Properties of Extruded Snacks Prepared from Corn and Carrot Powder with Ascorbic Acid Addition

The objective of this research was to investigate the potentiality of carrot powder (CP) utilization at levels 4, 6, or 8% as ingredient of corn snacks and evaluation of the extrusion influence on functionally important ingredients such as carotenoids (color), polyphenols, fiber, fat, and antioxidant activity. The influence of ascorbic acid (AA) as an external source at levels 0.5 and 1% on this particular extrusion was also investigated. A single-screw extruder at two temperature regimes (135/170/170 °C (E1) and 100/150/150 °C (E2)) carried out extrusion. The E1 temperature regime acted favorably on total polyphenol content and crude fiber, but fat preferred the E2 regime. Extrusion, especially the E1 temperature regime, increased the extractability of carotenoids. Ascorbic acid degraded during extrusion, but it still provided protection to carotenoids and color attributes of extrudates. Snacks with increased nutritional and functional value due to carrot powder addition were successfully produced, which is a starting point for production of a new type of extruded snacks.

Inclusion levels of flour made from smoked Nile tilapia trimmings in extruded corn snacks

This study aimed to elaborate extruded corn snacks with the inclusion of flour made from smoked Nile tilapia trimmings, as well as evaluate the chemical, sensory and microbiological composition. The tilapia trimmings flour was incorporated in four levels, one of them was the control (without inclusion) and then 5%, 10% and 15% added in the corn grits. The microbiological analysis shows that the flours and snacks prepared are within the microbiological standards. The shavings flour presented 8.89% moisture, 60.87% protein, 15.7% ash and 11.68% carbohydrates. The inclusion of different levels of tilapia flour in the extruded snacks significantly influenced only the content of protein, moisture and carbohydrates. The protein content increased as the level of inclusion of shavings in the snacks increased, while the carbohydrate content decreased. For protein, there was a positive linear effect, whose contents went from 7.06% to 11.44%. Carbohydrate had a negative linear effect, reducing from 78.20% to 72. 63%. The moisture content showed a quadratic effect, with a range from 5.26 to 6.03%. As for sensory analysis, there was no significant difference for any of the attributes evaluated between the different treatments. It is recommended to include up to 15% of Nile tilapia trimmings flour in extruded corn snacks with an increase in protein content of up to 38.29% and a reduction of up to 7.12% in carbohydrates.

Availability and access to food in supermarkets before and during the Covid-19 pandemic in a mid-size city

ABSTRACT Objective To investigate the availability and price of fresh and ultra-processed foods in supermarkets before and during the Covid-19 pandemic in a mid-size city in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Methods Ecological and longitudinal study. A proportionate stratified random sampling method was applied to supermarkets in the municipality. To assess the availability, variety, and price of fresh and ultra-processed foods, we applied the Estudo do Ambiente Obesogênico em São Paulo (ESAO, Obesogenic Environment Study in São Paulo, Brazil) Food Store Observation Tool questionnaire and calculated the Healthy Food Store Index. The audits took place from December 2019 to January 2020, and we returned to the establishments in September 2020. Descriptive analyzes, McNemar tests, paired Student's T or Wilcoxon tests were performed using the SPSS software, version 20.0, with a 5% significance level. Results Ten supermarkets were evaluated. The prices of oranges (p=0.012), bananas (p=0.043), apples (p=0.004), and onions (p=0.004) were significantly increased during the time frame. Sugar-free soft drinks (p=0.044), powdered drinks (p=0.032), and corn snacks (p=0.015) showed a greater variety of brands and flavors during the pandemic. The Healthy Food Store Index score was 9.50±0.85 before the pandemic and 9.00±1.15 during it. Conclusion The prices of some fruits and vegetables increased, and supermarkets sold a greater variety of ultra-processed foods. Such findings highlight the importance of assessing the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic on the food environment.

Investigation of nutritional and functional properties of extruded corn snacks with bran addition

Corn snacks are commonly produced and consumed snack foods. The nutritional and functional properties of extruded snacks that were produced using corn semolina are rather poor. In this study, the effects of wheat bran addition to extruded corn snack formulation were investigated. For this purpose, the extrusion conditions were first optimized using Central Composite Design - Response Surface Methodology (CCD-RSM), based on the physical properties of the products (hardness, crispness, brittleness, expansion rate, apparent density and porosity). Upon optimization, the best extruded snack production conditions were determined (moisture content of the mixture 14%, die temperature 120°C, bran: corn semolina ratio 10%, corn starch: bran + corn semolina ratio 10%) and the results were verified via experimental studies. Then, the bran ratio of the mixture was gradually increased from 10% to 22% and 5 different extruded snacks with varying bran contents (10%, 13%, 16%, 19% and 22% bran) were produced . Chemical composition (moisture, protein, fat and ash) and nutritional properties (phytic acid, dietary fiber, total phenolic substance and total antioxidant capacity) of the extruded corn snacks with bran additions (ECSwBA) were determined. The addition of bran at the optimized rate (%10) positively affected the physical properties of extruded corn snacks. Further increase in the bran addition partially weakened the physical properties of corn snacks. However, as the bran addition ratio increased, the nutritional and functional properties of the extruded corn snacks increased significantly.

Acute effects of extruded pulse snacks on glycemic response, insulin, appetite, and food intake in healthy young adults in a double blind, randomized crossover trial

Research indicates that the post-prandial glycemic benefits of consuming whole pulses are retained when consumed in a mixed meal, pureed, and ground into flours. The glycemic benefits of pulse flours when incorporated into extruded products are unknown. In a randomized, repeated-measures crossover study, adults (n = 26) consumed extruded corn snacks made with the addition of 40% pulse flour from either: whole yellow pea, split yellow pea, green lentil, chickpea, or pinto bean. The control snack was 100% corn. Food intake was measured with an ad libitum meal consumed at 120 min. Blood glucose (BG), insulin and appetite were measured regularly before (pre-meal, 0-120 min) and after (post-meal, 140-200 min) the meal. Pinto bean and chickpea snacks led to lower (p<0.05) pre-meal BG incremental area under the curve (iAUC), compared with control, whole yellow pea and green lentil snacks. Pinto bean snack also led to lower (pre-meal BG (p<0.05) and insulin (p<0.05) iAUC compared with control, whole yellow pea, and split yellow pea snacks. There were no differences in food intake or appetite. These findings indicate that effects of replacing corn with pulse flours in extruded snacks on BG, and insulin are dependent on pulse type. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02402504. Registered on 30 March 2015. Novelty bullets: The incorporation of pinto bean and chickpea flour into extruded corn snacks improves postprandial glycemic response. Pulse containing snacks were equally as palatable as the corn snacks. The incorporation of pulses into corn snacks increased the protein and fibre content.