Opuntia spp. extruded food products

Abstract

Extrusion is an ideal processing method for manufacturing a wide range of food with a long shelf life. Although cereals occupy a large portion of the extruded food market, several other types of raw materials can be used in the formulations in which the fruits become popular due to their functional properties. Nowadays, the production of healthier extruded products is huge, as consumers increasingly focus on consuming nutritious and convenient snacks enriched with functional ingredients like dietary fiber, mineral, and antioxidant. Opuntia spp., often called "prickly pear" or "cactus pear", is an emergent crop that evolved commercially during the second half of twentieth century. Recently, Opuntia cactus has been recognized as a functional raw material and source of nutraceuticals because of high fiber (mainly pectin) and mineral (iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) contents and also antioxidant properties related to ascorbic acid, flavonoids, betalains, carotenoids, and ?-carotene. Up to now, the information on the usage of cactus pear in the extrusion process is still scarce. A few research studies have been conducted on extrusion processing of cactus pear, although it has desirable characteristics like attractive color, high sugar content, and rich nutrients, making it a perfect ingredient for extrusion. Information presented in this chapter would be necessary for processors and researchers to enhance extruded products' nutritional quality by incorporating Opuntia spp. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021.