Optimization of Extruded Snack Enriched with Coconut Inflorescence Sap Honey: A Promising Supplementary Food among Tribals

Background: Development of low-cost nutrient dense supplementary foods are a priority for health system in low- and middle-income countries. Extrusion technology has obtained widen acceptance for the production of various products viz., breakfast cereals, puffed snacks and pastas etc. Nevertheless, it is necessary to enhance the nutritional quality of the extruded snacks by including nutrient dense ingredients. In this study, an extruded snack using finger millet, whole wheat, tapioca, chickpea and coconut inflorescence sap honey were developed with aim to enhance the nutritional status of children residing in tribal pockets of Kasaragod district of Kerala, India. Methods: The ideal combination of ingredients was optimized using response surface methodology. The ideal combination with maximum expansion ratio was selected for supplementation trial. The nutrient analysis of optimized extruded snack was carried out. Results: Hundred grams of extruded snack consists of 28 per cent of finger millet, 24 per cent corn starch, 18 per cent of chickpea, 18 per cent of tapioca, 12 per cent of whole wheat and 12 per cent of coconut sap honey. Apart from the major ingredients, per 100 grams of the optimized snack provides 22.11 grams of protein, 60.71 g of carbohydrate, 5.09 g of fiber, 127.4 mg of calcium and 1.88 mg of zinc. Two hundred grams of the extruded snack per packet per individual were distributed to 250 tribal households of Kasaragod district where one of the particularly vulnerable tribal groups named ‘Koragas’ exists.