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Coperion Donates New Extruder to Purdue’s Department of Food Science

The hybrid, twin-screw machine upgrades Purdue’s pilot plant capabilities for alternative protein production and recipe research for students and visiting startup brands.

Purdue Coperion Extruder
Purdue students making plant-based proteins with their new Coperion ZSK 27 extruder, which the company donated to Purdue's Department of Food Science pilot plant.
Michael Costa

The Department of Food Science – College of Agriculture at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., recently received a new extruder donated by Coperion and Hillenbrand, valued at more than $900,000. The machine replaces an outdated 25-year-old extruder, and will be used as an integral part of the Department of Food Science’s pilot plant, which is a fully functional food production and packaging line that gives students hands-on experience, and allows visiting startups to test recipes and create samples as a cost-effective alternative to a traditional contract manufacturer.

   Watch how Rebellyous Foods streamlined its production for plant-based chicken. 

“Both students and researchers can gain from this state-of-the-art technology which is crucial to new innovation and to prepare our students for competitive job opportunities in food science,” says Karen Plaut, executive vice president for research at Purdue University.

Purdue Coperion Hillenbrand ExtruderL-R: Kim Ryan, president and CEO of Hillenbrand, Kevin Buchler, president of Coperion Food, Health and Nutrition Division, and Alyssa Wilcox, chief of staff, Office of the President and senior vice president for partnerships at Purdue. Below: a close-up of the donation plaque.Coperion

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