Extruded snacks are designed for convenience and pleasure, which makes taste and aroma central to their success. Corn grits and blends of corn, rice, oat or wheat can all be transformed into a broad product range through seasoning and flavor technology.
Both dry and liquid flavorings are used. The most common option is a dedicated dry snack seasoning, either savory or sweet.
Savory seasonings are complex blends that may contain flavor bases, extracts, essential oils, dairy, vegetable, meat or seafood powders, spices, herbs, salt, sugar, flavor enhancers and natural colors. Because the system is already balanced, additional salt, acid or other taste components may not be required.
Sweet snack systems are often based on powdered sugar combined with flavoring and, for fruit profiles, an acid component such as citric acid.
Flavor can be introduced before extrusion or applied afterwards. In most cases, post-extrusion surface application is the simplest and most efficient method because it protects volatile aroma compounds from severe thermal processing.
Refined deodorized vegetable oil is commonly sprayed onto the extrudate as an adhesion medium for dry seasoning. The oil also contributes mouthfeel and a fuller sensory impression.
When flavor is added before extrusion, it must tolerate the process conditions. Plated or encapsulated systems are generally more suitable than conventional surface seasonings.
Method 1 — savory snack seasoning: spray oil onto the extrudate and apply the complete dry seasoning directly.
Method 2 — sweet snack seasoning: apply a powdered-sugar-based flavor system to the oiled product.
Method 3 — standard dry flavor: prepare a premix with powdered sugar; for fruit profiles, add acid as required to create the expected sweet-sour balance.
Liquid flavors can be used in several ways:
The appropriate method depends on solubility, volatility, dosage, target profile and production equipment.
Sweet profiles include vanilla, toffee, caramel, chocolate, honey, fruit and berry flavors, condensed milk, yogurt, baked milk and cream. Savory directions include cheese, sour cream & herbs, sour cream & onion, pizza, ketchup, paprika, crab, bacon and sausage.
Bakery-inspired profiles — cakes, cookies, pastries and desserts from different culinary traditions — are also becoming a useful source of innovation for sweet extrudates.
Reference resources: Codex Alimentarius CXG 66-2008 — Guidelines for the Use of Flavourings; EAEU TR CU 029/2012.