For 10 years the International Grains Program at Kansas State University has served as an educational medium for those involved in the food, pet food and feed industry with its extrusion course. The Extrusion Processing: Technology and Commercialization course is scheduled for August 5-8, 2014, at the International Grains Program for those eager to learn about the fundamentals of extrusion technology. In conjunction with the extrusion course, an optional one-day Pet Food Workshop on Monday, August 4, 2014, is being offered as a stand-alone course.
Extrusion Processing: Technology and Commercialization
“Topics ranging from the fundamentals of extrusion technology, hardware, and various applications in the food, pet food and aquatic feed industries will be covered. Also the intricacies of setting up an extrusion-based business including capital decision-making and strategic planning will be addressed in this course,” said Sajid Alavi, course coordinator and professor of grain science and industry.
The course includes presentations from several experts from industry and academia, hands-on experience with the pilot-scale extruders in the KSU pilot-scale extrusion lab, a field trip to Wenger Manufacturing, a session on the science of sensory analysis and consumer acceptance applied to extruded products, and a strategic business planning session in which participants gain a business per¬spective of the extrusion process and how to plan a successful company. The field trip to Wenger Manufacturing in Sabetha, Kan., allows the group to see a demonstration of the extrusion process for textured soy products firsthand as well as see the extrusion equipment.
A past participant, Mayur Lodaya, sr. technical manager in global manufacturing services at GlaxoSmithKline said, “My favorite part of the course was learning about the food chemistry. It was interesting to learn about the functionality of different ingredients as they go into food.”
To learn more about this course or to register visit the IGP registration website at www.igpevents.grains.ksu.edu.
Pet Food Workshop
In addition to the extrusion course, IGP is offering a one-day Pet Food Workshop on August 4, 2014. Participants can attend either course or both if they desire. The Pet Food Workshop will include industry and academic speakers from pet nutrition and processing. Participants will learn about the latest information on pet food ingredient trends, nutritional values and safety and HACCP issues.
To learn more about this course or to register visit the IGP registration website at www.igpevents.grains.ksu.edu.
This is just one example of the many partnership trainings offered through IGP. In addition, IGP offers trainings in the areas of feed manufacturing and grain management, flour milling and grain processing, and grain marketing and risk management. To learn about the training opportunities offered by IGP please visit the IGP website at www.grains.k-state.edu/igp.
