Textural attributes of a model snack food at different moisture contents Original Research Article

Moisture content plays a significant role on the texture of ready-to-eat (RTE) snacks as it directly affects the crispness that is a key factor for their acceptance. The popular low-density RTE snacks such as corn balls has been selected as a model system to assess the detailed textural attributes when the moisture content was varied between 2% and 10%. The compression curve (force offered by the sample at different time of compression) apparently shows three prominent zones. The slope of the curve is high in the first and last zones but marginally increases in between these two zones when most of the fractures occur. Good indices to judge the texture of a snack are firmness, Young’s modulus and number of peaks; the latter has been defined as a drop in force of magnitude ⩾1 N. Critical moisture content for corn ball is 4% above which these three indices is markedly affected and product approaches unacceptable domain. The microstructure of corn balls shows the presence of air cells with thin walls and vacuoles. Deformed/damaged cells, fracture(s) in the cell walls and line of fracture for compressed samples have been observed.