Textural Improvement of Sweet Potato Starch Noodles Prepared without Freezing Using Gums and Other Starches

Sweet potato starch noodles prepared without freezing exhibited higher cooking loss and water uptake during cooking and usually resulted in noodles with a softer and stickier texture compared to commercial sweet potato starch noodles manufactured using a freezing process. By utilizing the starches of different plant sources (potato, cowpea, and sago in an equivalent mixture with sweet potato starch), however, the cooking properties and texture of the starch noodles could be improved. Among the starches tested, cowpea starch was most effective in providing cooking and textural properties similar to those of commercial noodles. As an alternative approach, the addition of a minor amount (0.1 % based on total solid weight) of various gums (xanthan, gellan, locust bean gum, curdlan, and carboxymethyl cellulose) was also examined. The addition of curdlan to noodles was effective in increasing the gumminess and hardness, and reducing the stickiness of noodles. Utilizing different starches and gums can improve the overall texture and quality of sweet potato starch noodles produced without freezing.