2001 AACC Annual Meeting Charlotte, North Carolina October 14-18, 2001 Charlotte Convention Center

Measurement of noodle sheet color and color stability is an important quality parameter for selecting noodle wheat in Australia. Evaluation of noodle sheet color and color stability can be subjective or objective. Traditionally a trained panel has visually assessed noodle color. Now instrumental methods are being used in breeding programs. Even though, a well trained sensory panel can successfully rank noodle sheet color, they are expensive and problems exist in maintaining a panel. Using an instrument to make rapid physical measurements that are related to visual perceptions of colour is cost effective. The Minolta tristimulus colour meter is now used extensively for colour measurements of noodles. Research has been conducted on a number of different methods for measuring noodle sheet color. A method should be simple, fast and able to accurately rank varieties compared to controls in the program. Method investigations have been carried out comparing readings obtained from the two different measuring heads the Minolta is supplied with (8mm and 50mm); and comparing readings obtained from a stack of sheets to those obtained from a single sheet. Stacking can be used to eliminate any interference from the background and this has been shown to give consistent results. However, for a practical method to be routinely used in breeding programs, for selection purposes, a single sheet on a standard white tile gives very good discrimination and reproducibility.