14
Extrusion cooking
M. E. Camire, University of Maine
14.1 Introduction
Extrusion cooking is a relatively recent form of food processing. Forcing
material through a hole is the process of extrusion. Sausage extruders were devel-
oped in the nineteenth century as simple forming machines. Eventually pasta was
produced in extruders. Flour and water were added at one end of the machine,
and a screw mixed and compressed the dough before extruding it through numer-
ous holes or dies that gave the pasta its shape. During the 1930s heat was added
to the barrel containing the screw; puffed corn curl snacks resulted. The pressure
developed as the dough moved along the screw; this, together with the heat under
pressure, caused the corn to puff upon exiting the dies. As extrusion cooking
processed more types of food, extruders became more specialised for food
applications. Twin-screw extruders containing two screws were adapted from the
polymer industry, and these machines are considerably more versatile than are
single screw extruders. Extruded products are often subjected to further process-
ing, such as frying, baking, and rolling.
The improved mixing ability of these extruders provided impetus for further
product development. Table 14.1 lists major food categories produced by extru-
sion cooking. Extrusion cooking can be performed as either a batch or con-
tinuous operation, offering many advantages over conventional food processing
methods (Table 14.2) (Harper, 1981). Several manufacturers produce cooking
extruders. Laboratory-size extruders have screw diameters of 10–30 mm and
throughputs of up to a few hundred kilogram per hour. The length of the barrels
for these research extruders, which are the most common machines cited in the
literature, varies from about one to two meters. Production-sized extruders can
create thousands of kilogram of product per hour.
Extrusion cooking 315
Table 14.1 Common food products prepared by extrusion cooking
Category Examples
Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals Puffed cereals
Flaked cereals
High-fiber strands
Snacks Puffed snacks
Half-products or pellets (third generation snacks)
Crispbreads
Confections Licorice
Chocolate
Texturised protein Soy meat analogues
Restructured seafood
Processed cheese
Infant foods Biscuits
Weaning cereals
Table 14.2 Unique advantages of extrusion cooking
a
Batch or continuous processing
High throughput
Low labor and energy costs
Variety of products produced and types of ingredients that
can be processed
Control of thermal/mechanical environment
Negligible effluent
a
Adapted from Harper (1981).
14.1.1 Unique aspects of extrusion cooking
Most extruders act as heat exchangers, and they also shape and form food
products. Mixing, dehydration, and pasteurisation and sterilisation are other unit
operations that typically occur during extrusion. Aside from thermal destruction
of nutrients, the shear that develops within the extruder barrel can damage food
chemicals. Temperature can be controlled by many means including limiting
direct heating, adding water, and increasing throughput. Shear may be reduced by
using low-shear screw elements, increasing water or lipid content, modifying
screw speed (based on other parameters), and by reducing pressure at the die.
Extrusion research often focuses upon one to four variables, although screen-
ing studies should be performed to identify key factors. Extruder operators may
select parameters such as screw speed, feed moisture, and barrel temperature as
primary factors, that in turn determine a secondary set of factors: specific mechan-
ical energy (SME), product or mass temperature (PT) and pressure (Meuser
and van Lengerich, 1984). These factors influence the viscosity of the food within
the extruder barrel, the residence time of the material in the extruder, and the
shear applied to the food (Fig. 14.1). Variations caused by feed composition
and prior processing of the feed materials are important sources of experimental
variation.
Extrusion can produce safe, lightweight, shelf-stable foods that can be stored
for use during famines and natural disasters. Simple single screw extruders are
fairly inexpensive and simple to maintain so these machines can be used in less-
developed nations to produce weaning and other foods. Harper and Jansen (1985)
have reviewed advantages and limitations of extrusion for weaning foods. Fric-
tion from the rotation of the screw can cook the food thoroughly, reducing pro-
duction costs for fuel sources. Extruders can blend diverse ingredients, permitting
government and relief agencies to use donated foods such as dried milk as well
as indigenous crops such as beans, millet, and cassava. Extruded pellets can be
ground, then mixed with milk or water as needed to form gruel for infants.
Functional ingredients such as soy and botanicals that are relatively unpalat-
able alone can be incorporated into new food items by extrusion. Traditional
foods such as rye crispbread can be further enhanced by addition of extra dietary
fiber or other ingredients during extrusion. A relatively new form of extrusion
known as wet extrusion operates at higher moisture contents (>40%) and lower
316 The nutrition handbook for food processors
Primary extrusion factors
Extruder model
Feed composition, particle size, preconditioning
Feed rate
Added water rate
Barrel temperature
Screw configuration and speed
Die number and geometry
Secondary extrusion factors
Mass or product temperature
Viscosity
Pressure
Specific mechanical energy
Nutrient changes
Retention
Destruction
Bioavailability
Fig. 14.1 Interrelationships of extruder variables and their potential effects on nutrients.
barrel temperatures (Akdogan, 1999). These conditions permit extrusion and
texturisation of high-protein materials since protein denaturation is limited. Very
little has yet been published on the effects of wet extrusion on nutrient retention,
but nutrient destruction should be considerably less than in conventional extru-
sion cooking.
14.2 Impact on key nutrients: carbohydrates
Reducing sugars such as glucose and lactose participate in Maillard reactions,
which will be discussed further in section 14.3. The shear forces during extru-
sion can also create reducing sugars from complex carbohydrates as well as from
sucrose and other sugars. Sucrose losses of up to 20% were found in protein-
enriched biscuits (Noguchi and Cheftel, 1983). While sucrose loss may affect
product color and flavor, there is an opportunity to reduce the content of
indigestible oligosaccharides that can cause flatulence. Sucrose, raffinose and
stachyose decreased significantly in extruded pinto bean high-starch fractions
(Borejszo and Khan, 1992). Corn-soy snacks had lower levels of both stachyose
and raffinose compared to unextruded soy grits and flour, but values were not
corrected for the 50–60% corn present (Omueti and Morton, 1996). Starch and
stachyose were lower in extruded peas compared to raw peas (Alonso et al, 2000),
but an increase in total free sugars did not fully account for these losses
(Fig. 14.2).
Extrusion cooking 317
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Starch Stachyose Total free sugars
*
*
*
Raw
Extruded
g/kg
Fig. 14.2 Carbohydrate changes (g/kg dry matter) due to extrusion of peas (Pisum
sativum L) at an exit temperature of 145 °C and 25% feed moisture. (Adapted from Alonso
et al, 2000)
Starch is usually the major food constituent in extruded foods such as break-
fast cereals, snacks and weaning foods. Humans and other monogastric species
do not readily digest native or ungelatinised starch. Unlike many thermal
processes, extrusion cooking gelatinises starch at fairly low (12–22%) moisture
levels. Removal of cooking water is not a problem, and leaching of water-soluble
nutrients is avoided. Increased temperature, shear, and pressure during extrusion
increase the rate of gelatinisation, but lipids, sucrose, dietary fiber and salts can
retard gelatinisation (Jin et al, 1994). While full gelatinisation may not occur
during extrusion, digestibility is often improved (Wang, S et al, 1993).
During extrusion, starch molecules can be physically broken into smaller,
more digestible fragments. For example, amylopectin branches can be sheared
off the main molecule, with larger molecules experiencing the greatest effect
(Politz et al, 1994b). Both amylose and amylopectin molecules may be affected,
however. Molecular weight in extruded wheat starch was retained better under
processing conditions of higher die temperature (185 °C) and feed moisture (20%)
(Politz et al, 1994a). Screw configurations using more reverse and high-shear ele-
ments favor starch breakdown (Gautam and Choudhoury, 1999).
Lower molecular weight starch fragments may be sticky, thereby increasing
the risk for dental caries, since bacteria in the mouth rapidly ferment these
dextrins. Toothpack, the amount of material retained on teeth, has been used as
an indication of the severity of extrusion processing. Bj?rck and co-workers
(1984) found that white wheat flour extruded under ‘mild’ and ‘severe’ condi-
tions caused drops in dental plaque pH comparable to those obtained with
glucose.
While easily-digested starch is desirable for infants and invalids, the resulting
rapid post-prandial rise in blood sugar and insulin levels is thought to be a risk
factor for development of insulin insensitivity and Type II, or adult-onset,
diabetes. Extrusion offers the ability to reduce the high glycemic index (GI) of
some foods by converting starch to digestion-resistant starch (RS). Theander and
Westerlund (1987) reported transglycosidation in extruded wheat flour, presum-
ably from attachment of sheared amylopectin branches to other reactive sites. The
resulting novel bonds would be resistant to digestion by enzymes. Addition of
high amylose starch also reduces digestibility. As much as 30% resistant starch
was reported when high amylose starch was reacted with pullulanase prior to
extrusion (Chiu et al, 1994). Extruded high amylose rice noodles had lower starch
digestibility and reduced GI (Panlasigui et al, 1992).
An evolving area of research involves the use of additives to promote RS for-
mation. Adding 30% corn, potato or wheat starch did not increase RS values in
cornmeal, but RS and fiber values more than doubled when 7.5% citric acid was
used, and 30% high-amylose cornstarch with 5 or 7.5% citric acid resulted in
values of 14%, compared with slightly more than 2% in 100% cornmeal (Unlu
and Faller, 1998). Polydextrose may have been formed during extrusion. Limi-
tations to this approach would be the expenses of the additives and sour taste of
the extrudates. Yields of up to 93.7% oligosaccharides and polydextrose were
318 The nutrition handbook for food processors
reported when glucose-citric acid mixtures were extruded at different barrel tem-
peratures (Hwang et al, 1998).
Longer cellulose fibers added to cornstarch decreased starch solubility
(Chinnaswamy and Hanna, 1991). Removal of insoluble dietary fiber from
wheat flour in combination with 20% protein addition resulted in pasta with
significantly delayed dextrin release under in vitro digestion conditions (Fardet
et al, 1999), possibly due to enhanced protein–starch interactions. Amylose
forms complexes with lipids during extrusion, thereby reducing both starch and
lipid availability. This phenomenon will be addressed in section 14.4.
The term dietary fiber is used to describe nondigestible carbohydrates and
associated compounds such as lignin. Although a global definition of dietary fiber
does not yet exist, there is a consensus that adequate fiber consumption is essen-
tial for good health. Analytical methods for quantitating dietary fiber vary con-
siderably. The AOAC total dietary fiber method used for US nutritional labeling
does not measure compounds that are soluble in 80% aqueous ethanol such as
certain fructans and polydextrose, and this procedure does not detect changes in
extruded fiber solubility. If different dietary fiber fractions are not analysed sepa-
rately, it is possible to overlook important changes in dietary fiber composition
and functionality caused by extrusion.
Like starch, branched dietary fiber molecules are susceptible to shear. The
smaller fragments may be soluble in water. Fragments may also combine to form
large insoluble complexes that may be analysed as lignin. Although extrusion did
not affect pectin, both soluble and insoluble nonstarch polysaccharides (NSP) were
increased in extruded oatmeal and potato peels (Camire and Flint, 1991). Corn
meal fiber was unaffected by extrusion under the same conditions as the other
foods. Extruded beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L) had total fiber values comparable to
those before extrusion, but a redistribution of insoluble to soluble fiber occurred
(Martín-Cabrejas et al, 1999). Sugar beet pectin and hemicellulose molecular
weight decreased with extrusion, and water solubility of those compounds in-
creased by 16.6 to 47.5% (Ralet et al, 1991). Extrusion increased the solubility of
beta-glucans in regular and waxy barley cultivars (Gaosong and Vasanthan, 2000).
Does the ‘soluble’ fiber created during extrusion have the same health ben-
efits as natural forms such as pectin and b-glucan? Viscous gels formed in the
small intestine trap bile acids and thus may contribute to lower serum cholesterol
levels; the soluble fiber matrix is also thought to slow glucose absorption from
the small intestine. Extrusion increased the viscosity of aqueous suspensions of
wheat, oats and barley (Wang and Klopfenstein, 1993). Although increased in
vitro viscosity was correlated with higher levels of soluble citrus peel fiber after
extrusion (Gourgue et al, 1994), in vitro starch digestion and glucose diffusion
were unaffected. Extrusion of wheat flakes containing guar gum did not reduce
the guar gum’s ability to lower post-prandial blood glucose and insulin in healthy
adults (Fairchild et al, 1996). In an intervention study involving middle-aged men
with hyperlipidemia, baked goods fortified with 92 g/day extruded dry white
beans did not lower serum lipoproteins (Oosthuizen et al, 2000).
Extrusion cooking 319
14.3 Proteins
Two reviews of protein extrusion have been published (Camire, 1991; Arêas,
1992). The effects of extrusion on protein nutrition have been studied extensively
for animal feeds and for human weaning foods. Total protein changes very little
during most extrusion operations. Changes in nutritional quality may be over-
looked if only total nitrogen is assayed; animal feeding studies or in vitro protein
digestibility testing should be performed on products that are designed to provide
significant amounts of high-quality protein. Disulfide and other covalent cross-
linking, aggregation and fragmentation are among reactions reported in the litera-
ture. Free radical reactions are significant during wheat flour extrusion (Schaich
and Rebello, 1999).
Excessive Maillard browning can result in losses of lysine up to approximately
50% (de la Gueriviere et al, 1985). High barrel temperature, low moisture, and
high shear promote Maillard reactions. Browning may occur even when reduc-
ing sugars are excluded from formulations because new reducing sugars may be
formed from hydrolysis of sucrose, starch, and other polysaccharides. In a model
system of wheat starch, glucose and lysine, low pH increased Maillard reactions
(Bates et al, 1994). Lysine can be preserved, however, if extruder operating
conditions and formulations are carefully balanced. Corn-soy blends extruded
for reconstitution as porridge or gruel had good lysine retention (Konstance et al,
1998).
Extrusion may improve protein digestibility by denaturating proteins, ex-
posing enzyme-accessible sites. Enzymes and enzyme inhibitors generally lose
activity due to denaturation. Reductions in protease inhibitors can contribute to
better plant protein utilisation. Although a single test for protein denaturation is
not used internationally, protein solubility in water or aqueous solutions is com-
monly used to assess the extent of denaturation. High shear extrusion conditions
in particular promote denaturation (Della Valle et al, 1994), although mass tem-
perature and moisture are also important factors. Protein solubility is reduced in
pasta despite the low process temperatures used in pasta making (Ummadi et al,
1995).
The mechanism for cholesterol lowering by a diet with soy protein is not well
understood, but the lysine/arginine ratio may play an important role. Health
effects of food proteins could be significantly affected by extrusion cooking if
lysine is selectively lost via Maillard reactions. Extrusion-texturised soy isolate
fed to rats had similar effects as nonextruded soy on serum cholesterol, choles-
terol and steroid fecal excretion, or protein nutrition (Fukui et al, 1993). In another
rat study, amino acid-supplemented extruded pea (Pisum sativum L., cv. Ballet)
seed meal lowered total and LDL cholesterol as well as did supplemented raw
seeds compared with a control diet (Alonso et al, 2001). The peas were extruded
under fairly mild conditions (145 °C exit temperature and feed moisture of 25%),
but antinutritional factors were adequately inactivated, as evidenced by lower
pancreatic weights in rats fed the extruded peas. Amaranth protein has a
lysine/arginine ratio similar to soy. LDL cholesterol in rabbits fed an extruded
320 The nutrition handbook for food processors
amaranth diet for 21 days was less than half that in animals fed a casein control
diet (Plate and Areas, 2002).
14.4 Lipids
Extruded foods are generally low in lipid content, but fat is often added post-
extrusion by frying or spraying of lipids to hold seasonings. Generally, foods
containing less than 10% lipids are extruded because greater quantities of lipids
reduce slip within the extruder barrel, making extrusion difficult, particularly
for expanded products. Single screw extruders can process lipid levels of
12–17%, while twin screw extruders with proper screw configurations can handle
feed lipid contents as high as 22% (Riaz, 2001). Extruders are used in oilseed
extraction because the heat and shear disrupt cellular tissue and free oil (Nelson
et al, 1987).
An early problem in extrusion was the apparent disappearance of lipids during
processing. Starch–lipid complexes formed during extrusion are resistant to some
lipid extraction procedures. Lipid recovery is higher when extruded foods are first
digested with acid or amylase, then extracted with ether or another organic
solvent. While total fat was not significantly changed in extruded whole wheat,
just half of ether-extractable lipids were detected (Wang, W-M et al, 1993). In
the same study, wheat bran had more free lipids after extrusion. Cornmeal
extruded at lower barrel temperatures (50–60 °C or 85–90 °C) had greater than
75% of its lipids bound, but extrusion at 120–125 °C bound 70% of the lipids
(Guzman et al, 1992).
Other nutritional aspects of lipids before and after extrusion have been studied
very little. Both docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) acids were
retained in extruded chum salmon muscle with 10% wheat flour (Suzuki et al,
1988). Unlike other processing methods, extrusion cooking does not promote
significant cis-trans isomerisation of unsaturated lipids. Corn and soy blends had
1.5% more trans-fatty acids after extrusion (Maga, 1978). Formation of free
radicals and subsequent lipid oxidation could have nutritional implications. Artz
et al (1992) reviewed extrusion factors affecting lipid oxidation. Screw and barrel
wear raise levels of pro-oxidant minerals in extruded foods. For example, iron
and peroxide values were higher in extruded rice and dhal compared to dried
products (Semwal et al, 1994). Increased surface area in expanded products is
another factor increasing oxidation. Factors that retard oxidation in extruded
foods include denaturation of lipolytic enzymes, formation of starch-lipid com-
plexes, and creation of antioxidant Maillard compounds.
14.5 Vitamins
Killeit (1994) reviewed vitamin retention in extruded foods. More research on
the bioavailability of added and endogenous vitamins is needed, particularly in
Extrusion cooking 321
light of fortification programs for folate and other vitamins. Concerns of reduced
vitamin levels prompt some manufacturers to apply vitamins post-extrusion as a
spray. More recent research has focused on vitamin stability in feeds. Fat-coated
ascorbic acid, menadione, pyridoxine and folic acid were retained better than
were crystalline forms in extruded fish feed (Marchetti et al, 1999).
Although many extruded foods do not naturally have high levels of lipid-
soluble vitamins, stability of these nutrients is a concern for fortified foods. Over
50% of all trans-beta-carotene in wheat flour were destroyed when barrel tem-
perature increased from 125 to 200 °C (Guzman-Tello and Cheftel, 1990). The
degradation process is not straightforward. Fifteen degradation products of all
trans-beta-carotene dispersed in corn starch were recovered after twin-screw
extrusion (Marty and Berset, 1988). Retention of retinyl palmitate in tapioca
snacks mixed with either fish or protein flour was 52% and 73%, respectively
after extrusion (Suknark et al, 2001).
Vitamins D and K are fairly stable during food processing, but are not used
in many extruded human foods. Vitamin E and related tocopherols function as
both vitamin and antioxidant. Gamma and delta tocopherols underwent greater
losses (~40%) during extrusion than did alpha and beta forms (23–28%) (Suknark
et al, 2001). Rice bran tocopherol decreased as extrusion temperature increased;
bran extruded at 120–140 °C lost more tocopherols over a year’s storage than did
bran extruded at 110 °C (Shin et al, 1997). Less than 20% of vitamin E was
retained in extruded and drum-dried wheat flour (Wennermark, 1993). The sta-
bility of lipid-soluble vitamins is shown in Table 14.3.
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) decreased in wheat flour when extruded at higher
barrel temperatures at fairly low moisture (10%) (Andersson and Hedlund, 1991).
Blueberry concentrate appeared to protect 1% added vitamin C in an extruded
breakfast cereal compared to a product containing just corn, sucrose, and ascor-
bic acid (Chaovanalikit, 1999). When ascorbic acid was added to cassava starch
322 The nutrition handbook for food processors
Table 14.3 Stability of lipid-soluble vitamins during the
production of tapioca–peanut flour snacks
Processing step Vitamin content (g/100 g), fat- and
moisture-free basis
Total tocopherols Retinyl palmitate
Raw material 14.44
b
2.74
a
Extrusion 10.55
c
2.19
b
Drying to form 10.36
c
1.92
c
half-product
Frying 43.18
a
2.00
c
Different letters within columns indicate statistically significant dif-
ferences.
Adapted from Suknark et al, 2001.
to increase starch conversion, retention of over 50% occurred at levels of
0.4–1.0% addition (Sriburi and Hill, 2000).
Thiamine is the water-soluble vitamin most susceptible to thermal processing.
Thiamine destruction in extruded wheat flour is a first-order reaction (Guzman-
Tello and Cheftel, 1987). Killeit (1994) summarised thiamine losses as ranging
from 5 to 100%. Thiamine retention in potato flakes decreased under extrusion
conditions of lower moisture and higher barrel temperature; sulfites in the potato
flakes may have also contributed to vitamin destruction (Maga and Sizer, 1978).
Large losses of thiamine occurred when no water was added during extrusion,
but riboflavin (B
2
) and niacin were not affected (Andersson and Hedlund, 1991).
Using low-cost single screw extruders, Lorenz and Jansen (1980) found reten-
tion of over 90% for thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B
6
and folic acid in corn-soy
blends processed at 171 °C.
14.6 Minerals
Mineral content and bioavailability are generally retained well during extrusion.
Abrasive foods, such as brans rich in dietary fiber, or with low lipid and mois-
ture content, gradually wear away metal from the extruder screws and barrel. The
equipment must be replaced or refurbished periodically due to this wear, as the
metal accumulates in the extruded food. As barrel temperature increased during
single screw extrusion of potato flakes, iron content also increased (Maga and
Sizer, 1978). Total iron increased by as much as 38% due to extrusion (Camire
et al, 1993). On the other hand, cornmeal, which has a low dietary fiber content,
had no changes in total, elemental, or soluble iron after twin screw extrusion
(Camire and Dougherty, 1998).
Although iron from screw wear is typically in the elemental form, the bioavail-
ability appears adequate as long as excessive amounts of iron and related
metals are not present. Rats fed extruded corn and potato absorbed iron well
(Fairweather-Tait et al, 1987). Utilisation of iron and zinc from wheat bran and
wheat in adult human volunteers was not affected by extrusion (Fairweather-Tait
et al, 1989). Extrusion slightly increased iron availability in corn snacks under in
vitro digestion followed by dialysis (Hazell and Johnson, 1989). Low-shear extru-
sion retained dialysable iron in navy beans, lentils, chickpeas and cowpeas better
than did high-shear extrusion (Ummadi et al, 1995). Weaning food blends of pearl
millet, cowpea and peanut had greater iron availability and protein digestibility
compared to similar foods processed by roasting (Cisse et al, 1998). None of the
processed blends provided adequate iron to meet infant needs, however. Zinc
bioavailability of semolina and soy protein concentrate blends (85:15) (Kang,
1996) was unaffected by extrusion.
Mineral bioavailability may be improved in extruded foods if mineral-binding
phytate is reduced during processing. Published research has had mixed results.
Extrusion reduced phytate levels in wheat flour (Fairweather-Tait et al, 1989),
possibly due to inactivation of phytases during extrusion. Although phytic acid
Extrusion cooking 323
was reduced under all processing conditions, total phytate was not affected.
Legume phytate was not affected by extrusion (Lombardi-Boccia et al, 1991;
Ummadi et al,1995).
While screw speed had no effect on phytate in wheat, rice and oat brans, insol-
uble fiber decreased in all but wheat bran after extrusion (Gualberto et al, 1997).
After phytate was removed, extruded rice and oat brans bound more calcium and
zinc, but not copper, in vitro (Bergman et al, 1997). Comparable results were
found with a high-fiber cereal fed to seven persons with ileostomies (Sandberg
et al, 1986; Kivist? et al, 1986). Dietary fiber and phytate values in the cereals
were not affected by extrusion, but nonetheless mineral availability was reduced.
Despite the formation of phytate complexes with protein and starch in rice bran,
over 90% of the phytate could still be extracted (Fuh and Chiang, 2001).
Mineral fortification has become common, especially in ready-to-eat breakfast
cereals. Calcium hydroxide added at levels of 0.15–0.35% to corn reduced
expansion and increased lightness in color (Martínez-Bustos, et al, 1998);
bioavailability was not determined. Snacks made from blue maize on a small
single screw extruder had acceptable textural characteristics with added calcium
hydroxide levels of 0.02–0.078% (Zazueta-Morales et al, 2001). Since dark
color can result when some iron salts react with phenolics, Kapanidis and Lee
(1996) recommended ferrous sulfate heptahydrate as an added iron source in a
simulated rice product.
14.7 Other nutritional changes
14.7.1 Antinutrients
Extrusion cooking also improves the nutritional quality of foods by destroying
many natural toxins and antinutrients (Table 14.4). A dilemma exists as to
whether it is desirable to remove these compounds. Enzyme inhibitors, hormone-
like compounds, saponins and other compounds could impair growth and
development in children, but these same compounds may offer protection against
chronic diseases in adults. Allergens and mycotoxins are very resistant to thermal
324 The nutrition handbook for food processors
Table 14.4 Antinutrients and toxins affected by extrusion cooking
Compound Foods Factors favoring reduction
Allergens Peanut, soy Increased shear; added starch
Glucosinolates Canola Added ammonia
Glycoalkaloids Potato Added thiamine
Gossypol Cottonseed Higher feed moisture
Mycotoxins Grains Increased mixing, lower temperatures; added
amine sources
Protease inhibitors Legumes, potato Higher extrusion temperatures
processing, but extrusion in combination with chemical treatment via reactive
extrusion may effectively reduce these compounds to safe levels.
Glucosinolates found in many commercially important Brassica species might
protect against certain forms of cancer (Van Poppel et al, 1999). Extrusion alone
does not affect glucosinolates (Fenwick et al, 1986), but extrusion plus ammonia
decreased glucosinolates in canola (Darroch, et al, 1990). Although extrusion
with ammonium carbonate did not result in glucosinolate-free rapeseed meal, the
process did improve nutritional parameters in a rat-feeding study (Barrett et al,
1997).
14.7.2 Phenolic compounds
The health benefits of phenolic acids and flavonoids are being actively studied
today. Potato peels free phenolics, primarily chlorogenic acid, were reduced by
extrusion (unpublished data, Camire and Dougherty), with improved retention at
higher barrel temperature and feed moisture. Blueberry and grape anthocyanins
were significantly reduced by extrusion and by ascorbic acid in sweetened corn
breakfast cereals (Chaovanalikit, 1999).
14.7.3 Phytohormones
Phytoestrogens in soy and other foods may protect post-menopausal women
from osteoporosis and heart disease and protect men against prostate and other
testosterone-dependent cancers. Extrusion can transform soy into food products
with broad appeal for consumers, but processing effects on soy isoflavones and
other phytoestrogens should be evaluated for any products for which health
effects are intended. Blends of soy protein concentrate and cornmeal (20:80) were
processed under different extrusion conditions (Mahungu et al, 1999). Increasing
barrel temperature caused decarboxylation of isoflavones, with increased pro-
portions of acetyl derivatives, but total isoflavones also decreased.
Extrusion decreased the aglycone (genistein) of okara, a tofu by-product,
mixed with wheat flour (Rinaldi et al, 2000). Glucosides of daidzin and genistin
increased, but acetyl and malonyl forms decreased in the mixtures. Total
isoflavone values were reduced in 40% okara samples extruded at high-
temperature. Aglycones did not change in extruded corn-soy blends, but they
were less effective in preventing proliferation of breast cancer cells in vitro
(Singletary et al, 2000).
14.8 Future trends
Many opportunities exist for product development research in extrusion. Very
little has been published on the effects of extrusion on phytochemicals and other
healthful food components, in part due to the need for identification of active
principles and suitable analytical procedures. Evaluations of nutrient retention by
Extrusion cooking 325
either high-moisture extrusion or by supercritical fluid extrusion have yet to be
published.
Improved understanding of scaled-up issues in extrusion is necessary for
valid interpretation of studies conducted using laboratory-scale and pilot plant
extruders. Few universities possess extruders, and those that do typically own
small models that are inexpensive to acquire and operate. Long-term animal and
feeding studies are tedious and costly, yet essential for demonstrating safety and
efficacy of extruded foods.
14.9 Sources of further information and advice
Among the books published on extrusion cooking are those by Guy (2001), Frame
(1994), Harper (1981), Hayakawa (1992), Kokini et al (1992), Mercier et al
(1989), O’Connor (1987) and Riaz (2000). Chemical and nutritional changes in
extruded foods have been the subject of review articles as well (Bj?rck and Asp,
1983; Camire, 1998; Camire et al, 1990; Cheftel, 1986; de la Gueriviere et al,
1985). As yet there is no journal focused on food extrusion. Relevant articles may
be found in Cereal Chemistry, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,
Journal of Cereal Science, Journal of Food Engineering, and Journal of Food
Science. Short courses on extrusion are offered by the American Association of
Cereal Chemists, several universities, as well as extruder manufacturers.
14.10 References
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