Environment during grain filling affects pasta color

Abstract

Background and objectives Pasta color is an important quality parameter for pasta companies and consumers. This research was carried out to determine the relative importance of environment and genotype effects on pasta color and related traits using durum lines grown in North Dakota, USA; to determine the relationships between pasta color and semolina quality traits; and to identify key environmental growing conditions that affect pasta color. Findings The environment had the highest relative proportion of variance for pasta color (ranged from 89% to 94%) and related traits. Stepwise linear regression analyses indicated that the number of days with relative humidity (rh) ≥80% was associated with diminished pasta brightness, yellowness, and enhanced pasta redness, while the number of days ≤13°C was associated with enhanced pasta yellowness and pasta color score. The negative effect of high rh could be related to speck counts and soluble brown pigment content, while the positive effect of low temperature was not clear. Conclusions The number of days with rh ≥ 80% diminished pasta color, while the number of days ≤13°C enhanced pasta color. Speck count, soluble brown pigment content, and semolina redness negatively affected pasta color, while yellow pigment content and semolina yellowness had a positive effect. Significance and novelty Since weather cannot be controlled, this information will be helpful in selecting growing locations with more favorable climatic conditions to achieve better quality and pasta color traits. Understanding the relationships between climatic variables and quality traits will aid in developing cropping systems that favor high‐quality durum wheat.

Detecting color differences in lentil flour samples using an inexpensive, hand-held colorimeter

“…Color is an important characteristic used to assess product quality (Bicho et al, 2014; Cabas-Lühmann & Manthey, 2020; Sant’Anna et al, 2014; Švec et al, 2008). Breeding programs and industry partners benefit from methods that can be used systematically without incurring time-demanding and expensive phenotyping.…”

“…Colorimetric instruments such as those produced by HunterLab (Reston, Virginia, USA), among others, are reliable but expensive. This can be a limiting factor for studies constrained by funding availability (Cabas-Lühmann & Manthey, 2020; Fratianni et al, 2005). The Nix Spectro 2 colorimeter (Nix Sensor Ltd., Hamilton ON, Canada), referred to throughout this document as Nix, can be purchased online for one fifth the cost of alternatives.…”

Physicochemical and Sensorial Characterization of Artisanal Pasta from the Occitanie Region in France

“…No direct correlation was found between the brightness, redness, and yellowness (L*, a*, b*) of the dry samples and the physicochemical variables considered. The color of pasta depends on several biochemical and technological factors, such as the quantity of yellow pigments and soluble brown pigments, the activity of enzymes such as polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase, the protein content, the ash content, and the particle size of the flour [ 39 , 40 , 41 ]. For example, pasta made from flour tends to be brighter and less yellow [ 12 ], but high ash and protein contents have a negative effect on brightness [ 42 ].…”

Variations of colour, polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activities during the production of low temperature dried pasta in various durum wheat genotypes

“…Interestingly, high yellow pigment content remaining in the pasta does not always result in high pasta colour scores (Fu et al ., 2013). Cabas‐Lühmann & Manthey (2020) found two pasta samples that had the same colour score (8.8) but differed in their yellow pigment content (4.9 and 7.8 mg kg −1 ). Similarly, they found pasta samples with 4.9 mg kg −1 yellow pigment content that had colour scores of 8.8, 7.8 and 6.7 mg kg −1 .…”