Functional Pasta: A Comparative Study of the Use of Bamboo Fibers and White Fibers

Abstract

Fiber consumption is related to health benefits, and considering this approach, the production of main meals with high fiber content may increase the daily fiber intake and provide income to communities depending on bamboo. This chapter presents the study of fettuccine formulation elaborated with bamboo fibers (BF) (60 μm and 145 μm, respectively BFA and BFB), in comparison with white fibers: Psyllium and cellulose fiber (PCF) (80:20 and 50:50, respectively PCFA and PCFB), wheat stalk fiber (WSF) (60 μm and 145 μm, respectively WSFA and WSFB), and a mixture of Psyllium and BF (PBF). Fettuccine was produced and evaluated by technological characteristics of replacing Triticum durum semolina by 3.5% and 7% of each fiber, totaling 14 trials plus the standard formulation (SF), 100% semolina, and the obtained data were analyzed by analysis of variance (p < 0.05). All formulations showed a lighter color; pasta with BFA and WSFA presented the most comparable parameters to the standard formulation. The results suggest that it is possible to use up to 7% of BF in pasta with no prejudice to color, texture, and flavor. Thus, pasta could be a gateway to introduce its essential raw material as an ingredient in food industries and provide regional economic benefits.