Extrusion cooking in Sri Lanka: A mini review of value- added food product development

Extrusion cooking is an emerging and versatile food processing technology that enables the development of value-added products with enhanced texture, nutritional quality, and extended shelf life. In Sri Lanka, the application of extrusion technology remains limited, with most studies focusing on cereals, legumes, and other starchy materials. This review summarizes the reported use of extrusion cooking in the local context, highlighting product categories such as snacks, noodles, string hoppers, pasta, plant-based meat analogues, weaning foods, and herbal porridges. Comparative evidence from other countries demonstrates the potential of underutilized raw materials, including fruits, algae, pumpkin flour, rice bran, coconut haustorium, and medicinal plants, to be incorporated into extruded products, offering opportunities for nutritional enhancement, post-harvest loss reduction, and environmental sustainability. Despite its benefits, scaling up extrusion processes in Sri Lanka faces challenges related to equipment, skilled labor, and capital requirements. Further research focusing on novel ingredients, sensory acceptance, and multi-stakeholder collaboration is essential to expand the use of extrusion technology and develop innovative, health-promoting, and commercially viable food products.