I. Introduction of Dry Textured Wheat Protein

Fibrous textured vegetable protein is a vegan protein with apparently ordered muscle fiber structure, which has good chewiness and rich nutrients, usually used as plant-based alternatives to meat. It is made by the specific extruder machine through a longer term extrusion process (steaming, kneading, shearing, etc).

Different from soybean nuggets/chunks, fiber structured protein raw materials do not use soybean meal, but soybean protein isolate or gluten flour that has higher protein content. The protein content of soy protein isolate is higher than 90%. The protein content of wheat protein, also called gluten powder, is higher than 80%. Fibrous protein processed from wheat protein has very good elasticity and extensibility.

II. Parameters of 250-300 kg/h Dry Fibrous Textured Wheat Protein Making Machine

III. Features

• Finished food quality ensured: Optimal extrusion solution, premium equipment design, and equipment processing ensure high-level and stable production.
• High output: High designed capacity; minimal material loss;
• Less energy: High mechanical coordination, low wear; optimized heating, thermal transfer& insulation details, low heat loss
• Low production cost: Flow production, precise control of each process
• Simple and low cost maintenance: Modular structure, easy operation. Lifetime after-sales service
• Material: High-quality food-safe materials for all food contact part
• Failure rate:  Nearly zero failure as long as preventive maintenance

IV. The General Flow Chart for Making Dry Fibrous Textured Wheat Protein

• Step 1: Crushing
• Step 2: Mixing
• Step 3: Extruding& cutting
• Step 4: Drying (to reduce the water content to 8%)
• Step 5: Seasoning(optional, it’s to produce flavoured textured veggie protein)
• Step 6: Cooling before packing
• Step 7: Packing

Dry fibrous textured wheat protein manufacturing process:

1. Mix the wheat protein powder/gluten powder and other ingredients with a mixer until even.
2. The extrusion process needs to be completed in an EXTENDED twin screw extruder. The gluten flour mixture is fed at a constant rate, and at the same time, raw material water is also added to the extruder machine at a uniform rate. The extrusion moisture of the dry wheat fibrous protein should be less than 50%.
3. Set the heating temperature, cooling temperature, pressure, screw speed, etc. of the extruder according to the formula. Under the conditions of high temperature and high pressure in the extrusion chamber, the molecular composition of wheat protein is changed to form a directional and continuous fibrous structure. Then the protein is solidified by instant puffing to form wheat fibrous protein with a chewy texture similar to meat.
4. The protein puff is transferred to the drying oven for drying. Depending on the output and final moisture content requirements, the ovens are designed as single or multiple layers. By setting the drying temperature and time, the semi-finished wheat textured protein material is finally obtained.
5. According to market demand, wheat fibrous protein can also be seasoned according to people’s taste preference, such as chicken flavor, pork flavor, beef flavor, etc. This can be realized either via adding chicken/pork/beef powders into the recipes before extrusion process or coating the seasoning powder after extrusion process and before packing.

V. Components of Dry Fibrous Textured Wheat Protein Making Machine

1. Crusher
2. Flour mixer
3. Lengthened Twin-screw extruder
4. Chiller
5. Vibration spreader
6. Dryer
7. Seasoning machine(optional, it’s to produce flavoured textured veggie protein)
8. Cooling machine
9. Automatic packing machine
10. Controlling system (PLC/or instrument control options)
11. Complete conveyors
12. Burner/Steam boiler (Optional)

VI. More

• Flexibility: The quality of wheat fibrous structure depends on the formulation and extrusion parameters. The textured vegetable protein making machine parameters include temperature, moisture, feed rate, barrel temperature, shear, die pressure, die temperature and other mechanical properties. By adjusting the ratio of raw materials and setting extrusion parameters, fibrous structural protein with different elasticity and strengths can be produced, such as thick, thin, soft fiber, hard fiber and smooth fibrous texture structures.
• Shapes: According to the different extrusion dies and auxiliary equipment, it can produce bars, blocks, slices, strips, granules, puddings, crumbs and other shapes.
• Multipurpose: The lengthened twin screw extruder machine is suitable for the production of various textured plant proteins. In addition to dry fibrous plant protein introduced on this page, it can also process high-moisture fibrous protein and non-fibrous soybean chunks/nuggets/badi. Applicable plant protein comes from a wide range of sources to produce appropriate TVP, such as wheat protein, soybean protein, soybean protein isolate, peanut protein, sunflower protein, special protein, etc.