Abstract
The incorporation of milling by-products, in particular bran, into starch-based extruded snacks allows manufacturers to address two consumer demands at once, i.e., those for goods that are more sustainably produced and of higher nutritional value. However, the higher fiber content in bran than in refined cereal flours poses a limit to the amount that can be included without compromising the quality of extruded snacks, which crucially depends on expansion. Thus, several studies have focused on the effect of bran on the physicochemical characteristics of extruded snacks, leading to the need to review the recent findings in this area. Opportunities, challenges, and potential solutions of bran-enriched snacks are addressed, and several current knowledge gaps are highlighted. Specifically, the first part of the review presents the effects of extrusion cooking on bran’s compositional aspects, focusing on structural changes and product quality. After summarizing the main quality traits of extruded snacks (e.g., expansion rate, bulk density, and textural attributes), the effects of bran enrichment on the physical and sensory characteristics of the final product are discussed. Finally, bran pre-treatments as well as processing optimization are discussed as approaches to improve the quality of bran-enriched snacks.
Highlights
The global extruded snacks market was valued at USD 51.59 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow by more than 4% until 2026 as a result of changes in the eating habits of consumers and the growing demand for ready-to-eat foods [1]
The main compositional difference between the bran and endosperm is the polysaccharide profile, with the endosperms being rich in starch while bran from cereals and legumes contains large amounts of cell wall polysaccharides, most of which qualify as insoluble dietary fiber
The situation is further complicated by the fact that some researchers have found increases in total or insoluble dietary fiber, which could be due to the formation of resistant starch or high molecular weight conjugates derived from the Maillard reaction [26]
Summary
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