Cantilever beam bending as a potential method to determine the elasticity of cooked Udon noodles

Elasticity is a critical measure of the eating quality of Udon noodles. To characterize the elasticity of Udon noodles, an instrumental method based on the cantilever beam bending test was established. Firstly, the optimum test parameters were determined. Then, texture profile analysis, compression, tension, and cantilever beam bending methods were used to measure the elasticity of 25 commercial Udon noodles with different shapes and sizes, and the correlations between elasticity obtained by the above instrumental methods and sensory evaluation were analyzed. Finally, how the shape and size of Udon noodles influenced their elasticity was discussed in detail. Within the deflection of 2.0 mm, the force increased approximately linearly with increasing deflection, and moderate loading speed (0.5-1.0 mm/s) should be used in the cantilever beam bending experiments to improve the accuracy of results. The bending stiffness obtained by the cantilever beam bending method exhibited a higher coefficient of variation and stronger correlation with the elasticity of sensory evaluation than other instrumental methods. Furthermore, the Udon noodle sample with a higher size, especially the thickness, had higher elasticity, and the Udon noodle sample with a rectangular cross-section showed higher elasticity than that with a circular cross-section. In conclusion, the bending stiffness determined by the cantilever beam bending method could be used to characterize the elasticity of cooked Udon noodles.

Effects of Drying Temperature and Relative Humidity on Quality Properties of Chinese Dried Noodles

The influence of the drying conditions on protein structural properties and its impact on Chinese dried noodles (CDN) quality properties is addressed in this study. The CDN were produced under nine different drying conditions utilizing combination of three temperatures (40°C, 60°C, and 80°C) and three relative humidities (65%, 75%, and 85%). The color, texture profile analysis of uncooked and cooked noodles, shrinkage ratio, and cooking quality of CDN were assessed. SEM and FTIR microimaging were investigated to determine the changes in the gluten structural properties. Drying temperature and relative humidity have significant effects on quality characteristics of CDN. However, the influences on different indicators were different. Drying temperature was the main influencing factor of the quality of CDN and protein microstructure. After the drying temperature exceeded 60°C, proteins began to aggregate, and the surface protein distribution became uneven. Compared with cross section, the uniformity of protein distribution on the surface of noodles showed a significant decrease. A high temperature (60°C) could improve the quality of CDN products. The quality of CDN products could be adjusted by the combination of drying temperature and relative humidity.