Effect of Virgin Coconut Meal (VCM) on the development of rice-based extruded snacks

Efforts were made to evaluate the effect of virgin coconut meal (VCM) on the rice based ready-to-eat extruded snack using twin screw extruder at preoptimised conditions. Physical parameters of extrudates, colour values (hunter colorimeter) of the blends and extrudates, pasting properties of the blends before and after extrusion were evaluated. Moisture, protein, fat, ash and fibre contents were analysed using prescribed methods. It was found that with the increase in the VCM level, there was a decrease in expansion ratio from 1.683 to 1.320, mass flow rate from 66 to 26 g/min and tap density from 0.658 to 0.602 gm/cc with the increase in bulk density from 2.29 to 4.12 g/cm3 and water holding capacity from 12.34 to 15.64 ml. There was decrease in lightness (L) thereby increasing the redness (a) and yellowness (b) of the extrudates with the increase of VCM level. Viscosity values of extruded products were far less than those of corresponding unprocessed counterparts as evaluated. Addition of VCM resulted in increase in fibre content from 0.29 to 1.34% and protein from 6.10 to 7.20%. Sensorily extrudates with 10% VCM were found highly liked by taste panelists and it scored 8.5 on 9 point hedonic scale