Evaluation of White Salted Noodles Enriched with Oat Flour

Oat consumption is regarded as having significant health benefits. The enrichment of white salted noodles with oat flour would provide a potential health benefit but may affect the texture and sensory quality. Oat cultivars grown in Western Australia (Yallara, Kojonup, Mitika, Carrolup, and new line SV97181‐8) and a commercial oat variety were milled into flour and added to wheat flour at 10, 20, and 30% to produce oat‐enriched white salted noodles. The purpose of the study was to determine the quality characteristics of the oat flours and to assess the influence the oat flour blends had on noodle texture, color, and sensory characteristics. In addition, another goal was to determine whether the different oat cultivars had similar potential to provide health benefits by measuring the β‐glucan content before and after processing. The results indicated that protein, ash content, and noodle firmness increased with the increased percentage of oat flour in the noodle formulations, whereas the pasting properties of the noodle wheat–oat flour blends did not differ significantly. The color of raw noodle sheets and boiled noodles changed significantly with oat incorporation and resulted in lower lightness/brightness, higher redness, lower yellowness, and lower color stability in comparison to standard wheat white salted noodles. Noodles made with the lowest oat percentage (10%) scored highest for all sensory parameters and were significantly different in appearance, color, and overall acceptability compared with noodles made with 20 and 30% oat flour. The β‐glucan content of the flour blends increased with the increase in the level of oat incorporation but subsequently decreased during processing into noodles. The decrease in the β‐glucan content varied across the different oat cultivars and levels of incorporation into the noodles. A new oat cultivar, SV97181‐8, exhibited the least β‐glucan loss during processing. In this study, the quality characteristics of white salted noodles enriched with oat flour from Western Australian cultivars were determined to provide essential information for the commercial development of healthier noodles.     

The Impact of Oat Quality on White Salted Noodles Containing Oat Flour

This research compared the physicochemical properties of six milling oat cultivars from Western Australia over two growing seasons (2011 and 2012). Variations among the cultivars in physicochemical properties, particularly β‐glucan content, were assessed to determine their suitability for incorporation into white salted noodles at a level of 30% of the flour component. The average across six oat cultivars grown in 2012 was significantly higher (P < 0.05) for protein content, lipid content, and volume of smaller sized particles (<100 µm) and significantly lower for ash content, starch damage, and volume of larger particles (>100 µm) in comparison with the average across the same oat cultivars grown in 2011. The year of cultivation by cultivar interaction was significant (P < 0.05) for ash content, protein content, β‐glucan content, starch damage, and particle size. Oat cultivar Mitika had the highest peak viscosity for 100% oat flour (whole groat) and 30% oat–wheat (OW) flour blend, which may be owing to lower amylose percentage, high protein content, and greater volume of smaller particles. The effect of growing season had greater impact on OW noodle firmness than the genetic effect of cultivars. The eating and cooking quality attributes of OW noodles, such as color, color stability, firmness, and cooking solid loss were superior for those incorporated with 2012 oat flour (whole groat) compared with 2011 oat flour. Among the six oat cultivars, Williams produced noodles with poor cooking and eating quality, and Mitika was easier to handle during processing and produced noodles with superior brightness and color stability in comparison with other oat cultivars evaluated.     

Survey of White Salted Noodle Quality Characteristics in Wheat Landraces

The introduction of novel quality characteristics from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) landraces can enhance the genetic diversity of current wheat breeding programs. The composition of starch and protein in wheat is important when determining the end‐product quality, particularly for white salted noodles (WSN). Quality characteristics that contribute to the production of improved WSN include high starch pasting peak viscosity, low amylose content, high proportion of A‐type granules, low protein content, soft grain texture, and high protein quality as measured by SDS sedimentation volume. A survey of 133 wheat landraces from Afghanistan, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Syria, and Turkey was conducted to examine the genetic variability of starch and protein quality characteristics. Two wheat cultivars, Rosella and Meering, were used as the quality controls. The variation in starch pasting peak viscosities observed among the wheat landraces had a range of 175–295 Rapid Visco Analyser units (RVU), where 52 of the landraces were not significantly different from Rosella, a commercial soft grain wheat with high pasting properties. The amylose content of the landrace population was 23.4–30.2%, where 17 landraces had significantly lower values than Rosella. The proportion of A‐type granules was 60.5–73.9%, where 112 landraces had significantly higher values than Rosella. The grain texture hardness score was 28.0–99.3, the total protein content was 8.0–15.1%, and the adjusted SDS sedimentation volume (SDS/protein) was 1.6–7.0 mL/%P. The landrace AUS4635 had high starch pasting peak viscosity, high breakdown, low amylose content, low protein content, soft grain texture, and high protein quality flour. This wheat is an ideal parent to use in a breeding program that increases the genetic variation available to develop cultivars with high‐quality WSN characteristics.     

Characteristics and Protein Subunit Composition of Flour Mill Streams from Different Commercial Wheat Classes and Their Relationship to White Salted Noodle Quality

Proximate characteristics and protein compositions of selected commercial flour streams of three Australian and two U.S. wheats were investigated to evaluate their effects on the quality of white salted noodles. Wheat proteins of flour mill streams were fractionated into salt‐soluble proteins, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)‐soluble proteins, and SDS‐insoluble proteins with a sequential extraction procedure. SDS‐soluble proteins treated by sonication were subsequently separated by nonreducing SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE). There was a substantial amount of variation in distributions of protein content and protein composition between break and reduction mill streams. SDS‐insoluble proteins related strongly to differences in protein quantity and quality of flour mill streams. The soluble protein extracted by SDS buffer included smaller glutenin aggregates (SDS‐soluble glutenin) and monomeric proteins, mainly gliadin (α‐, β‐, γ‐, and ω‐types) and albumin and globulin. SDS‐soluble proteins of different flour mill streams had similar protein subunit composition but different proportions of the protein subunit groups. Noodle brightness (L) decreased and redness (a) increased with increased SDS‐insoluble protein and decreased monomeric gliadin. Noodle cooking loss and cooking weight gain decreased with increased glutenin aggregate (SDS‐soluble glutenin and SDS‐insoluble glutenin) and decreased monomeric gliadin. Noodle hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, tensile strength, breaking length, and area under the tensile strength versus breaking length curve increased with increased glutenin aggregate. Monomeric gliadin contributed differently to texture qualities of cooked noodles from glutenin aggregate. Monomeric albumin and globulin were not related to noodle color attributes (except redness), noodle cooking quality, and texture qualities of cooked noodles. The results suggested that variation in protein composition of flour mill streams was strongly associated with noodle qualities.     

Protein Quality of Wheat Desirable for Making Fresh White Salted Noodles and Its Influences on Processing and Texture of Noodles

Protein characteristics of wheat flours from various wheat classes, and of commercial flours for making noodles, were evaluated to determine the effects of protein content and quality on processing and textural properties of white salted noodles, as well as to identify protein quality required for making white salted noodles. SDS sedimentation volume based on constant protein weight, mixograph mixing time, and proportions of salt‐ and alcohol‐soluble protein of three commercial flours for making noodles were more similar to those of hard wheat than to soft wheat flours. SDS sedimentation volume of commercial flours for making noodles based on constant protein weight ranged from 38.5 to 40.0 mL and was higher than those of most soft wheat flours. Mixograph mixing time and proportion of salt‐soluble protein of hard and commercial flours for making noodles were >145 sec and mostly <13.8%, respectively, while those of club and soft wheat flours were < 95 sec and >15.0%. Both protein content and protein quality, as determined by SDS sedimentation volume based on constant protein weight, mixograph mixing time, proportion of salt‐soluble protein, and score of HMW‐GS compositions correlated with optimum water absorption of noodle dough and hardness of cooked white salted noodles.     

Effects of Flour Particle Size and Starch Damage on Processing and Quality of White Salted Noodles

Several reduction grinding conditions were used on a Canadian Western Red Spring (CWRS) farina to yield flours of comparable protein content within three specific particle size ranges (132–193, 110–132, 85–110 μm) at three starch damage levels (3.0, 3.9, 7.0 Megazyme units). White salted noodles (1% w/w NaCl) were initially processed at a fixed absorption (32%). Dynamic oscillatory and large deformation creep measurements indicated that doughs with lower starch damage, thick or thin, exhibited lower G′ (storage modulus), higher tan δ (G″ [loss modulus]/G′) values, and greater maximum strain during creep than doughs with higher starch damage. There were no clear trends between work input during sheeting and either starch damage or particle size. Instrumental texture analysis of raw noodles showed no significant differences due to either starch damage or flour particle size. Flours with fine particle size gave cooked noodles with the best textural attributes, whereas starch damage exhibited no consistent relationship with cooked noodle texture. Cooking loss was greatest in samples with highest starch damage and coarsest particle size; water uptake was inversely related to starch damage and particle size. Experiments were repeated at adjusted water absorptions (32–36.5%) for fine and coarse flours with highest and lowest starch damage. Differences in raw noodle dough rheological properties were largely eliminated, confirming that differences noted at constant absorption were primarily due to flour water absorption. Work input during sheeting was inversely related to starch damage and was higher for fine particle size. Cooking losses were highest for higher starch damage and fine particle size. Water uptake was highest for fine particle size, but in contrast to cooking loss, was higher at lower starch damage. Textural parameters indicated superior cooking quality when particle size was finer and starch damage was lower. Flour particle size and starch damage (as indicated by water absorption) are both primary quality determinants of white salted noodle properties and, to some extent, exert their influence independently.     

Relationships of High Molecular Weight Glutenin Subunit Composition and Molecular Weight Distribution of Wheat Flour Protein with Water Absorption and Color Characteristics of Noodle Dough

Colors of noodle doughs made from hard white winter wheat flours from Oregon were measured at optimum noodle water absorptions (NWA). Partial correlations, removing effect of protein concentration, indicated that NWA had negative relationships with 0 hr L* and 24 hr b*, and positive relationships with 0 and 24 hr a*. Kernel hardness index had positive simple and partial correlations with NWA without any significant (P < 0.05) correlation with color parameters. High molecular weight glutentin subunits (HMW‐GS) significantly (P < 0.05) affected all measured noodle parameters except for 0 hr L*. Covariance analysis, using protein concentration as a covariate, indicated that HMW‐GS significantly affected NWA and a* (P < 0.01). Wheat cultivars with HMW‐GS 17+18 showed significantly higher mean NWA and a* values than those with alternative Glu‐B1 subunits. Protein molecular weight distributions affected noodles, as shown by significant correlations with absorbance areas and % areas of protein size exclusion (SE) HPLC chromatograms. Protein fractions that had positive correlations with redness had negative correlations with yellowness. Applying multivariate analyses to SE‐HPLC data to derive calibration models to predict fresh noodle dough a* and b* values had R² > 0.91 and cross validations values of R² > 0.75.     

Impact of α‐Amylases on Quality Characteristics of Asian White Salted Noodles Made From Australian White Wheat Flour

The consumer acceptance of white salted Asian noodles depends on starch characteristics, and the purpose of this study has been to investigate the potential of exogenous α‐amylases to enhance textural characteristics of this product. Noodles were prepared from commercial flours with low α‐amylase activity, and the endogenous enzyme remained relatively stable during various processing and storage treatments. α‐Amylase preparations of bacterial origin and from barley malt were incorporated, and the products were assessed by texture analysis and electron microscopy, as well as for color characteristics. On addition of the amylase preparations, noodles were softer when texture was assessed using either a flat cylinder probe or an axial blade. Some discoloration occurred in treated noodle sheets, although this was minimal in final products that had been cooked immediately after preparation or following drying. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that the α‐amylase of bacterial origin had greater impact upon starch than that from barley malt. The results have implications for understanding of the adverse impact of preharvest sprouting on product characteristics. The results show that softer noodles have been obtained at these levels of enzyme additions. This was true for both enzyme preparations used. Differences in hardness (as measured using the flat cylinder probe) were greater than those for firmness (as measured using the axial blade).     

Effect of Hydrocolloids on Water Absorption of Wheat Flour and Farinograph and Textural Characteristics of Dough

The effect of hydrocolloids addition (0, 25, or 1.5 g/100 g of flour) on water absorption of flour and their influence on dough rheology were analyzed. The influence of guar gum (GG), xanthan gum (XG), high‐methoxyl pectin (P), locust bean gum (LBG), and a 1:1 mixture of locust bean gum and xanthan gum (LBG+XG) on water absorption was tested by different techniques including farinograph water absorption, water imbibing capacity, SDS sedimentation test, and sucrose solvent retention capacity. The rheological behavior was analyzed through the farinograph parameters and texture profile analysis (TPA). Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to evaluate the behavior of the different mixtures. Absorption values obtained by different methods were increased by XG and LBG+XG addition, particularly at the highest levels (1–1.5%). Flour‐P mixtures showed the lowest absorption. GG‐added mixtures led to the more stable doughs and P to the less stable ones. Addition of NaCl increased stability in all cases. According to TPA, softer and less cohesive doughs than control were obtained when hydrocolloids were added, both in conditions of water availability and water restriction (except for XG and GG at the highest levels). However, when enough water was added, more variation in textural attributes among doughs could be observed by PCA. No remarkable differences compared with the control were observed in the gluten network, as evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. Hydrocolloid incorporation led to rheological changes in dough; the trend and degree of this effect was affected by the amount of water added and the structure and concentration of the hydrocolloid.     

Relationship Between Protein Characteristics and Instant Noodle Making Quality of Wheat Flour

We investigated the relationship between the protein content and quality of wheat flours and characteristics of noodle dough and instant noodles using 14 hard and soft wheat flours with various protein contents and three commercial flours for making noodles. Protein content of wheat flours exhibited negative relationships with the optimum water absorption of noodle dough and lightness (L*) of the instant noodle dough sheet. Protein quality, as determined by SDS sedimentation volume and proportion of alcohol‐ and salt‐soluble protein of flour, also influenced optimum water absorption and yellow‐blueness (b*) of the noodle dough sheet. Wheat flours with high protein content (>13.6%) produced instant noodles with lower fat absorption, higher L*, lower b*, and firmer and more elastic texture than wheat flours with low protein content (<12.2%). L* and free lipid content of instant noodles were >76.8 and <20.8% in hard wheat flours of high SDS sedimentation volume (>36 mL) and low proportion of salt‐soluble protein (<12.5%), and <75.7 and >21.5% in soft wheat flours with low SDS sedimentation volume (<35 mL) and a high proportion of salt‐soluble protein (>15.0%). L* of instant noodles positively correlated with SDS sedimentation volume and negatively correlated with proportion of alcohol‐ and salt‐soluble protein of flour. These protein quality parameters also exhibited a significant relationship with b* of instant noodles. SDS sedimentation volume and proportion of salt‐soluble protein of flours also exhibited a significant relationship with free lipid content of instant noodles (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively). Protein quality parameters of wheat flour, as well as protein content, showed significant relationship with texture properties of cooked instant noodles.     

Quality Characteristics of Fresh and Dried White Salted Noodles Enriched with Flour from Hull‐less Barley Genotypes of Diverse Amylose Content

Fresh and dried white salted noodles (WSN) were prepared by incorporating up to 40% flour from hull‐less barley (HB) genotypes with normal amylose, waxy, zero amylose waxy (ZAW), and high amylose (HA) starch into a 60% extraction Canada Prairie Spring White (cv. AC Vista) wheat flour. The HB flours, depending on genotype, contained four to six times the concentration of β‐glucan of the wheat flour, offering potential health benefits. The HB‐enriched noodles were made with conventional equipment without difficulty. Noodles containing 40% HB flour required less work input during sheeting, probably due to higher optimum water absorption and weakening of the dough due to dilution of wheat gluten. The addition of HB flour had a negative impact on WSN color and appearance, as evident from decreased brightness, increased redness, and more visible specking. The impact of HB flour on cooked WSN texture varied by starch type. Enrichment with HA or normal starch HB flour produced WSN with bite and chewiness values equivalent to or superior to the wheat flour control. Addition of waxy and ZAW HB flour resulted in WSN with lower values for bite and chewiness. The diversity of HB starch types allows tailoring of WSN texture to satisfy specific markets. HB flour also has potential as an ingredient in novel noodle products targeting health‐conscious consumers who associate darker colored cereal‐based foods with superior nutritional composition.     

Impact of Null Polyphenol Oxidase Alleles on White Salted Noodles

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) causes Asian noodles to lose their bright color over time. Null Ppo‐A1 and Ppo‐D1 alleles are available that confer very low kernel PPO levels. Our goal was to characterize the effect of the Ppo‐A1i and Ppo‐D1f null alleles on the color and texture profile of white salted noodles. A white‐seeded spring wheat carrying Ppo‐A1i/Ppo‐A2d and Ppo‐D1f was crossed to a hard white‐seeded isoline of Choteau spring wheat with Ppo‐A1b/Ppo‐A2a and Ppo‐D1b and to a hard white‐seeded isoline of Vida spring wheat with Ppo‐A1a/Ppo‐A2b and Ppo‐D1b. Resultant lines homozygous for the null‐Ppo alleles or for the alternate parent Ppo alleles were selected and grown in replicated trials. The null‐Ppo alleles had no detrimental effects on kernel or flour traits. Noodles prepared from straight‐grade or whole wheat flour from the null‐Ppo allele class were less cohesive and softer than noodles from the alternate parent Ppo allele class for the White Choteau but not the White Vida population. Noodles prepared from straight‐grade and whole wheat flour from the null‐Ppo class were brighter, more red, and more yellow after 24 h and showed less change in L* with time than noodles prepared from the alternate parent Ppo class. The relative difference between the two genotype classes for change in L* with time (0–24 h) exceeded 3.5 L* for noodles from both types of flour, which was an improvement over existing low‐Ppo alleles. Incorporating the null‐Ppo alleles into wheat varieties could improve the color profile of Asian noodles.     

Studies on Quality of Potato Flour Blends with Rice Flour for Making Extruded Noodles

The effects of rice flour on the physicochemical properties of the raw material system and the quality of extruded potato–rice noodles were studied. The results demonstrated that the amylose content, pasting viscosities, storage modulus (G′), and loss modulus (G″) gradually increased with the included levels of rice flour, whereas the swelling power, solubility, and pasting temperature decreased with increasing rice flour content. The extruded potato–rice noodles exhibited desirable cooking qualities and textural properties with rice flour contents of up to 40%. Additionally, sensory evaluations revealed that the scores for chewiness, firmness, slipperiness, elasticity, and overall acceptability increased gradually with increasing rice flour content in the blends. Additionally, the results indicated the possibility of replacing potato flour with rice flour at a ratio of 6:4 to produce extruded potato–rice noodles of acceptable quality.     

Quantitative and Qualitative Role of Added Gluten on White Salted Noodles

A commercial gluten and glutens isolated from four soft and four hard wheat flours were incorporated into a hard and a soft white flour by replacement to directly determine the quantitative and qualitative role of gluten proteins in making noodles. Gluten incorporation (6%) decreased water absorption of noodle dough by 3%, shortened the length of the dough sheet by 15 and 18%, and increased the thickness of the dough sheet by 18 and 20% in soft and hard wheat flour, respectively. Noodles imbibed less water and imbibed water more slowly during cooking with gluten incorporation, which resulted in a 3‐min increase in cooking time for both soft and hard wheat noodles. Despite the extended cooking time of 3 min, noodles incorporated with 6% gluten exhibited decreases in cooking loss by 15% in soft wheat. In hard wheat flour, cooking loss of noodles was lowest with 2% incorporation of gluten. Tensile strength of fresh and cooked noodles, as well as hardness of cooked noodles, increased linearly with increase in gluten incorporation, regardless of cooking time and storage time after cooking. While hardness of cooked noodles either increased or showed no changes during storage for 4 hr, tensile strength of noodles decreased. There were large variations in hardness and tensile strength of cooked noodles incorporated with glutens isolated from eight different flours. Noodles incorporated with soft wheat glutens exhibited greater hardness and tensile strength than noodles with hard wheat glutens. Tensile strength of cooked noodles incorporated with eight different glutens negatively correlated with SDS sedimentation volume of wheat flours from which the glutens were isolated.     

Relationship Between Physicochemical Properties of Wheat Flour,Wheat Protein Composition,and Textural Properties of Cooked Chinese White Salted Noodles

Physicochemical properties and protein composition of 39 selected wheat flour samples were evaluated and correlated with the textural properties of Chinese hard‐bite white salted noodles. Flour samples were analyzed for their protein and wet gluten contents, sedimentation volume, starch pasting properties, and dough mixing properties by farinograph and extensigraph. Molecular weight distribution of wheat flour proteins was determined with size‐exclusion (SE) HPLC, SDS‐PAGE, and acid‐PAGE. Textural properties of Chinese hard‐bite white salted noodles were determined through texture profile analysis (TPA). Hardness, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness of cooked noodles were found to be related to the dough mixing properties. Both protein content and protein composition were found to be related to TPA parameters of noodles. The amount of total flour protein was positively correlated to hardness, gumminess, and chewiness of noodles. The absolute amounts of different peak proteins obtained from SE‐HPLC data showed positive correlations with the hardness, gumminess, chewiness, and springiness of noodles. The proportions of these peak proteins were, however, not significantly related to texture parameters. The proportions of low‐molecular‐weight glutenins/gliadins and albumins/globulins, as observed from SDS‐PAGE, were correlated positively and negatively, respectively, to the hardness, gumminess, and chewiness of cooked noodles. Among the alcohol‐soluble proteins (from acid‐PAGE data), β‐gliadins showed strong correlations with the texture properties of cooked noodles. For the selected flour samples, the total protein content of flour had a stronger relationship with the noodle texture properties than did the relative proportion of different protein subgroups. Prediction equations were developed for TPA parameters of cooked noodles with SE‐HPLC and rapid visco analysis data of the 30 flour samples, and it was found that about 75% of the variability in noodle hardness, gumminess, and chewiness values could be explained by protein composition and flour pasting properties combined together. About 50% of the variations in cohesiveness and springiness were accounted for by these prediction equations.     

Using Multivariate Techniques to Predict Wheat Flour Dough and Noodle Characteristics from Size‐Exclusion HPLC and RVA Data

Flour proteins of hard and soft winter wheats grown in Oregon were characterized by size‐exclusion HPLC (SE‐HPLC). Flour pasting characteristics were assessed by a Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA). Principle component scores (PCS) were calculated from both RVA data and from absorbance area and % absorbance values from SE‐HPLC. The PCS and cross‐products, ratios, and squares were used to derive wheat classification and quality prediction models. A classification model calculated from PCS of SE‐HPLC data could reliably separate these hard and soft wheats. The prediction models for mixing and noodle characteristics showed better performance when calculated from PCS values of both SEHPLC and RVA data than from SE‐HPLC data only. The R² values of prediction models for mixograph absorption, peak time, and tolerance were 0.827, 0.813, and 0.851, respectively. Prediction models for noodle hardness, cohesiveness, chewiness, and resilience immediately after cooking had R² values of 0.928, 0.928, 0.896, and 0.855, respectively. These results suggest that multivariate methods could be used to develop reliable prediction models for dough mixing and noodle characteristics using just SE‐HPLC and RVA data.     

Effects of Oxido-Reductants on Rheological Properties of Wheat Flour Dough and Comparison with Some Characteristics of Extruded Noodles

The effects of oxido-reductants on the rheological properties of wheat flour dough were evaluated by using a capillary rheometer and an oscillatory rheometer at three temperatures. The oxidants potassium iodate (KIO₃) and l -ascorbic acid (l -AA) significantly increased the apparent viscosity and G′ and decreased loss tangent at low temperatures of 30 and 60°C due to enhanced formation of disulfide bonds. The reductant glutathione (GSH) had the opposite effect. Heating caused the gelatinization of starch, which diminished the effects of the oxido-reductants and produced doughs with similar rheological properties at 80°C. The correlation between dough rheology and characteristics of extruded noodles was also studied.     

Composite Durum Wheat Flour/Plantain Starch White Salted Noodles: Proximal Composition,Starch Digestibility,and Indigestible Fraction Content

In search of a way to improve the nutritional profile of noodles, we prepared them with various mixtures of durum wheat flour and isolated plantain starch, and tested their proximal composition. Cooked noodles were assessed for in vitro starch digestibility, indigestible fraction content, and predicted glycemic index. The protein content declined with the addition of plantain starch. Both total starch (TS) level and the content of starch available for digestible enzymes (AS) decreased as the plantain starch level increased, a pattern that may be related to increased starch lixiviation during cooking of noodles containing plantain starch. There was an inverse pattern for resistant starch (RS). RS content in control (durum wheat flour) noodles was ≈50% lower than in the samples containing plantain starch. The soluble indigestible fraction (SIF) content in all samples was higher than the insoluble counterpart (IIF). The total indigestible fraction varied according to the wheat substitution level. Although the hydrolysis index (HI) and predicted glycemic index (pGI) of plantain starch noodles were moderate and decreased as the plantain starch proportion rose. These composite noodles exhibited higher indices than the control sample, a phenomenon that may also be dependent on the product physical structure. Results indicate that in spite of the increased starch digestion rate, plantain starch noodles are a better source of indigestible carbohydrates than pure wheat starch pasta. This might have dietetic applications.     

Effects of Starch Amylose Content of Wheat on Textural Properties of White Salted Noodles

White salted noodles were prepared through reconstitution of fractionated flour components with blends of waxy and regular wheat starches to determine the effects of amylose content on textural properties of white salted noodles without interference of protein variation. As the proportion of waxy wheat starch increased from 0 to 52% in starch blends, there were increases in peak viscosity from 210 to 640 BU and decreases in peak temperature from 95.5 to 70.0°C. Water retention capacity of waxy wheat starches (80–81%) was much higher than that of regular wheat starch (55–62%). As the waxy wheat starch ratio increased in the starch blends, there were consistent decreases in hardness of cooked noodles prepared from reconstituted flours, no changes in springiness and increases in cohesiveness. White salted noodles produced from blends of regular and waxy wheat flours became softer as the proportion of waxy wheat flour increased, even when protein content of flour blends increased. Amylose content of starch correlated positively with hardness and negatively with cohesiveness of cooked white salted noodles. Protein content of flour blends correlated negatively with hardness of cooked noodles, which were prepared from blends of regular (10.5% protein) and waxy wheat flours (> 16.4% protein).     

Measurement of Color,Gloss, and Translucency of White Salted Noodles: Effects of Water Addition and Vacuum Mixing

Sensory evaluation showed panelists could detect small differences in gloss and translucency in boiled white salted noodles (WSN) but sensory evaluation requires significant resources. Methods for the measurement of noodle gloss and translucency in boiled WSN were developed and the effects of hardness, protein, water addition, and vacuum mixing on these visual sensory characteristics and color (as measured by CIE L*, a*, and b*) were investigated. Noodles derived from hard wheats at low flour protein contents were more translucent than noodles from soft wheat flour at low protein. This trend changed at the highest flour protein contents observed. Translucency of the soft wheat noodles increased to levels equal to or exceeding the translucency of high protein hard wheat noodles. Translucency of all noodle varieties increased as flour protein increased. CIE L* decreased, a* increased, and b* increased when water addition to dough increased from 30 to 35%, but there was no further effect on color when water addition was increased to >35% for raw soft and hard WSN. Boiled noodle translucency was significantly increased when water addition to the dough was increased from 35 to 38% and when noodles made from soft wheat flour were mixed under vacuum. Vacuum mixing significantly increased gloss of boiled noodles made from soft wheat flours.