Study of the impact of operating parameters and the addition of fat on the physicochemical and texture properties of extruded snacks

Abstract The present study focused on modelling and studying the effect of operating parameters and oil content of extrusion blends on the physicochemical and textural properties of snacks composed mainly of corn flour. A Box-Behnken response surface methodology design with three factors with three modalities was carried out. The effects of barrel temperature, extrusion screw speed and oil quantity added to the blends were investigated. This design made it possible to generate powerful models for several variables, allowing to predict snacks properties according to production conditions and to study in a efficient way the impact of production conditions on snacks properties. Results suggest a dominant effect of oil content which spoils the properties, while temperature and screw speed improve them. Strong correlations between some variables and a concordance of the observations were also highlighted. At the end, established models allowed to produce snacks with satisfactory properties by modulating the extrusion parameters.