Design and Optimization of a Second-Generation Extruded Snack Using Carrot Waste, Blue Corn Flour, and Ellagic Acid as Functional Ingredients

Blue maize is a crop rich in several bioactive compounds, including anthocyanins, which is at risk of extinction due to monoculture practices. Carrot bagasse, considered a byproduct of the food industry, contains compounds that have been shown to benefit human health while also enhancing sustainability. On the other hand, ellagic acid, a phenolic acid with significant antioxidant capacity, is capable of preventing and assisting in the treatment of various pathologies. Regarding food technologies, extrusion is a process characterized by its use of low energy, which minimizes the degradation of nutrients and bioactive compounds compared to other technologies. In this sense, the objective of this research was to develop a functional food with high value of sensorial acceptance, desirable physicochemical and antioxidant properties, using an 85:13:2% mixture of nixtamalized blue maize dough, carrot bagasse flour, and ellagic acid, processed with optimal conditions of extrusion determined with a surface response model. Operational conditions were temperature of extrusion (TE = 120 – 170°C), and speed of screw (SS = 50 – 240 rpm), while response variables were physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity. The optimal operational conditions were found to be TE = 144°C and SS = 207 rpm, resulting in a mixture with high sensorial acceptability on a five-point hedonic scale. The optimized functional food may be used to promote the utilization of endemic ingredients and reduce food waste in the treatment of pathologies and prevention of diseases due to its high antioxidant activity attributed to phenolic and terpene compounds.