ABSTRACT
As technology advances and the ef•cacy of limited energy becomes the focus of advancing civilization, new solutions are presented for the problems that arise in the preparation and the production of food, as the world population increases to reach seven billion. Extrusion cooking and technology have been shown to be the most ef•cient and continuous manner by which we can break down raw food ingredients to a well cooked and predigested form so that the end product can be shelf stable and easily packaged. This process increases shelf-life from a few weeks to 9-12 months and can be consumed in a convenient, ready-to-eat form by the •nal consumer. Today, extruded fabricated foods are composed of cereals, starches, sugars, oils, nuts, and vegetable protein. To a limited extent, there are additional applications for some of the animal proteins mixed with cereals and grains to produce a complex matrix that would meet the needs of a speci•c market.
