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Effects of pasta drying temperatures on starch properties and pasta quality. S. Guler (1), H. Koksel (1),
E. J. TANHEHCO (2), and P. K. W. Ng (2). (1) Dept. of Food Engineering, Hacettepe University, Turkey;
(2) Dept. of Food Science & Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824.
Effects of pasta drying temperatures on various starch properties and
the quality of pasta were investigated. A short cut pasta (Fusilli) was processed from durum semolina and
dried by high temperature (HT) and very HT (VHT) drying cycles. Starch properties were examined by
rapid visco analyzer, differential scanning calorimeter, X-ray diffractometer and polarized light microscope.
Cooking quality was evaluated by determining cooking loss (CL) into cooking water, total organic matter
(TOM) in washing water after cooking, and sensory evaluation. X-ray diffractograms of semolina samples
showed typical A-type diffraction patterns. Diffractograms of pasta products using HT and VHT were
similar. All starch granules of semolina displayed a clear "Maltese cross" under polarized light, but
approximately 20% of starch granules of HT- and VHT-dried pasta samples lost their birefringence.
VHT-dried pasta had greater peak viscosity and hot paste consistency than HT-dried pasta. Both gelatinization
enthalpy and peak temperature of HT-dried pasta were slightly lower than those of VHT-dried pasta. The
HT-dried pasta had lower quality scores based on TOM and CL values and sensory evaluation as compared
to the VHT-dried pasta. The present study indicated that the changes in starch during HT and VHT drying
may affect the pasta cooking quality.
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