Possibility of using wheat germ and wheat germ protein isolate for high‐protein pasta production

Abstract

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesThere is a growing demand in the food market for vegan and vegetarian products. However, they often contain incomplete protein and small amounts of protein. Therefore, plant‐enriched products with increased nutritional and biological value are increasingly being sought. This study was undertaken to determine the effect of adding wheat germ (WG) (wheat milling by‐product) and wheat germ protein isolate (WGPI) to durum wheat pasta. The aim of this study was to obtain high‐protein wheat pasta with an improved amino acid composition. Another objective was to evaluate the physicochemical parameters and assess the cooking quality of obtained pasta samples.FindingsPasta was enriched with the addition of milled WG at 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% or WGPI at 4%, 8%, and 12%. The study showed that the addition of 25% WG and 12% WGPI increased the protein content in the pasta by 35% and 53%, respectively, compared to the control sample. Both raw materials improved the amino acid composition of the pasta but only the addition of 12% WGPI resulted in a twofold increase in the lysine content and yielded a product with complete protein.ConclusionsHigh‐protein pasta was obtained through enrichment of wheat semolina pasta with 25% of WG or 8% of WGPI. The WG and WGPI addition yielded pasta with high cooking quality and increased firmness.Significance and NoveltyProtein isolate obtained from wheat germ can be successfully used to produce high‐protein pasta.