THE EFFECT OF HEAT AND SHEAR ON THE VISCOELASTIC PROPERTIES OF SOY FLOUR DOUGH

This paper is concerned with the effect of heat and shear on the rheological properties of defatted soy dispersions and doughs of 30 to 60% flour by weight. Capillary and rotary rheometers (Rheometrics Mechanical Spectrometer) were used to heat doughs up to 75° C and shear them simultaneously. In one series of experiments using a modified Instron capillary rheometer the doughs were heated to several different temperatures and then sheared. The linear viscoelastic properties of the dough which were determined by means of a plate-plate rheometer were then compared to the fresh dough and those of a heated but nonsheared dough. In another experiment a cone-and-plate rheometer was used to heat and shear the dough. The linear viscoelastic response of the dough was used to monitor any changes as it was heated and sheared. It was observed that only in the higher moisture dispersions (i.e., moisture contents greater than 50%) were there any signs of an increase in rheological properties which might be associated with “cooking”. It was concluded that cooking of soy flour doughs most likely does not involve the formation of a permanent network formed by covalent chemical bonds. Hence, in extrusion cooking processes involving soy flour doughs, it may not be necessary to treat the rheological properties of the dough as a thermosetting system.