Influence of gluten and starch on pasta quality

CS MARTINEZ; PD RIBOTTA; AE LEON; MC AÑON

Rosario, Argentina

Congreso; 1a ICC Latinoamerican Conference on Cereals and Cereal Products; 2007

ICC

Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var durum) is the cereal of choice for pasta production due to its unique color, flavor and cooking quality (Vignaux et al, 2005). In recent decades, the low supply, the high price and the low quality of durum wheat resulted in the greater use of wheat bread in the industry pasta attempting to conserve the same quality. The purpose of this work was to study the influence of varying both gluten and starch contents on bread wheat pasta quality. Commercial wheat starch (Montreal, Canada) and vital gluten (Abeve, USA) were added to wheat flour (5% and 10%, and 3% and 6% w/w of wheat flour, respectively). Pasta samples prepared from 50 g of flour, 18.75 mL of water and 500 mg of salt. All ingredients were mixed in a Philips 190 W HR 1495 mixer (Argentina) for 3 min on maximum speed and the resulting dough sheet passed the rolls of an Drago® pasta machine (Argentina) from Nº7 to Nº3 gaps, to reduce the thickness of the sheet. The sheet was cut through cutting rolls into strips approximately 2 mm wide and 15 cm long. Ash, protein, SDS sedimentation volumes (IS-SDS) on flours and flours substituted with starch and gluten were determined. Also, dough sheet color (CIE-Lab), optimum cooking time (OCT) and textural analysis (TA-xT2i, Texture Analyzer) on cooked pasta were measured. In addition a sensory evaluation was made. Wheat flour presented 11.2% and 0.57 % of protein and ash, dry basis, respectively. As expected, gluten addition increased IS-SDS values, while starch decreased them. Gluten and starch addition also modified dough sheet color values, while added gluten decreased L* and increased a* and b*; added starch produced the opposite effect. Those results were according to Park et al (2002); tight pasta structure resulting from a strong adherence between starch and protein would cause noodle sheets to appear translucent, resulting in less reflected light in high protein pasta. OCT of gluten supplemented pasta was higher than starch supplemented pasta. Firmness, chewiness and adhesiveness determined by instrumental measurements and sensory evaluation showed similar results. Meanwhile gluten increased firmness and chewiness and decreased adhesiveness, starch produced the opposite effect. Besides yellow color from sensory evaluation showed higher values for gluten added pasta and lower valued for starch added pasta than non supplement pasta sample, considered as control sample. These results were according with the higher b* and a* values found in the corresponding samples. As conclusion, gluten and starch content influence the bread wheat pasta quality. Gluten addition improved pasta quality, increasing yellow color and firmness and decreasing adhesiveness; whereas starch addition worsened pasta quality, decreasing yellow color and firmness and increasing adhesiveness.