Controlling rheology and structure of sweet potato starch noodles with high broccoli powder content by hydrocolloids

Incorporating high volume fractions of broccoli powder in starch noodle dough has a major effect on its shear modulus, as a result of significant swelling of the broccoli particles. Several hydrocolloids with distinct water binding capacity (locust bean gum (LBG), guar gum, konjac glucomannan (KG), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and xanthan gum), were added to systems with 4 and 20% (v/v dry based) broccoli particles, and the effect of this addition on dough rheology, mechanical properties and structure of cooked noodles was investigated. Hydrocolloids with low (LBG and guar gum) and intermediate (KG) water binding capacity had no significant effect on shear rheology of the dough. Adding hydrocolloids with high water binding capacity (HPMC and xanthan gum) decreased the shear modulus of dough with 20% broccoli particles significantly. CLSM analysis of cooked noodles showed that in samples containing xanthan gum there was also an inhibition of swelling of starch granules. Strength and stiffness of cooked noodles with 20% broccoli particles were higher for samples containing xanthan gum, than samples without xanthan gum. The cooking loss and swelling index of samples with added hydrocolloids were slightly lower than samples without hydrocolloids. Our results showed that hydrocolloids with high water binding capacity can be used to control the degree of swelling of vegetable particles and starch granules in starch noodle products, and thereby control both dough rheology and textural properties of the cooked noodles. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.