BIOCHEMICAL, RHEOLOGICAL, COOKING QUALITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF DEFATTED SOY-SUPPLEMENTED WHOLE DURUM MEAL NOODLES

Noodles were prepared from 100\% commercial durum semolina (DS), 100\% whole durum meal (WDM) and WDM supplemented with 5.0, 10.0 and 15.0\% commercial defatted soy flour (DSF) to increase the protein quantity and quality. WDM had significantly higher protein, ash, fat and carotene contents and provided doughs of stronger mixing properties and quick-cooking noodles with a significantly higher swelling, firmness and tolerance to overcooking, but with greater cooking loss than the noodles made from pure DS. Fortification of WDM with DSF significantly increased protein, ash, fat, carotene, dough mixing strength, pasta firmness and cooking loss, but decreased swelling and tolerance to overcooking compared to the not fortified product. Sensory evaluation of WDM and WDM-fortified noodles compared favourably with those prepared from 100\% DS or with standard commercial products containing 2 eggs and 4 eggs. All experimental noodle samples had a dark brown colour. Fortification increased the flavour, especially at 10\% or more DSF. The overall acceptability scores were less desirable when DSF was increased to 10 or 15\%, but WDM noodles containing 5\% DSF was generally preferred over the unfortified WDM noodles. Production of new economical high protein pasta products using the native WDM supplemented with DSF up to 5\% will significantly help to overcome some Egyptian domestic problems, such as the shortage of the technological means of semolina purification and the protein deficiency in the diet of low income groups.