The Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA) as a tool for differentiating potato cultivars on the basis of flour pasting properties

Potatoes of two cultivars representing extremes in potato texture, Russet Burbank (mealy) and IdaRose (waxy), were lyophilized, ground into flour, and analyzed with a Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA) to identify flour pasting characteristics unique to each cultivar. A factorial experiment, which included multiple levels of heating rate, peak temperature, and flour concentration, was employed to assess RVA run parameter association with flour pasting behaviors and the potential to differentiate cultivars according to the responses. Pasting profiles of the potato flour provided a unique functional finger-print for each cultivar flour, which embodies structural and molecular components of the native potato tissue. Pasting profile viscosity attributes were influenced by variable levels of heating rate, peak temperature, and flour concentration. At increasing flour concentrations, RVA viscosity attributes increased in magnitude, but possessed similar pasting curves. A variable heating rate primarily affected events occurring early within the pasting profile (time to gelatinization, time to peak viscosity, peak viscosity), while changes in peak temperature influenced viscosity attributes (trough viscosity, breakdown, final viscosity, total setback) associated with the latter portion of the viscosity curve. A high peak temperature generally resulted in increased breakdown and total setback and decreased trough and final viscosities. RVA viscosity attributes, time to gelatinization, peak viscosity, breakdown, and final viscosity were identified as potential characteristics for cultivar differentiation. Discrimination of the cultivar extremes was affected by RVA run parameters, and was maximized at moderate heating rates (4 to 6 C min^-1), moderate to high levels of peak temperature (85 to 90 C), and intermediate flour concentrations.