Assessment of Physicochemical Properties and Consumer Preferences of Multi-Millet Extruded Snacks Using a Fuzzy Logic...

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Nutritional Science
• Sensory Science

Background:

• Extruded snacks offer a convenient food format.
• Millets are underutilized ancient grains with significant nutritional potential.
• Optimizing snack formulations requires balancing technological properties with consumer acceptance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the physicochemical, functional, and technological properties of multi-millet extruded snacks.
• To assess consumer acceptability of snacks formulated with proso, kodo, and foxtail millets.
• To apply fuzzy logic modeling for optimizing snack formulation based on sensory attributes.

Main Methods:

• Developed four multi-millet snack formulations (S1-S4) with varying millet proportions.
• Conducted physicochemical analysis (nutrient content, WAI, WSI, bulk density).
• Performed sensory evaluation using a 20-member panel and applied fuzzy logic analysis.

Main Results:

• Extrusion resulted in minimal nutrient loss and favorable technological properties (WAI, WSI, bulk density).
• Starch structural changes positively impacted organoleptic qualities, particularly texture and taste.
• The 50% foxtail millet formulation (S3) achieved the highest consumer acceptability, with taste identified as the key driver of preference.

Conclusions:

• Fuzzy logic modeling integrated with sensory analysis is effective for optimizing multi-millet snack formulations.
• Foxtail millet shows promise for developing highly acceptable, health-oriented extruded snacks.
• This approach enhances product quality and market potential for novel snack products.