Development of Extruded Composite Flour Formulations using Local Grain Varieties: Formulation, Sensory Evaluation, and Nutrient Analysis

This study is focused on formulating a composite flour, rich in essential nutrients using selected grain varieties available in Sri Lanka. The traditional rice variety-Kalu heenati was used as the major ingredient in developing the extruded products. Rice flour (RF), Mung bean flour (MF), Black gram flour (BF), and Meneri flour (MF) together with cinnamon powder, sesame and black seeds were composited in developing the formulations based on the nutrient compositions. Thus, 16 composite flour mixtures were formulated fitting to the two-factor factorial experimental design and those formulations were extruded. Grounded samples were served with 1.5% sugar to a consumer-based sensory panel (n=35) to select the best extruded samples organoleptically. Sensorially, the best 4 samples were subjected to proximate analysis according to the AOAC protocols. Results revealed that the F3.4 formulation was sensorially acceptable as per the descriptive analysis. Proximate analysis of best extruded formulation had carbohydrates, protein, fat, dietary fiber, and ash respectively as 63.37±0.02%, 20.91±0.03%, 6.01±0.06%, 9.20±0.01% and 2.41±0.02%. Mineral analysis showed that it contained calcium, sodium, iron and zinc in mg/100g as 840.70± 0.01, 413.06± 0.01, 6.73± 0.01, and 3.22± 0.04 respectively. This formulation can be promoted as a value-added product to address nutritional requirement of Sri Lankans.