Abstract: A process for making a dry food is described herein. The process includes providing raw materials for a dry food to a preconditioning vessel at a first flowrate, preconditioning the raw materials in the preconditioning vessel and forming a dough, and moving the dough having a moisture content of from about 4% to about 10% through an inlet of an extruder. The process further includes extruding the dough through a die plate of the extruder and forming kibbles by: applying thermal energy to the dough; and applying mechanical energy to the dough, wherein the ratio of the thermal energy to the mechanical energy can range from at least about 2.0 to about 4.0.

Abstract: This invention provides apparatus and methods for producing cooked material having a desired shape that varies in cross-sectional dimension.

Abstract: A meat analog product is provided prepared starting from a dry component that is a combination of ingredients, including a dry sulfur protein source, a carbohydrate source, a liquid, and a monovalent cationic bicarbonate or carbonate. The meat analog product can be produced and extruded under low shear conditions to provide a product having a plurality of striated and separable aligned fibers and a real meat appearance.