Enhancing the Quality of Gluten-Free Noodles Through Taro Pulp Supplementation: Effects of Pulping Time and Addition...

The global demand for gluten-free (GF) foods has significantly increased due to the rising prevalence of celiac disease. However, challenges related to the textural quality and nutritional deficiencies of GF products remain notable. This study examined the effects of incorporating taro pulp (TP), considering factors of pulping time (3, 6, 9 min) and the addition levels (15%, 20%, 25%) of TP, on the rheological properties of dough and the textural, structural, and cooking properties of GF noodles. The results indicated that TP worked as both a textural enhancer and a nutritional fortifier, and pulping time and TP addition levels had a synergistic effect on the quality of GF noodles. The higher TP incorporation levels led to a dilution effect, reducing both the storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G″) of the dough. In addition, moderate TP addition (15%-20%) enhanced textural uniformity and cooking performance, with 20% TP reducing cooking loss by 41% (p < 0.01). In contrast, excessive TP (25%) disrupted starch networks, increasing hardness (p < 0.05). TP6-20 (6-min pulping, 20% TP) emerged as the optimal formulation, delivering an 83% increase in total phenolic content (TPC) (p < 0.05) and 50% higher DPPH radical scavenging activity compared to the control (p < 0.05). TP supplementation also altered the starch crystallinity and short-range ordered structure and enhanced digestibility. These findings offered valuable insights into the development of GF noodles with TP.