Predicting the texture of cooked pasta based on mechanical properties of dried pasta

Abstract

Going up with demands of modern consumers in addition to traditionally produced pasta, there is plenty of non traditional past made from multigrain flours of different cereals and pseudocereals. All these modifications in pasta formulation cause changes in textural properties which are one of the most important properties of pasta quality. The aim of this study was to develop a model for predicting the texture of cooked pasta by measuring mechanical properties of dried pasta. Textural properties of whole grain pasta with added different levels (0-30 %) of buckwheat flour were measured by a texture analyser (TA.XTPlus). Hardness and brittleness were measured with Ottawa cell. Firmness of the cooked pasta was determined applying the AACC (16-50) method. Correlation analysis was performed to establish the significance and the degree of linear association between two variables at p < 0.05. Coefficients of variation (r2) were calculated, as well. There was a very high significant correlation between hardness and firmness (r = 0.96985, r2= 0.9406), and high but not significant correlation between brittleness and firmness (r = 0.92639, r2 = 0.8582). Coefficients of variation indicated that the variability noted in cooked pasta textural properties in a great extent can be explained by mechanical properties of dried pasta.