A review of recent advances and techniques in the noodle mixing process

Abstract

The most critical challenge in the noodle industry is ensuring the development of various high-quality products. Dough mixing is a very important initial stage in the development of noodles, which has a major impact on the preparation and quality of the noodles. The mixing process helps to form a dough as a single homogenous substance and develops certain rheological characteristics that provide the optimum flow of all technical processes in the next production stages. The mixing process is impacted by the raw and auxiliary materials used (the quality of flour, the amount of water added, the amount of salt and alkali added), the performance of the mixing equipment, and the mixing process parameters (mixing time, mixing speed, water addition, water temperature, and dough temperature). Proper management of the mixing process and implementation of enhancement techniques can greatly improve the dough rheology and noodle quality. This review paper describes the available mixing information and details the influence of various mixing characteristics on dough rheology and noodle quality. Techniques to improve the mixing process and equipment are provided.