Puffing quality and sensory evaluation of reduced sodium puffed rice

The effect of partial replacement of NaCl by KCl on puffing quality parameters on microwave puffed rice was investigated. Reduced sodium and an increased intake of potassium based salt substitutes was formulated and mixed with water and the solution was infused in parboiled rice. The salt infused rice was dried in a fluidised bed dryer till it attains the optimum moisture content for puffing which should be around 10.5%. The salt concentrations were varied such that the total salt concentration was maintained as 3-5% of the total mass of rice. The preconditioned rice obtained by the process was puffed in microwave oven and expansion ratio, percentage of puffing and sensory values were measured. Maximum expansion ratios, percentage of puffing and sensory values were achieved at a mixture of 2.5% NaCl and 1.5% KCl. Sensory evaluation study indicated that salt substitute could be prepared with NaCl and KCl at a proportion of 62.5% of NaCl and 37.5% KCl. It was also obtained that both sodium chloride and potassium chloride has positive effect on expansion ratio and percentage puffing of puffed rice and the effect of sodium chloride is more than that of potassium chloride. However, in case of sensory perception the effect of potassium chloride is more than that of sodium chloride. Hence potassium based salt substitute can be applied to parboiled rice which can significantly reduce the percentage of NaCl maintaining similar taste without affecting the puffing quality.