EFFECT OF MINERAL FORTIFICATION ON RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR

This study was aimed to evaluate the rheological changes that take place in the dough as a result of addition of elemental iron, ferric sodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, zinc sulphate and zinc oxide in various combinations to whole wheat flour (WWF), packaged in polypropylene woven bags and tin boxes and stored for a period of 60 days under ambient and controlled conditions of temperature and relative humidity. Water absorption (WA) capacity, dough development time (DDT) and dough stability time (DS) of the fortified WWF were measured by farinographic method, and peak viscosity was assessed by viscographic analyses. WA capacity and DDT of flours increased during storage. Fortification significantly (P < 0.05) affected WA, DDT, DS and viscographic characteristics of the flours. Packaging materials (P < 0.05) influenced WA, DDT and DS, while storage condition had only affected viscographic properties of the flours.