Food Technology Magazine | Innovation
From Mars to Mali: Purdue’s Small Extruder
This Food Science for Relief and Development column discusses a small food extruder developed at Purdue University and now used to advance food security in Africa.
Small extruder developed by Purdue University for NASA. Photo by Tom Campbell, courtesy of Purdue University Agricultural Communications
A small extruder initially developed by Purdue University for a NASA mission to Mars is now making a big impact on African entrepreneurs. This innovative tool allows them to efficiently process low-cost, local crops like millet and sorghum into high-demand instant cereal products, such as couscous and instant porridge, unlocking new income opportunities.
Originally designed in the early 2000s by Purdue professors Martin Okos and Osvaldo Campanella with NASA funding, the single-screw extruder was …
