Pasta moisture content

Fig. 4.7.8 Moisture distribution in lasagna three sheets. The image data at one time point pasta as a function of distance from the surface is shown by the insert. The lighter gray is to the center (0.1 cm). The moisture profiles directly proportional to moisture content and are extracted from the central sheet of a set of occurs at the edge of the pasta sheet.

Several applications can be found in literature regarding the use of NIR for the paediction of the main physical and rheological parameters of pasta and bread. De Temmerman et al. in 2007 proposed near-infrared (NIR) reflectance spectroscopy for in-line determination of moisture concentrations in semolina pasta immediately after the extrusion process. Several pasta samples with different moisture concentrations were extruded while the reflectance spectra between 308 and 1704 ran were measured. An adequate prediction model was developed based on the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method using leave-one-out cross-validation. Good results were obtained with R2 = 0,956 and very low level of RMSECV. This creates opportunities for measuring the moisture content with a low-cost sensor. 

High moisture content pasta placed in a carbon dioxide-nitrogen atmosphere within a moisture-barrier package has an extended shelf life to abont six weeks - such packages include packets containing iron-based compounds, which mst and thns absorb oxygen out of the package. 

To date, only microwave hot-air dryers used principally in flnish drying processes to level-off the moisture content in pasta, crackers or chips, and microwave vacuum dryers custom-made to specific product requirements, are available commercially (Ratti, 2008). Good microwave-assisted drying equipment should have a uniform distribution of the microwave field, provide a movement of the material to be dried, keep the microwave field strength in the drying chamber lower than the dielectric breakdovm strength, and possess an economic dehumidification system. 

Drying. The newly shaped pieces of pasta are carefully dried under strictly controlled conditions to bring the moisture content down to between 12 and 13%. 

TGA has also been used in the analysis of moisture and ash content of flours, and the moisture content of pasta, coffee and powdered milk. 

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