Advantages of puffing technology

Advantages of puffing technology

After being processed by a feed puffing machine, the feed raw materials will have a unique aroma and fluffy taste, good palatability, high gelatinization degree, and good attractant effect on animals. At the same time, some long-chain structures of organic compounds such as proteins and fats become short chain structures, making it easier for animals to digest and absorb.

Starch gelatinization and degradation

After extrusion and puffing, starch undergoes two main changes. One is starch gelatinization, which breaks down the dense crystal structure of starch molecules during the expansion process. The crystal structure absorbs water and disintegrates, hydrogen bonds break, and expanded starch particles rupture, becoming a viscous melt. At the outlet of the twin-screw food puffing machine, due to the sudden drop in pressure, a large amount of steam is lost instantly, accompanied by the disintegration of a large number of puffed starch particles, and starch gelatinization forms many puffed feed with micropores.

On the other hand, starch degradation leads to a significant decrease in the average molecular weight of starch, which can be broken down to produce oligosaccharides with small molecular structures such as maltodextrin.

Gelatinized starch exhibits strong water absorption and much stronger adhesive properties than ordinary starch, which can reduce the amount of starch used in production and provide more choices for other raw materials. At the same time, gelatinized starch can tightly bind protein and starch matrix together, forming non degradable protein bodies in the rumen of ruminants, namely rumen protein. Feed puffing machines improve the utilization of protein by ruminants.