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

Yellow alkaline noodles (YAN) are a popular food in S.E. Asia. Kansui is a mixture of alkaline salts which originally were derived from mineral springs. In some areas the consumers still prefer a product made using lye water. As the preferance of consumers for various texture and color characteristics of the YAN is regional in nature, it is of interest to determine the influence of various kansui formulations and their level of addition on noodle quality characteristics. The influence of kansui formulation on YAN characteristics was examined using flours prepared from two wheat classes (Canada Western Red Spring, CWRS, and Canada Prairie Spring White, CPSW) at two extraction rates (straight grade, 74% and patent 60%). Kansui formulations were prepared from sodium and potassium carbonates in the following ratios 1:9, 5:5 and 9:1, at three levels of addition, and with or without salt as part of a RSM design. Absorption requirements, starch pasting characteristics, raw noodle color and cooked noodle texture were all significantly affected by the treatments.