Use of paprika oily extract as pre-extrusion colouring of rice extrudates: impact of processing and storage on colour stability.

Suitability of paprika oily extract as a pre-extrusion colouring of rice extrudate was evaluated as a function of extrusion parameters viz. moisture content, screw speed and die temperature. Most acceptable coloured rice extrudates in terms of colour and overall acceptability was achieved with addition of 3 % paprika oily extract and which is extruded at fixed conditions of 25 % feed moisture, 120 °C barrel temperature and 100 rpm screw speed. During extrusion, retention of red colour of paprika oily extract added rice extrudates increased with an increase in feed moisture and screw speed while decreased with an increase in barrel temperature. Present study was also undertaken to check effect of addition of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) on colour stability of coloured rice extrudates. Coloured rice extrudates were packed in polyethylene, metallised polyethylene and vacuum packaging material and subjected to storage studies for 90 days at 25 and 50 °C with 65 % relative humidity conditions. Retention of red colour (a*) of paprika oily extract added rice extrudates follows first order kinetics, showing a faster rate of degradation with half-life of 48 days when packed in metalized polyethylene and stored at higher temperature conditions.