Thermal and pasting properties of Quinoa-Wheat flour blends and their effects on production of extruded instant noodles

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different levels of quinoa flour addition and feed moisture content on selected quality characteristics of instant noodles. Quinoa flour was blended with wheat flour at weight ratios of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100 to prepare composite flours. Moreover, 25% potato starch was added to all blends to produce instant noodles. The thermal and pasting properties of flours, potato starch, and their blends were analyzed. Results indicated that the peak, breakdown, setback, and final viscosities were significantly lower and the pasting temperature was significantly higher in quinoa flour than in wheat flour. The water absorption values of the noodles were positively correlated with the quinoa content in the noodles, and the cooking loss was not affected by the quinoa ratio in the mixture. An increase in the ratio of quinoa flour increased the water absorption, hardness, and redness (a*) values and decreased the cohesiveness and luminosity (L*) values of instant noodles. The peak viscosity of the blends was negatively correlated with cohesiveness and springiness and positively correlated with water absorption and adhesiveness of the noodles. The total enthalpy of the blends showed moderate correlations with cooking quality and high correlations with textural properties.