Plant jerky

Process for the production of a mass strand comprising the steps of

• mixing at least one plant-based protein source, optionally glycerol and optionally additives to produce a protein mixture,
• feeding the protein mixture into the inlet end of an extruder,
• feeding water and optionally additives into the extruder through a first feed port of the extruder which is located downstream of the inlet end of the extruder,
• wherein the protein mixture in a section of the extruder is heated to a temperature of 110 to 150° C. and is subjected to a pressure which prevents the formation of steam bubbles,
• shaping the protein mass exiting from the extruder by means of a cooling nozzle and depositing the protein mass on a carrier, which protein mass exits from the cooling nozzle in the form of a mass strand, wherein the cooling nozzle cools the mass strand to a temperature of at maximum 95° C. and produces a mass strand having a height of at maximum 8 mm,
• immediately subsequently rolling the mass strand deposited on the carrier to produce rolled mass strands, and
• dividing the mass strand prior to or after rolling,
• drying the mass strand, and subsequent
• packaging.