Investigating the effects of formulation and processing conditions on the mechanical properties of wheat flour noodle dough

Abstract

Characterization of the mechanical properties of soft food materials is crucial in the food industry, both for process design and for quality enhancement purposes. The goal of this project is to develop a non-contact on-line quality control technique for use in processing of sheeted products such as Asian noodles. In the case of the Asian noodle industry, composition and work input during the sheeting process are important parameters that influence the mechanical properties of the dough, and as a consequence, final product quality. An accurate and fast determination of noodle properties and how they are influenced by formulation and processing parameters will certainly improve quality control during production. To address this need, we are conducting a full study of noodle dough with ultrasonic techniques. A non-contact ultrasonic technique in transmission is used to assess the mechanical properties of noodle dough sheets and has been evaluated in pilot-plant trials, showing its feasibility for real-time ...