Bühler acquired puffing technology from CEREX that can be used for food, pet food, and feed applications. This acquisition allows Bühler to expand its product offerings, especially for healthier and more diverse food options. The technology can be used for a broad range of products – snacks, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, confectionery, bakery items, and dairy products.
Bühler’s Cerex puffing technology significantly enhances grain processing by achieving maximum yields of over 95%, reducing waste while ensuring uniform puffing across all grains, while consuming significantly less energy, the company explains.
In April 2025, Bühler will open an Application & Training Center at its headquarters in Uzwil, Switzerland, focused on the puffing technology.
“The puffing process is a game-changer in how we approach cereal and snack production, offering a broad range of recipe possibilities, including coatings and fillers across many product categories,” said Christoph Vogel, Head of Business Unit Human Nutrition at Bühler. “The integration of this technology into Bühler’s portfolio strengthens our ability to meet the evolving needs of our customers and fosters continued innovation in recipe development.”
The demand for snacks like bars, extruded snacks, nuts, seeds, popcorn, and plant-based alternatives such as puffed oats – particularly among the working population and younger generations – has increased in recent years. The global ready-to-eat snack market size is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7% from 2024 to 2031.
Puffing is a hydrothermal process that uses heat and pressure to significantly expand the volume of raw materials. The process requires the material to contain 10-14% water and 65-75% starch, with protein and fat levels also affecting the outcome. Puffed products offer several advantages. Their increased volume and porosity make them lighter and crispier – a highly desirable quality for snacks and cereals. The puffing process also enhances digestibility by breaking down starches and improves shelf life by reducing moisture content and preventing spoilage. It also boosts nutritional potential as the product can easily be enriched with vitamins, minerals, or proteins.
Puffed products are considered healthy as they contain no added ingredients – just a single, natural component – and are available as white-label options. This technology can be used in a variety of products. In breakfast cereals, grains like rice, corn, wheat, or quinoa are puffed to create expanded, crunchy textures that are perfect for morning meals. In cereal bars, puffed grains add texture, visual appeal, and a distinctive crunch. The grains are either mixed with melted chocolate or layered on top, depending on the desired structure of the final product, providing a balance of crunch and lightness.
Photo: Buhler