Physical properties of snacks made from cassava leaf flour

Abstract

The food industry is continually growing with new products becoming available every year. Extrusion combines a number of unit operations in one energy efficient rapid continuous process and can be used to produce a wide variety of snacks foods. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of extrusion temperature, screw speed, and amount of cassava leaf flour mixed with cassava starch on the physical properties of extruded snacks processed using a single screw extruder. A central composite rotational design, including three factors with 20 treatments, was used in the experimental design. Dependent variables included the expansion index, specific volume, color, water absorption index, and water solubility index. Among the parameters examined, the amount of cassava leaf flour and extrusion temperature showed significant effects on extruded snack characteristics. Mixtures containing 10% of cassava leaf flour extruded at 100°C and 255 rpm shows favorable levels of expansion, color, water absorption index, and water solubility index. Key words: Extrusion, protein, starch, Manihot esculenta Crantz ResumoA indústria de alimentos está crescendo continuamente com novos produtos sendo lançados no mercado a cada ano. A extrusão combina diversas operações unitárias em um processo eficiente, rápido e contínuo e que pode ser usado para produzir uma ampla variedade de snacks. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito da temperatura de extrusão, rotação de rosca e porcentagem de farinha de folhas de mandioca, misturada com fécula de mandioca, sobre as propriedades físicas dos snacks processados em extrusora monorosca. Foi utilizado o delineamento experimental central composto rotacional para três fatores totalizando 20 tratamentos, considerando como variáveis dependentes o índice de expansão (IE), volume específico (VE), cor (L*, a* e b*), o índice de absorção de água (IAA) e o índice de solubilidade em água (ISA). Dentre os parâmetros estudados a porcentagem de farinha de folhas de mandioca e a temperatura de extrusão exerceram efeito mais pronunciado sobre as características avaliadas nos snacks extrusados. Misturas contendo 10% de farinha de folhas de mandioca extrusadas a 100ºC e 255rpm apresentam valores adequados de expansão, cor, índice de absorção de água e índice de solubilidade em água.

Physical characteristics of potato flour from 'Ibituaçú' cv. under different extrusion parameters

“…LEONEL et al (2009) observed similar behavior in extrudates from cassava starch. EI is a quality indicator; the more expanded products tend to be the more crisp they will be, which increases consumer market acceptability (FERRARI et al, 2014).…”

“…Extrusion is a cooking process for a short time at high temperature, in which a combination of mechanical shear action, heat and humidity resulting in a molecular rearrangement besides other chemical reactions, giving the processed product special and diversified characteristics (FERRARI et al, 2014). During extrusion process, a whole series of changes take place in the raw material such as starch and protein hydration, homogenization, starch gelatinization, protein denaturation, destruction of anti-nutritional factors and microbial load reduction (VERNAZA et al, 2009).…”

Evaluation of nutritional properties, and consumer preferences of legume-fortified cassava leaves for low-income households in Zambia

“…This is an indication that the sample has the highest mineral content, a contribution by the cassava leaves and the groundnut used as fortificant. It has been established that cassava leaves have a higher ash content than cassava roots and other leafy vegetables (Ferrari et al, 2014;Karri & Nalluri, 2016). Some cassava leaves varieties have been found to have as high as 4.5% ash content (Montagnac et al, 2009).…”

“…In some countries, cassava leaves are considered as a poor man's food and only eaten when other vegetable leaves are unavailable, or during food shortage and in several countries, they are not consumed at all (Latif & Müller, 2015). In Brazil, for instance, a large amount of cassava leaves is wasted during root harvest, and it has been estimated that for an area of 158 million hectares, more than 178,000 tons of leaves are wasted each year (Ferrari et al, 2014). It is possible to obtain approximately 2,250 kg of cassava leaf flour per hectare, depending on the quantity of leaves produced per plant per hectare (Sagrilo et al, 2001).…”

Instant blend from cassava derivatives produced by extrusion

“…Despite high levels of protein, fiber, minerals and vitamins, cassava leaves contain cyanide, a toxic substance that prevents their consumption "in natura" (FERRaRI et al, 2014). Democratic Republic of Congo is the most import producer of cassava leaves with an estimated production of 85,007 tons (Fao, 2014).…”