Effect of extrusion process parameters on the overall acceptability of snacks produced from aerial yam and soybean flour mixture

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of extrusion cooking parameters on the overall acceptability of the snacks produced from aerial yam and soybean flour mixture. Design Expert (version 11.0.1) was used in the experimental design, with a three-factor experimental setup at five levels each. The aerial yam and soybean flour mixture was formulated in the ratio of 1:3 and extruded using a laboratory-scale single-screw extruder. Response Surface Methodology was adopted in analyzing the effect of the independent variables on the dependent variable. Results showed that the overall acceptability scores ranged from 4.20 to 7.10. Response surface analysis revealed that an increase in barrel temperature, screw speed, and feed moisture resulted in an increase in overall acceptability. The overall acceptability of the snacks was significantly (p < 0.05) affected by barrel temperature and feed moisture, while the screw speed had no significant (p > 0.05) effect on overall acceptability. The interaction of the extrusion cooking parameters had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on the overall acceptability of the snacks. The high range of scores recorded for the snacks indicates that the aerial yam and soybean composite flour extruded snacks were generally well accepted by the panelists.