Effect of heat-moisture treatment for utilization of germinated brown rice in wheat noodle

Effect of heat-moisture treatment of germinated brown rice (GBR) on the texture and cooking quality of the noodles containing mixtures of wheat and GBR flours was investigated. With the increase in GBR content, hardness and tensile strength of the composite noodles decreased and cooking loss and water absorption increased. Pasting viscosity of the flour mixtures was significantly decreased by increasing the amount of GBR. Heat-moisture treatment of GBR (17 or 20 g/100 g moisture at 100 °C for 4 h), however, apparently increased the pasting viscosity and improved the texture and cooking quality of the composite noodles. The mixture of wheat and a treated GBR (1:1 weight ratio) showed a pasting viscosity similar to pure wheat flour. The noodle containing the heat-moisture treated GBR flours showed the lower cooking loss, and higher hardness and tensile strength than the noodle containing untreated counterparts. Among the treated GBR flours tested, the GBR treated at 100 °C for 4 h at a moisture level of 17 g/100 g was the most acceptable in terms of cooking quality and textural property, close to those of the noodle of pure wheat flour. Substitution with the heat-moisture treated GBR, however, made the noodle darker because of thermal discoloration of GBR.