Effect of Extrusion Processing Parameters on Physical and Nutritional Properties of Fish Based Snack- A Review

Abstract

Extrusion Technology is one of the extremely versatile applications in food manufacturing industries, which yields a wide range of products of variable texture, size, taste, shape, nutritional status and flavor. The technology offers novel food products with high nutritional value, improved digestibility, long shelf life and wide acceptance among consumers with minimum undesirable effects like browning, production of off-flavors and inactivation of vitamins and essential amino acids. Starch from staple crops like rice, wheat, maize, potato and cassava are the raw materials for extruded products that get gelatinized during extrusion so that digestibility and food value is enhanced, the texture gets improved and expansion is maximized to get better products. Furthermore, nutritional deficiency of extruded products can be compensated by fortification with protein. Plant proteins from seeds of kidney bean, soybean etc. are mixed with cereal flour to enhance the nutritional profile of the snacks. Similarly, fish proteins
containing amino acids of high biological value often find high application in these extruded products. This review highlights the major ingredients used for production of extruded products and their properties. It also emphasizes the changes in physical and chemical properties of fish-based snacks during extrusion process. The influence of
extrusion on product characteristics and nutritional status too was investigated.
Keywords: Extrusion, nutritional changes, fish protein