Method for producing extruded, pellet products with minimal tempering time

A method for producing extruded pellets, comprising:

• providing a farinaceous source containing less than about 25% animal parts or collagen sources;
• adding water to the farinaceous source to form a mixture;
• extruding the mixture wherein the mixture attains a superheated temperature and expands upon exiting the extruder to produce an extrudate ribbon with a first velocity;
• stretching the extrudate ribbon whereby the first velocity is increased by at least two times to a second velocity;
• and
• forming pellets from the stretched ribbon.

A method for producing extruded pellets, comprising:

• providing a farinaceous source;
• adding water to the farinaceous source to form a mixture;
• extruding the mixture wherein the mixture attains a superheated temperature and expands upon exiting the extruder to produce an extrudate ribbon with a first velocity;
• stretching the extrudate ribbon whereby the first velocity is increased by at least two times to a second velocity;
• and forming pellets from the stretched ribbon wherein the pellets have a density of more than about 40 lb/ft3, a thickness of less than about 0.10 inches, a moisture content of between about 9% and about 20%, which can be expanded into a snack piece with a density of less than 25 lb/ft3.