EXTRUDED PRODUCTS

Extrusion is a process that combines several unit operations including

mixing, kneading, shearing realing, cooling , shaping forming .It involves
compressing working row materials e.g. Flours starches, proteins, salt sugar
other minor ingredients to form a semi solid mass under a variety of controlled
condition then forcing it to pass thro a restricted opening such as a shaped hole
or slot a predetermined rate. Heat is applied directly by steam . injection or
indirectly thro a heated barrel or the conversion of mechanical energy. The final
process temp in the cooking extruder can be high as 200c but the residence time
is relatively short i.e 10.60 sec. thus extrusion cooking is also called a high temp
short time (HTST) process. This process of HTST extrusion bring gelatinization
of starch, denaturation of proteins, modification of lipids inactivation of enzymes
mixrolers many antinutritional factors.
Extrusion application in food industry:
Infant foods instant overage cooked whole grains quick cooking
vegetable breakfast cereals bread. Sticks, pasta products snack foods, meat
analogues pet food animal feed confectionery textured vegetable proteins,
biscuits fruit bars, meat products.
Parts of the extruder:
The equipment used for extrusion cooking is known as extruder. The main
parts of the extruder are drive mechanism feed hopper barrel screw die etc.
The central part of a food extruder is the screw typical screw can be divided
into 3 sections the section of the screw where the feed enters is commonly called
the feed section normally has deeper flights or flights of greater pitch. The
section of the screw where the feed material is compacted converted from a
flowing granular sticky mass to a relatively uniform plasticized dough is called the
transition or compression section. After the material leaves the transition section
and before. It enters a die a metering section and before it enters a die a
metering section of the screw with relatively shallow flights for increased
restrictions of the channel area is used to increase the temperature of the
material for cooking.
Equipment :
The basis of extrusion cooking is a sew pump using twin or single
screws.The single screw extruder is still used in industry and its orgin are in
pasta manufacture which is a low temperature high moisture process. The single
screw extruder has a wide residence time distribution and is generally a poor
mixer . The single screw extruder may be operated with a pre conditioner which
may be used to add water either directly or as steam. There is none the less
considerable interest in developing the single screw extruder as a modular
design which mixing elements such as the cavity transfer mixer. A greater variety
of twin screw device is available with intermeshing or non intermeshing , co or
counter rotating extruders. The counter rotating intermeshing twin screw extruder
is cited for use with low viscosity material and generally operates at lower screw
speeds than its co rotating relative. However the most commonly employed type
is the intermeshing co rotating extruder comprising self wiping conveying and
reversing elements, orfice disc s and mixing paddles, which may be assembled
to conveyor ward or backward liquids and other solid or semi solid ingredients
are often fed into the extruder at different stages along the barrel length. The twin
screw extruder has the capability for good mixing and narrow residence time
distributions. The versatile design screw means that the mixing stages can be
synchronized with the temperature zones and the pressure may be designed to
follow a complex history involving a section at atmospheric pressure in order to
vent the extruder or to inject materials or gases. The most recent development in
extrusion technology is to combine it with pressures. The combined “ super
critical fluid extrusion “ process introduces the super critical fluid.Usually co 2
carrying soluble micronutrients, flavours and colours into the melt stage of the
extruder . It has been demonstrated for breakfast cereals pasta and
confectionery production.
A number of innovations are possible as the material leaves the screw
section and passes through the die . Multiple die may be designed with
geometries to reduce pressure more or less rapidly to atmospheric.Co extrusion
in which a filler is pumped into the centre of a hollow extruder has been popular
for a number of years and has enhanced the product types available through this
technology . The occurance of flow defects and visco elastic texture of food
materials dictates that the material existing the extruder does not conform to the
shape of the die. The loss of super heated water As steam has been the basis of
many novel extruder diameter is markedly greater than the die section. At its
simplest extrusion cooki9ng may be used as a singe stage process to produce
pasta or expanded cut pieces . How ever most extrusion technology is used with
other down stream processes for rolling crimping cutting toasting and coating.
Further the technological innovations are possible with the twin screw
extruder in handling wet materials. The extruder may be used for multiple feeds
such as dehydrated potato and potato mash. Similarly nuts and fruit slurries may
be added at appropriate points to avoid high shear or high temperature.

Development / process of extruder products:

It involves three steps :
Raw material preparation : Raw material preparation for processing into
extruder cooked consumption products depends first of all on its constituents.
Depending on their quality they have to be comminuted weighed and
proportioned according to the recipe as well as mixed prior to p[ouring them into
the extruder cooker. If conditioning is required a little water is added prior to
mixing.
Extruder cooking process:
The extruder cooking process is taking in the final zone of the apparatus.
As a result of combined effect of the temperature 120 – 200 C and pressure
essential physico chemical changes occur in the material while extrusion
cooking. When having the die block operate the material rapidly expands and the
structure of the obtained products is very much like that of a honey comb, the
structure being shaped by bundles of fused protein fibres.
Shaping , drying and packing:
Depending on actual needs and application i.e whether the extruder
cooked material is to be used as a semi finished product or a finished product the
material leaving the extrusion cooker is subjected to respective shaping. The
material is shaped by the die.
The application of the various kinds of die shape enable the obtaining of
many different forms of product like balls , rings, stars, alphabet letters etc. The
length of the products is adjusted by regulation of the speed of rotary knife which
is installed outside the nozzle.
A consecutive production step is subjecting the obtained material to
drying usually to about 90 % of the humidity content and then to chilling . A
tunnel dryer is usually used for its drying . The drying medium being air heated
by gas or by steam to about 100 C
For chilling air of an ambient temperature 15 – 20 C passes through the
apparatus of the performed funnel dryer belt.
The last step of the production protein starch foil or paper bags The
storage life of extruder cooked products is considerable and under correct
storage conditions they can be stored for many months with out any loss of their
sensory or nutritive proteins.

Processing of Extruded Products

Raw material
↓
Grinding / mixing
↓
Shifting / aspiration
↓
Mixing
↓
Tempering
 ↓
Extrusion
↓
Extruded product
↓
Vitamin , amino acid and mineral supplement
↓
Drying
↓
Packaging
Extruded products:
Wheat flour noodles are an important part in the diet. It is
believed that noodles originated in China as early as 5000 BC, then
spread to other Asian countries. Noodles are a form of pasta that is
becoming extremely popular in India even as continental and
Italian delicacy pasta is prepared by means of an extrusion machine
that is basically made of an extrusion machine that is basically made
of stainless steel. The process is quite simple and requires not much
skilled labour. The machine itself is high technology and provides the
manufacturers to produce pasta with several alternative materials
( like maida , suji, rice flour and so on) and in different shapes ( like
spaghetti , Fettuccini, macaroni ,fusilli ,penne, etc) of pasta and
noodle.
Macroni products also termed as pasta products include macroni,
spagathi, vermicelli and noodles. Macaroni is a formed hallow tubes, spaghethi
as a small solid rods vermicelli is a tiny rod and noodles are flat strips. Pasta
products are also available in the shapes of shells and alphabets. Pasta products
are made from coarse durum wheat expect noodles are made from wheat flour.
Eggs are often added to the dough used in the manufacture of macaroni
products. Other materials used are ground nut meal, soya flour and cassava
flour. The preparation can be enriched by addition of vitamin and amino acids.
 In the manufacture of macaroni the semolina or flour is made into a stiff
dough using 25 – 30 % of water on weight at 32 – 38 C . After a rest period the
dough is kneaded at about 30 C in a cylindrical machine equipped with leveled
helical blades. The dough is then extruded at high pressures through appropriate
dies to make tubes or strap shaped products. Heavy pressure ensures that the
product is translucent and free from air bubbles. Finally the product is dried at
controlled temperature and humidity and cut into desired length. The extruded
paste must be dried or about 30 % to 12 % moisture before packaging.
There are several extrusion noodles available for production of
pasta and noodles with different outputs ranging from 5 kgs per
hour to 300 kgs per hour. There are also certain smaller noodles of
1 to 2 kgs per hour. Today, the amount of flour used for noodle
making is about 40% of the total flour consumed. In recent years,
noodles have also become popular in many countries outside of Asia.
This popularity is likely to increase.
Information regarding formulation, processing technologies, and
other related aspects of noodles discussed below.

NOODLES VERSUS PASTA

Noodles are different from pasta products in ingredients

used, the processes involved and their consumption patterns. Pasta is
made from semolina (coarse flour usually milled from durum wheat)
and water, and extruded through a metal die under pressure. It is a
dried product. After cooking, pasta is often eaten with sauces. Noodles
are characterized by thin strips slit from a sheeted dough that has
been made from flour (hard and soft wheats), water and salt—common
salt or alkaline salt. Noodles are often consumed in soup. Eggs can be
added to each product to give a firmer texture. Noodles are sold in
many forms.
THE BASICS
Wheat flour is the main ingredient for making noodles.
About three parts of flour are usually mixed with one part of salt or
alkaline salt solution to form a crumbly dough. The dough is
compressed between a series of rolls to form a dough sheet. The
gluten network is developed during the sheeting processcess
contributing to the noodle texture. The sheeted dough is then slit to
produce noodles. The noodles are now ready for sale, or are further
processed to prolong shelf life, to modify eating characteristics or to
facilitate preparation by the consumer. In the preparation of instant
fried noodles, the steaming process causes the starch to swell and
gelatinize. The addition of alkaline salts (kan sui, a mixture of sodium
and potassium carbonates) in some Chinese type noodles gives them a
yellow color and a firmer, more elastic texture.

CLASSIFICATION OF NOODLES:

There is no systematic classification or nomenclature for

noodles; wide differences exist between countries. There is a need to
standardize noodle nomenclature using a universal classification
system.
Classification below is based on the current state of the knowledge.
Based on Raw Material:
Noodles can be made from wheat flour alone or in
combination with buckwheat flour. Wheat flour noodles include
Chinese and Japanese type noodles. There are many varieties in each
noodle type, representing different formulation, processing and noodle
quality characteristics. Noodles containing buckwheat are also called
soba, meaning buckwheat noodle. These noodles are typically light
brown or gray in color with a unique taste and flavor. Chinese type
noodles are generally made from hard wheat flours, characterized by
bright creamy white or bright yellow color and firm texture. Japanese
noodles are typically made from soft wheat flour of medium protein
(discussed later). It is desirable to have a creamy white color and a soft
and elastic texture in Japanese noodles.

Based on Salt Used:

Based on the absence or presence of alkaline salt inthe
formula, noodles can be classified as white (containing salt) noodles or
yellow (containing alkalinesalt) noodles. Alkali gives noodles their
characteristic yellowness. White salt noodles comprise Japanese
noodles, Chinese raw noodles or dry noodles. Chinese wet noodles,
hokkien noodles, Cantonese noodles, chuka-men, Thai bamee, and
instant noodles fall under the yellow alkaline noodle category.
Based on Size:
According to the width of the noodle strands, Japanese
noodles are classified into four types (1) (Table I). Since the smaller
size noodles usually soften faster in hot water than the larger size, so-
men and hiya-mughi noodles are usually served cool in the summer,
and udon and hira-men are often eaten hot in the cool seasons. Other
noodle types also have their own typical size.

TABLE I
NOODLES BASED ON WIDTH
Name Characteristics
So-men Very thin, 0.7-1.2 mm wide
Hiya-mughi Thin, 1.3-1.7 mm wide
Udon Standard, 1.9-3.8 mm wide
Hira-men Flat, 5.0-6.0 mm wide

Based on Processing:
The simplest way to classify noodles based on processing is
hand-made versus machine-made noodles. This is too generalized,
however. Hand-made types, still available in Asia because of their
favorable texture, were prevalent before the automatic noodle
machine was invented in the 1950s. In some places, stretching noodles
by hand is considered an art rather than noodle making. Noodle
machines are best suited to mass production.
Noodle processing operations include mixing raw materials,
dough sheeting, compounding, sheeting /rolling and slitting. This series
of processes remains constant among countries for all noodle types.
Noodle strands are further processed to produce different kinds of
noodles, and this can be a means of classification (Table II). None of
the approaches discussed above are sufficient to define each noodle
type. For instance, boiled noodles contain fully cooked and parboiled
types. Parboiled types include both hokkien and Chinese wet noodles.
In addition, wet noodles are parboiled in most of Asia, but are fresh,
uncooked noodles in Japan. Therefore, a possible nomenclature should
incorporate key aspects such as formulation and basic processing to
fully describe the nature of each noodle type.
During the extrusion process depending on the die, manufactures
can produce pasta, noodles, namkeen, fryums or vermicelli. They can be
either produced from suji / rava / maida / rice flour or whole wheat flour .
once the material is extruded from the machine, it is dried inside an oven
so that the moisture is removed allowing a longer shelf life. It is extremity
important to use the right kind of flour for the right product combination .
packing also plays a very important roll in deciding the shelf life. Proper and
hygienic packing provides the manufacturers an opportunity to command better
choices. Being an item of food consumption one should never compromise on
quality and hygiene during production. The reason for stainless steel machine is
that it ensures complete and total hygiene.
The machine is equipped with an automatic cutter to cut the
noodles in the desired lengths. This depends on the type of noodles
being produced. Vermicelli is short pieces of 20 mm and 200mm in
length. Of course this is a choice of packing but not a choice of food
habits. The cutter is equipped with an adjustable sped regulator so that
the item can be increase or decrease the length by increasing or
decreasing the speed.

TABLE II
NOODLE CLASSIFICATION BASED ON PROCESSING

Noodle Processing
Type
Fresh Noodle strands coming out of slitting rolls are cut into
certain lengths for packaging without any further
processing. Typical examples are Chinese raw noodles,
udon noodles, chuka-men, Thai bamee, Cantonese
noodles and soba noodles. These are often consumed
within 24 hours of manufacture due to quick
discoloration. Their shelf life can be extended to 3-5 days
if stored under refrigeration.
Fresh noodle stands are dried by sunlight or in a
controlled chamber. Chinese raw noodles, Cantonese

Dried noodles, chuka-men, udon noodles, and soba noodles can

be in dried form. Noodle shelf life is dramatically
extended, but fragile noodles may have handling
problems.

Fresh noodle strands are either parboiled (90% complete

cooking) or fully cooked. This type includes: Chinese wet
noodles, hokkien noodles, udon noodles, and soba
Boiled noodles. After parboiling, Chinese wet noodles and
hokkien noodles are rinsed in cold water, drained and
coated with 1-2% vegetable oil to prevent sticking. Boiled
udon and soba noodles are not coated with oil. Boiled
noodles are re-cooked for another 1-2 minutes before
serving.

Fresh alkaline noodle strands are steamed in a steamer

Steame and softened with water through rinsing or steeping. This
d type is also called “Yaki-Soba”, and it is often prepared by
stir-frying for consumption.
WHEAT USED IN NOODLES:

Sources:

The key noodle wheat growers and suppliers are the United
States, Australia and Canada. In the US, hard red spring, hard red
winter, soft red winter, and soft white wheats are used—alone or
blended—for making noodle flour. A new wheat class—hard white—has
been expanding in production in recent years, targeting Asian products
such as noodles and Chinese steamed breads apart from Western
foods. Australian wheat has been known for decades for its superior
performance in Japanese type noodle making because it gives
desirable noodle color and unique texture. Australian standard white,
Australian premium white, Australian hard, Australian prime hard, and
Australian noodle wheat are major types of noodle wheats. Canada
western red spring, Canada western red winter, Canada prairie spring
white and Canada prairie spring red wheats are also competitive in
noodle production. In many cases, different classes of wheat are often
blended to achieve relatively consistent quality noodle flour. Due to
the complexity of noodle types (discussed later), there is no single
wheat type that can meet all quality requirements, not to mention that
the consistency of wheat quality and supply also varies.
Quality Requirements
In many cases, physical quality measurements of wheat
and wheat test methods are similar and independent of end products
made. For example, wheat should be clean and sound, high in test
weight, and uniform in kernel size and hardness. These characteristics
result in efficient milling and high flour extraction, and, possibly,
optimum quality end products. The US Federal Grain Inspection Service
grades a wheat according to the test weight, defects, wheat of other
classes present and other contamination. The Falling Number test is
done to determine wheat sprout damage level. Wheat kernel hardness,
diameter, weight and their distribution can be measured using a Single
Kernel Characterization System. Wheat kernel hardness deserves
particular attention since it affects the tempering conditions, flour
starch damage level, flour particle distribution and milling yield.
Damaged starch not only absorbs more water but may also reduce
noodle cooking and eating quality. Accordingly, noodle wheat should
not be too hard, and milling processes should be controlled to avoid
excess starch damage. The uniformity of wheat kernel hardness
appeared to improve milling performance (2). Low ash content in flour
is always an advantage for noodles since flour ash is traditionally
viewed as causing noodle discoloration. One of the important noodle
flour specifications is ash content, although there is no guarantee that
low ash flour can always make desirable color noodles. The presence of
the enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in the flour is believed to be
partially responsible for noodle darkening. Thus, it may be useful to
measure the activity of this enzyme in the wheat. Wheat protein
content is often determined, and gluten strength can be evaluated by
a sedimentation test. Different noodle types require different protein
contents and dough strength (discussed later). Generally speaking,
Chinese type noodles need hard wheat of high protein content and
strong gluten, and Japanese noodles require soft wheat of medium
protein content.
Flour Quality Characteristics:
The above discussion of wheat sources and quality requirements
provides a valuable yardstick in aiming for desired flour quality.
However, each noodle type requires its own specific flour quality
criteria. Table III lists flour specifications for various types of Asian
noodles. Flour protein, ash content and flour-pasting characteristics are
major specifications. Protein content varies according to the noodle
type to achieve the desired eating quality. Generally, flour protein
content has a positive correlation with noodle hardness and a negative
correlation with noodle brightness. Thus, there is an optimum flour
protein content required for each noodle type. Japanese udon noodles
require soft wheat flour of 8.0-9.5% protein. Other noodles require
hard wheat flours of high protein content (10.5-13.0%), giving a firmer
bite and springy texture. Flour ash content has been rated as one of
the important specifications because it affects noodle color negatively.
Flour ash content is largely determined by the wheat’s ash content.
Wheat with an ash content of 1.4% or less is always an advantage.
Most noodle flours require ash content below 0.5%, but premium
quality noodles are often made from flours of 0.4% or less ash.
However, ash content is not the only noodleflour quality indicator. In
some cases, flour color may be more related to noodle color. Flour
color L * 90 measured with a Minolta Chroma Meter is often required.
Starch pasting characteristics (as measured on the amylograph or
Rapid Visco Analyzer) also play an important role. The ratio of amylose
to amylopectin content determines a starch’s pasting characteristics.
Flour amylose content between 22-24% is often required for Japanese
type noodle making. Measurement of the pasting viscosity of flour or
wholemeal also relates to noodle quality, and eliminates a starch
isolation step. However, the presence of excessive alpha-amylase
activity (breaks down starch) in the flour or wholemeal will undermine
the prediction results because even a small quantity of the enzyme is
likely to reduce the paste viscosity. The addition of certain alpha-
amylase inhibitors into the test solution has been shown to improve
the correlation between the viscosity of flour or wholemeal and the
eating quality of Japanese type noodles (3). Dough properties
measured by other relevant tests (sedimentation test, and farinograph
and extensigraph measurements) are often also included in noodle
flour specifications because they affect noodle processing behavior
and noodle eating quality. High sedimentation volumes indicate a
strong dough, which is good for Chinese style noodles that require a
firm bite and springy texture. Extensigraph parameters measure the
balance of dough extensibility versus elasticity. Too much extensibility
results in a droopy dough, while too much elasticity causes difficulty in
controlling final noodle thickness. Farinograph stability time has shown
a positive relationship with Chinese raw noodle texture and tolerance
in hot soup. It should be cautioned that a noodle dough is much lower
in water absorption than bread dough (28-36% versus 58-64%).
Rheological tests, initially developed to evaluate bread dough
performance, may not be applicable to noodle dough evaluation. There
is a need to develop new tests specifically for relating a noodle dough’s
rheological properties to eating quality.

NOODLE FORMULATION
Seven Major Types
Tremendous varieties of Asian noodles exist around the world and
within a country (Table IV).These varieties are the result of differences
in culture, climate, region and a host of other factors. Table V shows
the formulation of seven major types of noodles. Both Chinese raw
noodles and Japanese udon noodles have the most simplified formulas,
containing only flour, water and salt. However, as indicated earlier,
Chinese raw noodles are made from hard wheat and medium to high
protein flour, and Japanese udon noodles are produced from soft wheat
flour of medium protein content. Chinese raw noodles have been
shown to be very useful in screening noodle color due to their simple
formulation. Chinese wet noodles and chuka-men (alkaline noodle) are
characterized by the presence of kan sui (alkali salt), while Malaysian
hokkien noodles are characterized by the presence of sodium
hydroxide, giving the noodles their characteristic yellowness, alkaline
flavor, high pH and improved texture. Both Chinese wet and hokkien
noodles are parboiled types, while chuka-men can be either uncooked
or cooked. Instant fried noodles usually contain guar gum or other
hydrocolloids, making the noodles firmer and easier to rehydrate upon
cooking or soaking; polyphosphates allow more water retention on the
noodle surface, thus, giving them better mouth-feel. Native or modified
potato starch or other equivalent starches are often added in premium
instant fried noodles, providing springy texture and improved steaming
and cooking quality due to reduced gelatinization temperature.
Thailand bamee noodles are characterized by having 10% eggs in the
formula. Therefore, egg source and quality are additional variables in
bamee noodle quality.
TABLE I
FLOUR SPECIFICATIONS FOR ASIAN NOODLES

Flour Specifications (14% Moisture Basis)

Protein Ash Farinograph Amylose Amylograph

Noodle Type (%) (%) Stability (Min) Content (%) Peak Viscosity a

Chinese Raw 1 0.5-12.5 0.35-0.41 ≥ 10 — ≥ 750 BU

Japanese Udon 8.0-9.5 0.35-0.40 — 22-24 —
Chinese Wet 11.0-12.5 0.40-0.45 — — ≥ 750 BU
Malaysian Hokkien 10.0-11.0 ≤ 0.48 — — —
Chuka-men 10.5-11.5 0.33-0.40 — — —
Instant Fried 10.5-12.5 0.36-0.45 — — ≥ 750 BU
Thailand Bamee 11.5-13.0 ≤ 0.46 — — —

a Method: 65 g flour (14% mb) + 450 ml distilled water. Amylograph heating cycle:
heat from 30 to 950 C at 1.50 C/min; hold at 950 C for 20 min; and cool to 500 C at
1.50 C/min.
Unit: Expressed in Brabender Units (BU). 750 BU is equivalent to 170 Rapid Visco
Unit (RVU) as determined by Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA). RVA: 3.5 g flour (14% mb)
+ 25 ml distilled water. The RVA heating cycle (3): hold at 600 C for 2 min; heat from
60 to 950 C in 6 min; hold at 950 C for 4 min; cool to 500 C in 4 min; and hold at 500
C for 4 min.

TABLE IV

MAJOR TYPES OF ASIAN NOODLES CONSUMED

Region Type

China/Hong Kong Instant fried, Chinese raw,

dried, hand-made
Indonesia Instant fried, Chinese wet
Japan Chuka-men (Chinese style yellow
alkaline noodle), Japanese
types (include hiramen,
udon, hiya-mughi, so-
men), soba
Korea Instant fried, dried, udon,
soba
Malaysia Hokkien, instant fried,
Cantonese (alkaline raw),
dried
Philippines Instant fried, dried, Chinese
wet, udon
Singapore Hokkien, Cantonese, instant
fried
Taiwan Chinese wet, Chinese raw,
instant fried, dried
Thailand Bamee, dried, instant fried
Europe, Africa Instant fried
Latin/South America Instant fried or dried
North America Instant fried or dried,
Chinese raw, udon, soba

TABLE V

FORMULAS FOR MAJOR TYPES OF ASIAN NOODLES

(Baker’s Percent)

Noodle Type

Chinese Japanese Chinese Malaysian Chuka- Instant

Thailand
Ingredient Raw Udon Wet Hokkien mena Fried
Bamee

Flour 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

Water 28 34 32 30-33 32 34-37 28
Salt 1.2 2 2 2 1 1.6 3
Potato Starch — — — — — 0-12 —
Sodium
Hydroxide — — — 0.5 — — —
Sodium
Carbonate — — 0.45 — 0.4 0.1 1.5
Potassium
Carbonate — — 0.45 — 0.6 0.1 —
Eggs — — — — — — 10
Guar Gum — — — — — 0-0.2 —
Polyphosphates — — — — — 0-0.1 —

a Chuka-men is a Chinese style yellow alkaline noodle widely consumed in Japan

NOODLE PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY

The basic processing steps for machine-made noodles
are outlined in Figure 1. These steps involve mixing raw materials,
resting the crumbly dough, sheeting the dough into two dough sheets,
compounding the two sheets into one, gradually sheeting the dough
sheet into a specified thickness and slitting into noodle strands. Noodle
strands are further processed according to noodle types.
Mixing Ingredients
Mixing formula ingredients (Table V) is often carried out
in a horizontal or vertical mixer for 10-15 minutes. Since the horizontal
mixer seems to have better mixing results, it is more commonly used
than the vertical one in commercial noodle production Mixing results in
the formation of a crumbly dough with small and uniform particle sizes.
Since the water addition level is relatively low (vs. bread doughs),
gluten development in noodle dough during mixing is minimized. This
improves the dough sheetability, sheeted dough smoothness and
uniformity. Limited water absorption also slows down noodle
discoloration and reduces the amount of water to be taken out during
the final drying or frying processes.

Wheat Flour + Salt Water or Alkaline Salt Water


Mixing, Resting, Sheeting, Compounding, Sheeting (4-6 Steps)

Chinese Raw Noodles SlittingParboilingRinsing and Draining
Japanese Udon Noodles 
Chuka-men Noodles Waving Oiling
Thailand Bamee Noodles 
Steaming Hokkien Noodles
Chinese Wet
Noodles
 Frying

Instant Fried Noodles
Figure 1. Noodle making process

Flour proteins, pentosans and starch (especially damaged starch)

determine the flour water absorption level. Even so, the water
absorption level in noodle dough is not so sensitive to processing as is
that in bread dough. Variations in noodle dough water absorption
among different flours is generally within 2-3%, and this is usually
determined by dough handling properties. Flour particle sizes and their
distribution affect the time water penetrates into the flour. Large
particle flours require a longer time for water to incorporate and tend
to form larger dough lumps. It is desirable to have relatively fine and
evenly distributed particle size flours to achieve optimum dough
mixing.
Dough Resting
After mixing, the dough pieces are rested for 20-40 minutes
before compounding. Dough resting helps water penetrate into dough
particles evenly, resulting in a smoother and less streaky dough after
sheeting. In commercial production, the dough is rested in a receiving
container while being stirred slowly.
Sheeting and Compounding
The rested, crumbly dough pieces are divided into two
portions, each passing through a pair of sheeting rolls to form a noodle
dough sheet. The two sheets are then combined (compounded) and
passed through a second set of sheeting rolls to form a single sheet.
The roll gap is adjusted so that the dough thickness reduction is
between 20-40%. The combined dough sheet is often carried on a
multi-layer conveyor belt located in a temperature and relative
humidity controlled cabinet. This step is to relax the dough for easy
reduction in the subsequent sheeting operation. The resting time takes
about 30-40 minutes.
Sheeting, Slitting and Waving
Further dough sheeting is done on a series of 4-6pairs of
rolls with decreasing roll gaps. At this stage, roll diameter, sheeting
speed and reduction ratio should be considered to obtain an optimum
dough reduction. Noodle slitting is done by a cutting machine, which is
equipped with a pair of calibration rolls, a slitter, and a cutter or a
waver. The final dough sheet thickness is set on the calibration rolls
according to noodle type (Tables I and VI) and measured using a
thickness dial gauge. Noodle width determines the size of noodle slitter
to be used (noodle width, mm = 30/slitter number). The sheet is cut
into noodle strands of desired width with a slitter. Noodles can be
either square or round in shape by using various slitters. Noodle
strands are cut into a desirable length by a cutter. At this stage,
Chinese raw noodle, Japanese udon noodle, chuka-men and Thailand
bamee noodle making is complete. For making instant noodles, noodle
strands are waved before steaming and cutting.
Cooking Noodles
Cooking processes include parboiling, boiling, and steaming.
Hokkien noodles and Chinese wet noodles are usually parboiled for 45-
90 seconds to achieve 80-90% gelatinization in starch. The noodles are
then coated with 1-2% edible vegetable oil to prevent the strands from
sticking together. Parboiled noodles have an extended shelf-life (2-3
days) and high weight gain (60-70%). They are quickly re-cooked by
boiling or
stir-frying prior to consumption.

Japanese udon noodles are boiled for 10-15 minutes,

rinsed and cooled in running water, steeped in dilute acidic water
before packing, and further steamed for more than 30 seconds in a
pressurized steamer. This type of noodle usually has a shelf-life of 6
months to one year. It is also called longevity noodle. Several steps
can be taken to assure optimal cooking: (a) the weight of cooking
water is at least 10 times that of the uncooked noodles, (b) the size of
the boiling pot is properly chosen, (c) the pH of the boiling water is 5.5-
6.0, (d) the cooking time is precisely controlled to give optimal results
to the product, and (e) the cooking water temperature is carefully
maintained at 98-1000 C throughout the boiling process. In making
instant noodles, the wavy noodle-strands are conveyed to a steamer to
cook the noodles. As mentioned earlier, the purpose of steaming is to
gelatinize the starch and fix the noodle waves. The steaming time
varies according to noodle size, but can be determined by squeezing a
noodle strand between two clear glass plates. If the white noodle core
disappears, the noodles are well cooked. Steam temperature, steam
pressure, and steaming time are key process factors affecting the
product quality.
Drying Noodles
Noodle drying can be achieved by air drying, deep frying or
vacuum drying. The air drying process has been applied to many
noodle types, such as Chinese raw noodles, Japanese udon noodles,
steamed and air dried instant noodles, and others. Air drying usually
takes 5-8 hours to dry regular noodles (long and straight) and 30-40
minutes to dry steamed and air dried instant noodles. Drying by frying
takes only a fewminutes. Vacuum drying of frozen noodles is a newer
technology making it possible to produce premium quality products.
For the manufacture of regular dry noodles, raw noodle
strands of a certain length are hung on rods in a drying chamber with
controlled temperature and relative humidity. Air drying usually
involves multistage processes since too rapid drying causes noodle
checking, similar to spaghetti drying. In the first stage, low
temperature (15-200 C) and dry air are applied to reduce the noodle
moisture content from 40-45% to 25-27%. In the second stage, air of
400 C and 70-75% relative humidity is used to ensure moisture
migration from the interior of the noodle strands to outside surfaces. In
the final stage, the product is further dried using cool air.
For the manufacture of air-dried instant noodles, waxy
noodle-strands are first steamed for 18-20 minutes at 1000 C, then
dried for 30-40 minutes using hot blast air at 800 C. The dried noodles
are cooled prior to packaging. Air-dried instant noodles have a low fat
content so some people prefer them. They also have a longer shelf-life
because little fat rancidity is involved. Steaming appears to be very
critical to this type of noodle since it affects the water rehydration rate
of the product. However, slow output of the process and lack of
pleasant shortening taste and mouthfeel make the product less
popular in Asia compared with instant fried noodles.
Drying by frying is a very fast process. Water vaporizes
quickly from the surface of the noodles upon dipping into the hot oil.
Dehydration of the exterior surface drives water to migrate from the
interior to the exterior of the noodle strands. Eventually, some of the
water in the noodles is replaced by oil. Many tiny holes are created
during the frying process due to the mass transfer, and they serve as
channels for water to get in upon rehydration in hot water. It usually
takes 3-4 minutes to cook or soak instant fried noodles in hot water
before consumption.
Conclusion:
Noodles have been in existence for thousands of years. They
are now also becoming popular in the Western countries. Several
types, mostly machine made, are produced worldwide.Process
properties, noodle color and noodle texture are the three key quality
attributes in the evaluation of a wheat flour for any noodle making.
Noodle process behavior is of particular importance in modern
industrial production, but this property is often ignored in laboratory
evaluation. In terms of noodle color, brightness is required, and
whiteness or yellowness is essential depending on the noodle type.
Noodle texture, however, is more complicated in the characterization
of each noodle type, and progress can only be made to understand this
property by involving Asian flour and noodle industrial representatives.
Instrumental measurements of noodle color and texture are important
in establishing their relationship to sensory characteristics of noodles.
REFERENCES
1. NAGAO, S. Processing technology of noodleproducts in Japan. In:
Pasta and Noodle Technology(eds. Kruger, Matuso and Dick). Am.
Associationof Cereal Chemists, St. Paul, MN, 1996.
2. OHM, J.B., CHUNG, O.K., and DEYOE, C.W.Single-kernel
characteristics of hard winter wheats in relation to milling and baking
quality. CerealChem. 75: 156, 1998.
3. BATEY, I.L., CURTIN, B.M., and MOORE, S.A.Optimization of Rapid
Visco Analyzer test conditions for predicting Asian noodle quality.
CerealChem. 74: 497, 1997.