Effects of added maize flour on physicomechanical properties of benin patties made of defatted dough of groundnut seeds “arachis hypogaea”

The promotion of groundnut sector in Benin required not only the usual seeds oil extraction, but also high-priced exploitation of rejected seeds cake. This residue entered manufacture of patties locally called kluiklui particularly prized by populations. Those fritters/patties were obtained at the end of frying of defatted dough of crushed seeds. The mastery of qualitative characteristics and industrial parameters for manufacturing groundnut patties ought to expand consumption range at regional and international levels generating more incomes throughout increasing foreign exchanges. This paper dealt with exploration and determination of patties physical and mechanical characteristics linked to crunchy descriptors and induced effects of adding crude maize flour to defatted groundnut cake. Obtained results showed that, incorporating maize flour at reasonable percentages 5 to 10% (mass basis) rose in patties crunchy quality improvement. However, recorded high value of remnant moisture 8.74-13.55% (dry basis) disclosed that the fried-patties required further drying. Moreover, the low break strength of maize mixed patties well confirmed their crusty behavior compared with those ensuing from pure defatted cake. Combining the previous two properties obviously indicated that actual conditions of patties production were unfavorable neither to a sustainable conservation nor to handling and transport.