Use of sourdough to improve the color of durum wheat pasta

Wheat carotenoids give durum wheat pasta a light yellow color. Wheat lipoxygenase oxidizes flour carotenoids and further loss of carotenoids is caused by extrusion of pasta. Because bright yellow pasta is preferred by consumers, oxidation of carotenoids during extrusion impairs pasta quality. To maintain the yellow color that is mediated by flour carotenoids, pasta extruders operate under vacuum to limit oxidation of carotenoids. Sourdough fermentation improves the color of pasta but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. This project therefore aims to employ sourdough to improve the color of pasta by determination of the impact of sourdough on oxidation of carotenoids, and by determination of the impact of yellow pigmented sourdough lactobacilli on the color of pasta.
The project will train one MSc student in an industry-oriented project. The project will also provide critical research support for Kaslo Sourdough, a small but rapidly growing family enterprise which is Canadas only producer of sourdough pasta, and one of very few globally. The research will support scaling of the production, and potentially licensing of the technology to third parties to increase economic activity and tax revenue.

Faculty Supervisor:

Michael Gänzle

Student:

Partner:

Kaslo Sourdough

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Alberta

Program: