Abstract:
Malnutrition causes major health problems due to qualitative and quantitative
insufficiency of dietary protein and calories intake. Protein energy malnutrition is a
serious threat especially in children in developing countries. Fortification or
combination of two or more food ingredients can make a solution for this nutritional
insufficiency to a certain extend. Food products with improved nutritional profile can
be produced by blending legumes. Ready to eat food products are plays a major role
in modern consumer’s diets. Extrusion cooking is a novel technology adopted by
food industries as it is a rapid, continuous and cost-effective process. Therefore, an
investigation has been taken up to develop a protein enriched ready to eat food
products from rice, ragi, Bengal gram, ground nut and soybean using extrusion
cooking. The feed composition selected for the extrusion were 60% rice, 10% ragi,
10% Bengal gram, 10% soybean and 10% groundnut flour and the physico chemical
analysis of the feed mix was conducted and recorded. The process variables used in
the study were temperature (120,130 and 140°C), moisture content (12, 14 and 16%)
and screw speed (300, 350 and 400 rpm). The optimisation of process parameters was
analysed using RSM based on the quality characteristics of the extrudates. The
optimum operating conditions of extrusion process namely, barrel temperature,
moisture content and screw speed was found to be 140°C, 12.20% and 383.96 (384)
rpm respectively. The storage studies of optimally produced extrudates were
conducted by using different packaging materials (LDPE and laminated aluminum)
and packaging technologies (Active and passive MAP). The extrudates packed in
laminated aluminum with active MAP had good overall acceptability after three
months of storage and they were microbiologically safe. The total production cost of
1kg of extruded RTE product was found to be Rs. 113.29/-.
