Mühlenchemie eyes improved pasta from low quality wheat

Related tags Wheat Better

The enzyme could protect pasta makers from wheat market volatility

Flour improvement specialist Mühlenchemie has introduced a new enzyme compound to improve the quality of pasta made from both hard and soft wheat.

The company said its Pastazym Plus product allows pasta makers to switch to cheaper sources of wheat, rather than relying on durum wheat, which has seen limited supplies and volatile prices.

Traditionally, pasta makers use hard durum wheat to ensure an acceptable texture, appearance and processing performance.

“Even if pasta producers have good technical equipment and skilled staff with appropriate know-how, it is very hard to compensate for the deficits of lower grades of wheat,” the company said.

The combination of enzymes and active ingredients is intended to produce an ‘al dente’ product, even from soft wheat, as well as greater mechanical stability and improved appearance for the finished dried pasta. The company claims that the flour improver can also be used to increase pasta’s tolerance to overcooking.

In permitted markets, colourants and vitamins can also be added to better mimic the yellow colour of durum pasta.