Development and Process Optimization of a Ready-to-Eat Snack from Rice-Cowpea Composite by a Twin Extruder

A central composite rotatable design with four independent variables viz. blend ratio (broken rice flour and cowpea flour): 90:10–70:30, moisture content (10–18% wet basis), barrel temperature (110–150 °C), screw speed (280–360 rpm) were varied in the development of ready-to-eat snacks using a twin extruder for broken rice–cowpea product. The effects on specific mechanical energy, water absorption index, solubility total color, hardness, bulk density, expansion ratio, overall acceptability extruded snack investigated regression analysis. results showed that physical qualities significantly affected by extrusion parameters (i.e., temperature, content, speed). From findings, it was observed contents while index all parameters. However, acceptance majorly content; extrudate produced 85:15, 12% 140 °C, 300 rpm most acceptable, at 6.73 9 point hedonic scales. influenced expansion. Furthermore, combination to produce nutritious has high is promising panacea food security.