Fats impart taste and texture to the product but it is susceptible to oxidation leading to the development of rancidity and off-flavor. Since ancient times it has been in practice to use antioxidants in foods. Discovery of synthetic antioxidants has revolutionized the use of antioxidants in food. The effect of these antioxidants in bakery products were reviewed and found to be effective in enhancing the shelf life. Animal experimental studies have shown that some of the synthetic antioxidants had toxigenic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic effects. Hence there is an increasing demand for the use of natural antioxidants in foods, especially in bakery products. Some of the natural antioxidants such as α-tocopherol, β-carotene, and ascorbic acid were already used in bakery products. These natural antioxidants are found to be effective in enhancing the shelf life of bakery products but not to the extent of synthetic antioxidants. Baking processing steps may lower the antioxidative activity but techniques such as encapsulation of antioxidants can retain their activity. Antioxidative activity of the plant extracts such as garcinia, curcumin, vanillins, and mint were reviewed but studies on their role in bakery products were limited or very few. Hence there is a wide scope for study under this direction in depth.
1 November 2001 in European Food Research and Technology
Pasta is prepared using dough made from any suitable material such as semolina, durum flour, farina flour, corn, rice, wheat, or any combination of these, with water. Also, pasta can be enriched, supplemented, fortified, or remain conventional. In recent years, several ingredients and additives have been developed and are being used to improve the quality of pasta made from aestivum or durum wheat. Here we analyze how the different ingredients play an important role in pasta manufacture by enhancing nutritional parameters, palatability, and overall product quality.