Apparatus and methods for food production including a food
preconditioner (228) operable to heat and partially pre-cook food ingredients, and a
twin screw extruder (20) operable to further cook the preconditioned ingredients to create final
food products. The extruder (20) includes a pair of
hollow core extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) having elongated
hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192) equipped with
helical fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) along the lengths thereof. The fighting (132, 134, 194) is also of hollow construction which communicates with the
hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192). The fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) also includes forward, reverse
pitch sections (64, 162, 216). The
extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) are designed to impart high levels of
thermal energy into materials being processed in the extruders (20), without adding additional
moisture.