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Bühler has opened a dedicated Puffing Application Centre at its facility in Uzwil, Switzerland, targeting food manufacturers developing puffed grain and pulse products at industrial scale.

The centre addresses growing demand for plant-based snacks, breakfast cereals and bakery applications with enhanced nutritional profiles and reduced processing costs.

How puffing technology works

The hydrothermal process uses controlled heat and pressure to expand raw materials, creating products that are lighter and crispier than conventional alternatives. The treatment breaks down starches for improved digestibility whilst reducing moisture content to extend shelf life.

Manufacturers can use the technology across multiple categories: snacks, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, confectionery, bakery items, dairy applications and pet food.

Production scale options

Bühler's Cerex systems operate at three capacity levels:

• Single: 350-500 kg/h for development and small-batch production

• Double: 700-1,000 kg/h for mid-scale operations

• Quattro: 1,400-2,000 kg/h for high-volume manufacturing

  
  

The new centre operates a single system for customer trials and product validation.

Integrated development approach

The facility connects with Bühler's existing Uzwil centres – Grain Innovation, Flavour Creation, Food Creation and Protein Application – enabling complete product development workflows. Manufacturers can process raw materials through to finished products without external partnerships.

This integration particularly benefits pulse processing, where materials can move from cleaning and sorting through puffing to final application development.

Performance metrics

The Cerex technology delivers processing yields exceeding 95% across various grains and pulses, including quinoa, chickpeas and ancient grains. Energy consumption runs at 60 kWh per 100 kg of product – half the consumption of comparable systems.

The technology supports manufacturers responding to consumer demand for higher protein, higher fibre products with reduced fat, sugar and salt content.

According to Christoph Vogel, head of Human Nutrition at Bühler, the centre serves both food and feed sectors where demand for nutritious, crispy-textured products continues rising. Carol Krech, head of cereals and snacks, noted that the facility eliminates the need for manufacturers to build their own R&D infrastructure for puffing applications.

This latest development follows Bühler's recently opened Milling Academy, designed to enhance training for food and feed millers. The company has also launched a range of new solutions this year, including its OptiBake technology for wafer production and its OmniCool Smart solution for chocolate and snack bar cooling.