PHYSICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF GLUTEN-FREE INSTANT NOODLE

Instant pasta are low-cost products and easy preparation that is gaining attention of consumers. Wheat flour is the main raw material used for its manufacture, mainly due to the presence of gluten, protein that gives the mass characteristics such as extensibility and resistance to elongation. However, gluten when ingested by individuals who are hypersensitive to it, causes an interaction with the immune system generating a permanent intolerance that can be expressed at different levels, such as celiac disease. Studies prove that pasta of good quality can be obtained by other flours because its components, such as starch, have good technological properties. Thus, the objective of this work was to develop a formulation and to evaluate technological and physical parameters of instant noodles obtained from sweet potato and rice flour (INSPRF). Whole eggs, egg whites, xanthan gum, carboxymethylcellulose and NaCl were also used. The technological properties evaluated were cooking time, mass increase and loss of soluble solids, and the physical parameters were color and texture. The cooking time was 3 min and 20 seconds, with 15% loss of solids in the cooking water. INSPRF showed a 57% increase in mass in relation to its initial weight, being within the expected for pasta of good quality (2 times bigger than the initial mass). L* value of 62.09 was found, which may resemble integral masses. The parameters a* (-0.26) and b* (15.59) show a tendency to light coloration, mainly due to yellow coloration, which is desired for this type of product. For texture, it was observed that INSPRF presented lower hardness, greater elasticity and lower cohesiveness, when compared to commercial instant noodles. Therefore, the developed INSPRF formulation presented physical and technological quality good.