WO2008065104A1

WO2008065104A1 - Use of cmc in noodles

Info

Publication number: WO2008065104A1
Application number: PCT/EP2007/062873
Authority: WO
Inventors: Berend Jan Dijk; Robert Michael Vancko Jr.
Original assignee: Akzo Nobel N.V.
Priority date: 2006-11-30
Filing date: 2007-11-27
Publication date: 2008-06-05

Abstract

The invention relates to a noodle comprising a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), wherein the CMC is characterized by forming a gel at 25°C after high-shear dissolution in a 0.3 wt% aqueous sodium chloride solution, the final content of the CMC in the aqueous sodium chloride solution being 1 wt% for a CMC having a degree of polymerization (DP) of >4,000, 1.5 wt% for a CMC having a DP of 3,000-4,000, 2 wt% for a CMC having a DP of 1,500-<3,000, and 4 wt% for a CMC having a DP of <1,500, the gel being a fluid having a storage modulus (G') which exceeds the loss modulus (G') over the entire frequency region of 0.01-10 Hz when measured on an oscillatory rheometer operating at a strain of 0.2 in oscillation mode using a 4°-cone plate geometry at a temperature of 250°C.

Description

USE OF CMC IN NOODLES

The present invention relates to noodles comprising a hydrocolloid.

Use of hydrocolloids in noodles is known in the art. For example, guar gum is used in instant fried noodles, as is indicated by G. Hou and M. Kruk in Technical Bulletin: Asian Noodles, Vol. XX, Issue 12, December 1998. The hydrocolloids serve to improve noodle texture and rehydration properties upon cooking or soaking. JP 2005-143347 discloses a noodle comprising a quality improver comprising carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt having 2% water solution viscosity of 1 -1 ,000 mPa.s and an etherification degree of 0.3-0.8. Y.M. Olfat et al. in "Enrichment of macaroni with cellulose-derivative protein complex from whey and and corn steep liquor" Die Nahrung, Vol. 37, No. 6, 1993, pp. 544-552 disclose a macaroni fortified with 3, 6, and 9% CMC-protein.

However, there is still a need to improve the texture and rehydration properties of noodles.

This object is achieved by providing a noodle comprising a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), wherein the CMC is characterized by forming a gel at 25°C after high-shear dissolution in a 0.3 wt% aqueous sodium chloride solution, the final content of the CMC in the aqueous sodium chloride solution being 1 wt% for a CMC having a degree of polymerization (DP) of >4,000, 1.5 wt% for a CMC having a DP of >3,000-4,000, 2 wt% for a CMC having a DP of 1 ,500- 3,000, and 4 wt% for a CMC having a DP of <1 ,500, the gel being a fluid having a storage modulus (G') which exceeds the loss modulus (G") over the entire frequency region of 0.01 -10 Hz when measured on an oscillatory rheometer operating at a strain of 0.2 in oscillation mode using a 4°-cone plate geometry at a temperature of 25°C. The use of the carboxymethyl cellulose of the invention in noodles enhances the textural properties of the noodle compared to guar gum. The water uptake of a CMC-containing noodle of the invention after boiling and holding in hot water is increased, resulting in thicker noodles. In addition, the noodle becomes firmer or harder compared to guar-containing noodles, while the springiness of the resulting noodle is comparable or only slightly lower. Also the adhesiveness, i.e. the stickiness of the noodle to the teeth of the consumer, is lower compared to guar-containing noodles.

The CMC-containing noodles of the invention further have a lower fat uptake and show less darkening. Moreover, the sogginess of the noodles is reduced, and the CMC-containing noodles have improved sensory properties as well as a smooth mouth feel.

The definition of a gel can also be given in terms of the loss angle, delta, which can be calculated from the formula: G7G' = tan delta. The CMC to be used in accordance with the present invention has a rheology profile characterized by a delta smaller than 45°.

There is no disclosure in state of the art documents indicating that the CMCs disclosed for use in noodles are the same as those of the present invention, for the rheology profiles of the CMCs in these documents are not given, nor is it indicated that any specific CMC with a rheology profile according to the present invention should be used.

It should be noted that in potato based pastas, which are dough products with a different composition from noodles, the use of CMC is also known. For example, S. Singh et al. in "Sweet potato-based pasta product: optimization of ingredient levels using response surface methodology" in Int. J. of Food Science and Techn. 2004, VoI 39, pp. 191 -200 disclose the use of CMC in a potato-based pasta product. This document also gives no indication that the CMCs used therein are the same as those of the present invention, for the rheology profiles of the CMCs are not given in this document either, nor is it indicated that any specific CMC with a rheology profile according to the present invention should be used.

WO 99/20657 discloses an essentially fibre-free CMC with predominantly elastic properties which may be used in food products. The use of the CMC in noodles is neither disclosed nor suggested in this patent application, as the disclosure merely relates to providing an environmentally friendly, economic, and simple method of preparing a CMC with improved absorption properties.

In the context of the present product, the abbreviation CMC stands for carboxymethyl cellulose as well as for sodium carboxymethyl cellulose.

The CMC to be used in accordance with the present invention can be obtained by the processes described by D.J. Sikkema and H. Janssen in Macromolecules, 1989, 22, 364-366, or by the process disclosed in WO 99/20657. The procedures and apparatus to be used are conventional in the art and variations on these known procedures can easily be made by a person skilled in the art using routine experimentation. In particular, we have found that the amount of water which is used in the process is an important parameter for obtaining the CMC in accordance with the present invention. Typically, a 20-40 wt% (final content) aqueous alkali metal hydroxide solution (e.g. aqueous sodium hydroxide solution) is used.

The characterization of CMCs depends mainly on rheology measurements, in particular viscosity measurements. See, for example, J. G. Westra,

Macromolecules, 1989, 22, 367-370. In this reference, the properties of the CMCs obtained via the process disclosed by Sikkema and Janssen in Macromolecules, 1988, 22, 364-366, are analyzed. Important properties of a CMC are its viscosity, thixotropy, and shear-thinning effect.

The rheology of aqueous CMC solutions is rather complex and depends on a number of parameters including the degree of polymerization (DP) of the cellulose, the degree of substitution (DS) of the carboxymethyl groups, and the uniformity or non-uniformity of substitution, i.e. the distribution of the carboxymethyl groups over the cellulose polymer chains.

The degree of polymerization (DP) of the CMC to be used in accordance with the present invention can vary over a broad range. It is noted that a skilled person will understand that the term "degree of polymerization" refers to the average degree of polymerization, which means the average number of glucose units in the cellulose polymer chain. The degree of polymerization is determined by the formula DP = Mn/Mo, wherein Mn is the number average molecular weight and Mo is the molecular weight of a monomeric unit. In the context of the present invention, a distinction is made between the following DP ranges, i.e. >4,000, >3,000-4,000, 1 ,500-3,000, and <1 ,500. Typically, the CMC is prepared from linters cellulose (DP typically >4, 000-7, 000), wood cellulose (DP typically 1 ,500-4,000) or depolymerized wood cellulose (DP typically <1 ,500). Preferably, the DP of the CMC to be used in accordance with the present invention is from 1 ,500 to >4,000, more preferably >2,000, even more preferably >3,000.

The CMC to be used in accordance with the present invention typically has a DS of at least 0.6, preferably of at least 0.7, and most preferably of at least 0.8, and typically of at most 1.2, preferably of at most 1.1 , and most preferably of at most 1.0. The Brookfield viscosity (Brookfield LVF, spindle 4, 30 rpm, 25°C) of the CMC of the present invention is measured after high-shear dissolution, for example using a Waring blender, in a 0.3 wt% aqueous sodium chloride solution, the final content of the CMC in the aqueous sodium chloride solution being 1 wt% for a CMC having a degree of polymerization (DP) of >4,000, 1.5 wt% for a CMC having a DP of >3,000-4,000, 2 wt% for a CMC having a DP of 1 ,500- 3,000, and 4 wt% for a CMC having a DP of <1 ,500. Preferably, a CMC having a viscosity of more than 9,000, more preferably of more than 9,500, even more preferably of more than 10,000 mPa.s, is used.

Aqueous solutions of the CMC to be used in accordance with the present invention are strongly thixotropic. The thixotropy can be determined by preparing a 1 wt% aqueous CMC solution and measuring the viscosity as a function of the shear rate (i.e. 0.01 -300 s^"1) on a controlled rate or controlled stress rheometer in rotational mode at 25°C using a cone-plate, parallel-plate or bob-cup geometry. An upcurve is recorded in which the shear rate is increased from 0.01 to 300 s^"1 in 3 minutes, immediately followed by the recording of a downcurve in which the shear rate is decreased over the same range and time. For a CMC in accordance with the present invention, the upcurve will be at a higher viscosity level than the downcurve and the area between the two curves is a measure for thixotropy, also referred to as the thixotropy area. Typically, one speaks of a thixotropic solution when the area has a value of 5 Pa.s.s^"1 or more when measured 2 to 4 hours after preparation of the aqueous solution.

Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the above-mentioned rheological properties are due to the presence of poorly- or non-substituted parts (i.e. hardly any or no carboxymethyl substitution on that part of the cellulose) and of significantly more highly substituted parts of the CMC according to the invention. The poorly- or non-substituted parts interact with each other, leading to the formation of a gel of the CMC according to the invention. The particular distribution of carboxymethyl groups over the CMC is encountered to a much smaller extent in conventional CMCs. For this reason conventional CMCs, which are not in accordance with the present invention, do not exhibit the rheological properties of the CMCs according to the invention.

The noodle of the present invention can be any noodle known in the art. Such noodles are generally based on durum wheat flour (Semola), regular (non- durum) wheat flour, buckwheat flour, and rice. Further ingredients to be chosen for these noodles lie within the skill of the artisan. The noodles of the present invention may optionally comprise egg. They can have a variety of sizes and shapes. These noodles include any noodle of a wide range of Asian noodles or Italian pastas. Examples of Asian noodles are Chinese raw noodles, Japanese udon noodles, Chinese wet noodles, Malaysian hokkien noodles, Chuka-men noodles, instant fried noodles, and Thai bamee noodles. Instant fried noodles are preferred.

Examples of Italian pastas include shaped pastas like farfalle, fusili or fiori; tubular pastas such as bucatini, macaroni, penne, and cannelloni; pasta rods like spaghetti and vermicelli; ribbon pastas such as fettucine, lasagna, and tagliatelle; micropastas such as anelli, and farfalline; and stuffed pastas like ravioli and tortelloni.

Noodles are prepared according to methods which are known in the art. The skilled person will understand that noodles are prepared according to methods that are specific for each noodle-based product.

We have found that it can be advantageous to use a CMC in accordance with the present invention in combination with another hydrocolloid having gelling or binding properties, such as xanthan gum, locust bean gum, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, guar gum, starch, or a conventional CMC (which CMC is not in accordance with the present invention). Also combinations of a CMC in accordance with the invention and two or more of the hydrocolloids are envisaged. The use of such combinations in noodles may enhance the textural properties of the noodles even further.

Preferably, the CMC is gelled by exposing it to a high shear (as described in the Examples). Applying a high shear improves the gelling properties of the CMC considerably. Apparatus for high-shear dissolution are known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. High-shear dissolution typically is achieved by using a Waring blender or Ultra-Turrax. These apparatus typically operate at approx. 10,000 rpm or more.

The gelling properties of the CMC of the present invention can also be improved by a heat treatment. Preferably, the CMC is treated at 50⁰C or higher, more preferably at 60⁰C or higher, and most preferably at 70°C or higher.

The amount of CMC to be used in accordance with the present invention varies and is dependent on the amounts and types of flour/rice, water, and other additives used for preparing a noodle-based product. Typically, an amount of at least 0.001 wt%, preferably at least 0.005 wt%, most preferably at least 0.01 wt%, and at most 2 wt%, preferably at most 1.5 wt%, most preferably at most 1 wt%, is used, based on the total weight of the noodle. In general, we have found that compared to a CMC not in accordance with the present invention, less of a CMC in accordance with the present invention is required for preparing noodle-based products. The optimal amount of CMC to be used in accordance with the present invention can be determined by a person skilled in the art by routine experimentation using the above amounts and the Examples given below as guidance. The CMC to be used in accordance with the present invention, if so desired combined with other solid ingredients of the noodles, typically is added as a dry powder or as an aqueous solution.

The invention further pertains to the use of a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) for preparing a noodle, wherein the CMC is characterized by forming a gel at 25°C after high-shear dissolution in a 0.3 wt% aqueous sodium chloride solution, the final content of the CMC in the aqueous sodium chloride solution being 1 wt% for a CMC having a degree of polymerization (DP) of >4,000, 1.5 wt% for a CMC having a DP of 3,000-4,000, 2 wt% for a CMC having a DP of 1 ,500-<3,000, and 4 wt% for a CMC having a DP of <1 ,500, the gel being a fluid having a storage modulus (G') which exceeds the loss modulus (G") over the entire frequency region of 0.01 -10 Hz when measured on an oscillatory rheometer operating at a strain of 0.2 in oscillation mode using a 4°-cone plate geometry at a temperature of 25°C.

The present invention is illustrated by the following Examples.

EXAMPLES

Materials

Jaguar HV400F (a guar gum ex Rhodia) is used as reference and is referred to as "guar gum". Akucell® AF 2365 (a conventional CMC ex Akzo Nobel) is a CMC which is not in accordance with the invention. This CMC has a DS of 0.70, and a 1 wt% aqueous solution of this product has a Brookfield viscosity of 800 mPa.s. This CMC is denoted as "CMC".

Akucell® 3265 (ex Akzo Nobel) is a CMC which is in accordance with the present invention, i.e. when dissolved in an amount of 1 wt% in a 0.3 wt% aqueous sodium chloride solution under high shear, it forms a gel at 25°C. This CMC is referred to as "CMC-1 ".

CMC-1 : Prepared from wood pulp cellulose. DP of above 3,000. DS of 0.75. A 1 wt% aqueous solution of this product has a Brookfield viscosity of over 5,000 mPa.s using a Heidolph Mixer at 2,000 rpm and of well over 8,000 mPa.s using a Waring Blender at 10,000 rpm. (i.e. high shear). CMC-1 has a pseudoplastic rheology and a tendency to thicken up in time, that is, it has a strong thixotropic rheology. A thixotropic area of more than 150 Pa.s.s^"1 was calculated using the method described below. CMC-1 does not dissolve in a salt or acid solution under normal mixing conditions (i.e. propellor blade mixer at 2,000 rpm).

Rheoloqy

CMC (final content 1 wt%) was dissolved in a 0.3 wt% aqueous sodium chloride solution under high shear using a Waring blender. After dissolution, the fluid or gel was brought to 25°C. The storage modulus (G') and the loss modulus (G") of the fluid were measured as a function of the oscillation frequency (i.e. 0.01 - 10 Hz) on a TA Instruments AR 1000 controlled stress rheometer operating at a strain of 0.2 (i.e. 20%) in oscillation mode using a 4°-cone-plate geometry at a temperature of 25°C.

Viscosity

The viscosity of a 1 wt% aqueous solution of CMC was measured using a

Brookfield LVF viscometer, spindle 4, 30 rpm, 25°C.

Thixotropy

For determining the thixotropy, a 1 wt% aqueous CMC solution was prepared and the viscosity was measured as a function of the shear rate (i.e. 0.01 -300 s^"1) on a controlled stress rheometer in rotational mode at 25°C using a cone- plate. An upcurve was recorded in which the shear rate was increased from 0.01 to 300 s^'1 in 3 minutes, immediately followed by the recording of a downcurve in which the shear rate was decreased over the same range and time. The measurement was carried out at 2 to 4 hours after preparation of the aqueous solution.

In the figure 1 the rheology profile of CMC-1 is given.

Comparative Examples A and B. and Example 1

Instant fried noodles were prepared using a variety of hydrocolloids. The formulation used to prepare the instant fried noodles is shown in Table 1.

Table 1

To the above formulation a hydrocolloid was added as indicated in Table 2, the corresponding instant fried noodles prepared with these hydrocolloids are denoted as Comparative Examples A and B, and Example 1. Table 2

The instant fried noodles were prepared by mixing the hydrocolloid with the wheat flour. Salt and carbonates were dissolved in water and the solution was poured slowly into the flour and mixed for 1 minute in a mixing bowl. The mixing bowl was scraped and after scraping, the dough was further mixed for 4 minutes. After mixing, the dough was placed into a plastic bag and stored for 10 minutes. On a noodle machine, the dough was compressed between a series of rolls to form a dough sheet. The sheeted dough was then slit to produce noodle strands and cut into desirable lengths by a knife. Then the noodles were placed into a steamer and steamed for 8 minutes. The steamed noodles were removed from the steamer and placed into frying moulds. The noodles were fried for 40 seconds at 160°C-170°C. The fried noodles were removed from the frying moulds and allowed to cool to room temperature.

The noodle yield values of the various Examples are indicated in Table 3 below.

Table 3

From Table 3 it can be deduced that using CMC-1 , which is in accordance with the present invention, in the preparation of the instant fried noodles results in a higher yield, and consequently in a lower loss of ingredients. The noodles of Example 1 also reveal a lower fat uptake compared to the noodles of Comparative Examples A and B. The results are shown in Table 4.

Table 4

The textural properties of the instant fried noodles were analyzed on a Texture Analyzer. The observed textural properties are indicated in the Table below. In Table 5 the textural properties of the noodles of Comparative Example B and Example 1 , which were cooked for 3 minutes and cooked for 3 minutes with an additional 4 minutes hold in water, are compared with the properties of the noodles of Comparative Example A.

Table 5

"-" means that the property is worse compared to the one observed for C. Ex. A "o" means that the property is equal to the one observed for C. Ex. A "+" means that the property is better than observed for C. Ex. A "++" means that the property is much better than observed for C. Ex. A

From the Table it can be deduced that the textural properties of the noodles of Example 1 are generally improved compared to those of the noodles of Comparative Examples A and B.

Sensory properties

A tasting session was conducted among the consultant team of the Asian Noodle Technology Centre to evaluate the noodles based on mouth feel and taste. The sensory properties of the noodles were evaluated after 3 minutes of cooking and after an additional 4 minutes of holding in water. The noodles of Comparative Example B and Example 1 were smooth, while the noodles of Comparative Example A had a grainy and gritty mouth feel. The consultant team concluded that the noodles of Example 1 had the best sensory qualities.

Claims

1. Noodle comprising a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), wherein the CMC is characterized by forming a gel at 25⁰C after high-shear dissolution in a 0.3 wt% aqueous sodium chloride solution, the final content of the CMC in the aqueous sodium chloride solution being 1 wt% for a CMC having a degree of polymerization (DP) of >4,000, 1.5 wt% for a CMC having a DP of 3,000- 4,000, 2 wt% for a CMC having a DP of 1 ,500-<3,000, and 4 wt% for a CMC having a DP of <1 ,500, the gel being a fluid having a storage modulus (G¹) which exceeds the loss modulus (G") over the entire frequency region of

0.01-10 Hz when measured on an oscillatory rheometer operating at a strain of 0.2 in oscillation mode using a 4°-cone plate geometry at a temperature of 25⁰C.

2. Noodle according to claim 1 , characterized in that the CMC has a Brookfield viscosity of more than 9,000 mPa.s after high-shear dissolution in a 0.3 wt% aqueous sodium chloride solution, the final content of the CMC in the aqueous sodium chloride solution being 1 wt% for a CMC having a degree of polymerization (DP) of >4,000, 1.5 wt% for a CMC having a DP of >3,000-4,000, 2 wt% for a CMC having a DP of 1 ,500-3,000, and 4 wt% for a CMC having a DP of <1 ,500.

3. Noodle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the noodle further comprises egg.

4. Noodle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the CMC has a DP of 1 ,500 or more.

5. Noodle according to claim 4, characterized in that the CMC is prepared from linters cellulose or wood cellulose.

6. Noodle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the CMC has a DS of 0.6 to 1.2.

7. Noodle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the noodle is an instant fried noodle.

8. Noodle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the CMC is used in combination with guar gum, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, starch or a conventional CMC.

9. Noodle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the CMC is used in an amount of 0.001 to 1 .5 wt%, based on the total weight of the noodle.

10. Use of a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) for preparing a noodle, wherein the CMC is characterized by forming a gel at 25°C after high-shear dissolution in a 0.3 wt% aqueous sodium chloride solution, the final content of the CMC in the aqueous sodium chloride solution being 1 wt% for a CMC having a degree of polymerization (DP) of >4,000, 1.5 wt% for a CMC having a DP of

3,000-4,000, 2 wt% for a CMC having a DP of 1 ,500-<3,000, and 4 wt% for a CMC having a DP of <1 ,500, the gel being a fluid having a storage modulus (G') which exceeds the loss modulus (G") over the entire frequency region of 0.01-10 Hz when measured on an oscillatory rheometer operating at a strain of 0.2 in oscillation mode using a 4°-cone plate geometry at a temperature of 25°C.