Method and apparatus for producing a pre-gelled starch product and normally sticky extrudates with minimal or no surfactant

A method of preparing a food product comprising the steps of:

• passing a product comprising rice in serial order through an extruder and a die assembly to yield an extruded product;
• said extruder comprising an elongated, tubular barrel having an outlet end with at least one elongated, axially rotatable, helically flighted screw within the barrel, said die assembly including an elongated, tubular body operatively coupled to said barrel adjacent the outlet end thereof, and an apertured die coupled to said body adjacent the end thereof remote from said extruder said die presenting a die opening therethrough which is substantially smaller in maximum cross-sectional area than the minimum cross-sectional area presented by said tubular body;
• and
• during said passing step, rotating said screw at a rate of at least about 300 rpm, and causing said product to experience a retention time ratio of die assembly retention time to extruder retention time of at least about 5.

A method of preparing a food product comprising the steps of:

• passing a nutraceutical-containing product including a protein or starch-bearing ingredient in serial order through an extruder and a die assembly to yield an extruded product;
• said extruder comprising an elongated, tubular barrel having an outlet end with at least one elongated, axially rotatable, helically flighted screw within the barrel, said die assembly including an elongated, tubular body operatively coupled to said barrel adjacent the outlet end thereof, and an apertured die coupled to said body adjacent the end thereof remote from said extruder said die presenting a die opening therethrough which is substantially smaller in maximum cross-sectional area than the minimum cross-sectional area presented by said tubular body;
• and
• during said passing step, rotating said screw at a rate of at least about 300 rpm, and causing said product to experience a retention time ratio of die assembly retention time to extruder retention time of at least about 5.