Development and quality cum nutritional assessment based on physical properties for corn extruded snacks enriched with protein and carbohydrates: A remedy to malnutrition for society

Malnutrition is one of the century's most pressing challenges. If malnutrition is not addressed early, people may suffer from non-communicable diseases. A proper, nutritious diet is necessary to overcome diseases like malnutrition. The technology like extrusion can develop rich fortified food products by retaining high nutrition content. In this study, extrusion technology was used to develop protein and carbohydrate snacks with proper nutrition based on the physical properties of commodities by combining different ratios of corn grits, apple pomace, and mung beans. The objectives of the study focused on the development of a food product based on engineering aspects and the quality cum nutritional evaluation of the finished product that can be used as a diet to combat malnutrition. Physical properties like color, rehydration ratio, porosity, bulk density, water solubility index, texture, sensory evaluation, hardness, and crispiness were studied in detail. The energy content of protein and carbohydrates was measured for nutritional assessment using Food Data Central as a standard, provided by the United States of America Department of Agriculture. Results reveal significant variations among treatments, with the addition of apple pomace impacting bulk density, water solubility index, and color attributes. Mung bean supplementation demonstrates a direct correlation with increased hardness and influences porosity. The rehydration ratio is positively affected by apple pomace. Sensory evaluation underscores the substantial impact on color, texture, crispiness, taste, and overall acceptability, providing valuable insights for snack formulation.


INTRODUCTION
The human diet has evolved from raw eating to processed foods [1].Lack of access to healthy food results in one common and alarming condition called malnutrition.Among the young population, 22.1% suffer from mental disorders due to a lack of proper nutrients in the diet [2].Proper nutrition intake helps decrease the effects of different diseases and prevent associated risks [3].The body cannot regulate its functioning if nutrients are not supplied through a proper diet [4].For adults, healthy food includes at least 400 g of fruits and vegetables, less than 10% intake of free sugar, and 30% intake of fats in a whole diet per day [5].Protein, vitamins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and water are 6 essential nutrients.All dietary carbohydrates, and insoluble dietary fiber are considered as non-essential nutrients.
Malnutrition is a nutrition disorder that refers to deficits, excess, or imbalanced nutritional intake in a person's diet [6].In both undernutrition and overnutrition, protein deficiency occurs along with other essential micronutrients such as iron, vitamins B6, B12, C, D, and calcium [7].Malnutrition is a global concern.In developed countries, the excess intake of diet deficit in protein leads to obesity, whereas, developing countries are struggling with widespread micronutrient deficiencies that cause problems of maternal undernutrition, child stunting, and wasting [8].The main causes of malnutrition in developing countries are due to poverty, low income, large family size, poor hygiene conditions, and food insecurity [9].These bases of malnutrition result in stunted adults and increased risks of NCDs with the ultimate result of increased morbidity and mortality [10].Essential nutrients are inevitable in the diet to overcome malnutrition.Among six, two are the most important i.e., protein and carbohydrates.
Protein is an essential macronutrient for the prevention of malnutrition.The deficiency of protein leads to acute malnutrition, a condition that specifically occurs due to low protein consumption.Jelliffe replaced the term "acute malnutrition" with "protein-calorie malnutrition" in 1959 [11].European adults are at risk of protein-calorie malnutrition among 23% of the total population [12] and the United States of America adults have 2-3% of poor indication according to the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) [13].Protein calorie malnutrition is the cause of one-third of mortalities among children under 5 years and those who survive that disease are at risk of intellectual or cognitive impairment [14].Infants are at high risk of malnutrition due to low consumption of essential nutrients.For newborn children, 5g of protein intake per day is required to overcome the nutrient deficiency [15].For older adults, 35 g of a healthy protein meal is necessary per day to prevent the risk of protein-calorie malnutrition [16].
Carbohydrates are the second most vital essential macronutrient for the proper body growth.Since the start of the 21st century, low intake of carbohydrates in the diet has been trending for weight loss in adults.This low intake results in poor growth and improper functioning of organs which makes it a high risk of different diseases including malnutrition.The amount of energy that carbohydrate has in foods is usually 4 kcal/g [17].To overcome the carbohydrate deficiency <10% i.e., a 20-25 g/day diet is necessary for infants, 130 g/day for toddlers, and 250-300 g/day for adults [18].Carbohydrates that have plant-based origin consist of fibers.The risk of certain diseases like cancer, obesity, and diabetes can be reduced by consuming a fiber-rich diet [19].Highly rich fiber diets are good for health, such as grains, nuts, fruits, and vegetables because their effects are associated with a lower incidence of various diseases.Fiber can be used (women with 9.6 g/day and men with 10.3 g/day) in various functional foods, such as baked goods, beverages, and meat [20].
The rush in economic development around the globe is a major concern for food security which relates to malnutrition, as for processed food, the waste is increasing due to the use of destructive technologies implemented during operating procedures.This waste directly relates to food security [21].The growth of the world's population is an alarming concern.To increase the production of foods, researchers and scientists are working to introduce new varieties of different foods to overcome the issues of food insecurity.To ensure food security, reliable and inexpensive sources are needed, which will help to reduce malnutrition risks.The food commodities enriched with protein, carbohydrates, and other essential nutrients readily available for people can be processed to get proper nutritional value.The lack of complete nutritional values from a single food source prompted researchers around the globe to explore different processing techniques to produce nutrient-rich products.To fulfill that purpose, it is inevitable to process a combination of more than one nutritious food commodity to get a healthy, balanced, and complete nutrient-enriched diet.Numerous technologies have the potential for the processing of foods to improve nutritional density, nutrient bioavailability, food safety, and storage stability.Processed food can be prepared by using these technologies, like roasting, fermentation, germination, grinding, spraying, baking, drying, and extrusion [22].Extrusion is a productive procedure in the sense of remedy for malnutrition.Many food-derived by-products contain potential nutrient content such as pomace, oil seed, grits, peels, etc. which can be processed for value-addition purposes.Extrusion technology has the high potential to utilize these by-products' nutrients and get nutrient-rich extruded snacks [23].Extrusion is a standard food manufacturing method that involves mixing, shaping, texturing, and heating to create a unique food product.It is a modern food processing technology used to create various snacks and supplemental meals.It can help to efficiently utilize the by-products (i.e., corn grits and apple pomace, etc.) to convert them into highly nutritious snacks that have a high melting temperature, enhanced physical appearance, reduced bulk density, and crispiness [24].Using maximum screw speed during extrusion operation for apple pomace results in high bulk density and starch degradation, lower expansion ratio, porosity, and moisture [25].The (HTST) high-temperature short-time extrusion process made it novel from other technologies as it ensures product safety with maximum nutrient retention [26].Extrusion technology's flexibility enables the creation of nutritionally dense extruded foods using diverse raw materials and serves as a mechanism for value addition.Extruded commodities have a low moisture content, a longer shelf life, and resistance to microbial activity.Additionally, many methods exist to create value-added and fortified extruded products by combining various raw ingredients [27].It's a food-processing technology that employs a single or more screws to shove raw & mixed food ingredients through a narrow opening.Extrusion cooking in HTST, combined with pressure, temperature, and shear force to obtain the starch and protein from the raw products, is used widely.This technology's adaptability allows the manufacturer of rich fortified foods and value-added products to use various low-cost raw ingredients.Nutritional food is unavailable for everyone by using expensive raw materials with irrelevant and old-fashioned processing operations and technologies.Extrusion is just a very flexible device procedure that can be placed on several delicacy steps.The product's versatility along with high quality with new food productivity and low processing time allows us to meet the demand for enriched products for remedy against malnutrition.Loss of nutritional quality occurs at unstable temperatures; therefore, technology like extrusion, which operates at high temperatures, is used for this research.Food processed from the extruders is rich in dietary fibers and antioxidants [28].
Carbohydrate and protein-enriched snacks prepared with different commodities like chickpeas and sour gum lack nutritional value.Researchers have prepared these snacks and are being used just as a general diet [29].Extruded snacks evaluated on a physical basis like adhesiveness and factorability are suggested by researchers for improvements [30].In other previous literature, Zhang and Liu [31] consider only the temperature and moisture content as decisive factors for the physical properties of snacks.Cueto et al. [32] consider expansion rate and density for physical attributes of snacks, and Jozinović et al. [33] state expansion ratio, bulk density, and water solubility index solely as parameters.The use of nutrients according to body need which has the potential to overcome malnutrition based on engineering cum nutritional assessment, has not been addressed yet.The primary goal of this study is to develop snack products by combining food commodities in specific ratios using extrusion technology by keeping in mind the physical properties and making a comprehensive quality assessment that has proper nutritional value, which will help communities overcome malnutrition by consuming it with low processing cost and by using raw material that is readily available with high protein and other nutrients.These prepared snacks have been evaluated based on daily energy requirements in a diet compared to food data central as standard, provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.The essential nutrient availability and energy content with a specific ratio of commodities give a solution to malnutrition.Our research focused on the apparent ratio mix expertise of perfect diet ingredients to use them effectively to develop a healthy product.The main objective of our research was to develop corn-based extrudates, fortified with fibre cum carbohydrate and proteins, and to evaluate the quality characteristics and energy content of prepared extrudates that have a standard nutritional value which will help children to meet the demand of nutrition to get rid of malnutrition.

Scientific Hypothesis
Adding supplements, apple pomace, and mung bean significantly enhances the physical properties and increases the nutritional value of the engineered food product.Using different ratios of supplements, we expect to get the best of these two parameters, i.e., physical properties and nutritional value.

MATERIAL AND METHODOLOGY Samples
The research was performed at the extrusion laboratory of the Department of Food Engineering, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.Apple pomace, mung bean, and corn grits were used as raw commodities because of their high nutritional values and easy availability in commercial markets worldwide.Combining these three commodities with the best nutritional value can potentially be used as a remedy for malnutrition.
Corn grits: Corn grits are the fundamental snacks that help them gain specific size, shape, and texture after extrusion.Corn grits are endosperm particles [45] low in fiber content and have about 1% oil [46].Corn grits are

Instruments
Lab scale twin screw extruder having a 3 mm diameter of die with 102 rpm was used to get extrudate by using different concentrations of apple pomace, mung bean, and corn grits.The steady pumping mechanism in the twin screw extruder comprises to generate high die pressure by using a motor having 2.5 kW power.A mixed sample with a specific mixing ratio (Table 1) was placed into an extruder hopper, which passed to the barrel that cooked the raw material under pressure and shear at high temperature, The mass was forced through a die and cut into individual pieces of particular shapes and collected into food grade stainless steel bin.After extrusion processing, extrudates were cooled at 20 to 22 ℃ (room temperature) and sealed into bags for further analysis.The chosen ratios (as outlined in Table 1) were designed to investigate the impact of varying proportions of apple pomace and mung bean on extruded snacks' physical and sensory attributes.The aim was to cover a spectrum that included formulations with no supplementation (T1), different levels of apple pomace enrichment (T2 and T3), various concentrations of mung bean (T4 and T5), and combinations of both supplements (T6, T7, and T8).This comprehensive approach allows for a nuanced understanding of how these specific ingredients and their concentrations contribute to the overall characteristics of the extrudates, providing valuable insights for potential applications in the development of nutritious and appealing snack products.

Laboratory Methods
Apples were purchased from the market in August and September 2020 when they were firm, mature, and fully grown and stored at 4 ℃ until processed.Mung bean and corn grits were stored at room temperature in a clean environment.Mung bean and Corn grits were cleaned to remove dust, straws, small stones, and any other contaminated materials.After cleaning Mung bean and corn grits were ground to obtain fine flour and packed in sealed polythene bags (Figure 1)for further analysis.Apples were placed in the stainless-steel plates after washing and rested for 30 minutes for surface drying.The simple knife was used to cut each apple into six equal pieces, then processed in a lab juicer to collect apple pomace as described below (Figure 2).A hot air oven was used for drying apple pomace at 70 ℃ for 940 minutes until complete drying.The powder was prepared by crushing and mixing the mung beans (Figure 3) and dry matter of apple pomace.To get uniform size, powder was passed through a sieve of 80 mesh sizes.The rationale behind the drying temperature and duration, as well as the grinding parameters, lies in preserving the nutritional content of the raw commodities.The selected parameters were optimized to achieve thorough drying without compromising the quality of the apple pomace and to attain a fine and uniform powder from mung beans and corn grits.Standardized procedures, including sieving, further contributed to the homogeneity of the final powder product.

Description of the Experiment
Sample preparation: A mixed sample with a specific mixing ratio (Table 1) was placed into an extruder hopper which passed to the barrel that cooked the raw material under pressure and shear at high temperature, then mass was forced through a die, and cut into individual pieces of particular shapes and collected into food grade stainless steel bin.After extrusion processing, extrudates were cooled at 20 to 22 ℃ (room temperature) and sealed into bags for further analysis.
Number Color: The color results were determined in accordance with the methodology mentioned by Lara.et al., (2011) with a colorimeter (Color Test-II Neuhaus Neotec).Tone principles as "L*" (lightness), "a*" (-a greenness; +a inflammation), and "b*" (-b blueness; +b yellowness) were recorded by puffed treats.The outcome results were used to determine hue directions and chroma [48].The white tile control was used under constant light conditions to tape record the specifications i.e., (L* 97.46, a* 0.02, b* 1.72).
Bulk Density: The volumetric displacement methodology outlined by [49] was used to determine the bulk density (g/cm 3 ) of extrudates.Glass beans were utilized as displacement moderators through a diameter of 1 mm.Extrudate density was calculated as (1): Rehydration Ratio: RR (rehydration ratio) was determined following a treatment explained by [50].The extrudate was sliced into 30-mm lengths (M1) with an average weight of 18g and placed in 500 ml of liquid at 30 ℃ for 10 to 15 minutes.The water was evaporated, and the hydrated trials were weighed (M2).RR was defined as follows (2): Porosity: Bulk and apparent volume are used to calculate the porosity of extrudates using the methodology defined by [51] by the following equation ( 3): Where: B.V. = (1/ρb) and A.V. = (1/ρs).
Texture: Extrudate texture was determined by the method outlined by [52] the structure analyzer (Mod.TA-XT2 steady Microsystems, Surrey, UK).Extrudates were tested using the Texture Expert Program Version 1.21.A three-aim fold ridge is used to make texture assessments.Extrudates were twisted to determine textural characteristics.For curve examination, products were positioned in the center of a heavy-weight dish design.Before each test, the cellular strain and probe were both calibrated.Fold analysis was used to describe items' hardness and fracture potential by displaying energy (grams) vs range (mm).The weight (grams) was used for flex examination to test firmness and fracture ability.A texture analyzer was used to measure hardness and crispiness (TA-XT Plus, Stable Microsystems, UK) through the method described by [28].
Water Solubility Index: Extrudate powder was sieved to ensure a uniform size distribution of 1.5 g and suspended in 10 ml of water for 15 minutes at room temperature with constant stirring, then centrifuged for 15 minutes at 3000 rpm.For uniform size distribution, extrudates were crushed to powder and sieved using a 60-mesh size.Crushed powder (2.5 g) was suspended in 25 ml water for 30 minutes at room temperature, with intermediate stirring, and then centrifuged for 15 minutes at 3000 rpm.To obtain dry solids, the supernatant was poured into a vanishing dish and water was dissipated until a steady weight was achieved.The WSI measured the amount of dry solids in the supernatant and expressed it as a percentage.
Sensory Evaluation: The method of sensory evaluation of extrudates was used as described by [53].In a sensory evaluation laboratory of food engineering, a group of ten judges (students and faculty) evaluated the extrudates for color, crispiness, taste, texture, and overall acceptability on a 9-point hedonic scale [54] ranging from 1 to 9. Panelists washed their mouths with water before testing each sample.The faculty members are well trained and have certifications regarding quality and sensory evaluation from the Government of Pakistan under the organization Punjab Food Authority.The students selected in the panel are particular alumnus of the very institute and working in FMCG industries.The use of a 9-point hedonic scale is a well-established method in sensory science, allowing for a nuanced and detailed assessment of consumer preferences.The 9-point scale offers a higher resolution compared to scales with fewer response points, enabling more precise discrimination between product attributes and facilitating a more comprehensive understanding of consumer preferences.

Statistical Analysis
The obtained triplicate data was subjected to the Tukey test [55] to get variance analysis of mean values for each parameter to check the level of significance among different treatments, statistical analysis was performed using Statistics 8.1 (USA).The choice of the Tukey test for statistical analysis in this study was driven by its suitability for multiple comparisons, specifically designed to identify significant differences between treatment means efficiently.Given that the study involves multiple treatments with various concentrations of apple pomace, mung bean, and corn grits, the Tukey test provides a robust approach to compare the means of all treatments while controlling the experiment-wise error rate.Its ability to handle multiple pairwise comparisons without inflating the overall Type I error rate makes it well-suited for exploring differences in physical and sensory attributes across the diverse set of treatments.The assurance of normality and homoscedasticity in the data, crucial assumptions for the application of parametric statistical tests like Tukey, typically involves preliminary analyses.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The objective of the current research work was to prepare fiber-and protein-enriched extrudates using the physical properties of commodities, their quality, and nutritional assessment.To increase the protein contents, mung beans were used, while apple pomace was used as a dietary fiber-rich source.Prepared extrudates were analyzed for color, rehydration ratio, and porosity.These extrudates were also analyzed for bulk density, water solubility index, texture, and sensory assessment.The results are presented and discussed as under.

Physical properties analysis of extruded snacks
The physical properties of fortified snacks were evaluated, including color, bulk density, rehydration ratio, porosity, texture (hardness), and water solubility index.As shown in the tables, the mean results of the treatments indicated significant differences among treatments.
Bulk density: Table 2 shows the mean values for bulk density of extruded snacks enriched with apple pomace and mung bean.The results for bulk density revealed that extruded snacks with treatment T1 recorded the lowest value of bulk density i.e., 0.033.At the same time, T3 showed the highest bulk density value at 0.143.The fortified snacks T2, T4, T5, T6, T7, and T8 were observed with bulk density values of 0.063, 0.053, 0.043, 0.073, 0.083, and 0.093 respectively.The statistical analysis showed a significant difference among treatments.The bulk density of extrudates increased significantly due to adding apple pomace.The observations are supported by the findings of [56] those who reported that the bulk density of extrudates increases with the addition of grape pomace [32] suggesting no change in bulk density with the addition of supplement whereas the addition of two Water solubility index of extrudates: Table 2 shows the mean values for the water solubility index (WSI) of extruded snacks enriched with apple pomace and mung bean.The results for WSI revealed that extruded snacks with treatment T1 were recorded with a maximum value of 48.Meanwhile, the snacks with treatment T7 showed a minimum value of 37 for WSI.The fortified snacks T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, and T8 were observed with water solubility indexes of 46, 47, 46, 42, 47, and 46 respectively.The statistical analysis showed the T3, T6 and T4, T8 are non-significant.The water solubility index drops as apple pomace and mung bean concentrations rise.The Stickiness of extruded items is proportional to the water solubility index.Therefore, snacks without any supplements have a high stickiness.As a result, T1 has the highest water solubility index.These observations were also found by [57].
Texture of snacks (Hardness): Table 2 shows the mean values for extruded snacks enriched with apple pomace and mung bean texture.The results revealed that extruded snacks with treatment T2 had a minimum hardness value of 2.4.Meanwhile, the snacks with treatment T5 recorded the maximum hardness value, which is 5.87.The fortified snacks having treatments T1, T3, T4, T6, T7, and T8 were recorded with hardness values of 2.87, 3.68, 3.83, 4.13, 2.84, and 3.26 respectively.The statistical analysis showed that T2, T5, and T6 are significant.These findings revealed that when the percentage of mung bean in a snack increased, the hardness of the snack increased.The addition of supplements is directly proportional to the texture of snacks.These results correspond to that of [58], who reported that as the percentage of grape pomace in snacks increased, the hardness of the snacks increased.
Porosity: Table 2 shows the mean values for porosity of extruded snacks enriched with apple pomace and mung bean.The results revealed that extruded snacks with treatment T3 were observed to have the highest porosity value of 0.80.Meanwhile, the snacks that were treated with T1 showed the lowest porosity value, 0.56.The fortified snacks T2, T4, T5, T6, T7, and T8 were observed with porosity values of 0.76, 0.58, 0.6, 0.70, 0.66, and 0.72 respectively.The statistical analysis showed that T1 and T3 are significant.Porosity increased as the percentage of apple pomace increased.By the addition of supplements, porosity increased which is inversely proportional to the water solubility index, which was decreased by the addition of a supplement.Hence, the decrease of water solubility index and increase in porosity help children easily digest the snacks.These results follow the findings of [59], who stated that porosity increases as grapes pomace increases, whereas [32] suggested no change in porosity by increasing supplement.
Rehydration Ratio: Table 2 shows the mean values for extruded snacks enriched with apple pomace and mung bean rehydration ratio.The results revealed that extruded snacks T1 was observed with the lowest value of rehydration ratio of 57.81.Meanwhile, the snacks T2 showed the highest rehydration ratio value, 77.82.The fortified snacks T2, T4, T5, T6, T7, and T8 were observed with rehydration values of 68.04, 62.05, 70.76, 62.11, 65.23, and 63.39, respectively.The statistical analysis showed a significant difference among treatments, p <0.05.
Color analysis of extruded snack: Color is a key factor in determining whether or not a product will be accepted by consumers.The table revealed the results of a variance of color analysis of snacks, which indicated that color attributes for extruded snacks had a significant impact on the treatments.
L* value: The mean for L* value of extruded snacks as in Table 2 showed the lowest value of 39.81 for the snacks T2.Corn snacks T1 showed the highest value of 62.26.Snacks with treatment T2, T4, T5, T6, T7 and T8 showed 47.79, 56.79, 55.93, 55.97, 46.21 and 48.61 values respectively.As the amount of apple pomace is added, the L* value of extruded snacks decreases.
a* value: The mean for a* value of all treatments is in Table 2.The results showed the lowest value for the snacks prepared without supplementation T1 i.e., 4.01.Corn snacks T3 showed the highest value of 13.69.Snacks T2, T4, T5, T6, T7, and T8 had 13.17, 5.38, 6.39, 10.6, 12.97, and 11.86 values respectively.The statistical analysis showed that T2, T3, and T7 are non-significant.The addition of apple pomace and mung bean increased the a* value of extruded snacks.
b* value: The mean for b* value of all treatments is in Table 2.The results showed the lowest value for the snacks prepared without supplementation T1 i.e., 19 The statistical analysis showed the T3, T8, and T4, T5 are non-significant to each other.The b* value of extruded snacks gradually increased as apple pomace and mung bean were added.The findings of [56], determined that as the amount of grape pomace increased, the L* value decreased and the a* and b* values increased.

Sensory evaluation
For extruded snacks, a nine-point hedonic scale [54] was used for evaluating the sensory characteristics i.e. color, texture, crispiness, taste, and overall acceptability.
Color: The color of a product is the first impression that a customer has while deciding whether to acquire it.Mean values for the color of extruded snacks fortified with apple pomace and mung bean are presented in Table 3 which describes how the supplementation of apple pomace and mung bean in extruded snacks has significantly changed the color score of snacks.Corn snacks T1 were liked more as compared to the other snacks with a score of 8 because of their good appearance and similarities with corn snacks commercially available.The color score of other treatments T2, T3, T5, T6, T7, and T8 were 5.5, 5, 7, 6.5, 5.25, and 6 respectively.As the amount of apple pomace increased, the color score decreased.The statistical analysis showed the significance among treatments.This was due to the color of corn snacks fading as the degree of supplementation was increased.A study showed that muffin color decreased with supplementation of apple pomace [60].
Texture: The hardness and softness of extruded snacks are described by the texture parameter.The mean value for the texture of extruded snacks is presented in Table 3 which describes the supplementation of apple pomace and mung bean in extruded snacks has significantly changed the texture score of snacks.The results revealed that snacks T5 were most liked with a score of 8.However, snacks T3 were less liked by the panelists with the lowest value 5. Snack scores of other T1, T2, T4, T6, T7, and T8 were 6.75, 5.53, 7.5, 7, 6, and 6.5 respectively.A study showed that texture likeness decreases in snacks by increasing the apple pomace [61].
Crispiness: Crispiness is described as the crunchiness sensation of snacks.The mean value for the texture of extruded snacks is presented in Table 3 which describes the supplementation of apple pomace and mung bean in extruded snacks has significantly changed the texture score of snacks.The results revealed that snacks T3 were most liked with a score of 8.The lowest value 5 was observed in snacks T1.The mean value of all other treatments T2, T4, T5, T6, T7, T8, are 7.5, 5.5, 6, 5.75, 7, and 6.5 respectively.
Taste: Snack quality and acceptance are strongly influenced by taste.Mean values for taste of extruded snacks are presented in Table 3 which described the supplementation of apple pomace and mung bean in extruded snacks has significantly changed the taste score of snacks.The results revealed that snacks T5 were most liked with a score of 8. Snacks T3 were observed with the lowest value 5.The mean values of all other treatments T1, T2, T4, T6, T7, and T8 were 7, 5.5, 7.5, 6.75, 6, and 6.5 respectively.Increased mung bean supplementation increased the taste of extruded snacks.This could be due to the taste of mung bean, which is popular in Asia.
Overall acceptability: Mean values for taste of extruded snacks are presented in Table 3 which describes the significant relationship between them.The results showed that with treatment T5 was most liked with a score of 8.The lowest value 5 was observed in snack T3.The mean values of all other treatments T1, T2, T4, T6, T7, and T8 are 6.5, 5.5, 7.5, 7, 7.25, and 7.75 respectively [33] suggested not to incorporate supplement i.e., spelled flour while extrusion whereas in current study two supplement added to enhance physical as well as nutritional attributes of snacks.
The graphical illustration of the physical properties of snacks (Table 2) and sensory evaluation (Table 3) is shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6 respectively.Note: Mean values having the same alphabetic letters are statistically non-significant (p >0.05).
The discussion section of the analysis on the physical properties of extruded snacks enriched with apple pomace and mung bean offers a nuanced exploration of the findings, their implications, and the broader context within the existing scientific literature.Bulk density is a critical parameter influencing extruded snacks' texture and nutritional aspects.The observed increase in bulk density with the addition of apple pomace aligns with Sensory evaluation parameters of extruded snacks This is a noteworthy finding, as increased porosity is inversely proportional to WSI.The combination of decreased stickiness (lower WSI) and increased porosity suggests potential benefits for the digestibility of these snacks, particularly for children.The correlation observed supports findings in the literature [84], [85], [86], [87], [88], [89], [90] and adds to the growing body of knowledge on the interplay between porosity, WSI, and digestibility in extruded snacks.The rehydration ratio, a critical quality parameter, exhibited significant variations among treatments.The highest rehydration ratio observed in snacks with 10% apple pomace suggests a positive impact of this supplement on the rehydration properties of extruded snacks.This finding has implications for the overall quality of the snacks, particularly in terms of moisture retention during processing and storage.Color analysis is crucial for consumer acceptance, and the L*, a*, and b* values provide insights into the color attributes of the snacks.The decrease in L* value with the addition of apple pomace indicates a fading color.The increase in a* and b* values, on the other hand, suggests changes in hue and intensity.These color changes, though influenced by the supplements, need to be balanced to ensure consumer appeal.The findings align with a study on muffins that reported a decrease in color with apple pomace supplementation The sensory evaluation conducted using a nine-point hedonic scale sheds light on the overall acceptability of the extruded snacks.The significant changes in color, texture, crispiness, taste, and overall acceptability across treatments underscore the multifaceted impact of supplementation on the sensory characteristics of snacks.These findings provide valuable information for product development, helping manufacturers tailor formulations to meet consumer expectations.The comprehensive analysis of physical properties and sensory evaluation in this study contributes to the evolving understanding of the impact of apple pomace and mung bean supplementation on extruded snacks.The observed relationships between supplements and various parameters offer practical insights for the food industry, guiding the development of snacks that not only meet nutritional demands but also align with consumer preferences.As the demand for nutritious and appealing snack options continues to rise, research in this domain remains critical for advancing both scientific knowledge and product innovation [107].

Challenges and Future Directions
The comprehensive study on the physical properties, sensory evaluation, and nutritional aspects of extruded snacks enriched with apple pomace and mung bean has provided valuable insights.However, challenges and future directions in this research domain still exist.One challenge lies in further optimizing the formulations to achieve an ideal balance between sensory attributes and nutritional content.Understanding the molecular interactions during the extrusion process, especially with the addition of apple pomace and mung bean, could unveil opportunities for fine-tuning the snack formulations.Additionally, investigating the long-term effects of these fortified snacks on consumer health and understanding the bioavailability of nutrients in the human digestive system could enhance the practical application of the findings.Further studies could focus on the bioactive compounds present in apple pomace and mung bean and their potential health benefits, contributing to the broader understanding of functional foods.Collaborating with experts in food engineering and nutritional science, exploring novel ingredients for fortification, considering sustainability aspects, and developing innovative processing techniques are crucial for addressing malnutrition on a broader scale [108], [109], [110], [111], [112], [113], [114].Moreover, studying the economic feasibility and scalability of the developed snacks for potential commercialization is essential.As technology advances, incorporating data-driven approaches and artificial intelligence in food research may open new avenues for optimizing formulations and predicting consumer preferences.Ultimately, the journey towards addressing malnutrition through fortified snacks requires a multidisciplinary approach, integrating insights from food science, nutrition, and technology to create impactful and sustainable solutions.

CONCLUSION
The research aimed to develop corn-extruded snacks enriched with protein and carbohydrates based on physical properties and quality cum nutritional assessment to overcome malnutrition.To combat malnutrition deficiency mung bean as a protein source was added in extrudates, and apple pomace was used as a dietary fiber source.The quality assessment of snacks was studied deeply, and eight treatments were done on each parameter.Different mixing ratios of ingredients were applied on extrudates, and quality cum sensory parameters were evaluated.The bulk density of the snacks increased with the addition of apple pomace, indicating a higher weight and enhanced texture.The water solubility index decreased as the concentrations of apple pomace and mung bean rose, leading to reduced stickiness in snacks.The hardness of the snacks increased with a higher percentage of mung bean, showing a direct relationship between supplements and texture.Porosity increased with the addition of apple pomace, inversely proportional to the water solubility index, making the snacks easily digestible.The rehydration ratio varied among treatments, with significant differences observed.Additionally, the color analysis highlighted the impact of supplementation on L*, a*, and b* values, influencing the overall acceptance by consumers.The results of the water solubility index showed that extruded snacks prepared without supplementation (T1) were observed with maximum value.The porosity of extruded snacks fortified with apple pomace and mung bean results showed that extruded (T3) was observed with highest value of porosity.Rehydration ratio of extruded snacks fortified with apple pomace and mung bean results showed (T1) was with lowest value of rehydration ratio.In a nutshell, supplementation with apple pomace and mung bean significantly affected all the parameters measured through testing and sensory evaluation.Treatments showed that the mixing ratio comprises 80% corn grits + 15% apple pomace + 5% mung bean i.e T7 was best among all and has best nutrient content that is adequate, balanced, and effective for malnutrition remedy.

Figure
Figure Packing of corn grits, apple pomace, and mung bean powders respectively.

FigureFigure
Figure Process flow chart for extracting powder from apples.

Figure 4
supplements shows significance in treatment 3.An increase in bulk density is an indicator of an increase in weight which directly enhances the texture and nutrition of snacks.Extruded snacks with all eight treatments.

Figure 5
Figure5 Effects of treatments on different parameters of physical properties of extruded snacks.

Treatment 1
Treatment 2 Treatment 3 Treatment 4 Treatment 5 Treatment 6 Treatment 7 Treatment 8 Physical properties parameters of extruded snacks.Bulk Density Water Solubility Index Texture Porosity Rehydration Ratio Color L* Value Color a* Value Color b* Value

Figure 6
Figure 6 Effects of treatments on different parameters of sensory evaluation.

Treatment 1
Treatment 2 Treatment 3 Treatment 4 Treatment 5 Treatment 6 Treatment 7 Treatment 8 [91],[92],[93],[94],[95].Yadav  et al.  found that fiber-enriched chicken nuggets are manufactured by including grain bran (WB) and dried-out fruit pomace (DAP) each at 3, 6, and 9%[96].Other researchers suggested the role of dietary fiber in providing suffered wellness is learned for a number of many years along with adults there, clearly close research that food diets abundant with high-fiber food items lessen the likelihood of long-term conditions, like CVD and cancers [97].Ötles et al. suggested dietary fiber is a set of food elements and is resilient to digestive minerals and discovered generally in grains, vegetables, and fruits [98].Dahl et al. found fiber is helpful to health insurance and, if eaten in enough amounts [99].Lin et al. found protein is a vital constituent of the system and takes on a broad spectral range of functionality in a system [100].Rodríguez-Miranda et al. suggested the extrusion of combinations of taro flour with nixtamalized flour or with non-nixtamalized flour on a single-screw extruder triggered the creation of food of varied traits [101].In another study, a researcher found after a total examination of the many features for real variables like mass thickness, development proportion, drinking water intake list, and liquid solubility [102].Korkerd et al.  unearthed that wealthy sourced elements of healthy protein and fiber from dinners handled by way of merchandise, defatted soybean food, germinated rice that will be brown, and mango strip dietary fiber, happened to be put into corn determination at 20% (w/w) to give fortified extruded food[103].Sriwattana et al.  propose a three-element aggregate test that was utilized to improve the strategy of damaged-rice-based treatment fortified with proteins and dietary fiber.Inside their patent discovered that system for manufacturing fiber-fortified nutrition that features creating prepared the foodstuff and then externally implementing dietary fiber [104].Sharma et al. learned the impact of the mixing stage (zero, 5, 10, 15. and 20%) of corn wheat, defatted germ, and gluten with grain flour in the physical substance[105].Researchers discovered that extruded food comprised cooked from flour combinations created using grain flour, corn flour, and egg albumin powder inside an amount of 35-50: 35-50: 5-30 correspondingly, and dampness changed into modified to17-20 [106].In another study, researchers recommend fortification of extrusion feed preparations with protein.

Table 1
Mixing ratios of mung bean, apple pomace, and corn grits.

Table 2
Effects of treatments on different parameters of physical properties of extruded snacks.

Table 4
Energy content of apple pomace, mung bean, and corn grits per 100-gram of protein and carbohydrate as per food data central USA.

Table 5
Protein and carbohydrate energy content for all treatments.

62], [63], [64], [65], [66], [67], [68].
[75] other researchers found an experiment conducted on the enrichment of apple pomace (AP) in the dough and cookies, as AP contains high fiber content which increases the attributes of cookies like color, texture, and rheological properties[69].Kaur and colleagues suggested that to check the effect of apple pomace on the rheology, microstructure, and texture of yogurt, the gelation pH increased, and the fermentation time decreased of yogurt by adding apple pomace powder[70].In another study, researchers found Sample must ferment till the drying process is completed in other applications of apple pomace[71].Others found dried out and powdered fruit pomace is passed through 30, 50, and 60 interlock sieves to get pomace of differing particle proportions[72].Hossain Brishti suggested that along with dietary fiber, apple pomace has a rich amount of phenolics [73].Nguyen et al. found professional apple pomace as a result of a contemporary fruit juice creation herbal can be viewed as a natural product for immediate planning of nutritional fiber, as it has above 50% TDF[74].Akharume and colleagues found pomace will be the biggest result from fruit juices and cider part.The enhancement in bulk density suggests an increase in weight, directly impacting the texture and nutritional content of the snacks[75].This finding underscores the potential of utilizing fruit pomace, such as apple pomace, as a supplementary ingredient to modify the physical properties of extruded snacks, catering to both sensory preferences and nutritional demands.The water solubility index (WSI) serves as a crucial indicator of stickiness in extruded snacks.The negative correlation between WSI and the concentrations of apple pomace and mung beans is a notable observation.As the supplements increase, the stickiness decreases, highlighting the potential of these supplements to influence the texture and overall quality of extruded snacks.The relationship between stickiness and WSI has practical implications for snack manufacturing, as it allows for the customization of texture based on consumer preferences.Texture, specifically hardness, is a key attribute in determining the overall sensory experience of snacks.The positive correlation between hardness and the percentage of mung beans emphasizes the direct impact of supplements on the textural qualities of extruded snacks.This aligns with similar studies on mung bean pomace [

76], [77], [78], [79], [80], [81].
[83]and colleagues found mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) is a vital heartbeat drink all over the globe, particularly in parts of Asia, and contains an extended reputation of practices as an old-fashioned drug.Delić and researchers found enrichment with pomegranate strips increasing the width, angle, and WVP associated with the mung bean healthy protein movies but reduced her MC and WS [82].Şahin et al. found mung bean seeds had been developed an assortment of times to dissect the effect of germination on the design and physicochemical properties of starch.Understanding the influence of specific supplements on texture is essential for optimizing formulations to meet consumer preferences and nutritional requirements.Porosity, a parameter influencing the digestibility of snacks, showed an increase in the percentage of apple pomace[83].