FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (See section 10, rule 13)
1. Title of the Invention:
“PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF NUTRITIOUS FOOD
PRODUCTS”
2. APPLICANT (S) –
(a) Name : Madon Pure Foods Pvt Ltd
(b)Nationality : Indian
(c)Address : B2 Rustom Baug, S.S Marg, Byculla, Mumbai
400027, Maharashtra, India.
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND USE OF INVENTION
[001 ] The present invention relates to the field of nutritious food manufacture and to the field of healthy ready to eat food products. Particularly, the invention provides snacks for common and safe consumption by any person, including a child, in accordance with the principles of healthy nutrition. The present invention pertains to a novel and inventive process for manufacturing nutritious value added food products including ready to eat snacks, that can be easily sold as packaged foods to be eaten at any time by the consumer. The value-added products obtained by the present invention are ready to eat snacks, quick eats that are nutritious, excellent organoleptic and have longer shelf life without comprising on the nutritional value.
PRIOR ART AND PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED
[002] Ready to eat snacks have become a popular subject of scrutiny by many in the current time because the ills associated with it outnumber its benefits. People are becoming more and more sensitized towards healthy eating. This has also resulted in the reduced sale of such unhealthy ready to eat snacks.
[003] There are many ready to eat snacks, quick bites, nibbles, appetizers, finger foods available in the market which focus on the consumer demand for snacks having some nutritional value. However, it has been observed that such products who achieve even a small nutritional value are forced to sacrifice the organoleptic attributes that make the snacks attractive to the consumer.
[004] Food products available in the market attract consumer attention due to exciting organoleptic properties. It has been observed that that the most popular snacks and bites score highly in properties such as texture, taste, feel, variety of flavoring and crispiness. These are generally deep fried in oil. Conventionally known puffed, deep-fat fried snacks that are popular have significant health

disadvantages. Deep-fat fried puffed snacks typically have high fat levels which occasionally reach as high as 35% by weight. Such high fat levels render these snacks high in calories. The high fat levels also limit the shelf life of the puffed products even when carefully packaged.
[005] As a result, the consumers are dissatisfied by products available in the market segment that comprises snacks, puffed snacks, extruded snacks and convenience foods. Therefore, there is a growing need of food products that are ready to eat snacks which are both nutritious and also have excellent organoleptic properties including texture, taste, crispiness and are available in a variety of flavours.
[006] In order to work on the nutritional aspect of ready to eat snacks, conventionally Fructooligosaccharide, also known as FOS has been used which is a simple carbohydrate and soluble fiber that occurs naturally in many healthy foods. It fertilizes beneficial bacteria in the right side of the colon. Another well-known source of nutritional supplement is inulin. Inulin is a complex soluble fiber that reaches the distal or left descending portion of the colon. Inulin and FOS together fertilize Bifido and Lactobacilli, the healthy bacteria that live throughout the colon. Thus, Inulin is a well-known prebiotic and belongs to a class of dietary fibers, known as fructans. Inulin has been proven that it redounds to the absorption of iron, calcium and magnesium in the human body (Meyer et al. 2011). Eating foods or supplements that contain such fibers can provide for improved health throughout the lower gut, as well as greater overall wellness. Oligofructose-enriched inulin, however, is easy to eat in suitable quantities every day. It is naturally gluten-free. It has no calories and has a slightly sweet taste, so adding it to foods and beverages won’t alter the flavor. Unlike probiotics, this prebiotic fiber won’t go bad or break down in the stomach, thereby losing its effects. Because probiotics are living organisms that breed and multiply, they require food. Prebiotics are food for probiotic organisms. Inulin and oligofrutose are prebiotics. The human digestive tract cannot break them down or absorb them, but the bifidobacterium in the colon and large intestine gobble them up.

Prebiotics support digestive health in many ways. Not only do prebiotics allow bifidobacterium colonies to multiply, the act of ingesting the prebiotic also lowers the pH of the colon and supplies the body with short-chain fatty acids that the intestinal cells use for energy. A healthy intestinal lining is imperative to overall health. This fiber is also a bulking agent, which helps to keep matter moving through the bowel.
Oligofructose is also known to be useful as a prebiotic because it is nondigestble and stimulates the growth of friendly intestinal bacteria. It improves the overall health of the gastrointestinal tract and is also recommended as a treatment for yeast infections and candida overgrowth. Several studies have found that oligofructose promotes calcium absorption in animals and humans.
[007] Puffed and extruded snacks were among the most commercially successful snacks. For example, U.S. Patent No. US9675095B2, discloses a method for manufacturing low-fat snack food where the seasoning or flavoring is applied to the snack food’s surface by the coating of oil. U.S. Patent No. US6149965, discloses methods for addition of inulin, primarily to the cooked cereal dough for the formation of snacks in pellet form by deep fat frying, hot air puffing or microwave heating the dough. This patent fails to teach about the method to improve the texture of the resultant snack. WO2016/157167 mentions about replacing the use of oil with oligofructose without any betterment in the texture of the resultant snacks.
[008] Oils used for frying are of both vegetable and animal origin. The oil used has a great impact on the taste, texture, and keeping-quality of the final product. However, fats and oils are subject to a type of deterioration known as rancidity. This produces disagreeable odours and flavours and makes the fried foods unpalatable. Some oils are more prone to rancidity than others, and this is important when considering which oil to use. Further, it is well known that oils have a long term harmful effects on the health of the consumer. Therefore, it is important that a healthy alternative be used in place of oil.

[009] Texture is an important aspect of the food we consume because it affects our satisfaction and enjoyment of consuming such foods. Food product texture is dependent on the ingredients and hence can be altered as desired by the consumer with respect to each and every product. Fats play an important role in the way a dough behaves during processing and greatly affect the quality, flavor and texture of the ready-to-eat product. As the fat content in snack products is reduced or replaced with other ingredients (e.g., non-digestible fat, protein, fiber, gums), adverse organoleptical effects (e.g., mouthcoating, drying, lack of crispness and lack of flavor) are increased. The adverse organoleptic effects result in products having reduced palatability. Hence, there is a need to address the consumer requirement of healthy snacks that have reduced oil and fat content but at the same time have excellent organoleptic effects.
[010] The problem to be solved here remains that there is no such process that completely does away with the usage of oil and at the same time further improves the food product both in term of nutritional value as well as in its organoleptic properties. The current invention proposes a completely new method of industrially manufacturing ready to eat snacks which result in nutritionally rich and healthy food products benefitting the human body. The ready to eat snacks is a convenience food which can be consumed at any given point of time or place because of the ease of its consumption. At the same time, it may be prepared in such a manner that it supplements the consumer with minerals, vitamins and prebiotics. The current invention discloses a process of manufacturing food products with increased nutritional value and at the same time caters to the appeal requirements of the consumer that include excellent organoleptic properties without the inclusion of oil. The process of the present invention produces such food products that have a superior texture as compared to the currently available snacks in the market. Further, they can also be prepared in popular flavors with a comparatively greater shelf life.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[011] The present invention relates to a novel and inventive process for the preparation of nutritious and healthy value added food products, comprising crushing at least one organic ingredient; soaking the granular product thus obtained in an aqueous solution containing 0.5-5 wt% of inulin; processing the soaked granular organic ingredient by a process of either puffing or extrusion; drying the puffed or extruded product thus obtained at a temperature in the range of 120-180°C; coating the dried material with oligofructose; further flavoring the product with flavoring agents selected from a group comprising of vitamins, food powder, inulin and mixtures thereof; drying the flavored material by heating at a temperature in the range of 50-120°C.
[012] The present invention relates to a novel and inventive process that results in value added ready to eat snacks especially multigrain extruded snacks, rice puff snacks and similar products.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[013] It is an object of the present invention to disclose a novel and inventive process for the preparation of ready to eat snacks which is oil free and has high nutritional value.
[014] The further object of the present invention is to obtain value added food products by the process as claimed in the present invention, that are nutritious and healthy ready to eat snacks and at the same time having very favorable organoleptic properties.
[015] Another object of the present invention is to have an advantageous process of preparing nutritious food products that are more efficient than conventional processes involving inventive process steps that avoid the usage of conventional ingredients such as oil and still result in food products with excellent

organoleptic properties. It is the object of the present invention to disclose a process of preparing ready to eat snacks with excellent texture due to the inventive addition of inulin into the food products.
[016] Yet another object of the present invention is to disclose a novel and inventive process for preparing ready to eat snacks with a significant and long shelf life.
[017] One more object of the present invention is to provide for snacks which are free of oil and which comprise such prebiotic components that contribute to the overall health of the consumer. It is the object of the present invention to provide for food products that have a significant shelf life and are rich in vitamins and minerals. More particularly, the grain-based products as prepared by the process of the present invention are healthy and have nutritional benefits.
[018] It is an object of the present invention to obtain value added food products such as ready to eat snacks, quick bites, puffed snacks by the processes as described and claimed to satisfy the urgent consumer demand of healthy, tasty snacks.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[019] Unless defined otherwise, all the terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs. The terms as used in this specification have the meanings:
[020] Organic ingredient: Organic ingredients are defined as the raw materials that have been used to prepare the snacks including corn, rice, quinoa, chia, sorghum fruit powder, amaranth, brown rice, oats, barley, buckwheat, millets, wheat and combinations thereof.
[021] Ready to eat snacks: It is defined as food products that include ready to eat snacks, quick bites, nibbles, appetizers, biscuits, convenience food, or tertiary processed food. They are food products such as extruded snacks, puffed rice snacks that are commercially prepared, through processing to optimize ease of consumption. Such food is usually ready to eat without further preparation. It

may also be easily portable, have a long shelf life, or offer a combination of such convenient traits.
[022] Extrusion: It is defined as to a process where a cereal/ grain used as a raw material or a mixture of such raw materials are forced out of an opening in a perforated plate or die which possesses a specific design to shape the extruded food in such desired patterns by the application of pressure. ‘Extruded’ shall be construed accordingly.
[023] Puffing: It is defined as the process of popping, crisping, bubbling or otherwise applying force on the raw materials so that a high surface area to weight ratio has been created. ‘Puffed’ and ‘Puffed Rice’ shall be construed accordingly.
[024] Prebiotic: It shall have the meaning as has been assigned in the common practice and parlance with respect to the food products. ‘Inulin’ and ‘Oligofructose’ shall be construed in accordance to their known and recognized meanings.
[025] Extrusion: Extrusion cooking, because of its low cost and continuous processing capability, is a popular means of modifying the functional characteristics of cereal grains.
[026] Puffing: It has long been known that certain farinaceous materials will expand or puff under appropriate heating conditions and will retain the expanded size upon cooling. Basically, such farinaceous materials are puffed by causing trapped moisture to expand rapidly from the liquid state to the vapor phase. Rapid heating or rapid depressurizing are the methods commonly used to convert hard, dense farinaceous dough pieces into the more palatable puffed porous crisp snack pieces.
[027] “Resultant Product” means the product as is obtained after the complete process as mentioned in this specification has been completed and it is the end product which can be sold in the market after packaging. The resultant product includes all ready to eat foods such as puffy, crispy or crunchy cereal or starch “finger foods” that come in a variety of shapes and sizes and which are textured and often coated to make them convenient, tasty and fun. They are eaten at all times

of the day and can be sweet or savory. The final product may be by way of balls, sticks, pillows, animals, stars, rings, curls, chips, etc.
Expanded snacks, puffed snacks, chips, finger foods, co extruded snacks, chipsticks, multigrain snacks
[028] Any mention of ratios and percentages throughout the specifications or claims are supposed to be construed in accordance with the weight unless otherwise indicated.
[029] There are several ways of manufacturing ready to eat snacks but the most preferable way of doing the same is by making it organoleptic and nutritional at the same time and also providing it with an increased shelf life. All these objectives are addressed and fulfilled by in the current specification
[030] According to the present invention, a process for preparing food products with high nutritional value has the steps comprising:
crushing at least one organic ingredient; soaking the granular product thus obtained in an aqueous solution containing 0.5-5 wt% of inulin; processing the soaked granular organic ingredient by a process of either puffing or extrusion; drying the puffed or extruded product thus obtained at a temperature in the range of 120-180°C; coating the dried material with oligofructose; further flavoring the product with flavoring agents selected from a group comprising of vitamins, food powder, inulin and mixtures thereof; drying the flavored material by heating at a temperature in the range of 50-120°C.
[031] In accordance to present invention, the organic ingredient used is selected from the group comprising corn, rice, quinoa, chia, sorghum fruit powder, amaranth, brown rice, oats, barley, buckwheat, millets, wheat and combinations thereof. Also, the raw materials used as the organic ingredients in the present invention may also include any edible cereal or grain that are conventionally utilized for making snacks.
[032] In accordance to the present invention, the organic ingredient selected as desired is first crushed and ground to a granular form. The organic ingredient can be any

suitable grains or cereals as fit for consumption. Preferably the organic ingredients are selected from a group comprising corn, rice, quinoa, chia, sorghum fruit powder and combinations thereof. The present invention also envisages any other farinaceous material suitable for preparing ready to eat snacks as the organic ingredient. The organic ingredient may be selected as per the desired ready to eat product to prepare rice cakes, puff cakes. More than one organic ingredient may be selected to be crushed and ground together to obtain a mixed granular material for the preparation of multi grain food products. A suitable combination of the organic ingredients is selected to be crushed and ground into a granular material.
[033] In accordance with the process of the present invention, the crushed granular material obtained by crushing and grinding the organic ingredient or more than one organic ingredient, then is soaked in an aqueous solution containing 0.5-5 wt% of inulin. The soaking of the granular material is in an aqueous solution having dissolved inulin is essential for the optimum and efficient uptake of inulin into the raw materials so that the final product that is obtained has high nutritional value and good texture.
[034] In accordance to the present invention, the crushed granular material is soaked in the aqueous solution containing inulin, such that the moisture content of the material obtained at the completion of soaking is in the range of 12-18%. The soaking is continued for a time period of about 12-24 hours. The moisture content of the ground or crushed rice is preferably increased to 16% by soaking. For bettering the texture of the same, about 1% of Inulin powder is mixed with the above contents. It is then soaked for preferably 16 hours at room temperature in air tight environment so that there is no loss of the moisture level and the same is maintained at 16%.
[035] In accordance to the present invention the soaked material is then processed by a suitable process in order to obtain the desired food product. This is done processing the soaked material by puffing it in a puffing machine. The puffing

machine may preferably be a rice puff cake machine. The soaked cereal or combination of cereals is puffed into different shapes as per the requirement. For example, stick, round, balls, discs etc. According to the present invention the processing of the soaked material can also be done through an extrusion machine. The extrusion machine may preferably be a stick machine. The puffing machine and extrusion machine are well known from prior art and a person skilled in the art would be able to work the machines to obtain the desired product. [036] In accordance to the present invention, the soaked material is puffed to obtain a puffed food product. The soaked material may in the alternative be extruded to obtain an extruded food product.
The puffed product as well as the extruded product have a moisture content of about 6-8%. It is pertinent to note that the moisture content of the soaked material is critical for the material to be successfully processed.
Cereal puffing can be achieved only when the moisture content of the crushed granular material is more than 12%. Hence the process of the present invention involves soaking the granular material for a time period of about 12- 24 hrs. Preferably the soaking of the granular material is done for a time period of 15-20 hrs. Similarly, to achieve fine extrusion as desired, the soaked material must have a moisture content of about 12-18%.
The moisture content is reduced by puffing as it involves cooking the raw materials and expanding the same thereby making it light and fluffy. The moisture is also reduced by extrusion which involves cooking, shearing, shaping and forming of the desired food product. It is crucial that the moisture content in the final snack product is reduced to the extent such that the final snack product as it influences the texture, crispiness and other organoleptic properties.

[037] The process as described herein, has been developed such that the organic ingredients used have enough moisture to be processed and at the same time the final product has the least amount of moisture so as to exhibit excellent organoleptic properties.
Further, the process of the present invention envisages the uptake of inulin into the organic ingredients as dissolved in an aqueous solution. By this method, surprisingly, the optimum and uniform uptake of inulin takes place that greatly influences the nutritional value of the food product as well as improves its texture.
Conventional methods mix inulin with a dough of the organic ingredients. The disadvantage herein is the excess amount of moisture absorbed by the organic ingredients and uneven distribution of inulin in the dough. Inulin has also been added at any time during the manufacturing of snacks in conventional processes. The process of the present invention, by adding inulin dissolve in water to the granular organic material not only provides for its uniform distribution but also limits the uptake of excess amount of water by the raw materials i.e the selected organic ingredients. Excess moisture in the food product leads to sogginess and unfavorable organopathic properties. It is crucial therefore to regulate the amount of moisture in the final food product which the process of the present invention achieves by the sequence of the process steps as described.
[038] A rice puff with an enhanced nutritional value, organoleptic qualities and greater shelf life is envisioned by the present invention. Similarly, the present invention also envisages a multi grain extruded stick.
[039] In a particular embodiment of the present invention, the puffing process of the present invention preferably may be conducted by placing the soaked material in a rice puff cake machine. The temperature is preferably maintained for such a machine at 250° Celsius and the pressure applied is about 150 bar pressures. After the above process, a rice puff is formed which preferably has a moisture

content of about 6 to 7%. The same would be required to be reduced for obtaining a crispy resultant product which has a greater shelf life.
[040] In order to decrease the moisture level, the rice puffs as obtained above are dries as per conventional methods available. The puffed rice obtained from the puffing machine may be roasted at a temperature of around 150°Celsius for about four minutes with 250 RPM. It is essential to rotate the same at high speed to prevent charring of the rice puff.
[041] According to the present invention, the drying of the puffed product obtained from step c of the claimed process results in the moisture content reducing to around 4-5%. The moisture level after this step is preferably be always within a range of 3 to 7%.
[042] Another embodiment of the present invention relates to the processing of the soaked granular material by extrusion. In accordance to the present invention nutritious ready to eat multigrain puff sticks with a excellent texture are prepared by processing the granular soaked material by an extrusion process.
[043] A multigrain puff stick with high nutritional value, organoleptic qualities and a greater shelf life is envisioned here. The raw materials as are utilized in this process include, organic corn, organic rice, organic quinoa, inulin, oligofructose, vitamin mixtures, organic fruit powders, flavours and the like.
[044] In this process, more than one organic ingredients selected from corn, rice, quinoa, chia, sorghum fruit powder, amaranth, brown rice, oats, barley, buckwheat, millets, wheat are mixed in a suitable ratio for preparing multigrain snack as desired. The mixture is then ground or crushed by a suitable mechanism as understood from conventional methods to obtain smaller particles of approximate size of 1 mm to 2 mm.
[045] The granular mixture obtained after grinding and crushing the organic ingredients is soaked in an aqueous solution having inulin in the concentration ranging from 0.5 -5 wt%.

[046] The soaked granular material is then processed by extrusion. The extrusion process is carried out preferably through an extrusion apparatus such as a stick machine to obtain a multi grain puff stick. In accordance to the invention, the moisture content of the extruded food product is preferably in the range of 6-8%. The soaked cereal or combination of cereals is extruded into different shapes as per the requirement. For example, stick, round, balls, discs etc.
[047] The moisture content is critical to the quality and longevity of the food products. In accordance to the present invention, the process steps are designed to control the moisture content of the food product in an optimum level.
[048] The extruded multi grain food product such as the multi grain puff stick obtained from the Stick machine, is dried at a temperature of around 150 degrees Celsius for about four minutes with about 250 RPM. The drying of the extruded food product reduces the moisture content to about 4-5%.
[049] In accordance to the present invention, the puffed or the extruded product that is dried under suitable conditions to reduce the moisture content undergoes flavoring for enhancing the taste and other organoleptic properties as desired in the final product.
[050] In accordance to present invention, the dried food product is first coated with oligofructose. Oligofructose is applied on the dried food product as obtained from step d of the claimed process. In accordance to the present invention, there is no requirement of oil at any stage of the present process unlike the conventional processes.
Oligofructose is a subgroup of the fiber known as Inulin, also known as fructooligosaccharide. Oligofructose is an insoluble fiber that is not digested in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Because it is still intact when it reaches the last region of the digestive tract, it is able to feed the host of microbes that live in the colon and large intestines. Oligofructose is thus a well-known prebiotic that increases the nutritional value of the food product.

Different types of oil are majorly used in processing food products especially
ready to eat snacks as they enhance the organoleptic properties at the time of
flavoring. However, the present invention envisages the replacement of oil in
such food products to avoid the adverse effects of oil on the health of the
consumers.
The present invention therefore, discloses the coating of oligofructose in the
place of oil for the purpose of flavoring on the food products.
[051] The flavoring is preferably done in a rotating tumbler by firstly spraying the roasted rice puffs with a solution of Oligofructose and hence increasing the nutritious value of the resultant Product.
[052] In accordance to present invention, the dried food products are treated to coating and flavoring with organic fruit powder, vitamin mixtures, inulin and a variety of flavouring agents commonly popularly known from conventional practices. The desired flavors are preferably sprayed in the tumbler using filtered air. This coating is made even by the rotation of the said tumbler for around two minutes at 25 RPM.
[053] It is pertinent to note that the coating and flavoring processes increase the moisture content of the food products to around 6-7%. There is thus a further requirement to reduce the moisture content such that the final food product has excellent organoleptic properties and a long shelf life.
[054] In accordance to the present invention, the flavored food products are again dried at a suitable temperature. They are preferably dried by placing the food products in a roaster. In a particular embodiment, the drying process involves roasting the flavored food products at around 70 to 80° C and their rotation at about 300 RPM for around 8 to 10 minutes.
[055] The resultant product as obtained from the above step possess a high nutritional value with a better texture and a great taste. It also has an increased shelf life and is rich in Prebiotic components. This product is now ready to be packaged.

[056] The packaging of the Resultant Product is done with care so that there is no contamination and the nutritional value remains high. So therefore, packaging is done by the way of Nitrogen air in a modified atmosphere packaging.
[057] In accordance to the present invention, the dried multigrain puff sticks are then flavoured. The flavouring is not done by the spraying of harmful oils but a solution of Oligofructose is used as its alternative. The flavouring is done in a rotating tumbler.
[058] The above mentioned multigrain puff sticks sprayed with Oligofructose solution are coated with organic fruit powder, vitamin mixtures and a variety of flavouring agents which are sprayed in the tumbler using filtered air. This coating is made even by the rotation of the said tumbler for around two minutes at 25 RPM.
[059] The flavoured multigrain puff sticks again need to be dried because the moisture level after the coating and flavouring process has elevated to 6-7% and it is dried in a roaster. This time the temperature utilized for roasting the same is around 70 to 80 degrees Celsius and the same is rotated at 300 RPM for around 8 to 10 minutes depending on the preparedness of the Resultant Product
[060] The resultant product , as obtained from the above step possess a high nutritional value with a better texture, a great taste and without any harmful oils. It also has an increased shelf life and is rich in Prebiotic components. This product is now ready to be packaged.
[061] The process of packaging of the multigrain puff sticks is similar to that of the puffed rice snacks of the present invention.
[062] Thus, this invention process has streamlined the process of the industrial manufacturing of organoleptic nutritious ready to eat snacks having a better texture, great taste and long shelf life. The present invention thus describes a process that manufactures value added food products with high nutritional value, excellent organoleptic properties including superior texture and with a long shelf life.

EXAMPLES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION:
The invention will be elucidated with reference to the following examples. These are intended to illustrate the invention but are not to be construed as limiting in any manner, the scope thereof.
1. Preparation of Rice puff snack:
Rice was taken as the organic ingredient to make rice puff snacks. It was crushed to obtain a granular form.
Soaking: An aqueous solution of water with inulin at 1 % Inulin is taken. The granular rice was soaked for a time period of 16hrs at room temperature in an air tight poly bag to prevent moisture loss.
Puffing: The soaked material was puffed in a Rice Puff Cake Machine at 280°C temperature. The final moisture content of the Cake was noted to be 6 - 7 % After the processing by way of puffing, the material was dried in a roaster at 150 ° C for 4 min. with a 250 RPM. The moisture content of the product after roasting was found to be 4-5 %. The dried material was collected in a collector. Flavouring & coating: Flavoring was done in rotating tumbler apparatus. Oligofructose was coated on to the rice puff. Further, fruit powder, vitamin mixture were added and rotated (25 RPM) for a period of about 2 min, for proper flavoring of the product. During the flavoring process moisture content is increased up to 6-7 %. Also, the air used for Flavoring is Filtered The product obtained was again roasted at a temperature of 70 -80° C for 8-10 min at 300 RPM. The moisture content of the finished product was found to be about 4-5 %. The finished snack was then packaged as per conventional methods in 15 gm packets.

2. Preparation of Multigrain Puff stick
Corn, rice and quinoa were selected as organic ingredients for the multigrain snack and were taken in a ratio of 73:17:10 by wt%.
Soaking: An aqueous solution of water with inulin at 1.5 % Inulin is taken. The multigrain mixture was soaked for a time period of 16hrs at room temperature in an air tight poly bag to prevent moisture loss. With this the moisture level increased to upto 16%.
Extrusion: The soaked multigrain material was extruded through a stick machine bringing the moisture level of the extruded snacks to 6-7%. After the processing by way of extrusion, the extruded snacks were dried in a roaster at 150 ° C for 4 min at 250 RPM. The moisture content after drying was found to be about 4-5%. Flavouring & Coating: Flavoring was done in rotating tumbler apparatus. Oligofructose was coated. The multigrain stick was coated with Oligofructose and flavored with fruit powder, & vitamin mixture. The rotating tumbler was worked for 2 min at 25 RPM. During the flavoring process moisture content is increased up to 6-7 %. The air used for flavoring was filtered. The product obtained was again roasted at a temperature of 70 -80° C for 8-10 min at 300 RPM.
The moisture content of the finished product was found to be about 4-5 %. The finished snack was then packaged as per conventional methods in 18 gm packets.
Comparative results and Examples: Samples of snacks obtained by the process of the present invention were stored at Accelerated Storage Conditions of 38°C & 90% RH. The original sample was analysed on zero day. The samples stored at Accelerated Conditions were analysed on 1st Month, 2ndMonth, 3rdMonth & 4thMonth.

Various tests were performed to understand evaluate the quality of the
product:
The samples of snacks obtained by the process of the present invention were
analyzed by the following tests:
1. Chemical Tests were conducted to evaluate the Moisture; pH (10%); and Acidity in terms of citric acid.
2. Sensory Evaluation was done to evaluate Colour; Odour; Taste and Texture of the final product.
3. Microbiological Tests were conducted to evaluate Total Plate Count; Yeast & Mould count; E. coli; S.aureus and Salmonella in the final food product along with Shelf life study
Sensory Evaluation
Rating scale for color, Odour, Taste & Texture is as follows:

Rank Quality Description
5 Excellent
4 Very Good
3 Good
2 Fair
1 Poor
1. Results of the Chemical tests:
A. Rice Puff Cake Analysis Report with Different % Inulin. (Stored in 45 % Humidity)

Sr.no.
Inulin % Puffing Temp. Moisture
content
After
Puffing Moisture
content
After 6
Hrs Moisture
content
After 24
hr Moisture
content
After 48
hr
Sample 1 0.25 260°c 4.00 4 4.4 5.8
Sample 2 0.50 260°c 4.20 4.2 4.8 5.4
Sample 3 0.75 260°c 4.20 4.2 4.6 5.2
Sample 4 1.0 260°c 4.40 4.4 4.8 5.6
Sample 5 1 260°c 4.00 4 4.4 4.8
Sample 6 0 260°c 4.80 5 5.8 6.1

Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Sample 4 Sample 5 Sample 6
Appearnce Round Round Round Round Round Round
Taste Good Good Good Good Good Good
Aroma Good Good Good Good Good Good
Crunchy
Crunchy Crunchy Crunchy Crunchy Crunchy without
smooth /
buttery
texture.
Little hard
Texture with smooth with smooth with smooth with smooth with smooth

texture texture texture texture texture

on pallet
Mouthfeel Good Good Good Good Good ok
Colour Ok Ok Ok Ok Ok Ok
Puffing Good Good Good Good Good Good

Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Sample 4 Sample 5 Sample 6

Crunchy
Texture
after
Flavouring Crunchy
with smooth texture Crunchy
with smooth texture Crunchy
with smooth texture Crunchy
with smooth texture Crunchy
with smooth texture without smooth / buttery texture. Little hard on pallet
Crunchy
Lower Lower Lower Lower Lower without
smooth /
buttery
texture.
Soft texture /
Texture Crunch Crunch Crunch Crunch Crunch

after 12 with with with with with

hours smooth smooth smooth smooth smooth

texture texture texture texture texture

soggy.
Crunchy
Much Much Much Much Much without
Texture
after 24
hours Lower Lower Lower Lower Lower smooth /

Crunch Crunch Crunch Crunch Crunch buttery

with with with with with texture.

smooth smooth smooth smooth smooth Soft
texture texture texture texture texture texture / soggy.
Notes: More inulin added provided better crunch and smooth texture. No inulin did not give a nice texture and after 24 hours because soft / soggy.

Sr.no.
Inulin % Extruding Temp. Moisture
content
After
Puffing Moisture
content
After 6
Hrs Moisture
content
After 24
hr Moisture
content
After 48 hr
Sample 1 1% 110°c 4.00 4.2 4.4 5.8
Sample 2 2% 110°c 3.80 4.4 4.8 5.4
Sample 3 0% 110°c 4.60 5.2 5.5 6
2. Results of Sensory Evaluation:

Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3
Appearance Good Good Good
Taste Good Good Good
Aroma Good Good Good
Texture Crunchy Crunchy Crunchy
with with without
smooth smooth smooth /
texture texture buttery texture. Little hard on pallet
Mouthfeel Good Good ok
Colour Ok Ok Ok
Puffing Good Good Good
B. Multi Grain Stick Sensory Analysis Report with Different % Inulin. (Stored in 45 % Humidity)

SAMPLE SAMPLE SAMPLE SAMPLE SAMPLE SAMPLE
1 2 3 4 5 6
Texture Crunchy Crunchy Crunchy Crunchy Crunchy Crunchy
after with with with with with without
Flavouring smooth smooth smooth smooth smooth smooth /
texture texture texture texture texture buttery texture. Little hard on pallet
Texture Lower Lower Lower Lower Lower Crunchy
after 12 Crunch Crunch Crunch Crunch Crunch without
hours with with with with with smooth /
smooth smooth smooth smooth smooth buttery
texture texture texture texture texture texture. Soft
texture / soggy.
Texture Much Much Much Much Much Crunchy
after 24 Lower Lower Lower Lower Lower without
hours Crunch Crunch Crunch Crunch Crunch smooth /
with with with with with buttery
smooth smooth smooth smooth smooth texture.
texture texture texture texture texture Soft
texture / soggy.

Notes: More inulin added provided better crunch and smooth texture. No inulin did not give a nice texture and after 24 hours because soft / soggy. 3. Results of Microbial Tests and Shelf Life Study:

Observations for: Shelf Life Study at Accelerated Shelf Life Study: 380C / 90% RH
Time period of Analysis 0Day 1st month 2nd month 3rd month 4th month
Chemical parameters
Moisture (%) 2.53 2.61 3.35 4.13 4.66
PH (10% Solution) 5.72 5.48 5.80 6.01 6.02
Acidity as Citric Acid (%) 0.35 0.36 0.44 0.42 0.44
Sensory evaluation
Colour 5 5 5 5 5
Odour 5 5 5 5 5
Taste 5 5 5 4.5 4.5
Texture 5 5 5 4.5 4.5
Microbiological Parameters
Total plate
Count,
(cfu/g) <10 <10 <10 <10 <10
Yeast & Mould count (cfu/g) <10 <10 <10 <10 <10
E.coli, per g Absent - - - Absent

S.aureus, per g Absent - - - Absent
Salmonella, per 25 g Absent - - - Absent
The process of the present invention has been evaluated to be successful in manufacturing food products that maintain excellent taste and texture. Also it can be observed that colour & odour of the final product was maintained throughout the study period. The Total Plate count & Yeast & Mould count was found to be absent throughout the study period. E.coli, S.aureus & Salmonella are found to be absent during the study period. Further, the process of the present invention resulted in the products having an assured shelf life of 12 months and a shelf life of 4 months accelerated conditions.
The products obtained by the present invention were found to have superior texture due to addition of inulin before puffing. It was observed that Adding more inulin provided better results. Increased shelf life was also noted due to avoidance of the use of oil in the product. The replacement of oil by Oligofructose resulted in favourable results as the flavouring did not get adversely affected due to the absence of oil. When left in the open, the snack with inulin provided better results of texture when eaten, as compared to the snack without inulin. Showing that inulin has provided a good result in maintaining freshness of the product for longer. More inulin added provided better results. The present invention thus is a novel and inventive food manufacturing process that is advantageous over the prior known.

We claim:
1. A process for preparing food products with high nutritional value, comprising the steps of crushing at least one or more organic ingredients; soaking the crushed granular product in an aqueous solution containing 0.5-5 wt% of inulin; processing the soaked granular organic ingredient by a process of either puffing or extrusion; drying the puffed or extruded product thus obtained at a temperature in the range of 120-180°C; coating the dried material with oligofructose; further flavoring the product with flavoring agents selected from a group comprising of vitamins, food powder, inulin and mixtures thereof; and drying the flavored material by heating at a temperature in the range of 50-120°C.
2. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the organic ingredient is selected from a group comprising corn, rice, quinoa, chia, sorghum fruit powder, amaranth, brown rice, oats, barley, buckwheat, millets, wheat and combinations thereof.
3. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said crushed granular ingredient is soaked such that the moisture content of the material obtained at the completion of soaking is in the range of 12-18%.
4. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the soaking takes place for a time period of about 12-24 hrs.
5. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one or more organic ingredients are soaked in an aqueous solution containing 0.5-5 wt% inulin in a suitable ratio.

6. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing of the soaked granular ingredients results in the moisture content of the output being in the range of 6-8%.
7. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the puffed or extruded material is dried to reduce the moisture content to a range of 4-5%.
8. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the moisture content of the puffed or extruded material is in the range of 6-7% due to flavoring.
9. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flavored product is dried such that the moisture content of the final product is in the range of 4-5%.
10. The process as claimed in claims 1 to 9, wherein the product obtained is having a high nutritional value characterized by a shelf life of atleast 12 months.