Recent advances in extending the shelf life of fresh wet noodles: Influencing factors and preservation technologies

Abstract

Fresh wet noodles (FWNs) are popular among people and have attracted increasing attention because of their characteristics of freshness, chewiness, good taste, and better maintenance of noodle flavor. However, due to the high moisture content and abundance of nutrients in FWN, they are prone to spoilage, which shortens their shelf life and reduces their quality, greatly restricting their large‐scale production. Therefore, seeking effective preservation methods to prolong the shelf life is a major breakthrough for the industrialization of FWN. The present review provides a comprehensive overview of the main factors that contribute to the spoilage and degradation of FWN. These factors encompass microorganisms, moisture content, nutritional composition, enzymes, and storage temperature. Moreover, the recent developments in novel shelf‐life extension technology applied to FWN, such as chemical preservatives, natural preservatives, physical treatment technologies, and composite preservation technology, are presented and discussed. From the literature reviewed, the application of technologies, such as adding preservatives, modified atmosphere packaging, microwave, cold plasma, ozone, and other technologies, has a certain effect on improving the shelf life of FWN, but the single preservation technology still has some deficiencies. In order to further improve the preservation efficiency, using two or more preservation methods is an important direction for future research on the preservation technology of FWN.

Improvement in Noodle Quality and Changes in Microstructure and Disulfide Bond Content through the Addition of Pepper Straw Ash Leachate

“…These results suggest that adding PSAL within a specific range can enhance noodle quality and improve palatability. This observation aligns with the findings of Obadi et al [37], who demonstrated that alterations in noodle hardness, chewiness, and adhesiveness contribute to enhancing noodle quality.…”

Insights into Cold Plasma Treatment on the Cereal and Legume Proteins Modification: Principle, Mechanism, and Application

“…Cold plasma modifies protein structures through the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS), free radicals, and high-speed electrons. These reactive species induce changes in proteins, such as chemical bond formation, amino acid side chain oxidation, and polypeptide chain cross-linking, thereby improving protein functionality [24,25]. Therefore, investigating the changes in protein functional characteristics following cold plasma treatment is essential for unlocking the practical value of this technology.…”