Extrusion Processing

Extrusion processing
Extruded puff being cut.

Extrusion is a very common processing technology used in the food industry to produce direct expanded snack foods, cereals, and pet foods, among other products. Extruded products are typically made by utilizing a raw material, often flour, and subjecting it to high temperatures while also creating a high shear and high pressure environment using rotating screws.

This introductory course will provide information about the extrusion processing systems, extruder parts, basic heat and mass transfer, extruder screws and dies, food ingredient functionality and food product development with extrusion. The course will provide practical examples of product development with extrusion using ingredients.

Extrusion is a very widely used technology in the food industry. Some of the common food products made with extrusion technology include snacks, breakfast cereals, flat breads, bread crumbs, pellet products, textured vegetable proteins and many others.


Extrusion Processing Short Course

August 8th, 9th, and 10th, 2023
Early Registration Fee: $725/attendee by July 24th
Late Registration Fee: $795 after July 24th

Direct Expanded Products and Plant-Based Protein Products

School of Food Science
Rooms: FSHN 103/155, FSHN 283
1945 Ferdinand’s Lane
Pullman, WA 99164

*Tentative Program

Day 1

  • 7.30 a.m. to 8.00 a.m.     Check-in
  • 8.00 a.m. to 8.15 a.m.     Introductions and Kick-off
  • 8.15 a.m. to 9.50 a.m.    Overview of Extrusion Processing – Girish Ganjyal, Washington State University
  • 9.50 a.m. to 10.00 a.m.   Break (10 min)
  • 10.00 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. Biopolymers and Product Development with Extrusion Processing – Jana Richter and Girish Ganjyal, Washington State University
  • 11.30 p.m. to 12.30 p.m. Lunch (Provided) – FSHN 155 Kitchen
  • 12.30 p.m. to 2.00 p.m.   Lab Session: Extruder and Extruder Parts in FSHN 283 and 289A –  Jana Richter, Caleb Wagner, Preston Watanabe, and Josh Bernin, Washington State University
  • 2.00 p.m. to 3.00 p.m.    Extruder Screws and Dies – Caleb Wagner and Girish Ganjyal, Washington State University
  • 3.00 p.m. to 3.10 p.m.    Break (10 min)
  • 3.10 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.    Physico-chemical Characteristics of Raw Materials and Extrusion – Ryan Kowalski, CW Brabender, Inc.
  • 4.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.     Ingredients in Extrusion Processing: Starches and Fibers – Jana Richter and Girish Ganjyal, Washington State University

Day 2

  • 8.00 a.m. to 9.00 a.m.    Ingredients in Extrusion Processing: Proteins – Akshay Arora, Ingredion, Inc.
  • 9.00 a.m. to 11.30 p.m.  Lab Sessions: Direct Expansion Process
    • Extrusion Demo in FSHN 289A – Jana Richter and Caleb Wagner
    • Product Analysis Demo in FSHN 212 – Preston Watanabe and Josh Bernin
  • 11.30 p.m. to 12.30 p.m. Lunch (Provided) – FSHN 155 Kitchen
  • 12.30 p.m. to 1.00 p.m.   Discuss Data from Lab Session – Preston Watanabe and Girish Ganjyal, Washington State University
  • 1.00 p.m. to 2.00 p.m.    Extrusion of Pellet Products- Bhima Geera, J.R. Short
  • 2.00 p.m. to 2.10 p.m.     Break (10 min)
  • 2.10 p.m. to 3.10 p.m.    Post Extrusion Drying/Dehydration Processes – Dave Reynolds, Buhler, Inc.
  • 3.10 p.m. to 4.10 p.m.     Twin-Screw Extruders and Scale-up – Jenni Harrington, Buhler, Inc.
  • 4.10 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.     Texturization of Plant Proteins: Low and High Moisture – Girish Ganjyal and Jana Richter, Washington State University
  • 6.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.     Group Dinner,  Location TBD

Day 3

  • 8.00 a.m. to 9.00 a.m.    Overview of Products and Practical Sessions
  • 9.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m.  Lab Session: Texturization Process in FSHN 289A and FSHN 155
    • FSHN 289A – Lab Team
    • FSHN 155 – Sarah Fischer, MGP Ingredients, Inc.  
  • 12.00 p.m. to 1.00 p.m.   Lunch (Provided) – FSHN 155 Kitchen
  • 1.00 p.m. to 2.00 p.m.    Shelf Stability of Extruded Products – Zachary Cartwright, Meter Group
  • 2.00 p.m. to 2.15 p.m.     Break (15 min)
  • 2.15 p.m. to 3.30 p.m.    Overview and Demo: Preparation of Plant-Based Protein Analogs – Sarah Fischer, MGP Ingredients, Inc.
  • 3.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.     Final Discussions, Q&A with all speakers, and Evaluations.

*There may be minor changes in the schedule.

 Residence Inn – Located very close to FSHN.
1255 NE North Fairway Rd
Pullman, WA 99163

Hotel room block will be live once the contract is final.  Email will be sent to pre-registered attendees once the block is set.   It will be a courtesy block. You do not need to use the block, and you can pick other locations to stay.

Please do not call the hotel yet!

Area Lodging with no block

Courtyard by Marriott– Located very close to FSHN.
1295 NE North Fairway Rd
Pullman, WA 99163

Holiday Inn Express
1190 SE Bishop Blvd
Pullman, WA 99163

509-334-4437

Quality Inn Paradise Creek
1400 South East Bishop Boulevard
Pullman, WA 99163
509-332-0500

Coast Hilltop Inn & Restaurant
928 NW Olsen Street
Pullman, WA 99163
509-332-0928


Our research focuses on two different aspects of extrusion processing

  • Physico-chemical changes in various food ingredients during extrusion processing and their effects on the extruded products.
  • Fundamental aspects of extrusion processing.

Current projects

  • Waxy and Partial Waxy Wheats processing.
  • Quinoa processing.
  • Barley processing.
  • Pea and Lentil processing.
  • New technique for evaluating the cross-sectional density profiles of extruded foods.
  • Expansion phenomenon in extrusion.
  • Super Critical and High Pressure CO2 extrusion processing.

Cancellations Policy

Cancellations will be accepted until July 20, 2023, and the registration fee, less $75 will be refunded. After that time, no refunds will be made for cancellations.

Substitution Policy

Substitutions will be allowed at any time. For additional information please email Cathy Blood.

Payment Policy

Your registration is not final until full payment is received. We accept credit cards. Course materials will only be available for paid attendees.

For questions regarding registration, please email Cathy Blood.

For questions related to the technical content, email Dr. Girish Ganjyal.

Email Distribution List

If you would like an email notification for all our trainings, please email Cathy Blood to join our food processing and food safety email distribution list.