Puffing mechanism and physical evaluation of cowpea

Abstract

Puffing of cowpea involves heating in hot sand for a short time resulting in a puffed type of healthy snack food. The aim of the present study was to understand the puffing ability of cowpea. Calculations for puffing yield, expansion volume and bulk density from the samples. This was necessary because their puffing yields were generally relative to more established puffed products. It was identified as a superior puffing treatment of salt treated T3 (19% puffed yield and 1.1 ml/g expansion volume) in a concentration of 4% salt with soaking and conditioning time 30:300min, while baking soda treated S2 had greatest expansion volume (1.12 ml/g) and puffing yield (20%) in the concentration of baking soda 2% with soaking and conditioning (5:30min). cowpea was found to have a puffing performance, which suggests that potential exists within the genetic pool to improve both the puffing yield and the expansion volume of seeds for this snack food market.