RU2822047C1 - Method of producing pasta food product by extrusion through polyacetal resin insert and by-product - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: food industry.

SUBSTANCE: proposed method for production of pasta food product involves mixing of water and flour from semolina or semolato durum wheat, with production of dough with water content from 35 to 37.5 wt.% of total weight of said dough. Then the dough is kneaded, and the kneaded dough is extruded through a spinneret plate insert from a polyoxymethylene copolymer. Then the extruded dough is dried to produce a pasta food product with moisture content lower than or equal to 12.5 wt.% of the total weight of the said food product. Obtained pasta food product has surface roughness R_a from 3.5 to 6 mcm, preferably from 4.5 to 5.7 mcm, calculated in accordance with ISO 16610-21 procedure. Said pasta food product represents dry pasta with moisture content lower than or equal to 12.5 wt.% of total weight of said food product.

EFFECT: invention makes it possible to produce pasta with optimum surface roughness and astonishing hardness "al dente" during cooking, which ensures good adhesion of sauce, which is used for seasoning this pasta food product prepared in accordance with tradition.

11 cl, 4 tbl, 2 ex, 1 dwg

Description

Field of technology

The present invention relates to a method for the production of a pasta food product, for example semolina durum wheat pasta, obtained by extruding dough through a spun plate insert.

In particular, this method ensures the production of a food product by extruding dough through a spun plate insert made of polyacetal resin.

The present invention also relates to a food product of the above type, i.e. pasta made from semolina durum wheat flour or similar products, such as pasta plates or feathers, obtained by this method.

State of the art

Various types of spunbond inserts and extrusion methods are known in the art for the production of pasta food products, among which semolina durum wheat pasta is known.

In Italy, “durum semolina pasta” and “durum semolina pasta” are products obtained by extrusion or rolling and subsequent drying of the dough, respectively and exclusively prepared from durum semolato and semolina wheat and water (Law 580/67).

Pasta extrusion is a critical step in pasta production because it determines the shape and thickness of the finished product, as well as imparting specific surface roughness characteristics.

Typically, during the extrusion stage, the dough is passed through inserts made of brass, bronze or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, also known by the brand name Teflon).

Extrusion through inserts made of PTFE produces compact pasta with a smooth surface that, when cooked, has a good consistency and taste, in particular good al dente hardness when cooked.

As is known, the consumer generally prefers to eat pasta or similar food products that are prepared in such a way that they are easy to chew and digestible, but also retain some consistency during chewing.

On the other hand, pasta extruded through PTFE inserts has a smoother surface, which, after traditional cooking in boiling water, causes lower dressing adhesion to it than pasta extruded through inserts made of other materials, such as metals. , such as bronze.

Extrusion through inserts of bronze or other metals that provide good surface roughness produces pasta that has an artisanal appearance due to a decidedly more porous and opaque surface.

In this case, after cooking the pasta, a rough and porous surface is observed, which ensures good adhesion of the sauce, as well as a pleasant rough feeling in the mouth.

However, pasta extruded through a bronze insert generally has an al dente hardness when cooked, which is still lower than that of pasta extruded through inserts made of different materials, such as PTFE, and sometimes quickly loses its consistency when cooked. if the cooking time is exceeded even slightly from the recommended one (indicated on the package).

Another problem that arises when using inserts for extruding pasta is their wear over time: this phenomenon determines a number of disadvantages, including widening the die opening and reducing friction between the insert itself and the dough, in particular, reducing friction leads to a finished product with suboptimal roughness indicators.

To ensure a product with consistent quality characteristics over time, worn inserts are usually disassembled and replaced with new inserts. This operation requires significant costs in terms of monitoring and maintenance of the plant, as well as interruption and shutdown of the production line.

Polyoxymethylene (POM), commonly called acetal resin, is a semi-crystalline thermoplastic material with good mechanical strength and rigidity, good flowability and excellent wear resistance, as well as low moisture absorption.

It is precisely due to its characteristics, such as mechanical strength, that polyoxymethylene is widely used for the manufacture of spunbond plate inserts in the food industry.

However, when using polyoxymethylene spun plate inserts, pasta with characteristics similar to those for pasta extruded through a bronze insert is obtained, i.e. pasta products are characterized by high surface porosity and roughness, which, as stated above, require control in the finished product.

EP 2687099 discloses a spun plate insert for the extrusion of noodles or pasta, having a certain contact angle and water absorption, which can be made from different synthetic resins, which can differ greatly in properties, for example, from polyacetal resin.

The problem proposed to be solved in EP 2687099 is to obtain a spun plate insert that provides friction between the surface of the insert itself and the extruded dough, which is stable over time, i.e. which does not increase or decrease with use.

EP 2687099 states that when using a synthetic resin, it is easier to control the surface roughness of the manufactured pasta; in particular, mention is made of a polyacetal resin sold under the brand name DURACON.

Among the examples given are the extrusion of dough for the production of pasta from durum semolina wheat using inserts made of a mixture of DURACON and polyethylene in various proportions or using inserts of a mixture of DURACON and Teflon.

As examples show, when using inserts made of materials with contact angles and water absorption values outside the specified ranges, with increasing operating time the friction forces between the insert and the dough will change, which will lead to a finished product with different roughness characteristics in relation to the finished product , obtained by using a new insert of the same type.

However, EP 2687099 does not solve the problem of providing a method for producing a pasta food product having specific characteristics, such as porosity or surface roughness, that allow good absorption of the seasoning after cooking and at the same time provide good firmness when cooked.

Therefore, since prior art technologies involve making inserts from materials that provide good wear resistance, there is still a need to develop a method for producing a pasta food product having a higher surface roughness than pasta extruded through a PTFE insert, and at This maintains a firm consistency during cooking, which is higher than that of pasta obtained by extrusion through a bronze insert.

Briefly, the technical problem underlying the present invention was to provide a method for the production of a pasta food product that produces a finished product having roughness characteristics intermediate between those of pasta extruded through a PTFE insert and those extruded through a bronze insert, and also provides good consistency, cooking stability, thereby overcoming the above-mentioned problems of the prior art.

The essence of the invention

This technical problem was solved according to the invention using a method for producing a pasta food product, which includes the following stages:

a) mixing water and flour suitable for the production of pasta to obtain dough with a water content of 35% to 37.5% by weight. from the total mass of the specified test;

b) kneading the specified dough;

c) extrusion of the kneaded dough by extrusion through a spun plate insert made of polyoxymethylene copolymer (POM-S);

d) drying said extruded dough to obtain a pasta food product with a given moisture content.

Preferably, mixing step a) produces a dough with a water content of 36% to 37.1% by weight. of the total mass of the dough, more preferably from 36.7% to 37% of the mass. from the total mass of the dough.

Most preferably, this mixing step a) produces a dough with a water content of about 37% by weight. from the total mass of the dough.

Preferably, in accordance with the present invention, the expression "flour suitable for the production of pasta" most often means semolina flour or flour, more preferably semolina or semolato durum wheat flour. In accordance with alternative embodiments of the present invention, this flour may be a flour containing flour, possibly pre-made from refined legumes, or a mixture of the latter with semolina flour, wherein said flour, possibly pre-prepared from refined legumes, may consist of flour from one or more legumes selected from peas, fava beans, lentils, chickpeas and mixtures thereof, preferably lentil and/or chickpea flour.

In particular, in accordance with the present invention, the term "pasta" will be used to refer to a product that is completely similar to "durum semolina pasta" as defined in the legislation mentioned in the prior art, in terms of moisture content, consistency and cooking time, although they do not comply with the requirements of the said legislation, which provides for the use of this name only for products containing at least 50% semolina durum wheat flour.

In accordance with the present invention, the term "mixture" or "mixing" means a mixing step under the action of a mechanical element suitable for this purpose, carried out under specified air temperature and humidity conditions, when the selected ingredients, among which the specified flour and water, are mixed, followed by hydration starch with the possible formation of gluten, until a homogeneous elastic dough with a given moisture content is formed.

In accordance with the present invention, the term "kneading" means the stage in which the dough is processed to obtain optimal consistency and pliability.

According to the present invention, the above steps a), b) and c) of mixing, kneading and extruding can be performed within the same device, i.e. using the same extruder.

Preferably thanks to the mixing step a), which produces a dough with a precisely defined water content, and also thanks to the extrusion step c, which uses a spun plate insert with special surface characteristics provided by the material from which said insert is made, i.e. polyoxymethylene copolymer, the method according to the present invention allows the production of pasta with optimal surface roughness and amazing al dente hardness when cooked.

In particular, as will be shown below with reference to the detailed description, the present method allows the production of pasta with an intermediate surface roughness, which is between the surface roughness of pasta extruded through a polytetrafluoroethylene insert and pasta extruded through a bronze insert.

Conveniently, the pasta that can be obtained after drying step d) has a surface roughness _Ra of 3.5 µm to 6 µm, preferably 4.5 µm to 5.7 µm, calculated according to the ISO method 16610-21.

Preferably, the pasta food product having such surface roughness values _Ra provides good adhesion of the sauce with which the pasta food product is prepared in accordance with the tradition.

In particular, these surface roughness values R _a cause good adhesion of especially thin and watery sauces such as tomato sauces.

In addition, as will be seen below with reference to the detailed description, after traditional cooking in boiling water, the pasta food product obtained by the present method has improved consistency and al dente hardness characteristics when cooked compared to the same product obtained by extrusion through an insert. made of bronze.

Preferably, the above mixing step a) is carried out at a temperature of 20°C to 50°C, more preferably 30°C to 40°C, for a time of 20 to 30 minutes.

In addition, the mixing step a) can be carried out by rotating at least one screw of said extruder at a speed of 15 to 25 rpm.

Equally preferably, in the above-mentioned extrusion step c) the spun plate insert is made from a polyoxymethylene copolymer having a notched impact strength of 7 to 10 kJ/m, more preferably 7.5 kJ/m to 8.5 kJ/m , in accordance with the DIN EN ISO 179-1eA method (for Charpy test; max. 7.5 J, distance between supports 64 mm, standard sample).

Extrusion step c) is preferably carried out under partial vacuum conditions, more preferably at a pressure of -500 mm Hg. to -700 mmHg, more preferably -600 mmHg. to -670 mmHg, even more preferably from -600 mmHg. up to -650 mm Hg.

As partly mentioned above, according to a preferred embodiment of the present method, extrusion step c) can be carried out using an extruder, in particular an extruder comprising at least one endless screw which is capable of moving said dough towards said insert, said endless screw rotates at a speed of 15 to 25 rpm.

Preferably, during the above-mentioned step d) of drying the pasta, a food product is obtained with a moisture content of less than or equal to 12.5% by weight, more preferably from 10% to 12% by weight. even more preferably from 10% to 11% by weight. of the total weight of the food product.

Preferably, the process of the present invention produces a food product with moisture characteristics that allow it to be stored for an extended period of at least 6 months, preferably at least 12 months, at room temperature and in a fresh, dry environment.

Preferably, drying step d) is carried out at a temperature of from 50°C to 90°C, more preferably from 70°C to 85°C.

Equally preferably, the drying step d) may be preceded by at least one partial surface drying or "drying" step, during which the extruded dough is partially dried from its surface by hot air streams, the temperature of these hot air streams preferably being from 50° C. to 90°C.

The above-mentioned technical problem is also solved by a pasta food product produced by the method according to the present invention having a surface roughness _Ra of 3.5 μm to 6 μm, preferably 4.5 μm to 5.7 μm, calculated in accordance with the procedure ISO 16610-21, and moisture content less than or equal to 12.5% by weight. based on the total weight of said food product, preferably from 10 to 12% by weight, more preferably from 10 to 11% by weight. from the total weight of the specified food product.

This pasta food product is dry pasta or preferably dry pasta slabs.

More preferably, the pasta food product is dry pasta made from semolina durum wheat flour.

The pasta food product according to the present invention has the advantage of having a certain roughness and al dente hardness when cooked, as described above with reference to the method of the present invention, and after traditional cooking in boiling water, the product is particularly suitable for holding sauces and dressings on its surface, which is certainly ensured by a more effective method according to the present invention compared to the method providing pasta that was extruded through a Teflon insert and cooked according to the same conditions, and also the pasta food product according to the present invention has a good consistency in taste, which is higher than that of pasta extruded through a bronze insert.

The present invention will be further described in the detailed description of the invention with reference to certain illustrative embodiments, which are presented below by way of illustrative and non-limiting example.

Brief description of drawings

In FIG. 1 shows three different types of pasta, of which the first type of pasta is obtained by the method according to the present invention (Fig. 1, A), the second type of pasta is obtained by extrusion through a Teflon insert (Fig. 1, B), and the third type of pasta (Fig. 1, C) was obtained by extrusion through a bronze insert.

Detailed Description of the Invention

As stated above, the method according to the present invention has proven to be particularly effective in the production of pasta food product with specific surface roughness characteristics.

In particular, according to a preferred embodiment and with reference to the following examples, the present method makes it possible to obtain semolina durum wheat pasta with a surface roughness _Ra between the value typically obtained by extruding semolina and water dough through a spun plate insert, made of Teflon, and the value obtained by extruding the same dough through a spun plate insert made of bronze.

It is known that pasta extruded through a Teflon insert has a surface roughness _Ra value that is typically about 1 µm, while pasta extruded through a bronze insert has a surface roughness _Ra value of from about 7 µm to about 9 µm.

Preferably, as mentioned above with reference to the summary of the invention, the present method produces a finished product with a surface roughness _Ra value ranging from about 3.5 μm to about 6 μm.

Example 1a - Method for producing pasta according to the invention

In a continuous process, during mixing step a) of the present method, 3705 kg of semolina durum wheat flour having a moisture content of 13.5% to 15.5% by weight and 1371 kg of water are fed into a twin screw extruder.

After mixing, the total water content of the dough was 37% by weight. from the total mass of the dough.

The extruder used, supplied by Pavan, was suitably equipped with a spun plate insert made from polyoxymethylene copolymer of the Tecaform AH type, produced by Ensinger.

The dough was subjected to mixing by rotating the extruder screws in such a way as to perform first stage a) mixing, then stage b) kneading using the same device.

During mixing step a) the extruder screws were rotated at 20 rpm for a time of approximately 25 minutes.

Extrusion step c) was then carried out by extruding the dough through a polyoxymethylene copolymer insert under partial vacuum conditions, more precisely at a pressure of -660 mm Hg. Art.

The continuous strand of spaghetti dough thus extruded was cut and, immediately after deposition, subjected to a first drying step using a stream of hot air.

This was followed by further drying steps and a drying step inside a conventional continuous dryer with multiple zones located at a temperature of from about 70°C to 85°C.

Finally, the dried pasta thus obtained was cooled according to the method of the present invention.

The moisture content of the dry pasta obtained in this way was 10.5% by weight. of their total mass.

The product was a pale and slightly opaque yellow color.

Example 1b - Method for producing pasta not in accordance with the invention

Two different batches of dough were prepared by mixing semolina durum wheat flour and water.

The first batch of dough was prepared by mixing 4000 kg of semolina durum wheat flour (the same batch of semolina was used in example 1a) with a moisture content of 13.5% to 15.5% by weight. with 1360 kg of water, obtaining a dough with a total water content of 34% by weight. from the total mass of the dough.

The second batch of dough was prepared by mixing 3100 kg of semolina durum wheat flour (the same batch of semolina was used in example 1a) with a moisture content of 13.5% to 15.5% by weight. with 1029 kg of water, obtaining a dough with a total water content of 33.2% wt. from the total mass of the dough.

From the first portion of dough and from the second portion of dough, a first grade of pasta not according to the invention and a second grade of pasta not according to the invention were obtained, respectively, the first grade being obtained by extrusion through a Teflon insert, and the second by extrusion through a bronze insert.

As can be seen from the following Table 1, the production process for pasta of the first type and the second type of non-inventive pasta, respectively, was carried out using steps and technical specifications that were identical to those adopted for the production process in example 1a.

The pasta extruded through the Teflon insert was yellowish in color and had an apparently smooth and shiny outer surface. In contrast, pasta extruded through a bronze insert was straw-yellow in color and completely opaque.

Process parameters and comparative evaluation of pasta obtained in example 1a and example 1b

The following is Table 1, which shows the process parameters used in Examples 1a and 1b, and also shows the moisture content of the products thus obtained, as indicated above.

Then the final characteristics of the various types of pasta obtained in accordance with examples 1a and 1b were calculated. First, the surface roughness of the product was calculated according to the experimental method ISO 16610-21.

The surface roughness R _a , surface roughness R _z and roughness R _total were also calculated, i.e. the maximum distance between the highest peak and the deepest valley along a specified length of the surface being examined.

As is known, these three parameters together comprehensively describe the shape of the surface of the product.

Then the consistency of the product was calculated after cooking for 13 minutes in unsalted boiling water. The analysis was carried out using the TPA2 procedure, Texture Profile Analysis, in accordance with the AACCI experimental method, Method 66-50.01 (“Pasta and Noodle Cooking Quality”), which can be used to determine the force applied by the blade , necessary for complete compression, i.e. compression of the finished product by 90%.

The experimental results found are shown in the following Table 2.

As you can see, pasta obtained using the present method, i.e. according to example 1a, had a surface roughness R _a equal to 5.65 μm, i.e. quite satisfactory roughness R _a , which is intermediate between the roughness R _a of pasta extruded through a Teflon insert, equal to 1.13 μm, and pasta extruded through a bronze insert, equal to 7.52 μm.

In addition, after cooking and analysis using the TPA2 method, the pasta obtained in accordance with example 1 showed absolutely optimal consistency values, comparable to the values for the pasta extruded through a Teflon insert, obtained in accordance with example 1b.

The normalized F90 value calculated for the pasta obtained in Example 1 was 7.02 N/mm, where 7.6 N/mm was the normalized F90 value calculated for the Teflon extruded pasta obtained in Example 1b, and 6.27 N/mm - normalized F90 value for pasta extruded through a bronze insert.

The experimental values calculated regarding the consistency of the pasta obtained in example 1a were also confirmed by a taste test, from which it was found that the consistency to taste of the pasta obtained in example 1a, traditionally cooked in boiling water, was slightly lower or comparable to consistency of pasta extruded through a Teflon insert, obtained in example 1b.

Example 2 - Method for producing pasta not in accordance with the invention

Two different batches of dough were prepared by mixing semolina durum wheat flour and water.

The first batch of dough was prepared by mixing 3705 kg of semolina durum wheat flour (the same batch of semolina was used in example 1a), having a moisture content of 13.5% to 15.5% by weight, with 1263 kg of water, obtaining a dough with a total content water equal to 34.1% wt. from the total mass of the dough.

The second batch of dough was prepared by mixing 3560 kg of semolina durum wheat flour (the same batch of semolina was used in example 1a), having a moisture content of 13.5% to 15.5% by weight, with 1221 kg of water, obtaining a dough with a total content water equal to 34.3% wt. from the total mass of the dough.

From the first portion of dough and from the second portion of dough, a third type of pasta, not in accordance with the present invention, and a fourth type of pasta, not in accordance with the present invention, were respectively obtained, the third type of pasta being produced by extrusion through a POM-S insert, which is identical insert used in example 1a, and the fourth type of pasta is extruded through a Teflon insert, which is identical to the insert used in example 1b.

As can be seen from the following Table 3, the production process of the third type and fourth type of non-inventive pasta, respectively, was carried out using steps and specifications that were completely similar to each other.

Process parameters and roughness evaluation of different types of non-inventive pasta obtained in Example 2

The following is Table 3, which shows the process parameters used in Example 2, as well as the moisture content of the products thus obtained.

(Consistency=pressure measured at the extrusion head)

After this, the final characteristics of the various types of pasta obtained in Example 2 were calculated.

First, the surface roughness of the pasta was calculated according to the experimental method ISO 16610-21.

The surface roughness _Ra , surface roughness _Rz and roughness _Rtot were calculated.

The experimental results thus obtained are listed in the following Table 4.

The pasta products obtained by extrusion through a polyoxymethylene copolymer spun plate insert in example 2 had a roughness _Ra equal to 6.83 μm, i.e. higher than the roughness _Ra calculated for the pasta according to the invention obtained in example 1a, and it is clearly outside the roughness _Ra limit of 3.5-6 μm.

As can be seen, the value of roughness _Ra calculated for the third type of pasta not according to the invention obtained in example 2 is very far from the value of roughness _Ra calculated for the fourth type of pasta not according to the invention obtained in example 2, but this value roughness R _a is completely comparable with the value of roughness R _a calculated for pasta extruded through a bronze insert obtained in example 16.

To summarize, in the light of the roughness tests carried out on the varieties of pasta obtained in Example 2, it can be stated that the pasta obtained by a process similar to the method according to the invention, but in which, at the mixing stage, semolina and water are obtained from durum wheat flour dough with a moisture content below 35% by weight of the total weight of the dough, said pasta does not show acceptable signs of roughness, i.e. do not show intermediate roughness between pasta extruded through Teflon and bronze inserts.

Claims (15)

1. A method for producing a pasta food product, including the following stages: a) mixing water and flour from durum wheat semolina or semolato, obtaining dough with a water content of 35 to 37.5 wt.% of the total weight of said dough; b) kneading the dough; c) extrusion of the kneaded dough by extrusion through a spun plate insert made of polyoxymethylene copolymer; d) drying the extruded dough to obtain a pasta food product with a moisture content less than or equal to 12.5 wt.% of the total weight of the specified food product. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that at said mixing stage a) a dough is obtained with a water content of from 36 to 37.1 wt.% of the total mass of said dough, preferably from 36.7 to 37 wt.% of the total mass of the specified dough. 3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said mixing step a) is carried out at a temperature of 20 to 50 °C, preferably 30 to 40 °C, for a time of 20 to 30 minutes. 4. A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said extrusion step c) is carried out under conditions of partial vacuum, preferably at a pressure of -500 to -700 mmHg. Art., more preferably from -600 to -670 mm Hg. Art. 5. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said extrusion step c) is carried out using an extruder containing at least one endless screw configured to move the dough to said spun plate insert, said at least one endless the auger rotates at a speed of 15 to 25 rpm. 6. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that at the specified drying stage d) pasta is obtained with a moisture content of from 10 to 11 wt.% of the total weight of the specified food product. 7. Method according to any of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that said drying step d) is carried out at a temperature from 50 to 90 °C, preferably from 70 to 85 °C. 8. A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said drying step d) is preceded by at least one partial surface drying step, during which said extruded dough is partially dried from its surface using a stream of hot air, wherein said stream of hot air preferably has a temperature of 50 to 90 °C. 9. Pasta food product obtained by the method according to any of the preceding paragraphs, having a surface roughness R _a from 3.5 to 6 μm, preferably from 4.5 to 5.7 μm, calculated in accordance with the method of ISO 16610-21, while said pasta food product is dry pasta with a moisture content less than or equal to 12.5 wt.% of the total weight of said food product. 10. A pasta food product according to claim 9, characterized in that said pasta food product has a moisture content of 10 to 12 wt.%, preferably 10 to 11 wt.% of the total weight of said food product. 11. Pasta food product according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that said pasta food product is dry pasta made from semolina durum wheat flour.