Instant noodles: Classification and processing

Noodles are long thin piece of food made from a mixture of flour, water and eggs usually cooked in soup or boiling water. An instant noodle is a food item made from unleavened dough that is made from different types of ingredients.

According to Codex definition, instant Noodle is a product prepared from wheat flour and/or rice flour and/or other flours and/or starches as the main ingredient, with or without the addition of other ingredients. It may be treated by alkaline agents. It is characterized by the use of pre-gelatinization process and dehydration either by frying or by other methods.

Instant noodles appeared to have originated in Japan in the 1950s and today, are consumed in more than 80 countries, become internationally recognized food. Noodle industry supplies 95.4 billion servings annually to consumers throughout the world, and the demands are on the rise.

Instant noodles are made from wheat flour, starch, water, salt or kan sui (an alkaline salt mixture of sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, and sodium phosphate), and other ingredients that improve the texture and flavor of noodles.

The properties of instant noodles like taste, nutrition, convenience, safety, longer shelf-life, and reasonable price have made them popular. Quality factors important for instant noodles are color, flavor, and texture, cooking quality, rehydration rates during final preparation, and the presence or absence of rancid taste after extended storage. Instant noodles can then help in shortening preparation times and produce good quality results, while maintaining nutritional values.

Instant noodles are classified into two types on the basis of methods used for the removal of moisture, i.e., instant dried noodles and instant fried noodles.

Instant dried noodles are produced in a fully automatic production line similar to the type used for steamed and deep-fried noodles, except that a continuous drying chamber replaces the deep fryer, using hot air as the drying medium.

Frying the noodles in oil at 140-160 ºC for 1-2 minutes decreases the moisture content of noodles to about 2–5%, whereas in hot air-dried noodles, it is about 8–12%.

While any edible oil is suitable for frying, palm oil or palm olein is often used in Asia and mixtures of canola, cottonseed, and palm oils are commonly used in North America. The process leads to shrinkage and raises the level of porosity and roughness. The moisture contained in the gelatinized starch granules evaporates due to the high temperature. The empty spaces previously occupied by the moisture are next partially filled with oil

In hot air drying, the noodles are held at 70-90 ºC for 30-40 minutes to achieve an 8-12% moisture content.

The heating during frying or hot air drying further gelatinizes the starch and the noodles attain a porous texture, which facilitates rehydration process while cooking the product.

Instant noodles are commercially available in two packaged forms - in a cup with the seasoning sprinkled over the noodles or in a pouch (or bag) with the seasoning provided in a sachet inside the pouch.
Instant noodles: Classification and processing

General view of bacterial toxin

Toxins are powerful pathogenicity factors produced by certain bacteria, fungi, animals, and plants which mediate drastic interactions of these pathogens on the organism host. Notably, bacterial toxins were the first compounds which were identified as responsible for severe bacterial diseases in man and animals.

Bacterial toxigenesis is a major mechanism by which pathogenic bacteria produce diseases. They produce two kinds of toxins, lipopolysaccharides and protein toxins. Lipopolysaccharides are cell-associated toxins released after disruption of the cell (endotoxins), whereas protein toxins are synthesized inside the cells and then released to the target cells.

Endotoxins are associated with Gram-negative bacteria and form part of their cell wall structures. More specifically, endotoxins refer to the lipopolysaccharide complex associated with the outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria.

The toxins are usually liberated from the organism by lysis, but some are shed with outer membrane proteins in outer membrane vesicles.

Bacterial toxins are the most powerful poisons produced in the nature, and are known to retain a very high level of activity at high dilutions. Bacterial toxins proteins capable of achieving multiple remarkable tasks. They function as autonomous molecular devices, targeting specific cells in an organism, punching holes in their membranes, or modifying intracellular components. Intoxication processes involve highly specialized steps of great complexity.

Toxins may damage the eukaryotic cell mem brane by combining with some structural component, or otherwise alter its function. Many toxins combine with specific receptors on the surface membrane, frequently glycoproteins or gangliosides, and penetrate the cell to reach their intracellular target. A common mechanism of entry is absorptive endocytosis.

Structurally, bacterial toxins seem to display some unconventional strategies. For example, toxins may have structurally and functionally identical domains but containing different binding domains (Diphtheria toxin and Pseudomonas ExoA), or could have similar binding domains but different catalytic domains.
General view of bacterial toxin

Glycoproteins: Definition and functions

Glycoproteins occur in fungi, green plants, viruses, bacteria and in higher animal cells where they serve a variety of functions. They are presents in extra- and intracellular fluids, connective tissue and cell membranes.

Glycoproteins together with glycolipids constitute the family of glycoconjugates, a term introduced in 1972. The structural glycoproteins are protein having one or more heterosaccharides chains. The protein moiety is quantitatively the most important constituent.

Connective tissue glycoproteins, such as the collagens and proteoglycans of various animal species, are structural elements as are the cell wall glycoproteins of yeast and green plants.

The class of glycoproteins includes a large number of biologically active substances such as enzymes, hormones, and immunoglobulins as well as structured components of blood vessels and skin. The protein in milk and egg white contain carbohydrates as do most of the serum proteins.

The diverse biological functions that these macromolecules perform, include among others, enzymatic catalysis, hormonal control, immunological protection, ion transport, blood clotting, lubrication, surface protection, structural support, cell adhesion, intercellular interaction.
Glycoproteins: Definition and functions

Introduction to macrominerals

Major minerals also celled macrominerals, are distinguished from the trace minerals also called microminerals or microelements, by their abundance in the body.

The minerals present at levels more than 0.05 per cent on the human body are defined as macro minerals. They are required in amounts of 100 mg/day or more.

Macrominerals are:
Calcium
Phosphorus
Magnesium
Sodium
Chlorine
Potassium
Sulfur
Iron

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body, which makes up of about 1.5% - 2% of the body weight.

Sodium, chloride and potassium are also classified as electrolytes in that they function in their ionic forms.
Introduction to macrominerals

Natural food flavor classification

Natural flavor is obtained by physical separation, enzymatic process or microbial process for vegetable or animal sources, either in the raw state of after processing including drying, torrefaction and fermentation.

Natural food flavor generally may classify into three distinct groups:
*Low flavor impact – It would be a longer term, lesser-defined character of less recognizable nuance or character.

*Medium flavor impact

*High flavor impact – it would be immediately of recognition of particular nuance or character.

Impact is the time-oriented degree of perception. The flavor impact of a product is a measure of the speed of perception of volatile aroma.

Those in the group in the first, form the basis of a staple diet providing a full range of protein, fats, carbohydrate and vitamins necessary to maintain the body in good health.

Those in the second group occupy half way place in that they are usually eaten in the natural state either as part of a meal to produce entirely different flavor sensation the mouth, or at other times as a snack.

Food flavors may be classified in many ways; but from the point of view of their chemistry.

The most realistic classification is that based on their mode of formation either naturally by biogenetic pathways from known precursors or by processing in which biological ,chemical or physical conditions are imposed on natural or artificial start materials.
Natural food flavor classification

The Importance and Classification of Food Flavor

Flavors represent a class of food additives that has had comparatively little legislation. This is probably due to the relatively large number of ingredients used in flavoring, the very small quantities involved and the difficulties of regulating added substances by analytical methods.

The flavor of food is all important. Much of our diet by itself is unattractive, unappetizing and often so lacking in intrinsic flavor.

If the aroma and flavor is enticing and satisfying to the eater then it is digested better and results in an overall feeling of satisfaction.

Sensory information obtained from the interaction of fragrance and flavor molecules with olfactory and taste receptor are processed in defined cerebral areas, resulting in perception.

It does not matter how the is look and how balanced nutritionally it is, if it does not smell and taste goods then these essential reflexes are not activated and eating remains mere chore rather than the positive pleasure which it should be.

Although food acceptance in humans is determined mainly by appearance and texture, flavor is nevertheless also important. Spices are added to food not for theory nutritional value, but for their taste and flavor.

The flavor of any food product, confectionary or beverage will depend upon all ingredients used in its preparation and the nature of processing involved.

Flavors may classified in many ways, but from the point of view of their chemistry, the most realistic classification is that based on their mode of formation, either naturally by biosynthetic pathways from known precursors, or by processing in which biological, chemical or physical condition are imposed on natural or artificial starting me trials.

They also can be classified as:
-Prime ingredients
-Flavorings
-Colorings
-Additives or stabilizer

Favors can be classified by the general sensations that one fells when eating different foods. It is generally agreed that taste sensations are divided into four major categories: saltiness, sweetness, sourness and bitterness.

However food flavors are usually classified by the food sources in which they are normally detected because more than one flavor sensation is usually triggered by a food flavors.
*Fruit favors
*Vegetable flavors
*Spice flavors
*Beverage flavors
*Meat flavors
*Fat flavors
*Cooked favors
*Empyreumatic flavors
*Stench flavors
The Importance and Classification of Food Flavor