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In modern food industry, the production of plant-based meat has gradually become a topic of great concern. Twin-screw extruders, as an efficient and flexible processing equipment, have been widely applied in plant-based meat production. This paper will introduce the application of twin-screw extruders in the production of texturized vegetable protein (TVP) and high-moisture meat analogs (HMMA).
Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP) is primarily extracted from soybeans, but can also be obtained from wheat and oats. Its production process involves cooking, extrusion, and drying under pressure. Through the high-temperature and high-pressure treatment in a twin-screw extruder, plant proteins form a high-fiber, insoluble porous structure during heating.
TVP has a protein content comparable to real meat, with extremely low fat and no cholesterol, making it a healthy meat alternative. TVP mimics the tissue structure and nutritional composition of meat, allowing it to be shaped into various forms such as meat chunks, cubes, slices, etc. It is often cut into granules, thin slices, or strips. The dry, hard form of TVP has a long shelf life at room temperature but needs to be soaked in hot water before use, which makes it particularly suitable for making traditional dishes like meat sauce pasta.
"Vegetarian meat" extruded by an extruder
High Moisture Meat Analogues (HMMA), similar to TVP, are products that create a meat-like structure by texturing plant proteins through thermal mechanical processing. However, unlike TVP, HMMA has a higher water content (40% to 70% moisture), making its water content comparable to that of lean meat. The role of twin-screw extruders in HMMA production is particularly important, as their precise temperature control and pressure regulation capabilities enable plant proteins to form more distinct fiber structures, giving HMMA a texture and mouthfeel closer to real meat. Therefore, HMMA is commonly used in the production of many ready-to-eat meat products.
Twin-screw extruder is a highly efficient and flexible food processing equipment that can be simply regarded as consisting of two rotating screws. These screws, under high temperature and pressure, mix, extrude, heat the raw materials, and form the final product. This equipment is widely applied in the food industry, pharmaceutical industry, polymer industry, and other sectors.
Mixing and Conveying: The preprocessed plant protein powder is fed into the feed port of a twin-screw extruder. Here, the two screws propel the raw material forward continuously through rotation while simultaneously mixing it. This step ensures the uniformity of the raw material.
Heating and Pressurization: As the raw materials move inside the screw, they gradually enter a high-temperature and high-pressure zone. Twin-screw extruders can precisely control temperature and pressure, ensuring that plant proteins undergo physical and chemical changes under appropriate conditions. At this stage, the molecular structure of plant proteins is broken down and rearranged to form a fiber structure similar to meat.
Forming and Cooling: The raw material, after undergoing high-temperature and high-pressure treatment, is extruded through a mold to form the desired shape. These molds can produce various forms of plant-based meat products, such as meat slices, meat blocks, and meat strips. The extruded product is rapidly cooled to stabilize its structure and texture.
High-Efficiency Production: Twin-screw extruders can complete the transformation process from raw materials to products in a short time, significantly improving production efficiency.
Product quality is stable: The temperature control and pressure adjustment functions of the twin-screw extruder ensure product quality consistency. Whether it is TVP or HMMA, their fiber structure and nutritional components can be well preserved.
High Flexibility: Twin-screw extruders can process a variety of plant protein raw materials and adjust the shape and texture of products according to requirements to meet different market demands.
Environmental Protection and Economy: Using plant protein as a raw material not only reduces reliance on animal resources but also lowers production costs, aligning with the concept of sustainable development.