Extending the storage life of ‘Khao Kriap Waue’–A traditional Thai glutinous rice‐based snack

Khao Kriap Waue (KKW) containing the usual 200 g kg −1 sugar, can be stored for 1 week at ambient temperature (28 ± 2°C) in the unpuffed, intermediate moisture form (170 g kg −1 moisture) before mould growth becomes apparent (10 4 colonies g −1 moist weight or higher). Reducing its moisture content to <130 g kg −1 made the product brittle, with poor puffing ability. The use of butyl parabenzoate extended the storate life to 2 weeks by delaying but not preventing mould growth. Storage in high barrier vacuum packaging extended the shelf‐life to 12 weeks, compared with 1 week in manually air‐expelled polyprophylene (PP), low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) or high‐density polyethylene packaging. Increasing the sugar content of 350 g kg −1 glutinous‐rice, lowered a w to 0.65. made the product pliable and puffable, and increased the storage life of the unpuffed KKW to about 4 weeks. Puffed KKW which usually would not stay crunchy for more than 3 h after puffing, can be stored for less than 2 months in LDPE, but remained crunchy and acceptable for more than 6 months in aluminium/polyethylene laminate or PP. The use of PP, however, is more economical than aluminium/polyethylene laminate.