Grain-based production demands precise control over hydration, dough consistency, and ingredient distribution, while ensuring stable processing and minimizing waste. Continuous mixing enables consistent product quality at industrial scale, reducing processing time, and allowing faster cleaning compared to traditional batch methods.
Grain-based products include pasta, noodles, cereals and similar products derived from wheat, rice, corn, barley, or other cereal grains. These products are typically starch-based and undergo diverse processing steps such as sheeting, extrusion, cooking, or drying. Depending on the formulation and product type, grain-based doughs or slurries may range from low to moderate hydration and vary in elasticity, plasticity, and mixing behaviour.
In industrial food manufacturing, mixing plays a fundamental role in creating the correct dough consistency for shaping and thermal processing. For pasta and noodles, this involves creating a cohesive, low-moisture dough that withstands extrusion or lamination. For cereals, mixing ensures uniform hydration, ingredient dispersion, and functional pre-conditioning before cooking or expansion. Given the wide range of grain types and formats, mixing systems must tightly control over hydration, consistency, and temperature.
Grain-based doughs often have relatively low hydration levels, especially in pasta and noodle production (typically between 28–34%). Semolina and durum wheat flour absorb water slowly and require thorough, controlled hydration to avoid dry pockets or dough instability. Continuous mixing allows water to be absorbed gradually, improving dough consistency.
In pasta and wheat-based noodles, protein alignment and starch interaction form an elastic structure that resists breaking during extrusion and cooking. Mixing must apply enough mechanical energy to activate gluten, but not enough to overwork the dough. In rice or corn-based products, mixing focuses on dispersing starches and integrating binders or emulsifiers.
Grain-based systems must produce a dough with very stable rheological properties to ensure smooth extrusion, shaping, or flaking. Continuous mixing provides a constant and controlled output of homogenous material, which significantly reduces startup waste and improves downstream process stability.
While doughs in this category are not highly thermosensitive, frictional heat during intensive mixing can lead to partial starch gelatinization or protein denaturation if left uncontrolled. Maintaining stable process temperatures (typically under 35 °C) ensures consistent quality and downstream performance.
In products such as multigrain cereals or flavored noodles, dry ingredients like fibers, seeds, vitamins, or colorants must be evenly distributed without segregation. Continuous mixing systems offer precise and consistent ingredient integration, even at low inclusion levels.
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