Nutritionally Valuable Components and Heat-Induced Contaminants in Extruded Snack Products Enriched with Defatted...

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Nutritional Science
• Process Engineering

Background:

• Snack foods often lack sufficient dietary fiber and beneficial phytochemicals.
• Valorization of agricultural by-products like seed press cakes can improve nutritional profiles.
• Extrusion processing offers a versatile method for snack production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of adding various defatted seed press cakes on the nutritional quality of expanded snacks.
• To evaluate the effect of different extrusion methods (direct vs. supercritical CO2 assisted) on snack components.
• To assess the safety of the developed snacks concerning hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and acrylamide levels.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of 3%, 6%, and 9% defatted press cakes (hazelnut, camelina, pumpkin, hemp) into corn grits.
• Production of directly expanded and indirectly expanded (supercritical CO2 assisted - SCFX) snack products using a single-screw extruder.
• Analysis of key nutritional components: dietary fiber (soluble and insoluble), resistant starch, total polyphenols, HMF, and acrylamide.

Main Results:

• Press cakes significantly increased soluble and insoluble fiber content in snacks.
• Total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity were positively influenced by press cake addition and extrusion type.
• Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) levels were influenced by press cake type and extrusion method, but acrylamide remained below detection limits in all samples.
• Resistant starch content was not significantly affected by press cake addition.

Conclusions:

• Defatted seed press cakes are valuable ingredients for enhancing the nutritional value of expanded snacks, particularly in terms of fiber and polyphenols.
• Supercritical CO2 assisted extrusion (SCFX) is a viable technology for producing safe, nutritionally improved snacks.
• The study highlights the potential for industrial application of these processes for creating healthier snack options.