Extrudate snacks from rice flour and oyster mushroom powder: Physico-chemical and functional properties characterization and storability evaluation

Ready-to-eat extrudate was prepared from the blend of rice flour and oyster mushroom powder. Process parameters for development of snack were screw speed of 250–350 ​rev/min, feed moisture content of 15–25% (d.b.) and the percentage of oyster mushroom powder in rice flour was maintained in the range of 5–15%. Response surface methodology with the central composite rotatable design was used for the study. The effects of process parameters on the physico-chemical and functional properties were analyzed. It was observed that the screw speed of 330 ​rev/min, feed moisture content of 20% and the percentage of mushroom powder in rice flour of 6.6% gave the most acceptable quality product. The storability of the developed product was checked in three packaging materials, viz. polypropylene (PP), low density polyethylene (LDPE), and metalized propylene (MPP) pouches for three months and it was recommended to store the rice flour-mushroom extruded snack in MPP pouches for better retention of quality. The contemporary work on extrudate snacks from the blend of rice flour and oyster mushroom powder is a good piece of work quite useful for industry dealing with ready-to-eat extrudate products.