Effect of storage time and packaging on cooking quality and physicochemical properties of pasta with added nontraditional ingredients

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the changes throughout storage of pasta formulations enriched with basil, beet, cheese, chocolate, coffee, dried tomato, ginger, pepper, rosemary, socol, spinach, and wine in metallic and transparent packages. Pasta color, moisture content, water activity (aw), pH, total titratable acidity, cooking time, water absorption, and cooking loss were evaluated for 120 days. The packages used were efficient throughout storage in preserving moisture, aw, pH, total titratable acidity, cooking time, and water absorption for all formulations. Cooking loss and kinetics of the total color difference (ΔE) of some pasta were significantly (p < .05) affected. Beet pasta was the only one that showed a significant difference in cooking loss (p < .05) and ΔE was not influenced by packaging and storage time. Spinach pasta presented the largest ΔE between the two packaging types after 120 days. The metallic packaging was better at preservation of the pasta color throughout storage. Practical applications Adding ingredients in pasta formulations is a good alternative for the manufacture of products with attractive consumer features. Storage time and packaging are factors that can influence the quality of pasta, generating characteristics that may affect the product. Therefore, the study of these factors for different types of pasta provides relevant information for the food industries, since it is possible to identify the storage conditions that promote the lower change in quality. The results indicated that storage time and packaging are factors that influenced mainly the preservation of color characteristics of pasta containing added nontraditional ingredients. Metallic packaging can be considered an efficient alternative to reduce color change throughout the storage.