Chemical Composition and Technological Studies on the Production of some Healthy Snacks Containing Chia Seeds

Snacks are very popular among all age groups because they are delicious, crunchy, and easy to eat outside the home (work, schools, transport places …). Chia seeds have received great interest from consumers due to their health-promoting nutritional importance. Therefore, this study aims to produce healthy snacks fortified with chia seeds from (white flour, corn flour, and soaked chia seeds). The study also aims to identify the chemical, rheological properties, antioxidant and water activities and sensory evaluation of snacks fortified with soaked chia seeds. The results showed the chemical composition of chia seeds contain high levels of protein, fiber, fat, and ash. Protein contents increased and carbohydrate contents decreased in snacks fortified with soaked chia seeds compared to control snacks. Also, the results showed significant differences in antioxidant activity between control snacks and snacks fortified with soaked chia seeds. The rheological properties of the dough also showed increased water absorption, dough stability, and flexibility in all mixtures compared to control snacks. From here, it can be concluded that adding soaked chia seeds led to an increase in the nutritional value of the snacks. Moreover, the sensory evaluation showed that the fortified snacks were acceptable by the jury members, and the best product was the snacks (35% white flour + 35% corn flour + 30% chia seeds) that cooked in an oven. Therefore, it is recommended to use chia seeds to fortify snack products, as they increase the nutritional and functional value of many products.