Patent ID: 8877277

Claim:
A method for making a food product comprising: introducing into an extruder ingredients comprising by weight on a dry basis: at least one heat-sensitive ingredient chosen from the group consisting of fruit-based ingredients, vegetable-based ingredients, proteins, natural flavoring compounds, synthetic flavoring compounds, and coloring agents; at least 30% starch comprising a peak viscosity of between about 500 and about 700 RVU at a time between about 1 and 6 minutes, a trough viscosity of between about 20 and 60 RVU at between about 12 and 18 minutes, and a final viscosity of between about 45 and 85 RVU at about 19 minutes, as measured using the RVA Protocol; hydrating said ingredients to a total moisture content between about 15% and 40% by weight to produce a hydrated ingredient mixture; injecting a supercritical fluid into said extruder to mix with said ingredients at a rate greater than 0% and less than about 3% by weight of said hydrated mixture; forming an expanded extrudate by extruding said ingredients through at least one die orifice; cutting said extrudate into extrudate pieces, wherein said cutting step further comprises cutting said extrudate at a die face, wherein said extrudate pieces retain their expansion during at least one subsequent drying operation; and maintaining said ingredients at a temperature below 100° C. between said introducing step and said cutting step.