10/07/2014: Role of extruders in Halal food production

Published in GFMT May-June 2014

by Mian N. Riaz^, Food Protein Research and Development Center, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA E-mail: mnriaz@tamu.edu

Halal is the Arabic word that means “permitted or lawful”, while haram means “not permitted, or forbidden”.

Foods consumed by Muslims that meet the Islamic dietary code are halal. 

According to a latest estimation, there are about 1.8 billion Muslims in the world today and they comprise 25 percent of the global population of seven billion people. 

Muslims are required by their faith to consume only halal products. 

Extrusion technology is ideal for Halal food processing in that it combines several steps in one and thus avoids opportunities for contamination with non-Halal food products

An estimated 70 percent of all Muslims adhere to at least some of the restrictions associated with halal foods. As a result, the halal food market has exploded in the past decade and is still growing. The global halal food market is currently valued at US$660 billion per year. 

Demand on the increase everywhere

Demand for halal foods is increasing, not only in the US, Europe and Canada, but also in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, North Africa and Australia. 

By meeting Halal requirements, a food company will have access to over eight million Halal consumers in the USA and more than 1.8 billion consumers worldwide.

By making a Halal food a company has opportunities in Halal markets that are currently closed to their products. Halal is not for Muslims only, it is for entire mankind, halal means wholesome and hygienic food which is good for health. 

Besides Muslims, other segments have joined the ranks of halal consumers, as these types of foods gain worldwide recognition as being safe and hygienic. 

Non-Muslim consumers like them, because of their additional safety and sanitation features, making them less likely to be cross-contaminated. 

Therefore, there is tremendous economic opportunity for food manufacturers to meet the needs of Halal consumers. 

Processing for Halal

There are different food processing methods which the industry can use to produce Halal food.

The method of food processing depends on the finished product and the objectives of the processing.   

For some food, processing can be done simply by heating the ingredients using a toaster or oven whereas for some other foods processing may be more sophisticated and detailed.  

Extrusion is one of these methods that can be used to process varieties of food.  A food extruder is a device that expedites the shaping and restructuring process for food ingredients. Extrusion is a highly versatile unit operation that can be applied to a variety of food processes. Extruders can be used to cook, form, mix, texturize and shape food products under conditions that favor quality retention, high productivity and low cost. 

The use of extruders in the food industry has been expanding rapidly over the past few years.

During the recent years, quite a number of technologies in food processing have emerged and made an impact on the availability and variety of food products. Food extrusion is one of these latest multidimensional food processing techniques. 

Great possibilities are offered in the food processing field by the use of extrusion technology to modify physicochemical properties of food components. The extruded food, besides its preserved and frequently even enhanced biological value, can be characterized by physicochemical properties superior to the original raw material. 

Extrusion cooking is defined as a unique tool to introduce the thermal and mechanical energy to food ingredients, forcing the basic components of the ingredients, such as starch and protein, to undergo chemical and physical changes. 

Extrusion combines several unit operations including mixing, cooking, kneading, shearing, shaping and forming so it is a highly versatile unit operation that can be applied to a variety of food processes. Extrusion has for years provided the means of producing new and creative foods. 

One major advantage of extrusion cooking is the capability to produce a wide range of finished products with minimum processing times and by using inexpensive raw material. Some of the foods which are currently processed using extrusion technology are: 

• Co-extruded snacks and other food items
• Precooked pasta
• Noodles, spaghetti and macaroni
• Third generation snacks
• Texturized vegetable protein (soy & wheat)
• Semi-moist food
• Meat analog
• Stabilization of rice bran
• Multicolor food and snacks
• Cereals and corn flakes
• Corn and tortilla chips

 

An opportunity

In extrusion cooking several steps are combined in a single continuous unit which offers several advantages to food manufacturers, resulting in making it a more economical method than traditional food processing. 

Extrusion technology offers an opportunity to food industries to produce Halal food which is suitable for the Halal consumer. 

In order to produce Halal extruded food products, all the raw material needs to meet the Halal requirement. 

No processing aids or other additive should be added which are from animal sources, unless they are from Halal slaughtered animals.

Also there should not be any cross contamination during and after extrusion of food with non-Halal ingredients. Halal extruded products should be kept in clean area after processing, drying and coating. 

Extreme caution need to be considered when applying flavoring and coating. 

Only Halal certified flavors and seasoning should be used. Storage area needs to be clean and free from insect contamination with proper label for Halal storage.

In summary extrusion technology offers several advantages to the food industries and can produce excellent Halal foods for the growing Halal market.

 The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.