RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PHYSICAL STARCH PROPERTIES AND YELLOW ALKALINE NOODLE QUALITY

Physical properties of starch were found to be significantly correlated with the eating quality of yellow alkaline noodles. Starch was isolated from 23 Australian wheats and analysed for granule size distribution, swelling power, and viscosity measurements with a Rapid Visco Analyzer, Most starch parameters were found to be highly correlated with noodle smoothness and firmness. These relationships were improved when wheat protein content, grain hardness, and wheat Falling Number were added in multiple regression equations. Swelling power and viscosity measurements were also performed on the corresponding flour (60% extraction) and meal samples. Their relationships to noodle quality were generally better than the corresponding starch results. This outcome is of potential benefit to wheat breeders seeking a small scale test to select wheats for their suitability for making yellow alkaline noodles.