Abstract:To solve the problems of instant wet noodles, such as easy retrogradation due to high moisture content, decreased elasticity, and poor taste, three types of additives, namely emulsifiers (monoglyceride, sodium stearyl lactylate, and sucrose ester), hydrocolloids (xanthan gum, guar gum, and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose), and wheat gluten, were used and their effects on the color, cooking quality, texture, tensile properties, and moisture distribution of instant wet noodles during storage were nvestigated. Sucrose ester significantly increased the brightness of the noodles from 95.26 to 96.78, while all three types of additives significantly reduced cooking loss, with the addition of 0.20% sodium stearyl lactylate reducing the cooking loss of instant wet noodles from 5.81% to 3.00%. During storage, adding 0.40% monoglyceride significantly reduced the firmness of instant wet noodles from 4 787.44 g to 2 904.95 g. All three types of additives significantly improved the tensile properties of instant wet noodles, and the tensile strength of instant wet noodles increased from 17.94 g to 24.13 g following the addition of 0.20% sucrose ester. From moisture distribution, emulsifiers inhibited the flow of bound water, increased the content of bound water, and reduced the loss of free water. In summary, all three types of additives delayed the retrogradation of starch in instant wet noodles during storage, reduced the cooking loss of noodles, and reduced firmness while increasing the elasticity, thereby improving the quality of the instant wet noodles. Specifically, the addition of 0.40% monoglyceride and 0.30% guar gum produced optimal effects.
