Optimization of malted cowpea compositions and extrusion parameters for best quality Ethiopian emmer wheat-based snack food

Abstract Childhood malnutrition is a major concern in developing countries, particularly in Ethiopia. This study aims to address this problem by assessing the nutritional properties of snacks made from locally available raw materials. The study used a twin-screw extruder machine to study the effects of different processing conditions (barrel temperatures, feed moisture content, and cowpea/emmer wheat blending ratio) on the nutritional properties of extruded products. The results showed a highly significant effect of these processing variables on the nutritional properties of snacks. Increasing cowpea in the blend boosted the protein and fiber content of the snack products. Increasing the barrel temperature from 80 to 120 °C notably decreased the protein and fat levels in the snack. The optimization of the combined interactive effects on an extruded snack made from 19.83% cowpea and 80.17% emmer wheat, cooked at 120 °C barrel temperature with 22.04% feed moisture content, produced acceptable extruded snack items. The products developed with optimized parameters contained 16.68%, 1.55%, 2.50%, 70.95%, and 364.43 kcal/g for protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrate, and gross energy, respectively. The study concludes that blending Emmer wheat and cowpea in extruded snacks can provide high protein and gross energy. This suggests a locally viable solution for addressing protein-energy malnutrition in developing regions, particularly Ethiopia.