Quality characteristics of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) based nutritious ready-to-eat extruded baked snack.

The study aimed to utilize buckwheat and bread waste to develop ready to eat snack with reduced fat, enriched protein, dietary fiber and minerals. Base flour constituting of buckwheat flour (BF) and rice flour in the ratio of 90:10 was replaced with bread powder (BP) at varying levels (0-80%). The gelatinization temperature of base flour was 67 °C and it decreased with increasing amount of BF. The breaking strength of the extruded snack with varying amount of BP, fat and chilli powder were in the range between 3.46-2.04 N, 1.56-1.26 N and 1.5-1.89 N respectively. Physical and sensory analyses indicate that 40% BP, 8% fat and 1% chilli powder were optimum to obtain extruded snack with desirable characteristics. The ready to eat snack contained 10.64%, 15.33% and 7.45% of fat, protein and total dietary fiber respectively. Minerals present were 169 mg/100 g of magnesium, 46 mg/100 g of calcium, 4.5 mg/100 g of iron and 3.46 mg/100 g of zinc. Bread waste can thus be utilized in producing a healthy ready to eat snack.