Flour Quality Research Articles

Particle Size as an Indicator of Wheat Flour Quality: A Review

Wheat flour is one of the most important food raw materials, with its quality determined by various indicators. One such indicator is particle size and granulometric distribution. In recent years, numerous studies have focused on the effect of flour and bran particle size on the properties of cereal products such as bread, pasta, noodles, and cookies. The aim of this review was to analyze the extent to which this parameter influences the properties of these cereal products. Additionally, the relationships between flour particle size and its chemical composition were presented. Key factors affecting the granulometric composition of flour, related to wheat grain properties and the grinding process, were also discussed. The study specifically focuses on research conducted in the last five years.

Cold atmospheric plasma degradation of deoxynivalenol in solid and liquid phases and its effect on whole wheat flour quality

Cold atmospheric plasma degradation of deoxynivalenol in solid and liquid phases and its effect on whole wheat flour quality

Modification of black wheat bran by superfine grinding and Neurospora crassa fermentation: physicochemical properties, mixed flour quality, steamed bread quality, and flavor

Modification of black wheat bran by superfine grinding and Neurospora crassa fermentation: physicochemical properties, mixed flour quality, steamed bread quality, and flavor

Effect of High Nighttime Temperatures on Growth, Yield, and Quality of Two Wheat Cultivars During the Whole Growth Period

It is a consensus that Earth’s climate has been warming. The impact of global warming is asymmetric, that is, there is more substantial warming in the daily minimum surface air temperature and lower warming in the maximum surface air temperature. Previous studies have reported diurnal temperature differences greatly affecting winter wheat yield. However, only a few studies have investigated the impact of global warming on the growth and yield of winter wheat, yet the influence of night warming on quality has not been deeply evaluated. In this study, two wheat cultivars were used as materials: Jimai 44 (JM44) with strong gluten and Jimai 22 (JM22) with medium gluten, to explore the effects of high nighttime temperatures (HNTs) on the growth, yield, and quality of wheat. The results show that HNTs significantly shortened seedling emergence and anthesis periods in both cultivars compared with ambient temperatures (ATs). In addition, HNTs increased the respiration rate at anthesis and grain-filling stages, impeding wheat pollination and grain maturity. HNTs also accelerated leaf senescence and increased the number of sterile spikelets and plant height, but decreased the effective tiller number, the number of spikes per unit area, and grains per spike. As a result, the grain yield of JM22 and JM44 was decreased by 24.6% and 21.2%, respectively. Moreover, HNTs negatively influenced the flour quality of the two wheat cultivars. The current findings provide new insights into the effects of HNTs on the growth, development, yield, and quality of different wheat genotypes during the whole growth period.

Wheat Flour Discrimination Using Two-Dimensional Correlation Spectroscopy and Deep Learning.

The continuous evolution of deep learning has garnered significant attention in spectroscopy. This study focuses on identifying wheat flour, presenting a more efficient and accurate method by combining two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS) and deep learning techniques. A data set of 316 near-infrared (NIR) spectral samples of four types of wheat flour was collected. By applying three disparate 2D-COS techniques, i.e., synchronous, asynchronous, and integrated, we crafted 948 2D-COS images. These images, obtained by transforming the original one-dimensional spectra into 2D representations, offer richer information for deep learning analysis. The study introduced an 18-layer residual network incorporating a convolutional attention mechanism, specifically tailored for the 2D-COS analysis of wheat flour, aimed at enhancing the model's discriminative capabilities by refining the residual neural network's structure. Achieving an unprecedented recognition accuracy of 100% through methodical optimization and rigorous training on the synchronous 2D-COS data set of wheat flour, the proposed model is a testament to the efficacy of deep learning in spectroscopic analysis. To further exhibit the confluence of 2D-COS with deep learning, t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding was employed to visualize the distinctive 2D-COS features within the deep learning architecture. Additionally, the model's performance was juxtaposed with prevailing NIR spectral recognition methods, including random forest, gradient boosting decision tree, and artificial neural network. This comparison cemented the proposed approach's superiority in wheat flour categorization. The findings of this study not only introduce a novel and efficient solution for wheat flour quality analysis but also underscore the significant potential of deep learning techniques in spectroscopy applications.

Performance Analysis of Disc Mill Type FFC-15 Grinder for Making Charcoal Husk Flour

This study is motivated by the great potential of rice husk as a waste material that has not yet been optimally utilized. The focus of this research is to evaluate the performance of the FFC-15 disc mill machine in producing flour from rice husk charcoal at three different moisture contents. The variations in the moisture content of rice husk charcoal studied were 10%, 15%, and 20%, with the goal of determining the optimal conditions in the production process of rice husk charcoal flour. The methodology used is experimental with repeated testing to produce data on machine capacity, electrical power consumption, flour yield, flour quality (moisture content, ash content, and mineral content), and the physical parameters of the charcoal. The results show that moisture content significantly affects the milling efficiency and quality of the flour produced, with optimal conditions achieved at a moisture content of 10%. Adjusting the moisture content before the milling process can enhance the operational efficiency of the machine and the quality of the final product. These findings are expected to provide benefits for follow-up by a group or industry that wants to optimize the utilization of rice husk charcoal. Keywords: Disc mill FFC-15, Flour quality, Husk charcoal, Milling efficiency, Moisture content.

Physicochemical characterization and sensory enhancement of cold plasma treated black whole wheat flour

This study examined the effects of cold plasma (CP) treatment on the physicochemical properties and sensory quality of black whole wheat flour (BWWF). Various factors including nutrient composition, color, amino acids, aroma, particle size, microstructure, antioxidant activity, and water migration were analyzed before and after CP treatment. The findings revealed that CP treatment had a minimal impact on the baseline nutrient composition of BWWF, but significantly improved its free amino acid profile, enhancing its nutritional value. The treated BWWF had an improved surface color, appeared brighter and yellower, and gave off a pleasant mellow aroma, while removing unpleasant flavor. The total phenolic content of BWWF increased while the flavonoid and anthocyanin content decreased after the treatment. CP-treated BWWF underwent aggregation cross-linking in the microstructure, and the content of bound water decreased, but the stability increased. In conclusion, CP treatment had great potential to improve the physicochemical properties and sensory quality of BWWF.

Biochemical Analysis of Different Wheat Varieties Grown under Various Zones of India

Background: The study aimed to evaluate the flour quality of different wheat varieties (Triticum durum L.) for various end-use products such as chapati, bread, biscuits and pasta. The focus was on identifying varieties with superior nutritional and processing qualities by analyzing various qualitative parameters. Methods: The study assessed multiple wheat varieties using a range of qualitative parameters, including moisture, ash, total soluble sugar, starch, protein, lysine, tryptophan, dry and wet gluten, gluten index, water binding capacity, β-carotene content, sedimentation value, thousand kernel weight and mineral content (Fe and Zn). The wheat varieties evaluated included A-206, GW-1, HI 8498 (Kota), PDW 291 (Hissar) and NIDW 295 (Pune). Result: The study identified A-206 and GW-1 as wheat varieties with superior protein content, gluten quality and water binding capacity, making them ideal for various end-use products. A-206 also had the highest lysine and tryptophan levels, while GW-1 and HI 8498 (Kota) had elevated ash content. PDW 291 (Hissar) was notable for its higher total soluble sugar and NIDW 295 (Pune) excelled in starch content, β-carotene and thousand kernel weight. Overall, NIDW 295 showed the most promise for pasta production due to its comprehensive quality traits.

Economic and biological assessment of a new medium-ripened variety of soft winter wheat Priazovye

Relevance. In the Russian Federation, winter common wheat is the main food and strategic crop. Permanent improvement of productivity and quality of wheat grain, reducing its production costs is the main task of agricultural production. To solve this problem, the leading place is given to the continuous and constant creation and introduction into production of new competitive wheat varieties, highly adapted to stress factors, with guaranteed high yields and high grain quality.Methods. The research was carried out in the southern zone of the Rostov region at the experimental sites of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution ANTS “Donskoy” in 2021–2023 in order to create a new variety of soft winter wheat capable of forming not only high yields, but also having high frost resistance, drought resistance, resistance to leaf diseases, possessing high rheological and technological properties of grain and flour.Results. The winter common wheat variety Priazovie was developed by stepwise hybridization using the varieties Voyazh and Tanya. This is a highly productive variety. On average, over three years (2021–2023) of study in the competitive variety testing, the productivity of the variety laid in green manure fallow was 9.88 t/ha, exceeding that of the standard variety by 1.56 t/ha. The variety is capable of producing high yields after various forecrops. The maximum productivity of the variety (12.23 t/ha) was obtained in green manure fallow in 2022. The variety forms a high stem capacity (up to 800 pcs/m²), and is characterized by high resistance to the main leaf diseases, such as powdery mildew, brown and yellow mildew, loose smut, leaf blotch, etc. According to the main indicators of grain and flour quality, it belongs to valuable wheat, in terms of frost resistance (73.3%) it surpasses the standard Ermak variety (69.2%).

Effect of Water Content in Semidry Grinding on the Quality of Glutinous Rice Flour.

The grinding process is one of the key factors affecting the quality of glutinous rice flour (GRF). As an emerging grinding method, semidry grinding aims to solve the problems of the high yield of wastewater in traditional wet grinding and the high content of damaged starch in dry grinding, in which the water content has a great influence on the quality of GRF. However, semidry grinding has not yet been formally put into production due to limitations such as the long time required to adjust the water content of rice grains. Therefore, this work was carried out to shorten the soaking time of glutinous rice (GR) by hot air pretreatment, and to conduct a systematic and in-depth study of the effect of water content on the quality of GRF, including water distribution, water hydration properties, thermal properties, rheological properties, and microstructure. The results showed that the GRF with higher water content had lower water solubility and higher enthalpy of pasting, which were due to the low content of damaged starch and the high degree of crystallization. The particle size of the GRF became smaller as the interaction between water and starch was enhanced and the GR was softened. In addition, the viscosity and elasticity of the GRF were also improved with an increase in water content. This work provides theoretical guidance for the improvement of semidry grinding to a certain extent.

Quality and noodle-making performance of wheat flour with varied gluten strengths altered by addition of various arabinoxylans.

This study examined the effects of adding different types of arabinoxylans (AXs) to wheat flour with varying gluten strengths on flour quality and noodle-making performance, with the aim of utilizing AXs as health-enhanced ingredients. Three flours (Goso, Hojoong, and Joongmo) with low, medium, and high gluten strengths were used, along with two water-extractable AXs (E1 and E2) and one water-unextractable AX (U) with diverse molecular weights and viscosities. The addition of 2% AXs increased the water and sucrose solvent retention capacity values and decreased the gluten performance index values for all flours, with a notable effect on Goso flour by U. The dough development time was prolonged in all flours, necessitating more water for development. The sodium dodecyl sulfate sedimentation volume increased with the addition of AXs, especially with E2 and U. Pasting properties remained unaffected, suggesting a minimal impact on starch-related properties. However, noodles made with E2 and U showed deteriorated quality in terms of fresh noodle texture, weight gain, cooking water turbidity, and cooked noodle texture, in contrast to noodles made with E1 alone. Additionally, adjusting the water amount when adding U altered the textural properties, approaching that of noodles without added AXs. Overall, the impact of AXs on flour and noodle quality varied depending on their molecular weights, viscosities, and the gluten strength of the flour. Additionally, AXs could be successfully utilized by adjusting the water amount for the production of health-enhancing noodles. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Arabinoxylans, as health-promoting ingredients, can be utilized in noodle production by optimizing the water amount and mixing time.

Assessing the Impact of Arabinoxylans on Dough Mixing Properties and Noodle-Making Performance through Xylanase Treatment.

This study examined the impact of xylanases, focusing on the hydrolysis of water-extractable (WE-AX) and water-unextractable arabinoxylans (WU-AX) and on the quality and noodle-making performance of flours with varying gluten strengths. Flours categorized as strong (S), medium (M), and weak (W) were treated with two xylanases (WE and WU) at concentrations ranging from 0.01% to 0.2%. Parameters such as solvent retention capacity (SRC), SDS sedimentation volume, dough mixing properties, and noodle characteristics were measured. The SRC revealed that flour S had the highest water-holding capacity, gluten strength, and arabinoxylan content. Xylanase treatment reduced water SRC values in flour S and increased the SDS sedimentation volume, with a greater effect from xylanase WU, indicating the potential enhancement of gluten strength. The impact of xylanases was pronounced at higher enzyme concentrations, with differences in dough mixing properties, resistance, and extensibility of fresh noodles, producing softer and stretchable noodles. Cooked noodles made from flours treated with xylanase were softer and had decreased firmness and chewiness, especially those made from flours S and M. This study concludes that WE-AX and WU-AX influence noodle texture; therefore, controlling their degradation with xylanases can produce noodles with varied textures, depending on the gluten strength of the flour.

Применение озона в хранении и переработке зерна (обзор)

Green technologies are gaining popularity in agriculture and the food industry, including such areas as disinfection and detoxification of grain and its products. Ozonation is an effective disinfection procedure. However, scientific data on grain ozonation are scattered and incomplete. The article offers a review and a critical analysis of scientific publications that feature ozonation in grain processing and storage. The keyword search covered publications indexed in eLIBRARY.RU, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, MDPI, and Springer Link in 2013–2023. In grain storage and processing, ozonation serves as a green technology of disinfection and detoxification of raw materials and finished products. It increases storage life but does not affect human or animal health. Ozone proved to possess antimicrobial, fungicidal, and insecticidal properties. It was able to degrade mycotoxins and pesticides. The publications reviewed did not report any evidence that ozone reduces the quality of grain or bakery products. On the contrary, it disintegrated quickly, without developing any toxic compounds. Ozone treatment depends on many factors, e.g., raw material humidity, ozone concentration, treatment time, environmental pH and temperature, form of application, etc. In general, ozonation was reported to improve the quality of wheat flour and its products. However, rational variables require additional research. Ozonation of grain and its products was often described as cost-effective. Ozonation has the potential to find extensive application as a green technology that ensures disinfection and detoxification of grain raw materials and finished products, which also means good prospects for grain storage and processing.

Enhancement of physicochemical properties and baking quality of broken rice flour through superheated steam

Enhancement of physicochemical properties and baking quality of broken rice flour through superheated steam

Selection of marker systems for determining the allelic composition of high molecular glutenin loci in winter wheat

Aim. Selection of marker systems and conducting multiplex polymerase chain reactions to determine the allelic composition of the Glu-A1, Glu-B1 and Glu-D1 loci, which determine the high quality of flour in common wheat samples. Methods. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specific primers for the Glu-A1, Glu-B1 and Glu-D1 loci of wheat. Results. PCR analysis was performed to detect the insertion at 43 b. p. in the MAR region, in varieties with the Glu-B1al allele, the presence of an amplicon 563 b. p. long was observed, for varieties that carry other alleles of the locus – an amplicon 520 b. p. long. The results on the Glu-D1 locus showed that for № 2, № 3, № 4, № 7, № 8, № 10, № 11, № 19, № 20, № 21 subunits (5 + 10) were identified. Conclusions. With the help of allele-specific primers, the allelic composition of loci of high molecular weight glutenins was determined in 22 lines wheat. Three alleles Glu-A1a, Glu-A1b, Glu-A1c were found in the Glu-A1 locus; in the Glu-B1 locus, only the Glu-B1al allele was detected, there are two alleles at the Glu-D1 locus: Glu-D1a and Glu-D1d (the Glu-D1a allele predominated). As a result of our research, samples of soft wheat (lines № 2, № 7, № 21) were selected, which can be attributed to genotypes with high baking quality of the flour.

Lipidomic Profiling and Storage-Induced Changes in Cassava Flour Using LC-MS/MS.

Cassava serves as a primary staple food for over one billion people worldwide. The quality of cassava flour is markedly affected by the oxidation and deterioration of lipids during storage. Despite its significance, the lipid composition of cassava flour and its alterations throughout storage periods have not been extensively studied. This study offers a comprehensive lipidomic analysis of cassava flour over storage periods using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The results showed that 545 lipids from five classes and 27 subclasses were identified in cassava flour, including key substances such as free fatty acids (36 species), diglycerides (DGs) (31 species), and triglycerides (TGs) (259 species). Using Metware Cloud for statistical analysis, significant variations were observed in 50 lipid species over long-term storage, reflecting changes in lipid profiles due to storage. These lipids correlate with seven metabolic pathways, among which glycerolipid metabolism is the most affected. The metabolites associated with these pathways can differentiate cassava flour based on the length of storage. This study provides a theoretical basis and storage technology parameters for lipid changes during cassava flour storage.

Effects of Sulfur Application on the Quality of Fresh Waxy Maize.

Balanced fertilizer application is crucial for achieving high-yield, high-quality, and efficient maize cultivation. Sulfur (S), considered a secondary nutrient, ranks as the fourth most essential plant nutrient after nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). S deficiency could significantly influence maize growth and development. Field experiments were conducted in Jiangsu, Yangzhou, China, from April 1 to July 20 in 2023. Jingkenuo2000 (JKN2000) and Suyunuo5 (SYN5) were used as experiment materials, and four treatments were set: no fertilizer application (F0), S fertilizer application (F1), conventional fertilization method (F2), and conventional fertilization method with additional S application (F3). The objective was to investigate the impact of S application on grain weight and the quality of fresh waxy maize flour and starch. The results indicated that all fertilization treatments significantly increased grain weight and the starch and protein contents in grains compared to no fertilization. Among these, F3 exhibited the most significant increases. Specifically, in JKN2000, the grain weight, starch content (SC), and protein content (PC) increased by 27.7%, 4.8%, and 14.8%, respectively, while in SYN5, these parameters increased by 26.3%, 6.2%, and 7.4%, respectively, followed by F2 and F1. Compared to F0, F3 increased starch and protein contents by 4.8% and 14.8% in JKN2000, and by 6.2% and 7.4% in SYN5. Compared to F0, F2 and F3 significantly increased the iodine binding capacity (IBC) of SYN5, with F3 being more effective than F2, while they had no significant effect on the IBC of JKN2000. The peak viscosity (PV) and breakdown viscosity (BD) of waxy maize flour and starch for both varieties showed a consistent response (increasing trend) to S application, and F3 had the largest increase. Regarding the thermal properties of waxy maize flour, F3 significantly enhanced the retrogradation enthalpy (ΔHgel) of both varieties compared to F0, while achieving the lowest retrogradation percentage (%R). In starch, the highest ΔHgel and the lowest %R were observed under the F2 treatment. In summary, under the conditions of this experiment, adding S fertilizer to conventional fertilization not only increased the grain weight of waxy maize but also effectively optimized the pasting and thermal properties of waxy maize flour and starch.

Microwave‐assisted treatment for the improvement of rice flour properties and rice flour bread quality

SummaryModification of rice flour by microwave and its effect on bread making performance was evaluated. Rice flour having two different water content (20% and 30%) were exposed to different level of microwave power (600 W, 700 W and 800 W) with 8 min treatment time to assess its influence on amylose content, thermal properties, morphological structure, functional and crystalline structural that affect bread quality. Microwave‐treated rice flour at 600 W showed notable increment in amylose content of 1.03 folds (for both 20% and 30% water content) as compared to untreated rice flour. The microwave treatment destroyed the amorphous region of the rice flour starch, whereas starch crystal structure was slightly increased after treatment. Rice flour maintained its thermal stability even after exposure to high radiation of microwave. The treated rice flour exhibited starch granules with more voids on its surface, indicating the exudation of amylose at higher temperature. The major effect of microwave treatment was observed on the bread for rice flour treated at 800 W with higher specific volume, increase in gas cells pores, softer crumb, low hardness and delayed staling as compared to untreated rice flour. The microwave‐assisted treatment shows a significant potential in improving the rice flour quality led to increase the quality of bread.

Flour geographical indication in the Southern Bahia

The region surrounding the city of Buerarema, is also known as “Bolsão do Maruim” (a rural area contained in the municipalities of Buerarema, São José da Vitória, Ilhéus and Una, in South Bahia) Where cassava production, is notoriously recognized for its excellent flour quality. Aiming to add reliability and national recognition, this work presents points of attention to be observed in a market strategy based on the registration of the Geographical Indication (GI) of cassava flour from Buerarema. For example, some GIs include: Champagne from France, Port wine from Portugal, coffee from Colombia, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese from Italy, Canastra cheese from Brazil and Cachaça from Salinas also in Brazil. The GI registration is granted to products or services that are characteristic from their site of origin, which generates renown and value, also giving emphasis in relation to their competitors in the market place. There are thousands of GIs registered in the world and most belong to the agricultural and food sector and their commercial value is estimated in billions of dollars. The work is of an Applied nature and through a qualitative, exploratory research, using the technical procedure of action-research and bibliography. As a result, the main aspects are presented that the possible Gi registration for Buerarema flour must observe and define in order to protect its product from local competition and also in global markets.

Quality and nutritional attributes of whole einkorn flour and its suitability for fresh noodle production compared to whole wheat flour

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesThis study investigated the physicochemical properties, particle size, pasting properties, phenolic acids, carotenoid content, and fresh noodle quality characteristics of whole einkorn flour (WEF) in comparison with whole wheat flour (WWF). Three WEF samples from different cultivation regions in Turkey were analyzed.FindingsThe WEFs exhibited significant variations in all quality characteristics compared to WWF, influenced by different einkorn growing environments. Phenolic acid and carotenoid contents, along with antioxidant activity, were highest in WEF1 and WEF2, highlighting their potential nutritional benefits. Noodles made from WEF3 demonstrated quality equivalent to that of WWF, although their protein content and nutritional value were relatively lower than those of WEF1 and WEF2.ConclusionsThis research demonstrates the potential of WEF for fresh noodle production with quality comparable to WWF. The nutritional value varies by cultivation area, emphasizing the importance of selecting appropriate cultivars and growing conditions for optimal results.Significance and NoveltyThis study highlights, for the first time, the nutritional value and quality characteristics of WEF influenced by growing areas, impacting its suitability, equivalent to WWF, for producing fresh noodles.