aspects of extrusion. He has written and contributed to numerous technical papers, magazine articles, and book chapters related to extrusion, food polymer science and other areas of food and feed processing and is an accomplished lecturer at a number of extrusion-related short courses for the food and feed processing industries.