Breakfast Cereal Mixing and Extrusion

Mixing application: Traditional vs. Modern
The traditional process of Mixing of breakfast cereals with dried fruits (e.g. raisins, apple pieces, nuts, banana slices) involves feeding all ingredients one after the other into a vessel.

The total batch is then mixed, but obtaining a homogenous mixture is difficult because the ingredients generally have large differences in particle size, shape or density. There is also the risk of destruction of shear sensitive ingredients.

Extrusion Application: Traditional vs. Modern
Cereals or a mixture of cereals are formed in a way to make their shape more attractive and more consumer-friendly.

The Traditional process involves separate weighing and feeding of liquids and dry cereal ingredients (whole grains and grits), with ingredients fed into rotary cereal cookers on an automated batch basis.

Passing steam under pressure through the cooker then gelatinizes the cereal. Because the cereals tend to agglomerate in a cooker, the cooked grains are discharged into lump breakers to break up the cereals.

SOURCE: K-Tron Process Group