Abstract
Pasta production is a good opportunity for product innovation in different forms. The aim of this work was to assess the use of flaxseed components for pasta production. We examined the chemical composition and cooking quality, at different contents of flaxseed flour (FF) and flaxseed cake (FC), added for pasta processing. The analysis showed that the addition of flaxseed components to the dough caused a substantial difference in the International Commission on Illumination color model (CIE) parameter, compared to control samples. The samples of pasta with FF and FC were darker, redder, and less yellow than the control. The minimum cooking time for the enriched pasta was longer than that for the control pasta, although cooking losses were lower. The increasing content of flaxseed components did not significantly change the weight and volume increase index. The enrichment of pasta with 23% FF and 17% FC yielded good quality pasta. The results of the chemical composition of the flaxseed-enriched pasta indicate considerably enhanced nutritional quality, particularly the levels of protein, fat, and dietary fiber of the pasta, without affecting its quality. Moreover, flaxseed cake can be an important source of nutritional ingredients for pasta production, although it is a by-product of the oil cold pressing technology.
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Key Points
Flaxseed is primarily used for decoration and texture in baked products, the physicochemical properties of dried pasta manufactured with partial replacement of semolina by flaxseed flour and flaxseed cake requires more work. In this context, the objectives of the present study were to investigate the optimization levels of flaxseed components to improve the nutritional and sensory value of the product and to investigate the nutritional value of pasta manufactured with partial replacement of wheat flour by flaxseed cake and flaxseed flour. Flaxseed components create challenges for food producers due to their specific physical and nutritional features. The increasing content of flaxseed flour and cake in the enriched pasta resulted in lower pressure values, compared to control pasta (Table 1). The dough was pushed through a dye under diminished pressure from 12 MPa for the control pasta to 0.8 MPa (FC23) and 0.82 MPa (FF23). The lower pressure conditions yielded a reduced line output from 23kg·h−1 (CON) to 21.5 kg·h−1 (FF23) and 21.3 kg·h−1 (FC23).
Both the flaxseed flour and flaxseed cake influenced the minimum cooking time. An increase in the share of the flaxseed components in the products from 0% to 23% resulted in a statistically significant increase in the minimum cooking time, compared to the control sample (Table 3). The minimum cooking time of the flaxseed flour-enriched pasta ranged from 6 min (FF5) to 7 min (FF23) and from 6 min (FC5) to 6.15 min (FC23) for the flaxseed cake pasta. The physical disruption of the gluten matrix occurring when non-traditional ingredients are present in pasta can facilitate diffusion of water and reduce the cooking time of the product.
This research demonstrates that flaxseed flour and cake could technically be used for the production of a functional pasta product. Although pasta with flaxseed differs in terms of sensory quality from the conventional pasta to which consumers are accustomed, it certainly is a healthier option. The flaxseed components greatly enhanced the nutritional qualities of the products. Both flaxseed flour and cake enhanced the protein, fat, and dietary fiber in pasta without affecting quality properties. The results of the chemical composition of the flaxseed cake pasta indicate that it may be regarded as an important source of nutrition ingredients for pasta production, although it is a by-product of the oil cold pressing technology.