PASTA VISCOELASTICITY - ITS USEFULNESS IN THE CANADIAN DURUM-WHEAT BREEDING PROGRAM

The usefulness of pasta disc viscoelasticity to predict pasta cooking quality in the durum wheat breeding program was evaluated. Cooked past a disc viscoelasticity (PDV) was calculated from the creep curve of th e viscoelastogram. Two sets of samples with different quality characte ristics were tested for protein content, sedimentation volume (SV), Mi xograph mixing characteristics, cooked gluten viscoelasticity (CGV) an d cooked pasta disc viscoelasticity. Pearson correlation coefficients indicated that cooked pasta disc visoelasticity was associated with Mi xograph values, SV and CGV, but not with protein content. The results indicate that the PDV test is useful in breeding programs because it r equires small quantities of sample, it is simple and more closely mimi cs theological tests used on the final product, pasta. The optimal con ditions for measuring PDV are discussed. (C) 1995 Academic Press Limit ed