Food Engineering/Manufacturing/Froot Loops and Cheerios

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Expert: J. Peter Clark - 4/19/2007


Question
Could you please tell me the process of making these. I am more interested in how it takes the round doughnut shape from cooked dough.

Thank you Peter.


Answer
Both "O" shaped cereals are made by extruding dough through a die which is a small hole with a pin or rod in the center to make a hollow tube whch is cut into small pieces by a rotating knife. Froot Loops and some Cheerios are made by cooking extrusion in which the dough is heated and the pressure is raised so that when it exits the die it expands into a foam which then is dried and hardens. Original Cheerios are made by low pressure extrusion of dense little "O" s which are then expanded by heating under pressure in a "gun" and then being released suddenly into the atmosphere.  

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J. Peter Clark

Expertise

How various processed foods are made; ways to improve manufacturing; how to make a new food product.

Experience

Employment history: Research Engineer, U.S.Agricultural Research Service, Associate Professor Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Director of Research, Continental Baking Company, President, Epstein Process Engineering, Inc., Vice Presdent Technology, Fluor Daniel, Inc., Consultant to the Process Industries

Organizations: American Institute of Chemical Engineers (Fellow) Institute of Food Technologists, American Association of Cereal Chemists, American Association of Candy Technologists, American Society of Agricultural Engineers,

Publications: Several Encyclopedias (Kirk and Othmer, Chemical Technology; Food Science, Food Technology and Nutrition; Wiley Encyclopedia of Food Science and Technology; Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems); five books, two book chapters; numerous journals.

Education: BSChE Notre Dame PhD University of California, Berkeley

Awards: AIChE Food, Pharmaceutical and Bioengineering Division Award 1998

Clients: Major food processing and pharamaceutical companies.

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