IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE PRODUCTION OF MASHING ADJUNCTS

摘要

A process of extruding moist whole cereal grain employs a twin-screw extruder including an upstream helical feed screw region (30), a downstream helical lead discharge screw region (32), two intermediate lead screw regions (32) and three paddle regions (34) alternating with the feed and lead screw regions. The upstream paddle region (34) comprises a plurality of pairs of symmetrical bilobal paddles set in a relative angular orientation to provide them with a substantially zero forwarding ability of material through the extruder: the next and intermediate downstream paddle region (34) comprises a plurality of pairs of symmetrical bilobal paddles set in a relative angular orientation to provide them with a zero or negative forwarding ability of material through the extruder; and the next and last downstream paddle region (34) comprises a plurality of pairs of bilobal paddles set in a relative angular orientation to provide them with a negative forwarding ability of material through the extruder. The negative forwarding ability of the pairs of paddles of the last paddle region (34) is not exceeded by that of the paddles of the intermediate paddle region.