Ordered structural changes of retrograded instant rice noodles during the long-term storage

Temperature-induced textural, cooking properties and structural variations of retrograded instant rice noodles (IRN) during the long-term storage were systematically investigated. IRN samples stored at 4 °C exhibited a relative high cooking loss (2.45 %), and their hardness values gradually increased with prolonged storage. Moreover, the higher storage temperature (35 °C) accelerated the deterioration of IRN texture. Fresh IRN displayed a typical B-type XRD pattern with 9.65 % relative crystallinity (RC). During the initial 2 weeks of storage, the formation of a long-range ordered structure led to an increase in RC, which was closely related to the duration and temperature of storage (ranging from 4 °C to 25 °C to 35 °C). Over the 12-week storage period, there was likely a disorganization of the supra-molecular structure, as evidenced by the considerably decreased RC and reduced water mobility. Furthermore, Pearson's correlation analysis highlighted that the tight integration between starch molecules and water molecules endowed IRN samples with enhanced smoothness and tenderness in flavor profiles. Hence, the study is expected to provide a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying molecular order changes in retrograded starch gel products during the long-term storage.