Extrudates

Items shaped by forcing them through a die, that is, by extrusion. In foods they include pasta, breakfast cereals, snacks and pet foods, whose shape, texture and degree of cooking are set by the die design and the extrusion conditions. The die imparts the final cross-section — from spaghetti strands to star-shaped snacks — while barrel temperature, moisture and screw speed control expansion, density and crunch. Post-extrusion drying or frying sets the final texture, and seasoning application must account for the high surface area of expanded products.