Lusas E.W., Rooney L.W. (eds.) Snack Foods Processing

CRC Press, 2001. — 631 p.This book is for people who want a technically based practical review of how snack foods are made. Individual motivations to learn differ and may include: a new job with a snack foods producer, transfer of a talented manager in a large corporation to the snacks division, or promotion of a worker from the production line to responsibilities with a broader scope. A technical sales specialist for a machinery, ingredients, packaging materials or services supplier may be assigned to call on snack producers. Some entrepreneurs may want to assess the technical requirements for making snacks, or selling supplies or services to snack processors. Also, researchers and quality control/assurance personnel need an overview of the interrelated technologies for identifying sources of product quality problems.
Savory snacks are emphasized in this book—salted, shelf-stable finger foods, including: potato and corn chips, alkali-cooked corn tortilla chips, pretzels, popcorn, extruder-puffed and dried/fried products, half-products, and animalproduct snacks. Readers are also introduced to snacks of China, Japan and India.
Chapters are arranged in a chronological need-to-know basis. The status of the industry is reviewed, followed by important properties of major ingredients, including starch, potatoes, dry potatoes, dent corn; popcorn, oils and seasonings; succeeded by manufacturing equipment, including cookers, grinders, formers, fryers, seasoning applicators, packaging materials, and weigher-filler-sealers.
Additionally, sections are included on sensory evaluation, and quality control—in specific chapters and throughout the book. Readers will notice that some overlap occurs between chapters, and authors differ in recommended processing conditions and equipment. This merely documents that snacks are made many different, successful ways in the real world.
The book dwells slightly on the histories of various snack foods industry companies, primarily to show that multibillion-dollar industries have been built starting with simple ideas and simple ingredients (potatoes, corn and rice). It may inspire individuals around the globe to focus on new ways of utilizing local crops and resources. ManyU.S.-origin corn-based snack foods are gaining popularity throughout the world. Would-be overseas processors need help in developing reliable sources of good-quality raw materials.