Following excellent feedback in 2015, Australian company FoodStream, working with extrusion expert Dennis Forte, is again offering an Aquafeed Extrusion Technology short course in Norway from 9 to 11 May 2016, with the extension of a two-day program Food & Feed Drying Technology on 12 & 13 May.

Interest in the courses this year is very positive, with registrations already received from participants from ten different countries in Asia, Africa, America and Europe.

The two courses are independent, so participants can choose to attend either one individually or both in the same week.

They are held in conjunction with the Centre for Feed Technology (FôrTek), which has excellent pilot plant facilities to provide a practical side to the training.

The 3-day program covers the principles of extrusion, the design of extrusion processes, and the formulation of extruded aquafeeds. Topics cover the basics of extruders and their configuration, through what is happening chemically and physically inside the extruder barrel, to an understanding of extruder dies and extruder instability. Examples in product formulation and the design of extrusion processes demonstrate application of the theory. Principles learned will be applied during the practical demonstration in the FôrTek pilot plant.

The drying program is relatively new and commences with an introducing to the concept of water activity, relating it not only to preservation but to the drying process itself. Later the program shows how by understanding the drying fundamentals, combined with psychrometrics (air humidity relationships) we have a powerful tool to assess and refine existing drying systems, or design efficient new ones.

Details of both courses are available here.