Quality evaluation of millet-soy blended extrudates formulated through linear programming.

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Cereal Processing
• Nutritional Engineering

Background:

• Composite flours offer nutritional benefits but require processing optimization.
• Extrusion technology is key for developing novel food products from blended ingredients.
• Linear programming (LP) can optimize formulations for cost and desired characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To formulate cost-effective millet-soy composite flour extrudates using linear programming (LP).
• To investigate the impact of extrusion parameters on the physical, functional, textural, and pasting properties of millet-soy extrudates.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of millet-soy composite flour using a linear programming (LP) model to minimize cost.
• Extrusion processing using a twin-screw food extruder with varied feed rates (6.5-13.5 kg/h) and screw speeds (200-350 rpm).
• Analysis of physical (expansion index, density), functional, textural (hardness), and pasting (peak viscosity) characteristics of the extrudates.

Main Results:

• Optimal expansion and sectional expansion were achieved at a feed rate of 9.5 kg/h and screw speed of 250 rpm.
• Maximum density was observed with a feed rate of 9.5 kg/h and screw speed of 300 rpm.
• Lower hardness and decreased peak viscosity were noted at specific feed rates and screw speeds, indicating processing influence.

Conclusions:

• Linear programming (LP) effectively formulated cost-efficient millet-soy composite flour.
• Extrusion parameters significantly influence the physical and textural properties of millet-soy extrudates.
• The study provides insights into optimizing extrusion conditions for desirable millet-soy based food products.