RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PHYSICAL STARCH PROPERTIES AND YELLOW ALKALINE NOODLE QUALITY

Physical properties of starch were found to be significantly correlate d with the eating quality of yellow alkaline noodles. Starch was isola ted from 23 Australian wheats and analysed for granule size distributi on, swelling power, and viscosity measurements with a Rapid Visco Anal yzer, Most starch parameters were found to be highly correlated with n oodle smoothness and firmness. These relationships were improved when wheat protein content, grain hardness, and wheat Falling Number were a dded in multiple regression equations. Swelling power and viscosity me asurements were also performed on the corresponding flour (60% extract ion) and meal samples. Their relationships to noodle quality were gene rally better than the corresponding starch results. This outcome is of potential benefit to wheat breeders seeking a small scale test to sel ect wheats for their suitability for making yellow alkaline noodles.