Enhancing the physicochemical qualities and consumer acceptability of rice noodles through yeast fermentation

Fermented rice noodles (FRN) are popular in many Asian countries due to their extraordinary flavor and mouthfeel. However, they havea short shelf life, inconsistent texture and sensory properties caused by uncontrolled microbial activity during fermentation. Furthermore, the lack of gluten contributes to their weak texture due to reduced cohesion and extensibility. The impact of yeast fermentation on the cooking, textural properties, microstructure, and consumer acceptability of cooked rice noodles (RN) was investigated. Yeast fermentation significantly enhanced the overall quality of cooked RN. FRN had a lower pH than conventional rice noodles (CRN), owing to the organic acids produced during fermentation. Notably, FRN subjected to a 3-hour fermentation period (FRN3) achieved the highest cooking yield, shortest optimum cooking time, and lowest cooking loss among all RN samples. This achievement is linked to the creation of multiple irregularly sized pores within the starch network, resulting from carbon dioxide generation and starch hydrolysis by microbial metabolites during yeast fermentation. Yeast fermentation decreased lightness and increased yellowness in RN, altering their color attributes. FRN3 earned the highest score for overall acceptability in sensory evaluations due to its superior appearance, taste, and texture. These findings open new avenues for future research on using yeast starter culture to enhance rice products and contribute to developing improved RN products with desirable sensory and textural properties.