Effect of high-temperature drying at different moisture levels on texture of dried noodles: Insights into gluten aggregation and pore distribution

Abstract

In this study, the impacts of high-temperature drying (80 °C) at varying moisture levels HT1 (30%) and HT2 (12%) on texture of dried noodles were investigated by considering the protein aggregation and pore distribution in both dried and cooked noodles. In comparison to medium-temperature drying (45 °C), an increase in protein aggregation was observed in dried noodles obtained under HT1. Additionally, HT1 conditions led to uneven gluten network and significant variations in pore size, which ultimately reduced the bending resistance of dried noodles from 9.45% to 31.82%. Upon cooking, the protein in noodles from HT1 underwent slight depolymerization, resulting in lower protein aggregation as compared to noodles from HT2, which negatively affected the edible quality of products from HT1. Our findings demonstrated that dried noodle qualities under HT2 increased up to 32.73% compared to medium-temperature drying and HT1, due to suitable protein aggregation and smaller pore distribution associated with HT2. Finally, the degree of protein aggregation in cooked noodles is a more accurate quality indicator than analyzing dried noodles.