Snack Food Products Research Articles

The effect of extrusion on the functional properties of oat fibre

Extrusion is an effective method for the production of healthier snack foods, such as oat fibre products. The effect of this process on the physicochemical properties of oat fibre preparations containing high levels of β-glucan, however, has not been fully addressed. Oat fibre containing 28 g/100 g β-glucan was extruded using two levels of feed moisture (50 g/100 g or 60 g/100 g of feed materials) and two screw speeds (200 rpm or 300 rpm) at a constant barrel temperature profile (80 °C, 90 °C, 100 °C, 110 °C). A higher specific mechanical energy applied during extrusion correlated with an increase in specific surface area, greater sorption of water vapour and higher sorption energy for the monolayer of water associated with the surface of extruded products. The pasting properties of oat fibre were largely retained and the extent of molecular fragmentation was small, as the molecular weight of the soluble fraction, total soluble solids and water absorption index were not significantly altered. These data demonstrate that extrusion under these conditions can be applied to oat fibre preparations with high β-glucan content, resulting in oat products that retain their functional properties and potential health benefits.

School food environment: Quality and advertisement frequency of child-oriented packaged products within walking distance of public schools.

Food marketing for children is a major concern for public health nutrition and many schools make efforts to increase healthy eating. Food environments surrounding schools in urban areas may undermine these efforts for healthy nutrition within school programs. Our study aim is to describe the nutrition environment within walking distance of schools in terms of food quality and food marketing and to explore the degree to which elements of the nutrition environment varies by proximity to schools. In a cross-sectional study, we analyzed the surrounding food environments of a convenience sample of 46 target schools within 950m walking distance in 7 different urban districts across Vienna, Austria. In total, we analyzed data from 67 fast food outlets and 54 supermarkets analyzing a total of 43.129 packaged snack food and beverage products, from which 85% were for adults and 15% of the products were child-oriented. Proximity to the schools did not affect the availability of child-oriented products and dedicated food advertisements for children. After applying nutrient profiling using the Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) on child-oriented products, results showed that 15.8% of the packaged snack food were categorized as “healthy” foods and 84.2% as “less healthy”; for beverages 65.7% were categorized as “healthy” and 34.3% as “less healthy”. In conclusion, our results show that child-oriented snacks are not more frequently advertised around schools but substantially lack in nutritional quality with the potential to undermine efforts for promoting healthy eating practices within schools.

Ultrasound‐assisted extraction of polyphenols from potato peels: profiling and kinetic modelling

SummaryUltrasound‐assisted extraction (UAE) at 33 and 42 kHz has been investigated in the extraction of polyphenols from peels of two potato varieties, cream‐skinned Lady Claire (LC) and pink‐skinned Lady Rosetta (LR), commonly used in snack food production. Extraction efficacy between the UAE‐untreated (control) and the UAE‐treated extracts was assessed on the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacities (DPPH and FRAP). Application of UAE showed significantly higher recovery of phenolic compounds compared to solid–liquid extraction process alone. Lower ultrasonic frequency (33 kHz) was more effective in recovering polyphenols compared to 42 kHz ultrasonic treatment. The liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry revealed that chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid were the most prevalent phenolics in LR peels, whereas caffeic acid was dominant in LC peels. Peleg's equation showed a good correlation (R2 > 0.92) between the experimental values and the predicted values on the kinetics of UAE of phenolic compounds.

Survey of undeclared soy allergen levels in the most frequently recalled food categories with or without precautionary labelling

ABSTRACTA comprehensive study was designed to determine the frequency and levels of soy allergen in packaged bakery and snack food products. A representative sample of products with no soy allergen disclosed on the label was analysed using two widely used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods. Samples were chosen that either had no soy identified on the product label or which had a soy precautionary statement. Among 558 bakery and snack products, soy protein was detected in 17% of the products using the Neogen (NE) kit and 11% of the products using the Elisa Systems (ES) kit. The disagreement rates between kits were 8.8% for bakery products and 3.3% for snack products. Overall soy protein was detected at higher frequency in bakery products than in snack foods. Among 284 bakery samples, soy protein was detected in 25% of the samples with no precautionary statement and 19% of the samples which had a precautionary statement. Among 274 snack samples, soy protein was detected in 11% of the samples with no precautionary statement and 9% of the samples which had a precautionary statement. The sample repeatability was at an acceptable level (< 9%) for each method and food commodity. The reproducibility between kits was 23% for bakery foods and 36% for snack foods. None of the bakery (21) and snack (6) products without precautionary labelling (measured level > 5 ppm) had a higher level of soy protein per serving compared with the eliciting dose10 (ED10) of 10.6 mg for soy allergic patients. But the level of soy protein per serving may be clinically relevant to a subpopulation of soy allergic patients if a more stringent eliciting dose is applied. These findings emphasise that suitable detection methodologies and references doses are crucial for labelling accuracy and the safety of soy allergic consumers.

Valorization of Carob's Germ and Seed Peel as Natural Antioxidant Ingredients in Gluten-Free Crackers

An antioxidant gluten-free cracker snack was developed through the inclusion of carob by-products (germ and seed peel). The levels of formulation of these two novel ingredients were optimized through their effect on nutritional, physicochemical, sensory and antioxidant parameters of the final product. The results showed that both ingredients affected significantly (P≤0.05) the studied parameters. Based on the surface response models, germ content ranging 4–14% and seed peel lower than 9% were considered optimal formulation conditions of a protein and fiber-rich product with high antioxidant activity. The incorporation of both ingredients increased significantly the antioxidant activity of the snack. However, concentration outside the optimal range of germ and/or peel had modifications in the expected color, texture and flavour of the crackers. Practical Applications The consumer demand for healthier food products is increasing. Snack food is not beyond this trend; furthermore, because of its status of convenience food, it is harder to find healthy alternatives to traditional snack food products. In this case, a gluten-free snack with optimized bioactive properties (antioxidant activity) is developed and proposed, and carob gum processing wastes are value-added by being used as ingredients, adding an environmental benefit to its production. Germ and seed peel from carob processing by-products provided protein and antioxidant activity to the formulated food products. A formulation of a snack with optimal physicochemical and antioxidant capacity was obtained.

The Effects of Fortification of Legumes and Extrusion on the Protein Digestibility of Wheat Based Snack.

Cereal food products are an important part of the human diet with wheat being the most commonly consumed cereal in many parts of the world. Extruded snack products are increasing in consumer interest due to their texture and ease of use. However, wheat based foods are rich in starch and are associated with high glycaemic impact products. Although legume materials are generally rich in fibre and protein and may be of high nutritive value, there is a paucity of research regarding their use in extruded snack food products. The aim of this study was to prepare wheat-based extrudates using four different legume flours: lentil, chickpea, green pea, and yellow pea flour. The effects of adding legumes to wheat-based snacks at different levels (0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%) during extrusion were investigated in terms of protein digestibility. It was observed that fortification of snacks with legumes caused a slight increase in the protein content by 1%–1.5% w/w, and the extrusion technique increased the protein digestibility by 37%–62% w/v. The product developed by extrusion was found to be low in fat and moisture content.

Promotion and consumption of commercially produced foods among children: situation analysis in an urban setting in Senegal.

This study assessed the promotion of commercially produced foods and consumption of these products by children less than 24 months of age in Dakar Department, Senegal. Interviews with 293 mothers of children attending child health clinics assessed maternal exposure to promotion and maternal recall of foods consumed by the child on the preceding day. Promotion of breastmilk substitutes and commercially produced complementary foods outside health facilities was common with 41.0% and 37.2% of mothers, respectively, reporting product promotions since the birth of their youngest child. Promotion of commercially produced snack food products was more prevalent, observed by 93.5% of mothers. While all mothers reported having breastfed their child, only 20.8% of mothers breastfed their newborn within the first hour after delivery, and 44.7% fed pre‐lacteal feeds in the first 3 days after delivery. Of children 6–23 months of age, 20.2% had consumed a breastmilk substitute; 49.1% ate a commercially produced complementary food, and 58.7% ate a commercially produced snack food product on the previous day. There is a need to stop the promotion of breastmilk substitutes, including infant formula, follow‐up formula, and growing‐up milks. More stringent regulations and enforcement could help to eliminate such promotion to the public through the media and in stores. Promotion of commercial snack foods is concerning, given the high rates of consumption of such foods by children under the age of 2 years. Efforts are needed to determine how best to reduce such promotion and encourage replacement of these products with more nutritious foods.

High consumption of commercial food products among children less than 24 months of age and product promotion in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

Commercially produced complementary foods can help improve nutritional status of young children if they are appropriately fortified and of optimal nutrient composition. However, other commercially produced snack food products may be nutritionally detrimental, potentially increasing consumption of foods high in salt or sugar and displacing consumption of other more nutritious options. Helen Keller International, in collaboration with the Nepal government, implemented a study to assess mothers' utilization of commercial food products for child feeding and exposure to commercial promotions for these products. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted among 309 mothers of children less than 24 months of age across 15 health facilities. Utilization of breastmilk substitutes was low, having been consumed by 6.2% of children 0–5 months of age and 7.5% of children 6–23 months of age. Approximately one‐fourth (24.6%) of children 6–23 months age had consumed a commercially produced complementary food in the prior day. Twenty‐eight percent of mothers reported observing a promotion for breastmilk substitutes, and 20.1% reported promotions for commercially produced complementary foods. Consumption of commercially produced snack food products was high at 74.1% of children 6–23 months. Promotions for these same commercially produced snack food products were highly prevalent in Kathmandu Valley, reported by 85.4% of mothers. In order to improve diets during the complementary feeding period, development of national standards for complementary food products is recommended. Nutritious snack options should be promoted for the complementary feeding period; consumption of commercially produced snack food products high in sugar and salt and low in nutrients should be discouraged.

High use of commercial food products among infants and young children and promotions for these products in Cambodia.

Despite national improvements in child survival, 40% of Cambodian children less than 5 years of age are stunted. Commercially produced complementary foods could be nutritionally beneficial for young children in Cambodia if fortified and of optimal nutrient composition. However, other nutrient‐poor commercially produced snack foods may be detrimental to young child feeding by displacing consumption of other nutritious foods. This study assessed consumption of commercial food products among infants and young children and their mothers' exposure to promotions for these products. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted among 294 mothers of children less than 24 months of age living in Phnom Penh. Of children 6‐23 months of age, 55.0% consumed a commercially produced snack food product on the prior day, and 80.6% had consumed one in the prior week. Only 12 (5.4%) children 6‐23 months of age had consumed a commercially produced complementary food. Almost all mothers (96.9%) had observed a promotion for a commercially produced snack food product, and 29.3% reported observation of a promotion for a commercial complementary food. Only one‐third (32.9%) of children 6‐23 months of age achieved a minimum acceptable diet. Findings indicate that there is a need to improve infant and young child feeding practices among children less than 24 months of age living in Phnom Penh. Nutritious options should be promoted, and consumption of unhealthy commercially produced snack food products should be discouraged.

Infant and young child feeding practices among children under 2 years of age and maternal exposure to infant and young child feeding messages and promotions in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

There are limited data describing infant and young child feeding practices (IYCF) in urban Tanzania. This study assessed the types of foods consumed by children under 2 years of age and maternal exposure to promotions of these foods in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted among 305 mothers of children less than 24 months of age who attended child health services in October and November, 2014. Among infants less than 6 months of age, rates of exclusive breastfeeding were low (40.8%) and a high proportion (38.2%) received semi‐solid foods. Continued breastfeeding among 20–23‐month‐olds was only 33.3%. Consumption of breastmilk substitutes was not prevalent, and only 3.9% of infants less than 6 months of age and 4.8% of 6–23 month‐olds were fed formula. Among 6–23‐month‐olds, only 38.4% consumed a minimum acceptable diet (using a modified definition). The homemade complementary foods consumed by the majority of 6‐23‐month‐olds (85.2%) were cereal‐dominated and infrequently contained micronutrient‐rich ingredients. Only 3.1% of 6–23‐month‐olds consumed commercially produced infant cereal on the day preceding the interview. In contrast, commercially produced snack foods were consumed by 23.1% of 6–23‐month‐olds. Maternal exposure to commercial promotions of breastmilk substitutes and commercially produced complementary foods was low (10.5% and 1.0%, respectively), while exposure to promotions of commercially produced snack foods was high (45.9%). Strategies are needed to improve IYCF practices, particularly with regard to exclusive and continued breastfeeding, increased dietary diversity and consumption of micronutrient‐rich foods, and avoidance of feeding commercially produced snack foods.

Fiber rich snack food products incorporated with green gram husk and their suitability for diabetics

A major by-product of &lt;italic&gt;dal&lt;/italic&gt; mills is pulse husk which is basically used as ruminant feed. Its nutritional significance in human diet is less known. Keeping in view that pulse husk is a rich source of dietary fiber, the present study was undertaken to formulate various recipes of snack food items using green gram husk in varied proportions. The husk was incorporated in different traditional snack food item recipes &lt;italic&gt;viz&lt;/italic&gt;., bread, biscuit, muffin, &lt;italic&gt;mathri&lt;/italic&gt; and &lt;italic&gt;pakora&lt;/italic&gt; in varying proportions (5-15 per cent) and the acceptability of different husk incorporated products was tested through sensory evaluation by score card method for different sensory qualities. The best accepted product was evaluated for various nutritional parameters and glycemic index. The results indicated that among all the food items prepared biscuit with 12.5 per cent incorporation of green gram husk found to be most acceptable. It was further evaluated for nutrient composition and glycemic response in normal subjects in the age group of 25-28 years. Appreciable amount of iron (23.75 mg/100g), calcium (113.33 mg/100g) and total dietary fiber (14.98%) content was seen in fiber rich biscuits. The glycemic index of fiber rich biscuits (46.26) was significantly low than the control biscuits (68.70). Thus the green gram husk incorporated biscuits with high dietary fiber and low glycemic index can be recommended for inclusion in the diet of people suffering from diabetes and constipation.

Development of barnyard millet ready-to-eat snack food : Part II

Barnyard millet (BM) based hot air puffed product has less crispness. Oven toasting improves the crispness of the puffed, roasted or flaked food products. A ready-to-eat (RTE) puffed and toasted snack food product from BM was developed. Toasting experiments were designed using central composite rotatable design (CCRD) at varying temperature (84 – 126 o C) and time (10 – 30 min). There was significant reduction in moisture content, colour and hardness of toasted product with increase in toasting temperature and time whereas there was higher increase in crispness at lower levels but less increase at higher levels of toasting parameters. The influence of temperature was dominant over toasting time for all responses. Reduction in moisture content and improvement in microstructure of the product during toasting resulted in the significant increase in crispness. The process parameters were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The quality attributes like moisture content, colour, crispness and hardness of the optimally toasted snack food were 0.046 kg kg -1 dm, 69.79, 18.45 and 362.64 g, respectively at the optimum temperature and time combination of 116.26 o C and 20.23 min, respectively. The total energy content of the BM snack food was 380.74 kcal per 100 g product.

Analysis of Snack Food Purchasing and Consumption Behavior

ABSTRACTThis exploratory research examines the purchasing and consumption behavior of snack food consumers. A structured questionnaire and intercept interviews were used to collect quantitative data from respondents inside supermarket stores. For marketers, a key contribution of this study is the importance of the price attribute and certain product claims. Sugar and total fat were found to be the most important nutritional factors that consumers consider when making a purchase decision, but it was also found that only around one half of all consumers actually read product labels when purchasing snack foods. Matters of particular concern that are highlighted by this study are that one third of consumers do not consider their snacking behavior to be healthy, and one quarter of consumers choose to snack in secret. This study addressed a number of gaps in current knowledge by identifying the snack food products that are most frequently consumed, the reasons for consuming snacks, whether consumers read snack food product labels, the importance of various attributes and product claims, whether consumers regard their snacking behavior to be healthy, and whether they snack in secret.

Food packaging cues influence taste perception and increase effort provision for a recommended snack product in children.

Food marketing research shows that child-directed marketing cues have pronounced effects on food preferences and consumption, but are most often placed on products with low nutritional quality. Effects of child-directed marketing strategies for healthy food products remain to be studied in more detail. Previous research suggests that effort provision explains additional variance in food choice. This study investigated the effects of packaging cues on explicit preferences and effort provision for healthy food items in elementary school children. Each of 179 children rated three, objectively identical, recommended yogurt-cereal-fruit snacks presented with different packaging cues. Packaging cues included a plain label, a label focusing on health aspects of the product, and a label that additionally included unknown cartoon characters. The children were asked to state the subjective taste-pleasantness of the respective food items. We also used a novel approach to measure effort provision for food items in children, namely handgrip strength. Results show that packaging cues significantly induce a taste-placebo effect in 88% of the children, i.e., differences in taste ratings for objectively identical products. Taste ratings were highest for the child-directed product that included cartoon characters. Also, applied effort to receive the child-directed product was significantly higher. Our results confirm the positive effect of child-directed marketing strategies also for healthy snack food products. Using handgrip strength as a measure to determine the amount of effort children are willing to provide for a product may explain additional variance in food choice and might prove to be a promising additional research tool for field studies and the assessment of public policy interventions.

Commercially produced snack food consumption among children 6‐23 months in urban Cambodia, Nepal, and Senegal

ObjectiveConsumption of foods high in salt or sugar early in life can displace consumption of more nutritious foods during a crucial period of child growth and development. This study sought to assess consumption of commercially produced snack food products among young children in Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Kathmandu, Nepal; and Dakar, Senegal.Methods:A cross‐sectional survey was conducted among 222 Phnom Penh, 228 Kathmandu, and 218 Dakar mothers with a child 6‐23 months of age. Mothers were recruited from randomly sampled health facilities and dietary intake data were collected for their child.Results:Consumption of commercially produced snack foods (cookies/biscuits, candy/chocolate, chips/crisps, cakes/doughnuts or soft drinks) was highly prevalent. Three‐quarters (74.1%, n=169) of children in Kathmandu, 61.0% (n=133) in Dakar and 56.3% (n=125) in Phnom Penh had consumed a snack product in the day prior to interview. Almost all children had consumed a commercial snack product in the last week (91.2% [n=208] Kathmandu children, 81.2% [n=177] Dakar children; 82.0% [n=182] Phnom Penh children). When asked to name commercial baby food products, many Phnom Penh (21.6%, n=48) and Dakar (22.5%, n=49) mothers reported snack foods in this group of foods sold especially for young children. In Kathmandu, 17.1% (n=39) of mothers reported avoiding feeding commercial snack foods because they were unhealthy, however, almost all of these mothers had fed such a product in the previous week.ConclusionsThe majority of children 6‐23 months of age in this study had consumed commercial snack food products during the previous day and previous week. Given growing rates of obesity and concurrent rates of child undernutrition, high rates of snack food product consumption are of concern for nutrition interventions and policies.

The use of infrared spectrometers to predict quality parameters of cornmeal (corn grits) and differentiate between organic and conventional practices

Benchtop and handheld NIR and portable mid-infrared (MIR) spectrometers were evaluated as rapid methods for differentiating between organic and conventional cornmeal and to measure quality parameters of cornmeal used for production of snack foods. Twenty-seven conventional and eleven organic cornmeal samples were obtained from a local manufacturer of grain-based products. Reference quality parameters measured included moisture content, ash content, pasting properties and particle size. Soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) analysis accurately classified between organic and conventional cornmeal samples (interclass distance > 3.7) based on differences in the CO signal associated with side chain vibrations of acidic amino acids. Residual predictive deviation (RPD) values for partial least squares regression (PLSR) models developed, ranged between 2.3 and 9.6. Overall, our data supports the capability of infrared systems to classify between organic and conventional cornmeal, and to predict important quality attributes of cornmeal for the snack food industry.

Extrusion Processing and Evaluation of an Expanded, Puffed Pea Snack Product

The use of grain legumes such as dry field pea (Pisum sativum) as major ingredients in snack foods may help to increase the nutritional appeal of these foods. Pea based expanded snack foods were developed using formulations varying in pea flour, pea fiber and pea starch and extrusion processing temperature. The products’ physical characteristics, including shear strength, bulk density and expansion index, were characterized. The incorporation of pea fiber had the greatest effect on the texture of the final product whereas the addition of pea flour only slightly affected the physical properties of the product. Temperature also had an effect on the physical properties bulk density and expansion ratio but had no significant effect on the shear strength of the extrudates. Objective texture tests indicated that pea based puffed sample characteristics were comparable to commercial samples made of corn ingredients. The feasibility and quality of pea flour, starch and fiber as functional ingredients in snack food products was demonstrated.

On the possibility of nonfat frying using molten glucose.

Fried products impose a health concerns due to considerable amount of oil they contain. Production of snack foods with minimal oil content and good management of oil during frying to minimize the production of toxic compounds continue to be challenging aims. This paper aims to investigate the possibility of producing a fat-free food snack by replacing frying oil with a nonfat medium. Glucose was melted and its temperature was then brought to 185 °C and used to fry potato strips, to obtain a product referred here as glucose fries. The resulting product was compared with French fries prepared conventionally under conditions that resulted in similar final moisture content. The resulting products were also examined for crust formation, texture parameters, color development and glucose content. Stereo microscope images showed that similar crusts were formed in the glucose fries and French fries. Texture parameters were found to be similar for both products at 5 and 2 mm penetration depth. The maximum hardness at 2 mm penetration depth was also similar for both products, but different from cooked potato. The color development that characterized French fries was also observed in glucose fries. The glucose content in glucose fries was found to be twice the content of French fries, which is to be expected because glucose absorbed or adhered to the surface. In conclusion, glucose fries, with similar texture and color characteristics to that of French fries, can be prepared by using a nonfat frying medium.

Enhancement of oil spreadability of biscuit surface by nonthermal barrier discharge plasma

The application of nonthermal dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma for altering the hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity of polymer surfaces is well known. In this work, we demonstrate the potential of DBD plasma in enhancing the surface hydrophobicity of freshly baked biscuits, evident from the increased spread area of vegetable oil. The electrical and optical characteristics of the DBD plasma source have also been described. The spread area of individual oil drops has been measured using a digital image analysis technique. An exponential order of increase in the spread area has been observed at 80 kV with respect to treatment time, following DBD treatment. The findings reported in this work have applications in the industrial preparation of biscuit and cracker variants, where post-baking oil spray is desired. The effect of plasma treatments on the chemical constituents of biscuit requires further investigation. There is a substantive evidence for the need of an alternate process which allows retaining functionality of sprayed oil in biscuits, with less oil or fat and increased spread. A novel process based on barrier discharge atmospheric pressure nonthermal plasma for enhancement of oil spreadability on dry, snack food products is developed. For a given volume of oil, up to 50% more spreading of oil can be achieved within few seconds of the process as compared to currently used methods. The plasma source can be easily integrated into a continuous biscuit and cracker production or finishing line.

Food label accuracy of common snack foods

Nutrition labels have raised awareness of the energetic value of foods, and represent for many a pivotal guideline to regulate food intake. However, recent data have created doubts on label accuracy. We tested label accuracy for energy and macronutrient content of prepackaged energy-dense snack food products. We measured "true" caloric content of 24 popular snack food products in the U.S. and determined macronutrient content in 10 selected items. Bomb calorimetry and food factors were used to estimate energy content. Macronutrient content was determined according to Official Methods of Analysis. Calorimetric measurements were performed in our metabolic laboratory between April 20th and May 18th and macronutrient content was measured between September 28th and October 7th of 2010. Serving size, by weight, exceeded label statements by 1.2% [median] (25th percentile -1.4, 75th percentile 4.3, P = 0.10). When differences in serving size were accounted for, metabolizable calories were 6.8 kcal (0.5, 23.5, P = 0.0003) or 4.3% (0.2, 13.7, P = 0.001) higher than the label statement. In a small convenience sample of the tested snack foods, carbohydrate content exceeded label statements by 7.7% (0.8, 16.7, P = 0.01); however fat and protein content were not significantly different from label statements (-12.8% [-38.6, 9.6], P = 0.23; 6.1% [-6.1, 17.5], P = 0.32). Carbohydrate content explained 40% and serving size an additional 55% of the excess calories. Among a convenience sample of energy-dense snack foods, caloric content is higher than stated on the nutrition labels, but overall well within FDA limits. This discrepancy may be explained by inaccurate carbohydrate content and serving size.