Fermented cassava as an alternative flour for pasta noodle

Abstract

Cassava is widely cultivated in South East Asia countries like Indonesia. However, ordinary cassava flour cannot substitute wheat flour due to lack of gluten. Fermented cassava flour (fercaf) is a protein enriched cassava flour which is produced from a fermentation process of cassava flakes by lactic acid bacteria. Fercaf may serve as substitution to wheat flour, especially in pasta production. Nevertheless, a number of modifications should be exercise in product formulation to meet the ordinary ‘wheat base’ pasta product specifications. The current study was focus on these modifications i.e., addition of other flour and addition of hydrocolloids. The properties of pasta such as elasticity, yield, cooking weight, hardness, stickiness as well as sensory property were examined to determine the best pasta formulation. The results show that pasta made from fercaf with the addition of rice and corn flour gave strong and elastic texture while hydrocolloid addition increased water-binding of the pasta. The final pasta formulation included ratio of fercaf:rice:corn flour by 70:10:20 and addition of 2,5% xanthan gum.