Evaluation of the quality characteristics of the instant porridge (Harireh) powder based on oatmeal- Almond produced by extrusion technology

Revival of native food, introducing it to the industrial cycle in accordance with the current modern lifestyle and the tendency to consume prepared foods, will play an effective role in maintaining the correct food pattern, increasing public health and offering it at the international level. Among them, cereal porridge (Harireh) containing almonds and rice flour is recommended as a traditional and beneficial food with high nutritional value for most age groups of the society. The production of this product is associated with limitations such as lack of quick preparation, non-uniform texture and short shelf life. Therefore, it is important to modify the formulation and process to introduce a super food to the market. In this research, extrusion technology was used to fabricate instant porridge from almond- oatmeal composite flour. For this purpose, the effect of humidity (12-16%) and the ratio of almond- oatmeal flour (10:90, 20:80 and 30:70) on the physicochemical and functional properties were evaluated using rotatable central composite design (CCD). The results showed, the simultaneous increase in moisture and the level of whole almond flour due to the increase in fiber and fat fraction caused an increase in density. At the level of 30% of almond powder, the antioxidant activity was at the maximum level. according to the optimization results; In order to have a product with the highest porosity, antioxidant capacity and water absorption along with the lowest density, the optimal treatment including feed moisture 13%, rotation speed 150 rpm and whole almond flour 22.3% was determined. This product, in addition to having suitable microstructure features, also has a favorable performance feature.