Sweet Potato Flour Instant Noodles Processing Technology

1. Sweet potato flour preparation

a. Materials

No Ingredients Amount (g) Specifications

.

1 Sweet potato 1000 assumed

2 Potassium Metabisulfite (KMS) 5

E224

3 Citric acid 5

4 Water 1000 To match the proportion of KMS and

citric acid

Sweet potatoes are carefully chosen from a reliable farm, with certificates on safe cultivation of
yellow-flesh purple-peel sweet potatoes. These potato cultivars are of the most favorable ones
due to high starch and sugar content, sweet taste, and desirable yellow colors which indicates
high amount of natural vitamin A and polyphenols.

Pre-treatments of sweet potatoes are facilitated by a solution of 0.5% potassium metabisulfite

(KMS) and 0.5% citric acid. They both act as inhibitors of browning-enzyme, as well as
antimicrobial agents.
 KMS is an SO2 generating compound. SO2 is a powerful antioxidant, protecting
important chemicals (vitamin C, vitamin A, and pro-vitamin A). It is also an antibrowning
agents (prevent color oxidation / browning reaction), and exert anti-bactericidal effect
 Citric acid is an acidulant. Its lowering pH activity affects microbial growth and inhibits
browning reaction of polyphenol oxidase (PPO). It is also a metal chelating agent, which
contributes in decreasing activity of PPO, as well as being a mild antioxidant.

b. Sweet potato flour processing

1. Grade the sweet potato and discard spoiled or unwanted ones. 

2. Wash the potato with clean tap water. 
3. Peel the potato and slice into 2mm slices
4. Treat the potato slices by dipping in 0.5% KMS (E244) and 0.5% citric acid (E330)
aqueous solution, ratio between potato mass : treatment solution = 4:1, for 30 minutes
5. Blanch the treated potato slices in 95 - 100C (boiling) water for 1.5 minutes
 Blanching increase pasting temperature and allow prior gelatinization of starch
granules, thus increase swelling capacity
6. Dry the slices in hot air dryer at 100C for 2h 
7. Ground the dried chips into fine flour
 8. Sieve the flour with 80-mesh sieve
9. Pack the flour in airtight container and store in dry place, out of direct sunlight

c. Sweet potato flour composition

No. Composition Percentage

Nutritional value in 100g
Calories: 342.5 kcal
1 Moisture 10%
2 Protein 1.78%
3 Ash 2.35%
4 Lipid 0.47%
5 Total carbohydrate 82.8%
6 Crude fiber 2.6%
7 Vitamin A 14.187

2. Instant noodles technology

a. Instant noodle formulation

No Ingredients Amount (g) Specifications

.

1 Wheat flour 50 Protein >10%, low ash content

2 Sweet potato flour 30

3 Acetylated starch 20

4 Salt 1

5 Kansui 0.25 Na2CO3 : K2CO3 = 9:1

 Na2CO3 0.225
 K2CO3 0.005

6 Lecithin (emulsifier) 0.3

7 Guar gum (stabilizer) 0.2

8 Sodium Tripolyphosphate (STPP) 0.2

9 Riboflavin (colorant, vitamin 0.02 Approximate

fortified )

10 Flavor enhancer Per 100ml seasoning water: 1% yeast extract

 Yeast extract water bath and 0.01% E365
 Disodium ribonucleotides 1
 E635  0.01

11 Refined vegetable oil 7 ml 2ml add to dough, 5ml spray

12 Tocopherol concentrated E307b 0.03

(antioxidant)

13 Citric acid  0.025

14 Water 35 - 38

For most instant noodles, the main ingredients consist of wheat flour, salt, kansui, and water.
Other ingredients such as starches, emulsifiers, stabilizers, phosphates, colorants, and
antioxidants, are also added to enhance texture, eating quality, and shelf life of the product. In
our sweet potato (SPF) instant noodles, the noodle blocks are also fortified with vitamin B2 and
vitamin A (from sweet potato itself and from added beta-carotene). Not only will fortification
improves nutritional profiles, but it also contribute to vitamin A deficiency.

Air-dried (AD) instant noodles have a less porous texture comparing to oil-fried (OF) ones, as
well as having a lower degree of gelatinization. Therefore they usually take longer time to cook
and be properly rehydrated. To ensure an end product with desirable properties (quick
rehydration with a springy texture), several modifications in noodle formulation and processing
parameters are necessary. The following parts will report on the importance of each
ingredients and why they were formulated as such. It is also noteworthy that all of our
ingredients, including additives, are natural-based, which optimize the contribution to a
healthier instant noodles product.

Main ingredients

Wheat flour is the primary ingredient in noodles and it plays an important role in determining
the color and texture quality of the final products. First of all, wheat selection for the
manufacture of noodle flour has to be taken into consideration including having a good
appearance and not damaged by weather or grain drying as well as containing appropriate
balance of protein content and protein quality. Protein quantity and quality affects the dough
strength, noodle brightness, and the eating quality (firmness, chewiness) of cooked noodle. Ash
content is also important to minimize color problems. The higher the ash content, the duller the
color. Therefore ash content of 0.4% is the aim for noodle flours.

Starch has a significantly higher content of carbohydrates (amylose and amylopectin) and
hence higher gelatinization power comparing to flour. The addition of starch to flour base
dough helps to increase water absorption and decrease dough resistance as well. However,
starch intake increase calories and the risk of obesity and diabetes. Therefore a modified starch
(acetylated starch), which is an insoluble dietary fiber, are employed in this formula. It has a
higher gelatinization potential with low gelatinization temperatures, which is preferred for
rapid hydration during cooking. Acetylated starch have some changes in solubility, swelling
power, water absorption, precipitation, transparency, condensation comparing to conventional
starch, which can better meet the high absorption power, as well as decrease both cooking loss
and retrogradation.

Sweet potato flour is a value-added product from sweet potato. It has been chosen for
valorization in our novel instant product due to a good composition of dietary fiber, starch, and
vitamin A. SPF producing methods, processing parameters, and the composition of finely
grounded SPF are included in Part …: Noodle processing technology.

In our SPF air-dried instant noodles, a ratio of 5:3:2 between wheat flour : SPF : starch are
used. A comprehensive review of prior researches on wheat noodle blended with sweet potato
flour indicates that a blend of 30% SPF and 70% wheat flour is acceptable for both sensory
quality and mouth feel properties. However, due to the need of enhancing rehydration power
for the final product, 20% of acetylated starch comparing with total flour weight is employed.
Acetylated starch can also improve mouth feel properties, which are springiness, adhesiveness,
cohesiveness, of the noodle strands.

Salt enhances flavor, improves texture, decreasing boiling time by increasing water
permeability as well as strengthening and tightening gluten structure which improves
viscoelasticity. Thus it significantly improves sheeting properties of dough, especially at high
water absorption levels. Incorporation of salt reduces cooking time, enhances flavor, provides
softer but more elastic texture, and inhibits enzyme activities and the growth of
microorganisms. The amount of salt added to noodles varies from 1 – 3% of flour weight

Kansui is a solution of several alkaline. The most commonly used alkaline salts are sodium and
potassium carbonates (Na2CO3 and K2CO3). Kansui assists with the development of yellow
color by detaching the flavone compounds from the polysaccharides to allow the manifestation
of the yellow color. The changes in dough characteristics associated with alkaline pH influence
the behavior of the gluten proteins resulting in tougher, tighter, and less extensible dough.
Addition rates of alkaline salts are 0.1–0.3% as a quality improver for instant noodles. The
percentage of Na2CO3 is always higher than of K2CO3, with the ratio of 9:1 as a common
proportion.

Water is often incorporated in noodle making at a level of around 30 - 38%. The right
amount of water added is important to hydrate the flour into forming appropriate dough. The
optimum water absorption for noodle is affected by protein content, protein quality,damaged
starch, and other physical properties of flour

Oil is an essential ingredient for AD instant noodles. OF instant noodles formula doesn’t include
oil in the input ingredients, as the frying process results in an uptake of 15-20% oil. Even though
high fat content indicates higher risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, oil contributes
greatly to the sensory and eating quality of cooked instant noodles. Therefore, a small inclusion
of 2% oil is incorporated to ensure the same mouth feel experiences. Another 5% of oil will be
used to spray on steamed noodle prior to air drying, providing a non sticky surface and
improving uneven drying in the final products.
Additional ingredients

Emulsifiers are often added to prevent starch retrogradation, prevent foaming in the noodles
and improve cooking quality. Lecithin in particular has been proven by to increase the breaking
stress and cutting stress of cooked noodles. The addition of Guar gum as a stabilizer in the
formulation affects the properties of the final product such as firmer texture, increases in water
holding capacity in pre boiled noodles.

In the dough system, polyphosphates act as chelating agent, modifying the dough processing
properties and retard the discoloration process of fresh noodles. Polyphosphates accelerate
gluten bonding, which improves noodles elasticity, flexibility, texture, and chewing properties;
facilitate the starch gelatinization during cooking, allowing more water retention in the noodle
and reduces water cloudiness while cooking.

Natural food colorants such as riboflavin are often used to enhance color and nutritional profile
of final products. Natural antioxidant, i.e tocopherol concentrated, has mild anti-oxidizing
activity, which prevents oil rancidification over a long period of storage. The addition of citric
acid has a profound impact on the texture rather than preservation or flavor. Citric acid reacts
with carbonate salts to create CO2 gas bubble, which in turns enhance the porous texture of AD
instant noodles.

Flavor enhancers such as yeast extracts and disodium ribonucleotides (E635) are not directly
added to the noodle dough, but rather through another processing step called seasoning
shower. It is an important part of instant noodle processing line, in which steamed noodles are
showered with a solution of flavor enhancers. The most common flavor enhancers are
monosodium glutamates (MSG) and E635. However, due to recent raising public concerns over
MSG intolerance/allergy, a natural-based flavor enhancer of yeast extract is used instead of
MSG. Yeast extract is reported to have a fuller taste, with a diverse protein profile. E635 is also
used in our seasoning bath because it acts like a taste amplifier, rather than flavor enhancer.

b. Noodle processing technology

Processing parameters have significant impacts on the noodle strands itself, as one slight
modification can widely affect the final products. With the aim of producing air-dried instant
noodles that has quick rehydration rate and chewy, springy texture, all the parameters
presented below have been optimized to achieve desirable results. A flow chart covering the
whole processing lines can also be found in the Annex.

1. Flour mixture: precisely weight, incorporate and sift wheat flour, SPF, and acetylated
starch together. 
2. Water solution: In 35 - 38% water, mix all the ingredient that isn't flour (salt, kansui, oil,
lecithin, guar gum, STPP, citric acid, antioxidants, colorants), at 30C
3. Mix: incorporate water solution and flour mixture. Mix for 15 minute at high speed and
then at low speed, just until fully incorporate and form crumbs of dough
4. Rest 1: Left the crumbly dough sits for 10 minute
5. Sheeting ( 4 times ) and folding ( 3 times) :
  Form crumbs into uniform dough and roll the dough to reach 3mm thickness.
Fold the sheet in half. 
 Continue rolling x3 and folding x2. After the final roll the sheet should be 1.2mm
thick
6. Rest 2: rest the dough for 30 minutes
7. Cut the dough into 1.5mm strands and shape the wavy strands
8. Spray the waved noodles with 5ml of vegetable oil per 100g noodles
9. Steam the noodles for 3.5 - 4 minute at 100C. Cool with fans. Cut and fold noodle
strands so that each noodle block is 75g
10. Shower noodle block for 10s in seasoning water bath (1% yeast extract + 0.01% E635) at
60C. Drain the excess water
11. Air dry the noodle block: 1. Using a hot air blowing dryer (JETZONE system, a vertical
impingement airflow system, manufactured by Arakawa Co., Ltd.),142° C, inert heated
gas (N2 or CO2), dry from above and below the retainer, at stream speed of 65 - 70 m/s
for a period of 12 minutes.
12. Cool the noodle block with fans in 30 minutes
13. Package the noodle block with seasoning sachets

Mixing: Ingredients other than flour are pre-dissolved in water, stored at 20–30◦C while salt
water can be prepared separately. Wheat flour and water along with other weighed ingredients
are mixed first at high speed and then at low speed, giving a total time of 15–25 minutes in
industries. The function of mixing for noodles is to distribute the ingredients uniformly and to
hydrate the flour particles.

Mixing is usually followed by dough resting. This step allows the crumbly mixture to rest for a
period of time to accelerate further hydration of flour particles and to redistribute water in
the dough system. Resting improves processing properties and facilitates gluten formation
during sheeting. This is achieved by the relaxation of the gluten structure already formed
during mixing.

Rolling and sheeting: The next step is rolling, where the dough crumb is formed into a dough
and is passed through a roller unit to produce a sheet of dough which then folded and further
pressed by gradually reducing the roller gap to the desired thickness depending on the noodle
type, ranging from 0.9 mm 1.6 mm, depending on different variety of noodles. The sheeting
process is intended to achieve a smooth dough sheet with desired thickness, and a continuous
and uniform gluten matrix in dough sheet. After sheeting and compounding, dough sheets are
rested to allow gluten structure relaxation or mellow the gluten and make it more extensible.
For our AD instant noodles, the noodle strands should be of thinner ones ensure further
gelatinization and better rehydration. Therefore a thickness of 1 – 1.2mm is preferred.

Cutting and waving: The dough sheet is cut into noodle strands of desired width with a slitter.
In case of instant noodle production, noodle strands are continually fed into a traveling net
conveyor, which moves slower than the cutting rolls above it. The speed differential between
noodle feeding and net traveling results in a unique waving of noodle strands. For instant
noodles, the cutting rolls are numbered from 18–22. Numbering represents the number of
edges on a piece of 30-mm-wide sheet. A cutting roll number 20 are used in our processing line
to create noodle strands with width of 1.5mm

Steaming and molding: The cut and wavy noodle strands are conveyed to a steam chamber to
cook them by exposing to a temperature of 100C for 3.5 - 4 minutes. Prior to steaming, just
before entering the steam chamber, noodle strands are sprayed with 5% oil on flour weight
basis. This thin layer of oil act as a non-sticking agent, assure proper gelatinization without
alternating the noodle strands quality. Non sticking noodles strands are also essential for
uniform dehydration later in the processing line. Steaming is a key process in the manufacture
of instant noodles. A high degree of starch gelatinization is required for the production of hot-
air dried instant noodles. The degree of starch gelatinization determines noodle rehydration
rate, firmness, and viscoelasticity, and it is mainly controlled by the steaming process. Steaming
time is longer for hot-air dried noodles than for deep fried noodles. Noodles cooked by steam in
gare cooled and extended to separate the strands and cut into one serving size. Noodles
strands are further folded before cutting and placing in a square retainer.

Seasoning shower: upon leaving of steam chamber, the noodle strands are quickly cooled and
thus becoming hygroscopic. Noodle producers take advantage of this phenomena by showering
the steamed noodles with a seasoning solution. Some common constituents of this solution
includes MSG, disodium guanylate, disodium inositate, soy sauce, yeast extracts, hydrolyzed
vegetable proteins. Upon showered under seasoning bath, the hygroscopic noodle strands
quickly absorb flavoring agent from the solution, improving the taste and flavor of the noodle
itself. MSG is usually combined with disodium guanylate and disodium inositate. However, due
to raising concerns over MSG intolerance/allergy in Vietnam, yeast extract has been employed.

Air drying: after removing excess water from water bath, molded noodles enter the air-drying
chamber, where they are dried with a hot air blowing dryer (JETZONE system, a vertical
impingement airflow system, manufactured by Arakawa Co., Ltd.) at 142° C. Inert heated gas
(N2 or CO2) are employed to ensure no oxidation. The noodles are dried from above and below
the retainer, with stream speed of 65 - 70 m/s for a period of 12 minutes.

c. Instant noodles nutritional compositions

No Composition Percentage
Serving size: 65g
Calories per serving: 256 kcal
1 Moisture 10% (max)
2 Protein 5.81%
3 Fat 7.64%
4 Ash 1.25%
5 Carbohydrates 75.3%
6 Dietary fiber 0.78% (min)
7 Vitamin A 9.22 IU (max)
8 Vitamin B2 1.3 mg (max)