Gluten-free pasta enriched with whey for celiac patients

Abstract

Introduction. Manufacturers and celiac patients have long complained about gluten-free (GF) pasta for its poor cooking properties, and reduced nutritional value. Therefore, it was imperative to develop GF foods that are acceptable to the consumer. Objective. The effect of different levels of sweet whey (SW), and acid whey (AW) was evaluated on cooking and sensory quality of rice-corn GF pasta. Material and methods. The physicochemical characteristics (pH, acidity, dry extract, proteins, fats, ash, and lactose contents) of whey samples were determined. For pasta-making, whey was added at different levels (25, 50, 75 and 100%) in replacement of water. GF pasta prepared without whey addition, and commercial durum wheat pasta (CWP) were considered as controls. Cooking quality (optimum cooking time (OCT), water absorption capacity (WAC), and cooking loss (CL)), as well as, sensorial quality were assessed. Results. GF pasta prepared with high levels of whey had significantly higher OCT, and lower WAC than control GF pasta. Control wheat pasta exhibited highest values (p<0.05) of these parameters. The incorporation of 25 and 50% of AW resulted in a significant decrease in CL. Moreover, sensory quality was improved by the addition of 50% of AW. Conclusion. An improvement of cooking and sensory quality of GF pasta is achieved by the addition of 25 and 50% acid whey.