Flavored extruded food product

A method for producing an expanded, farinaceous food product having enhanced flavor characteristics without the use of a drying oven, said method comprising, in combination, the following steps:

• (a) plasticizing a farinaceous food mixture into a first extrudate flow containing from about 5 weight percent to about 17 weight percent of at least one plasticizer selected from monosaccharides, polysaccharides, and edible alcohols and having a moisture content from about 9 weight percent to about 17 weight percent in an extruder barrel having a barrel pressure equal to or in excess of the vapor pressure of the water in the mixture;
• (b) directing the first extrudate flow from said extruder barrel to a central passageway;
• (c) dividing the first extrudate flow into a plurality of adjacent flowing extrudate flows;
• (d) injecting a continuous band of flavored fluid additive between said adjacent flowing extrudate flows utilizing a co-injection die insert having at least one capillary channel, wherein said fluid additive is supplied to each capillary channel via a separate channel port in fluid communication with a peripheral reservoir manifold circumscribing said central passageway;
• (e) coalescing the plurality of adjacent flowing extrudate flows into a second extrudate flow while generally maintaining the fluid additive's relative position between the plurality of adjacent flowing extrudate flows;
• and
• (f) extruding the second extrudate flow through a nozzle section into a zone of ambient pressure below the vapor pressure of the water in the mixture;
• thereby producing a crisp flavored product having a moisture content from about 4 weight percent to about 8 weight percent and a water activity from about 0.30 to about 0.45.