Preparation of hypoallergenic wheat flour noodles and evaluation of their physical properties

Abstract

Hypoallergenic wheat flour (HWF) in which gluten is partially hydrolyzed by enzymes has recently been developed. However, the manufacturing of HWF products is difficult compared to that of normal wheat products due to the marked physical property differences of HWF. In this study, we first investigated the manufacturing conditions of Japanese wheat noodles using HWF and then evaluated their physical properties. HWF noodles were prepared by combining HWF with sodium alginate, starch, curdlan, and salt solution, and then soaking in calcium lactate solution before boiling. The addition of sodium alginate increased rupture strength of HWF noodles, and the addition of starch and curdlan significantly improved rupture strength and hardness. However, rupture strength of HWF noodles was markedly lower than that of normal wheat flour noodles. These results suggest that HWF combined with sodium alginate, starch, and curdlan may be suitable for preparing noodles for wheat allergy patients.