Mitigation of Maillard reaction in spaghetti by optimization of the drying conditions

Pasta drying process is considered responsible for heat damage, influencing the nutritional value (available lysine) and the color. These events are triggered by a series of chemical reactions known as the Maillard reaction or non-enzymatic browning. In this study, the influence of different operating conditions during the high temperature pasta drying process was investigated. Different high temperature drying diagrams were set up to modulate time, temperature and duration of exposure of pasta to the high temperatures. To find the best compromise between high temperature treatment and mitigation of heat damage, different process markers of early (furosine, blocked lysine, maltulose) and advanced phase (hydroxymethylfurfural and glucosyl isomaltol) of Maillard reaction were considered. In addition, the effects of different high-temperature drying diagrams on cooking quality of pasta were evaluated. This study identified drying diagrams where, by tuning high temperature at the first stage of the drying cycle, it was possible to significantly mitigate the thermal damage of pasta dried at high temperature to levels of damage typically found in pasta dried at medium temperature (furosine ⁓ 200mg/100 protein).