Valorization of Two African Typical Crops, Sorghum and Cassava, by the Production of Different Dry Pasta Formulations

Abstract

Mediterranean diet is changing to keep up with the increasingly multiethnic Italian society. With food being considered as a means of integration, innovative foods capable of mixing different raw materials could be of interest. In this work, some of the most consumed African foods such as sorghum, cassava, and durum wheat were used to produce wholegrain spaghetti to valorize their nutritional and sensorial aspects and to combine Italian and foreign tastes. Different pasta formulations (cassava, semolina, cassava:semolina, cassava:sorghum, cassava:durum wheat whole meal, sorghum:semolina) were developed and compared for their content of proteins, total starch, resistant starch, amylose, fiber, total antioxidant capacity, ash, cooking quality and sensorial characteristics. The enrichment of cassava flour with durum wheat and sorghum wholegrain enhanced the total antioxidant capacity, protein, and fiber content with respect to 100% cassava pasta. The presence of cassava or sorghum resulted in a high diameter variability of pasta samples, lower water absorption, and shorter optimal cooking time with respect to semolina pasta. Sensory evaluation of cooked pasta revealed better scores in blends containing semolina. Although the obtained pasta samples were interesting for their nutritional aspects, further adjustments are required in the pasta-making process to improve pasta quality.

Nutritional Traits, Pasting Properties and Antioxidant Profile of Selected Genotypes of Sorghum, Oat and Maize Eligible for Gluten-Free Products

“…Moreover, the low glycaemic index and the absence of gluten make it beneficial to diabetics and safe for people affected by celiac disease or gluten intolerances [6]. Around the world, it is consumed as porridges, bread, cookies, tortillas, extruded products and beverages [7], and in recent years it has been processed into noodles and pasta [8,9].…”

Preliminary Evaluation of Minor Cereals as Non-Traditional Brewing Raw Materials

“…However, the development of food-grade white sorghum, deprived of tannins possessing antinutritional properties, has significantly increased sorghum cultivation and consumption in Western countries. Sorghum shows a great concentration of bioactive compounds (i.e., phenolic acids, anthocyanins, phytosterols) and good technological properties [16,17] and could contribute to the development of healthy gluten-free foods and beverages. The use of sorghum as a brewing material is popular in Africa, and nowadays it is both largely used as an adjuvant and malted for gluten-free beer production worldwide [18][19][20][21].…”