How to Produce Puffed Snacks in Different Shapes: A Complete Manufacturing Guide

Puffed snacks are popular for their light, crispy texture and variety of fun shapes. From classic balls and rings to animal shapes and 3D designs, the production process involves extrusion, molding, and drying techniques. This guide explains how puffed snacks are made in different shapes for various snack products.

1. Raw Material Selection

The base ingredients determine the texture and expansion of puffed snacks:

• Cereals: Corn, rice, wheat, oats (for starch content)
• Potato/ Tapioca starch (for crispiness)
• Protein sources: Soy flour, pea protein (for protein-enriched snacks)
• Seasonings & flavors: Cheese, barbecue, sour cream & onion

2. Dough Preparation & Mixing

1. Dry mixing: Ingredients are blended to ensure uniformity.
2. Wet mixing: Water (15-25%) and oil (optional) are added to form a dough.
3. Preconditioning (optional): Steam or heat softens the dough for better extrusion.

3. Extrusion Process (Key to Shape Formation)

Puffed snacks are shaped using different extrusion techniques:

A. Single-Screw Extrusion (Simple Shapes)

• Produces basic shapes like balls, sticks, and tubes.
• Dough is forced through a die, expanding upon exit due to heat and pressure.
• Example products: Cheese balls, puffed corn sticks.

B. Twin-Screw Extrusion (Complex Shapes)

• Allows for intricate designs like stars, rings, and animal shapes.
• The dough is pushed through custom-shaped dies at high pressure (10-20 bar).
• Example products: 3D dinosaur snacks, alphabet-shaped puffs.

C. Pellet-to-Puff (Half-Product) Method

• First, dense pellets are extruded (not fully puffed).
• Later, they are fried or hot-air puffed into final shapes (e.g., hexagons, shells).
• Example products: Pirate’s Booty, veggie puffs.

4. Shaping & Cutting Techniques

A. Die Design (Determines Shape)

• Circular dies → Balls
• Ring dies → O-shaped snacks (e.g., Cheetos Puffs)
• Star/animal dies → Fun shapes

B. Rotary Cutting (For Uniformity)

• Blades slice the extruded dough into equal pieces.
• Adjustable speed controls thickness.

C. Co-Extrusion (Layered Shapes)

• Two different doughs are extruded together (e.g., filled snacks).
• Example: Cereal with a creamy center.

5. Drying & Puffing

After shaping, snacks undergo:

1. Hot-air puffing (healthier option):

• Air at 150-200°C expands the starch.
• Produces low-fat, baked puffs.

1. Oil frying (for crunchier texture):

• Deep-frying at 180°C creates a crispy exterior.
• Used for cheese curls, onion rings.

6. Seasoning & Flavoring

• Oil spraying: Helps seasoning stick.
• Drum tumbling: Evenly coats snacks in flavor powder.
• Popular flavors: Cheese, BBQ, sour cream, spicy chili.

7. Quality Control & Packaging

• Moisture testing (should be <3% for crispiness).
• Shape consistency check (no deformities).
• Nitrogen-flushed packaging to maintain freshness.

8. Popular Puffed Snack Shapes & Examples

Email :extruder@chunmmachinery.com

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