REDUCED OR ZERO ADDED SODIUM SNACK FOOD PELLETS

Methods for manufacturing reduced or zero added sodium expandable snack food pellets comprising providing a dough comprising less than 300 mg of added sodium per 100g of dough and a functional ingredient; extruding the dough; forming the extrudate into pellets; and drying the pellets. A method for manufacturing low/no sodium snack foods also includes cooking the pellets. Preferably, the functional ingredient is 2-8wt% pre-gelatinised starches (rice flour), 0.1-2.5wt% raising agents (sodium bicarbonate), 0.2-1.0wt% acids (monocalcium phosphate and/or citric acid), 1-10wt% matrix modifiers (sugar), and/or alternative salts (potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium sulphate, sodium acetate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate). The functional ingredient may comprise an acid and a raising agent. The functional ingredient is claimed to increase the expansion ratio of the pellets, decrease the glass transition temperature of the pellets, decrease the bulk density of the snack food. Also claimed are reduced or zero added sodium expandable snack food pellets having specific expansion ratio and/or glass transition temperature and reduced or zero added sodium expanded snack food products prepared from the pellets and having specific bulk density.