THE COMBINED APPLICATION OF SUPERCRITICAL-FLUID AND EXTRUSION TECHNOLOGY

The supercritical fluid extrusion (SCFX) process has the potential for producing a range of puffed food products, such as ready-to-eat cereals, pasta and confectionery products, with improved texture, color and taste. The conventional extrusion process has some limitations with regard to the process-related product characteristics. The SCFX process has been successful in overcoming some of these limitations, making extrusion a more versatile and controllable process. Some novel products produced using the SCFX process are presented in this article in the light of the above remarks. The principles of the SCFX process are described with particular focus on the thermodynamic and theological fundamentals underlying the process improvements.