Flowability,moisture sorption and thermal properties of tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] grain flours

Recently tef is attracting the attention of the modern food industry since it is a gluten-free grain encompassing highly appreciated nutritional advaxntages. As a relatively new raw material, little information on its handling and processing properties is available. Flowability, water sorption characteristics and thermal properties of flours from three Ethiopian tef varieties were studied. Wheat (whole and refined) and rice flours were included as references. Tef flours were less flowable than the reference flours and their flow properties were more sensitive to water activity changes. Tef flours led to sigmoidal sorption isotherms with estimated monolayer water content of 0.053 (BET model) and 0.057 (GAB model) g water/g dry solids. No significant differences among the three tef varieties were observed on their gelatinization enthalpies that were higher than that of wheat and similar to rice. The amylopectin recrystallization extent after 7 days of storage at 4 °C was significantly higher in tef than in wheat flour.     

A comparative study of flow properties of basmati and non-basmati rice flour from two different mills

The flowability of basmati and non-basmati rice flour from stone and super mill was compared. On comparing, both basmati and non-basmati rice flour from stone mill was found poor flowable. However, non-basmati flour was less flowable than basmati flour. Particle size (stone mill (StM) 114.1–129.6 μm, super mill (SM) 196.4–239.5 μm) of both the flours was significantly different. The flowability of basmati and non-basmati rice flour was significantly affected by properties viz., for non-basmati flour: the particle shape circularity (StM 0.562, SM 0.642), surface roughness (StM 146.36 nm, SM 111.28 nm) and compressibility (StM 26.08%, SM 24.22%), making it less flowable than basmati flour: particle shape circularity (StM 0.661, SM 0.768), surface roughness (StM 122.21 nm, SM 90.67 nm) and compressibility (StM 21.02%, SM 17.18%). Basic flow energy, stability index and specific energy was significantly higher in non-basmati flour, thus required more energy (StM 184.37 mJ, SM 113.15 mJ) to flow than basmati rice flour (StM 151.25 mJ, SM 96.74 mJ). Overall, the flowability was analyzed at three different pressures (3,6 and 9 kPa) and the non-basmati rice flour from stone mill was found less flowable as indicated by the flow function coefficient (1.90 at 3 kPa) in comparison to basmati (2.61 at 3 kPa) creating difficulty in bulk handling.     

Effect of particle size,shape and surface roughness on bulk and shear properties of rice flour

The present study was conducted to compare the flowability of basmati and non-basmati rice flour with commercially available rice flour. Dynamic and shear properties were characterized on the basis of particle size, shape and surface roughness (measured by Atomic Force Microscope) depending upon the processing conditions. In contrast to commercial rice flour having less particle size (65.3 μm), the particle sizes (171.1–171.9 μm) of both the samples were not significantly different. However, the flowability of the non-basmati rice flour was significantly affected by its particle shape (0.487), surface roughness (124.23 nm) and compressibility (25.32%), making it more cohesive than basmati rice flour but less cohesive than commercial rice flour (1.34 kPa). Also, basic flow energy was significantly higher in both commercial rice flour and non-basmati flour, thus required more energy (197.42 mJ and 147.54 mJ, respectively) to flow than basmati rice flour (130.15 mJ). Overall, flowability was analysed by applying three different pressures (3, 6 and 9 kPa) and among which commercial rice flour was found less flowable (2.26 at 9 kPa) followed by non-basmati rice flour (2.33 at 9 kPa) and basmati (3.35 at 9 kPa) causing bulk handling difficult.