Extrusion co-manufacturing for dry food products

Econo-Pak offers full-service extrusion manufacturing for high-volume dry food brands. Our extrusion process transforms raw ingredients into expanded, crunchy snacks like cheese puffs, rice puffs, and corn curls—ready to be seasoned, packed, and shipped to market.

What is extrusion?

Extrusion is a continuous manufacturing process where dry or semi-moist ingredients are pushed through a heated barrel and shaped through a die. The sudden drop in pressure causes the product to puff or expand, creating light, crispy textures ideal for snack foods.

Extruded snack formats we manufacture

We produce a wide range of extruded snacks, including:

Corn puffs and curls
Cheese-flavored puffs
Rice puffs and rice-based snacks
Multigrain and veggie puffs
Legume-based extrusions (e.g., chickpea, lentil)
Cereal or granola-style puff clusters

If you have a custom formulation, we’ll work with your team to validate the recipe and test-run production.

Markets that thrive on extruded snacks

Grocery and natural food retail

Extruded snacks are a staple in traditional grocery aisles and natural food stores. Their light texture, longer shelf life, and versatility in flavor make them ideal for both mainstream and better-for-you snack brands. Whether you’re targeting family-friendly offerings or organic-certified products, extrusion allows for a wide range of formulations that meet consumer demand for healthier, shelf-stable snacks.

Club stores like Costco or Sam’s Club

Bulk packaging and high-velocity movement make club stores an ideal channel for extruded products. Puffs, curls, and other extruded snacks perform well in oversized stand-up pouches or multi-count variety packs. With our high-speed production lines and packaging automation, we help brands scale efficiently to meet the volume requirements of club retail environments.

School and hospital foodservice

Foodservice programs often look for snacks that are portion-controlled, allergen-aware, and compliant with nutritional standards. Extruded snacks are well-suited for these environments because they can be tailored to meet sodium or fat limits while maintaining taste and crunch. We offer single-serve packaging and seasoning options that align with school lunch guidelines or institutional wellness programs.

Vending and convenience stores

Portability, low cost per unit, and flavor variety make extruded snacks a perfect fit for vending machines and c-stores. From cheesy curls to spicy puffs, these products are impulse-friendly and require minimal shelf space. Our facility can package your extruded snacks in compact pillow packs or stand-up pouches ideal for small footprint retail.

eCommerce and DTC snack boxes

Extruded snacks are lightweight and ship well—perfect for direct-to-consumer brands and curated snack boxes. Whether you’re launching a new snack subscription or offering bundles through your Shopify store, we support co-manufacturing and co-packing for eCommerce with flexible packaging formats and fulfillment-ready palletization.

How Econo-Pak can help

Seasoning and flavoring capabilities

We can apply dry seasoning blends or oil-based flavorings to your extruded products using our in-house seasoning equipment. Whether you’re creating a spicy snack, a cheesy puff, or a sweet puffed cereal, we’ll ensure uniform flavor coverage at scale.

Food safety and quality standards

Econo-Pak meets the highest industry certifications, including SQF Level 3, USDA Organic, Kosher, and Halal. We implement strict allergen controls, batch testing, and metal detection at every stage. Every product must meet our internal QA before it reaches your customers.

Seamless co-packing after extrusion

After production, your extruded snacks are ready for packaging. We offer:

Stand-up pouches, pillow packs, and single-serve formats
Custom printed film support and die-line coordination
Carton and variety pack assembly
Palletization and warehousing for distribution

Request a fixed-cost quote

We offer predictable, fixed-price co-manufacturing to make your budgeting easier. To get started, request a quote with your target volumes, product type, and packaging format.