Abstract: Preparation of a puffed textured, proteinaceous food product involving subjecting water-moistened proteinaceous material to pressure and heat sufficient to cause the mix to convert to a hot, moist, plastic, extrudable, translucent to glassy mass and extruding the mass through and from a length of an elongated die under non-puffing conditions to provide a moisture-containing, translucent to glassy extrudate, and, as a separate and distinct operation, thereafter puffing the translucent to glassy product in a moist state by subjecting it to water-boiling puffing conditions.

Abstract: Process for preparing hydratable, proteinaceous food products involving: subjecting moist (e.g., crumbly to free-flowing), hydratable, proteinaceous food material having suitable moisture to elevated mechanical pressure and suitable temperature and pH conditions to convert the protein material under non-puffing conditions to a dense, substantially homogeneous, translucent to glassy, coherent, bonded, proteinaceous product of desired size and shape. The material is thereby bonded together so as to be capable of withstanding the disruptive deterioration and loss of structural identity caused by subjecting the proteinaceous material to retorting conditions such as used in food processing. The translucent to glassy, proteinaceous product yields hydrated food products having structural integrity and desired textural characteristics.