Quality parameters and technological properties of pasta enriched with a fish by‐product: A healthy novel food

Nutritional and Antioxidant Enhancement of Pasta Enriched with Parota Flour (Enterolobium cyclocarpum): A Functional Food Approach

The objective of this research was to evaluate the physicochemical quality, bioactive compound content, and antioxidant capacity of pasta made with durum wheat semolina and partial substitutions of parota flour (Enterolobium cyclocarpum). Fettuccine pasta formulations were prepared with different percentages of parota flour (0%, 10%, 30%, and 50%). The methodologies included proximate chemical composition analysis, dietary fiber determination, total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity (ABTS assay), and reducing power, as well as cooking quality tests and color analysis. The results showed that the incorporation of parota flour significantly increased protein content (up to 22.06 g/100 g), total dietary fiber (up to 22.1 g/100 g), and total phenolic compounds (up to 23.35 mg/100 g). Additionally, higher antioxidant capacity and reducing power were observed in the pastas with higher parota flour content. In terms of cooking quality, the parota flour-enriched pastas exhibited reduced cooking time and higher cooking loss, but lower water absorption and weight of cooked pasta. The values for cooking loss and water absorption in cooked pasta suggest the need to optimize formulations in order to improve pasta quality. Color analysis revealed more reddish and yellowish tones with greater saturation. Parota flour enhances the nutritional and functional profile of the pasta, providing a healthier and more visually appealing product. These pastas enriched with parota flour show promise as functional foods by contributing to a balanced diet and encouraging the use of regional, sustainable ingredients.

Current Trends in Food Processing By-Products as Sources of High Value-Added Compounds in Food Fortification

Along the food production chain of animal, fish, and vegetable products, a huge amount of by-products are generated every year. Major nutritional, financial, and environmental advantages can be achieved by transforming them into functional ingredients for food formulation and fortification. In this review, we investigated various conventional and emerging treatments recently employed to obtain functional ingredients rich in proteins, fibers, and bioactive compounds from vegetables, fish, meat, and dairy by-products. The optimal enrichment level in food as well as the nutritional, techno-functional, and sensory properties of the final food were also discussed. Novel technologies such as ultrasounds, microwaves, and high pressure have been successfully adopted to enhance the extraction of target compounds. The functional ingredients, added both in liquid or powder form, were able to improve the nutritional quality and antioxidant potential of food, although high levels of fortification may cause undesired changes in texture and flavor. This review provides important considerations for further industrial scale-up.

Best Combination of Vegetable By-Products for the Shelf-Life Extension of Fresh Pasta

A combination of by-products was studied in fresh handmade pasta. Pomegranate peels and olive oil by-products were used in the range 0-6% (w/w) and properly combined in a total of nine combinations with an equal amount of broccoli by-products (10% w/w). The broccoli by-products were added to improve the sensory acceptance, which was compromised when the two above by-products were added to the dough. To verify the synergic effects, among these by-products, on tagliatelle shelf life, microbiological quality based on the main spoilage groups, sensory properties, appearance of visible molds, pH and moisture content were monitored in all the packaged samples stored at 4 °C. In addition to fortified pasta samples, control tagliatelle was also investigated. A mathematical approach was used to fit experimental data and calculate pasta shelf life. In addition, a mathematical model was also proposed to describe the dependence of the shelf life from each by-product percentage added to the formulation. Results showed that while the control fresh pasta lasted about 3 days for the undesired proliferation of yeasts and coliforms, all fortified samples maintained acceptable quality for at least one week. Depending on the by-product combination, shelf-life values could reach more than 13 days. The best combination of by-products calculated based on the mathematical model, that reached the highest shelf life (13.30 days), corresponded to 10% broccoli by-products combined with 6% olive oil by-products and 6% pomegranate peels.

Carboxymethyl cellulose and psyllium husk in gluten-free pasta

Formulating high-quality pasta from wheat-free materials is a technological challenge. We aimed to make gluten-free pasta with carboxymethyl cellulose and psyllium husk and evaluate their effect on the quality of the final product. Gluten-free pasta was produced from rice flour, white corn flour, potato starch, soy protein isolate, and carboxymethyl cellulose or psyllium husk used as binding agents. Then, we evaluated the effect of these hydrocolloids on the color, texture, cooking quality, and sensory characteristics of the product. The uncooked gluten-free pasta containing psyllium husk showed significantly higher values of hardness compared to the samples with carboxymethyl cellulose, while the cooked pasta with psyllium husk had a significantly lower nitrogen loss. Also, psyllium husk improved the texture of the cooked gluten-free pasta, providing the highest values of resilience, springiness, and chewiness. Generally, the psyllium husk samples received higher quality values for texture, cooking quality, and sensory parameters, compared to the pasta with carboxymethyl cellulose. Psyllium husk showed a better ability to bind gluten-free pasta than carboxymethyl cellulose. Consequently, psyllium husk could become a feasible alternative to wheat gluten in producing high-quality gluten-free pasta.

Influence of Seaweeds on the Quality of Pasta as a Plant-Based Innovative Food

This study evaluated the effect of the incorporation of seaweed on the physicochemical and technological quality of pasta. For this purpose, enriched wheat pastas from different seaweeds (sea lettuce-Ulva lactuca, nori-Porphyra tenera, and wakame-Undaria pinnatifida) were made and compared with durum wheat pasta as a control treatment. Firstly, optimal cooking times were established by visual and instrumental methods. Then, the technological properties of weight gain (WG), swelling index (SI), cooking losses (CL), and moisture (H%) were determined. Protein and fiber analyses, texture profile analysis (TPA), and color measurements were also performed to evaluate the physicochemical properties. Overall, enriched pasta with seaweed revealed slightly shorter optimal cooking times than control pasta. Texture properties were also modified, with a lower value of hardness, and higher values of adhesiveness and resilience. However, due to the low percentages of seaweed (3%), noticeable effects were not appreciated. Moreover, color variations of enriched pasta were relevant due to the difference among seaweeds. Nonetheless, these additions increased the protein content and soluble fiber in these foods. In conclusion, pasta enriched with marine ingredients improved this nutritional profile, and the changes in technological properties did not have a major impact on the product quality.

Buckwheat Hull-Enriched Pasta: Physicochemical and Sensory Properties

This work aimed to evaluate the effect of partial replacement of semolina with 0, 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20% of ground buckwheat hull (BH) on the chemical composition, antioxidant properties, color, cooking characteristics, and sensory properties of wheat pasta. Pasta samples were prepared by dough lamination (tagliatelle shape) and dried at 55 °C until the moisture content was 11–12% (wet basis). Analyses of samples showed that the addition of BH caused an increase in fiber content in pasta from 4.31% (control pasta) to 14.15% (pasta with 20% of BH). Moreover, the brightness and yellowness of BH-enriched products were significantly decreased compared to the control sample, and the total color difference ranged from 23.84 (pasta with 1% of BH) to 32.56 (pasta with 15% BH). In addition, a decrease in optimal cooking time, as well as an increased weight index and cooking loss, was observed in BH-enriched pasta samples. Furthermore, BH-enriched cooked pasta had significantly higher total phenolic content and antioxidant activity but an unpleasant smell and taste, especially if the level of BH was higher than 10%.