Product development of groundnut chips

Groundnut chips could be developed from either regular or defatted groundnut flours. Groundnuts were roasted at 160 deg. celsius for 5 minutes before grinding into groundnut flours. Defatted groundnut flour was made the same way except partially roasted groundnuts were pressed hydraulically at 50 tons for 1 hour before grinding with Pin mill grinder. The groundnut flours were analyzed for chemical composition. These flours were mixed with tapioca starch, salt and water. The mixture was passed through the extruder to form a thin long strip. The strip was cut into pieces of 1.5 inch long. The product was then dried in the oven at the temperature of 60 deg. celsius, fried in oil at 190-195 deg. celsius and packed in the oriented polypropylene (OPP), polyethylene (PE) and aluminum foil, with air and nitrogen. The product was also analyzed weekly for moisture content, thiobarbituric acid (TBA) and sensory evalution. Groundnut chip could be developed from up to the maximum level of 25 % of regular groundnut flour and 45 % of defatted groundnut flour. Groundnuts must be roasted at 160 deg. celsius for 5 minutes before grinding into groundnut flour. The quality of groundnut chips by cooker extruder was not acceptable because of over-puffing and less groundnut flavor. However, the sensory panel accepted the quality of groundnut chip produced from defatted groundnut flour. Groundnut chips fried in oil containing 0.008 % and 0.016 % (BHT) and air-packed in OPP/PE pouch would deteriorate in 2 weeks. Nevertheless, the shelf life of product in the same packaging material but under nitrogen gas would be extended to 4 weeks. On the other hand, ordinary air-packed groundnut chips in aluminum foil pouch would have a shelf life less than 6 weeks. But when substituted air with nitrogen gas, groundnut chip samples that were fried in oil 0.008 % and 0.016 % (BHT) would deteriorate in 8 and 12 weeks, respectively