DEVELOPMENT OF CHICKPEA SNACK USING INSTANT CONTROLLED PRESSURE DROP PROCESS

In this study, development of snack foods from chickpea using instant controlled pressure drop process (DIC) was investigated. Chickpea samples having different moisture content (20-40%) were processed using lab scale DIC equipment at different steam pressure levels (3-5 x 10(2) kPa) and processing times (1-10 min); then the effects of these processing parameters on the physical and sensory characteristics of the chickpea snacks were determined. Snack properties were mostly affected by changes in processing pressure and time, to a lesser extent by chickpea moisture content. Increasing pressure and time usually improved physical and textural properties of chickpea snacks; however it caused losses of color in the product. Selected products from chickpea snacks got favorable scores from the point of general acceptability. The optimum conditions for the production of desirable chickpea snack were 40% for chickpea moisture content, 5 x 10(2) kPa for pressure of processing vessel and 4 min for processing time.