The present study compared whole grain teff flours grown in Ethiopia (ETF) and South Africa (STF) for their chemical composition (proximate, mineral, and amino acid) and pasting, thermal, and functional properties. The proximate composition of flours was determined using methods of the European Commission Regulation (152/2009). Atomic Spectrometer, ion-exchange chromatography, Rapid Visco-Analyzer (RVA), and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) were used to measure minerals, amino acids, pasting, and thermal properties, respectively. The inter-relationships of the measured attributes were determined using Pearson correlation and principal component analysis (PCA). Significant (p < .05) differences in most of the evaluated properties were found between ETF and STF. However, several significant (p < .01) correlations were observed among the measured attributes of flours as revealed by Pearson correlation and PCA. Significantly (p < .05) higher contents of moisture (11.2 g/100 g flour), protein (13.3 g/100 g flour), and zinc (34.6 mg/kg) were found in STF, whereas significantly (p < .05) higher contents of calcium (1306 mg/kg) and iron (363 mg/kg) were perceived in ETF. The ETF was observed to have higher foam stability (71 mL/100 mL initial foam), water absorption capacity (1.1 g/g), oil absorption capacity (0.9 g/g), and swelling power (6.4 g/g) as compared to STF. Observations from thermal and pasting properties revealed that onset, peak and end temperatures, trough, final and set back viscosities, including peak time (6.3 min), and pasting temperature (90 °C) were found to be higher in the case of STF. In conclusion, findings of this study would contribute to the selection of teff for the development of healthier food products to meet the current consumer preferences .

Due to its “generally recognized as safe status” (GRAS) and moderate treatment temperatures, non-thermal plasma (NTP) has lately been considered a suitable replacement for chemicals in the modification of food properties and for preserving food quality. One of the promising areas for the application of NTP is the treatment of wheat flour, leading to improved flour properties and product quality and consequently to higher customer satisfaction. In the present research, the German wheat flour type 550, equivalent to all-purpose flour, was treated using NTP in a rotational reactor to determine the influence of short treatment times (≤5 min) on the properties of flour (moisture and fat content, protein, starch, color, microbial activity, and enzymes), dough (visco-elastic properties, starch, wet and dry gluten, and water absorption), and baking products (color, freshness, baked volume, crumb structure, softness, and elasticity). Based on the properties of NTP, it was expected that even very short treatment times would have a significant effect on the flour particles, which could positively affect the quality of the final baking product. Overall, the experimental analysis showed a positive effect of NTP treatment of wheat flour, e.g., decreased water activity value (8% after 5 min. treatment); dough extensibility increased (ca. 30% after 3 min treatment); etc. Regarding the baking product, further positive effects were detected, e.g., enhanced product volume (>9%), improved crumb whiteness/decreased crumb yellowness, softening of breadcrumb without a change in elasticity, and limited microorganism and enzymatic activity. Furthermore, no negative effects on the product quality were observed, even though further food quality tests are required. The presented experimental research confirms the overall positive influence of NTP treatment, even for very low treatment times, on wheat flour and its products. The presented findings are significant for the potential implementation of this technique on an industrial level.