RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY FOR OPTIMIZATION OF PUFFING PROCESS FROM PROCESSING SELECTED PADDY HYBRIDHEMASANKARI PALANI, P.C. VENGAIAH, ISRP. SARMA, B.C. VIRAKTAMATH4 AND RAVINDRA NAIKAbstract The puffed rice comes under the category of snack foods and is very popular in southern parts of India. This puffed rice if made out of low cost hybrids fetches a huge revenue to Indian Economy. The processing operations performed during the process is same as that of the traditional method of making puffed rice only the processing conditions of time and temperature are altered to get a good quality puffed rice at a low cost. This study is performed for optimization of the processing parameters of puffed rice. The puffed rice is got from processing of different varieties/hybrids of paddy and the selected Paddy hybrids were KRH-2, and the traditional ruling variety, IR-64. The hybrid and the variety were grown in DRR field and then processed for making puffed rice. The processing parameters for the process, soaking time, roasting temperature, roasting time, drying temperature and puffing temperature. The three different levels were selected for each processing parameter and they were varied in different combination for obtaining processed puffed rice. The soaking time levels were 24, 36 and 48 h, roasting temperature, 180 °C, 185 °C and 190 °C, roasting time, 2, 3 and 4 min, drying temperature, 110°C, 115 °C and 120 °C and puffing temperature, 210°C, 215 °C and 220 °C. The response surface methodology was used to optimize the yield parameter of puffed rice for the selected processing parameters. The yield has to be maximized for the optimized processing parameters of soaking time, roasting temperature, roasting time, drying temperature and puffing temperature. The optimized conditions were analysed using Analysis of variance and the optimized value for the maximized yield was found to be at 24h of soaking time, 180 °C of roasting temperature, 2 min of roasting time, 110°C of drying temperature and puffing temperature of 220 °C for a maximized yield of 0.59 g/kg in KRH-2 hybrid. From the analysis of variance(ANOVA) technique, the central composite design method, drying temperature significantly affects the yield of the puffed rice. |