The article gives a characteristic of the «Haru» daikon growing in the Tambov region. The properties of this vegetable are analyzed, a qualitative analysis is made. The scope of its application is determined. So due to the chemical composition of this variety is widely used in medicine. An experimental study of two-stage convective vacuum-pulse drying under gentle conditions was carried out. The moisture content of the end of the first period of this vegetable was obtained, which amounted to 77 %. The advantages of 3 mm slicing, compared to 5 mm, are determined, which allows reducing drying time by 50 %. The most rational process of two-stage convective vacuum-pulse drying has been established, both for long-term storage and for the production of food and medicinal substances. The established gentle rational modes of this drying are: in the first period, the temperature of the coolant is 56 °C, the speed of the coolant is 1.5 m/s; in the second period, the coolant temperature is 55 °C, the coolant speed is 2.5 m/s with indoor air humidity up to 60 %. The scope of «Haru» daikon powder for functional foods is also identified.

One of the priority areas for the development of the production of flour confectionery products is the creation of products with reduced energy value, adequate to the needs of various groups of the population in chemical composition, energy and biological value of products. The most popular among the population flour confectionery products include cookies. However, a high content of fat, sugar, and a low or complete absence of dietary fiber and vitamins leads to an imbalance in the diet by nutrients and calories. The analysis of scientific, patent and technical literature indicates the possibility of reducing the energy value of flour confectionery products by replacing energy-intensive nutrients or adding pectin, lignin, microcrystalline fiber, vegetables, fruits, berries, bran, crushed grain, dairy products, non-fat and non-fat oil flour crops and others. Fruits and berries can be promising sources of vitamins, bioflavonoids, macro- and micronutrients and dietary fiber when developing recipes for flour confectionery products. At the same time, the use of local raw materials is important. It has been established that various types of blueberries, cranberries, blueberries, hawthorn, suitable for use in scientific medicine and the food industry, grow in the Penza region. Based on the analysis of information sources, the vector of reducing the energy value of cookies by using the technological potential of hawthorn as a carrier of functional food ingredients, the stocks of which in the Penza region is 3.5 tons, is substantiated.

The paper presents a classification of technical means used in the preparation of animals for lactation, and based on it, a design and technological scheme of a device for massaging the udder of heifers with a combined principle of action on the breast tissue of the animal is proposed. It is concluded that the rational design of the massage device should provide a combined pneumatic-mechanical massage of the udder of heifers by intensive compression and stretching of the animal’s breast tissue in the stroke of the massage. In this case, a short-term intake of a portion of air into the massage bell during the unloading stroke should completely restore the blood circulation in the udder of the animal that was disrupted in the previous stroke.

Currently, fruit and vegetable powders are widely used in functional foods and medicines. Obtaining plant powders is carried out by drying the source material and its subsequent grinding. At the first stage, a two-stage vacuum-pulse dryer is used, since it allows you to save more solids. When storing dried fruit and vegetable products under the necessary conditions, their initial useful properties are not lost until 6 months, and after this period up to 12 months are able to retain up to 50% of their properties. To study the drying processes, samples of the following plant products were used: «Swallow» pepper; tomato «Black Moor»; garlic «Jubilee»; apples of the varieties Antonovka vulgaris, Bogatyr, Zhigulevskoye, Lobo; pumpkin «Michurinsky». The article presents the results of drying pumpkins and the average results obtained by drying apples (samples were taken of the same mass and a slicing thickness of 5 ± 1 mm). Grinding was carried out using a two-stage disk-ball mill with vacuum removal of plant particles of a given degree of grinding. The authors proposed a methodology for calculating the energy costs of a process. Based on experimental studies, several factors have been obtained that contribute to reducing energy costs. The dependences are examined, according to which a qualitative comparison of grinding plants can be carried out, as well as to calculate and design equipment for effective grinding. A formula for calculating the efficiency coefficient is proposed, which allows one to analyze and select equipment for grinding dry plant materials of fine and ultrafine grinding. Based on the obtained values of the quality factor, the most suitable equipment for grinding dry plant materials is selected. Based on the results of the research, conclusions are drawn.

Feed extrusion is one of the most energy intensive processes in the industry. Because of their many advantages, single screw extruders are of great importance in agriculture around the world. To increase the efficiency of the extrusion process of raw materials, an extruder screw with a grooved edge was developed. This design provides a condition for limiting the extrudable material, which helps to reduce the leakage of raw materials through the gap between the screw edge and the wall of the extruder barrel. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to increase the extruder’s efficiency by optimizing operating parameters, based on the study of the interaction of the feed and screw elements. This article presents the results of experimental studies conducted in laboratory conditions using an EC-40 extruder. Determining the influence of factors, namely, the type of screw with different height of the grooves on the screw edge, the moisture content in the extrudable material and the width of the feeder hole on the extruder efficiency, was carried out using a three-factor experiment and the response surface methodology. The optimal operating parameters have been identified at which the maximum efficiency of the extruder is ensured. At the same time, the extruder efficiency increases by 23-25% compared with a standard screw with a flat edge surface.

One of the main tasks of agriculture - rapid and sustainable increase in grain production is noted, and the importance of wheat as the main raw material for the baking industry in Russia is presented. The dynamics of indicators of wheat acreage in farms of all categories in Russia is given, and the correlation of indicators of acreage, yield and gross wheat harvest in Russia in 2008-2018 is presented. It describes the production of wheat in the Penza region, shows the structure of sown areas of grain and leguminous crops in farms of all categories of the Penza region, the largest area is occupied by wheat-64.2%. The gross harvest and yield of wheat in the Penza region in 2018 is presented. The forecast of development of the region’s economy in the field of grain processing is given, it is noted that a large-scale investment project is being developed for the construction of a new wheat processing plant in the Penza region.

The paper presents material that indicates the feasibility of using grape seeds as a valuable ingredient in a composite extruded mixture. Arguments are given in favor of a rational approach to the involvement of secondary raw materials obtained in the process of processing grapes in the economic turnover. Based on the analysis of the chemical composition and individual technological properties of grape seeds, approaches to obtaining a composite mixture for further use in the development of functional or enriched bakery and flour confectionery products are justified.

This study evaluated the effect of extrusion processing on the specific mechanical energy and physical properties of chickpea extrudates (expansion coefficient, bulk density and hardness). The experimental data were processed using the response surface methodology with the following parameters: temperature at the exit from the die (120-150 °C), humidity (20-24 %), and screw rotation speed (260-340 rpm). The factors that most influenced product performance were die outlet temperature and feed moisture content, and the interactions between them. A significant correlation was found between hardness and bulk density (positive), hardness and expansion coefficient (negative), and bulk density and expansion coefficient (negative). The desired characteristics (high expansion, low bulk density and hardness) for the chickpea were obtained at a high die outlet temperature, relatively high humidity and a high screw speed.

The influence of the operating conditions of the extruder (raw material moisture, die temperature, screw speed and mass flow rate) on the pressure drop in the die for wet raw materials was investigated. An EK-40 laboratory extruder and a slot die / rheometer combination were used to measure the pressure drop across the die. The pressure drop decreased with increasing humidity, screw speed, and die temperature, and increased with increasing mass flow. It was found that the temperature of the matrix is the most significant parameter affecting the pressure drop of the matrix.

The article provides a study of factors (screw speed and mass flow rate) affecting the operating conditions of the extruder, engine torque and specific mechanical energy for high-moisture raw materials. A laboratory extruder and a slotted die with a rheometer were used to measure the die torque. The die torque decreased with increasing screw rotation speed and increased with increasing mass flow. However, the increase in mass flow has led to a decrease in the specific mechanical energy. Increasing the screw speed increased the specific mechanical energy. This was due to the higher shear rates at higher screw speeds.