Whole faba bean flour exhibits unique expansion characteristics relative to the whole flours of lima, pinto, and red kidney beans during extrusion.

Determining the impacts of extrusion conditions on extrudate characteristics of whole beans flours is critical to find the suitable types of beans to use for making direct expanded products. Whole bean flours of four different bean types, faba, lima, pinto, and red kidney, were extruded. The influence of barrel temperature (120, 140, and 160 °C), moisture content (17%, 21%, and 25%), and screw speed (150, 200, and 250 rpm) on process and product responses was studied with a corotating twin screw extruder. The barrel temperature, moisture content, screw speed, and variety of bean had significant influence on process and product responses, back pressure (MPa), torque (N·m), specific mechanical energy (kJ/kg), expansion ratio, water absorption index (g/g), and water solubility index (%) (P < 0.05). Faba bean extrudates had a significantly higher expansion ratio compared to other beans (lima, pinto, and red kidney beans) even though faba bean contained significantly higher protein and higher crude fiber contents (P < 0.05). PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The outputs of this research will be helpful to the food industry in the production of high nutrient-dense food products from whole beans by maintaining the expansion and texture of the products. The data should assist to choose the suitable types of whole bean flours and the optimum processing conditions for making direct expanded extruded products.

Fiber-Rich Food Processing Byproducts Enhance the Expansion of Cornstarch Extrudates.

Expansion characteristics of cornstarch-based extrudates incorporating fiber-rich food processing byproducts was explored. Waxy and regular cornstarch were used as the base materials with apple pomace and sugarcane bagasse incorporated at two addition levels (0%, 15%, and 30% w/w). Extrusions were conducted at three different screw speeds (150, 200, and 250 rpm) with other parameters optimized and kept constant. Apple pomace inclusion resulted in higher initial expansion index (4.23 to 5.60) and higher stable expansion index (2.76 to 4.43), but also showed higher shrinkage (8.50% to 34.72%) than sugarcane bagasse extrudates at the same inclusion levels. Inclusion of apple pomace showed potential of producing extrudates with significantly higher expansion than cornstarch control, with relatively lower energy inputs. Extrusion methods used here have the potential to preserve the textural quality and nutritional value of the fiber-enriched extrudates, providing the base for healthier snack food items. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Findings from this study can be extended to the other fiber-rich food processing byproducts, such as other fruit and vegetable pomace, cereal brans, and pulse hulls among other materials. This data will help the development of fiber-enriched extruded snacks that would have favorable consumer traits.

Composition and Physicochemical Characterization of Fiber-Rich Food Processing Byproducts.

A wide range of fiber-rich food processing byproducts from various sources have been proposed as value-added ingredients for producing healthier food products. Characterizing their composition and physicochemical properties is crucial to understand their potential uses. Eight fiber-rich byproducts from different sources were fractionated into 2 different particle-size ranges. Different (P ≤ 0.05) proximate composition and physicochemical properties (pasting properties, water-binding capacity, and oil-binding capacity) were exhibited by them. These properties enabled hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis to group the byproducts into 3 different clusters by functionality and from this, assigned ingredients in each cluster to a potential end-uses. Some end use examples include, as a source of fat, protein, sugar, and insoluble fiber; and for uses as a thickening agent, water-binder, emulsion-enhancer, and fat-binder. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The data presented in this study can be used by food manufacturers and product developers as the basis for choosing fiber-rich byproducts for specific applications and assist them in developing specific formulation and processing strategies. This characterization will reduce the time for development of fiber-rich foods, increasing industrial uses of byproducts, and decreasing food waste.