Long-term storage and temperature induced quality changes of industrial-scale wet starch noodles

Wet starch noodle (moisture content: 51.38 +/- 1.29%) as a retrograded starch-gel product was produced on an industrial scale and investigated to learn the role of long-term storage and storage temperature in its water characteristics, physicochemical properties, sensorial properties and structure changes. During twelve weeks' storage, moisture content, hardness, water absorption index, brightness, and overall acceptability of wet starch noodles dwindled with increasing storage time, accompanied by the increased cooking loss and water mobility transformation from "freezable" to "un-freezable". In particular, storage temperature was found to have significant correlations with moisture loss, textural performance and appearance color of wet starch noodles during long-term storage. Although refrigeration temperature increased the color stability of wet starch noodles, it would weaken the internal linkage strength and increase cooking loss and broken noodles. Comparatively, wet starch noodles stored at 25 degrees C exhibited more ordered arrays and smooth cross-section evidenced by SEM, as well as favorable sensorial properties after twelve weeks' storage. These findings provide beneficial insights into storage stability of wet starch noodles and its correlation with storage temperature, thus giving guiding information for manufacturers and suppliers in selecting of appropriate storage conditions for this industrial-scale product.