AN SDS-FY TEST TO EVALUATE QUALITY OF WHEAT FOR ORIENTAL NOODLES

An SDS-FY test, a modification of the Zeleny-FY test, was developed to determine the suitability of wheats for Oriental noodle making. Value s derived from the SDS-FY diagrams were related to Mixograms of doughs and Instron parameters of cooked noodles for 12 wheat flours. The SDS -FY diagrams were unique for each wheat or flour in both shape and loc ation on the x-y co-ordinates, and were highly correlated with Mixogra ph dough-mixing time and Instron noodle parameters. The optimum sample weight for differentiation among the SDS-FY diagrams was 3 g for whit e flour (4.5 g for wheat meal) containing about 10% protein in the flo ur on a moisture-free basis. If the protein content is much above 10%, the SDS-FY test should be run on a sample size to give 0.3 g protein. A Japanese udon noodle flour showed a higher Mixograph absorption and mixing time than soft white winter (SWW) and club wheat flours. Among the wheats and flours tested, the SWW cultivar Stephens was similar i n shape and location on the SDS-FY diagram and in the Instron paramete rs to a Japanese udon noodle flour. Similarly, in multivariate analysi s of Instron parameters, no difference was found between cv. Stephens and the Japanese udon noodle flour. The results were used to develop a simplified SDS-FY diagram and confirmed on a set of 10 independent wh eat flours. The results indicate that the SDS-FY test may be suitable for screening in plant breeding or estimation of potential textural pr operties of Oriental noodles as related to protein content and protein quality of a flour.