Carboxymethyl cellulose and psyllium husk in gluten-free pasta

Abstract

Formulating high-quality pasta from wheat-free materials is a technological challenge. We aimed to make gluten-free pasta with carboxymethyl cellulose and psyllium husk and evaluate their effect on the quality of the final product. Gluten-free pasta was produced from rice flour, white corn flour, potato starch, soy protein isolate, and carboxymethyl cellulose or psyllium husk used as binding agents. Then, we evaluated the effect of these hydrocolloids on the color, texture, cooking quality, and sensory characteristics of the product. The uncooked gluten-free pasta containing psyllium husk showed significantly higher values of hardness compared to the samples with carboxymethyl cellulose, while the cooked pasta with psyllium husk had a significantly lower nitrogen loss. Also, psyllium husk improved the texture of the cooked gluten-free pasta, providing the highest values of resilience, springiness, and chewiness. Generally, the psyllium husk samples received higher quality values for texture, cooking quality, and sensory parameters, compared to the pasta with carboxymethyl cellulose. Psyllium husk showed a better ability to bind gluten-free pasta than carboxymethyl cellulose. Consequently, psyllium husk could become a feasible alternative to wheat gluten in producing high-quality gluten-free pasta.