Patent ID: 8313788

Claim:
A method for making a dairy protein based puffed food snack, said method comprising the steps of: a) Mixing dry ingredients comprising starch components and a milk protein component, wherein said starch components comprise potato starch and tapioca starch; b) Adding water to precondition said dry ingredients to form a dairy protein based dough having a moisture level of about 25% to about 37%; c) Extruding the dough to form a dough rope wherein said dough comprises a moisture content of about 20% to about 28%, said extruding step comprising a two-step extrusion process having a first extruder and a second extruder; d) Cutting the dough rope into dairy protein based pellets; e) Drying the pellets to between 7% to 15% moisture by weight; and f) Puffing the pellets into a puffed cake using a rice cake popper, thus forming a dairy protein based puffed food snack.