Context/background and Statement of problem:

Another COVID-19 outbreak in Vietnam has brought the whole country in dire situations, where
large cities were locked down and outdoor activities were limited to the minimum. As heavy
restraint was imposed on both traditional markets and supermarkets, excessive agricultural
produces progressively became concerning, while the sales of instant food escalated rapidly.
With a diet consisting of little fiber and antioxidant but high in fat and sodium, this posed a
pressing problem to the public health as the existing instant foods on the market often provide
inadequate nutrients for the human body.

Significance of this innovative idea:

To solve the aforementioned problems, our team has developed a novel noodle product, where
purple sweet potato flour (PSPF) was incorporated into wheat salted noodle, which could reduce
agricultural excess while promoting convenient, and nutritious meals. Purple sweet potato has
been well known as a super food, with high dietary fiber and antioxidant content that are up to
13.43% and 29.1 mg / 100g fresh weight, respectively (Hillebrand et al., 2008; Kim & Ryu,
1995). Moreover, its high starch content of 60% (Kim & Ryu, 1995) is also suitable to
incorporate into noodles for improved processing and eating qualities (Baik, 2010). Market
surveys also show that convenient, trending, delicious and nutritious meals will be thriving in
recent years

Hypothesis:
The research described in this proposal is based upon the hypothesis that the attributes of
noodles, especially color and texture are dependent on factors primarily related to ingredient
formulation as well as processing parameters. The investigation into these variables will provide
a basis whereby the specific preferences of consumers can be fulfilled.
Literature reviews:
Long-life noodles formulation:
Salted noodles are made from simple wheat flour and water, with the inclusion of 2 – 8% salt.
They are widely consumed in China, Japan, and Korea, and they can be classified into 4 types
based on their size: very thin (So-men), thin (Hiya-mugi), standard (Udon), and flat (Hira-men),
with noodle strand widths of 1.0–1.2, 1.3–1.7, 2.0–3.9, and 5.0–7.5 mm, respectively (Fu, 2008).
The most popular noodle in Vietnam that fall into this category is Udon, which exhibits a distinct
bright clean color, and a smooth, glossy surface. This product is usually marketed as boiled form,
where the noodles are subjected to acidification and pasteurization to prolong shelf life (Fu,
2008). Under harsh processing environment, the shelf life of this product – which is also known
as “long-life noodle” – can increase to up to 8 month in room temperature conditions (Hou et al.,
2010), and thus it provides a healthy alternative to instant noodle. In addition to negligible fat
content and no preservatives added, long-life noodles also offer a fresh appearance and a light
flavor. As consumer are becoming progressively aware of their food options, the mentioned
attributes are usually associated with cleaner and fresher products, which have gained
considerable attention in recent years.
Just like its relatives in the noodle family, salted noodles are also susceptible to drastic changes
in quality due to variations in formulation and processing parameters. Basic white salted noodles
consist of 100% wheat flour, 32–34% water, and 2–4% salt (Hou et al., 2010).
Wheat is the essential ingredients in noodle making, as the gluten content is directly attributable
to the dough strength, noodle brightness, and the eating quality. As a consequence, wheat protein
quantity and quality exert a great impact on the hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, and
chewiness of cooked noodles. Moreover, there is a negative correlation between ash content and
noodle brightness, as the increasing ash content in wheat flour results in darker noodle dough
(Widjaya, 2010). Long-life udon noodles are usually manufactured from flour with protein
content of 8.5–9.5% (14% moisture basis) and ash content of 0.40% or less (14% moisture basis)
(Baik, 2010).
Water is the second most important component in noodle making, as water provides the
necessary medium for all the reactions that underlie the transformation of raw materials into
finished products. Without water, gluten wouldn’t be able to exert its viscoelasticity, and salt and
other additives cannot be evenly distributed in the dough matrix. Water absorption level for
noodle manufacturing is about 30 – 38% based on flour weight (Fu, 2008).
Salt is one of the three basic ingredients, influencing both processing and eating quality, as well
as exerting preservative impacts. Study has shown that salt has tightening and strengthening
effect on the gluten network, which in turn enhance the sheeting property of the dough (Fan et
al., 2020). In addition to contributing a pure salty taste, salt has been shown to impart greater
fullness to their ‘‘mouth-feel”, mask possible off-taste and improve the flavor balance. A third
function of salt is its inhibition of enzyme activities and the growth of micro-organisms (Fu,
2008).
Polyphosphates and hydrocolloids are commonly used as additives to improve product quality in
noodle processing. Polyphosphates like sodium tri-polyphosphate (STPP) facilitate the starch
gelatinization during cooking and allow more water retention in the noodle, while hydrocolloids
such as carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) improve rehydration characteristics and modify the
texture and overall ‘‘mouth-feel” of the finished product (Fu, 2008). As CMC is considered as
GRAS and is added into noodles at 0.1 – 0.5%, STPP is limited at 2500 mg/kg according to
Circular No. 14/2019/TT-BYT under Vietnam regulations.
Purple sweet potato:
Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas Lam) is an annual herb of the family Convolvulaceae. In Asia,
the countries with large growing areas are China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and Indonesia
(Zhu et al., 2011). In Vietnam, purple sweet potato is a profitable crop with bright to deep purple
flesh, and is predominantly cultivated in the Mekong Delta area (Hoang, 2016). Purple sweet
potato has similar composition to yellow-flesh sweet potato(Kim & Ryu, 1995), which indicates
that it can also be utilized as a raw material to extract different functional components, ranging
from flour and starch, protein, dietary fiber, and prominent antioxidants like anthocyanin and
beta-carotene. Moreover, sweet potato has been used as an important supplement for different
staple products and in the food industry, and novel products such as fermented alcoholic
beverages from sweet potato has also received substantial attention (Mu et al., 2017), (S. Li et
al., 2017).
Due to its high starch content (up to 60% dry weight basis) and anthocyanin content (21.9 mg/
100g fresh weight) (Kim & Ryu, 1995) (Hillebrand et al., 2008), purple sweet potato has been
incorporated into a variety of noodle product to increase sensory quality and fortify extra
antioxidant (P. H. Li et al., 2012) (이재상, 2012).
Starch contributes greatly to the functional properties of noodle dough, which in turns affect the
cooking quality and textural attributes (Baik, 2010). The addition of starch to flour base dough is
critical to increase water absorption and decrease dough resistance as well. As a consequence,
manufacturers often incorporated native or modified starch at the level of 5 – 15% to improve
springiness and smoothness of cooked noodles (Hou et al., 2010).
Anthocyanin is the most abundant flavonoids constituents of red, purple, blue, and black hue in
fruits and vegetables. Due to its water-soluble nature, it can be easily extracted and utilized as a
natural colorant whose ID is E136 ( EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added
to Food (ANS) , 2013). Owing to their high heat and light stability [15] [16], acetylated
anthocyanins from sweet potato flour is a good candidate for noodle supplementation. On top of
that, the anthocyanin has gained significantly more interest in recent years due to their possible
health benefits, such as scavenging free radicals, antimutagenicity, anticarcinogen activity and
antihypertensive effect (Oki et al., 2002).
Long-life noodle processing:
Although Asian noodles diverse in their manufacturing, they all follow meticulous
compounding, resting, and sheeting processes. For long-life salted noodles, the boiled noodle
strands are further immersed in a diluted solution of organic acid, packed in vacuum, and steam
pasteurized for about 20 – 40 minutes, which can prolong its shelf life up to 8 months (Hou et al.,
2010).
Among the primary processing steps, rolling and sheeting plays an essential role in the
development of the gluten network, which contributes to both processing and eating quality of
noodles. The sheeting process is intended to achieve a smooth dough sheet with continuous and
uniform gluten matrix by passing the dough through a roller unit to produce a sheet of dough,
which is then folded and further pressed by gradually reducing the roller gap to the desired
thickness (Hou et al., 2010).
Boiling is a simple yet critical process in terms of finished product quality. Insufficient water
volume results in longer cooking time, while excessive boiling water can damage the surface of
noodle strands due to intensive friction. Boiling time depends on the size and type of noodles,
and it is adjusted precisely to give optimal textural characteristics. To minimize cooking loss,
noodle should also be boiled in water of pH 5 – 6 (Fu, 2008).
Adjusting the product pH by soaking boiled noodles in a diluted organic acid solution of pH 3.8 -
4 extends product shelf life. Organic acids, such as lactic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, acetic
acid, and their salts, are commonly used to control the pH of the boiled noodles. As long-life
noodles require more than 6 months of shelf life at room temperature, so acidification is
necessary in conjunction with heat pasteurization to control heat-stable bacteria (Hou et al.,
2010).

Objective:
1. To formulate a long-life noodle that are supplemented with purple sweet potato
flour:
A varying ratio of PSPF:wheat flour, as well as of mixing moisture, STPP, and CMC, are
investigated to determine the suitable formulation for the processing of long-life noodle type. An
optimal formula is proposed based on quantitative and qualitative measurement of texture and
color, cooking properties, and total anthocyanin content.
2. To establish suitable processing parameters for the PSPF-added long-life noodle
The effect of certain processing procedures are studied to assess their impact on sensorial
attributes, cooking quality, anthocyanin content, and storage time. These variables include
number of rolling and folding, boiling time, type of organic acid and their solution strength that
are used for pH control.

Implementation plan:
pic
a. Method:
The experiment design of the project follows One-Factor-At-A-Time, where the level resulting
in the most desirable responses of each formulation and processing variables are chosen
consecutively.
b. Preparation of sweet potato flour (SPF)
Sweet potato flour is prepared according to modified method of (Hoang, 2016). Briefly, purple
sweet potatoes are washed and sliced into thin slices of 5 - 6mm, which is then submerged in a
diluted solution of 0.4% citric acid aqueous solution for 30 minute. The chips are then freeze-
dried, powdered, and sieved through a 80-mesh screen to obtain a fine sweet potato flour, which
is stored in an airtight container.

pic
c. Preparation of SPF instant noodle
Detailed processing steps of SPF instant noodle preparation are illustrated in Figure 2. Briefly,
salt and enhancers (STPP, CMC) are pre-dissolved in distilled water, while the flour mixture is
prepared separately. These mixtures are incorporated to form the noodle dough, which is
subsequent to rolling and folding, forming a noodle sheet. The sheet thickness is then reduced,
and noodle strands are cut from the sheet, which is followed by boiling in water of pH = 5.5. The
cooked noodles are submerged in a diluted solution of organic acid, vacuum packed, and then
steam-pasteurized. The final product is cooled and stored in room temperature.

d. Determination of proximate composition

Moisture, crude protein, fat, and ash content are determined by official AACC methods.
Carbohydrate was expressed as the difference from moisture, protein, fat, and ash.
e. Color analysis

Color of noodle strands and cooked noodles are measured by a color-meter, using the CIE
(L*a*b*) system. L* represented degree of brightness, a* represented redness and
greenness, while b* represent yellowness and blueness.

f. Texture profile analysis

Textural properties of PSPF ling-life noodles are measured using a texture analyzer, equipped
with a flat compression probe. Pasteurized noodles are rested for 24h at room temperature and
then 5 strands are used for determination of hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, and
chewiness.
g. Cooking properties
Optimal cooking time and cooking loss are determined according to the modified AACC 66-50
method (AACC International., 2000).
h. Sensory evaluation
Sensory evaluation of PSPF long life noodle is conducted by a naïve panel of 30 participants. 20
gram of each sample is provided and the panelists are asked to score their preference based on a
7-point hedonic scale. Properties being assessed are color, hardness, chewiness, surface
smoothness, and overall liking.
i. Microbiological shelf life assessment:
Total plate count and total yeasts and molds are determined based on the ISO standard of 4833-
1:2013 and 21527-1:2008, respectively. The storage time of a product will be assessed
accordingly, where the cut-off value for total plate count (10 4 CFU/g) and total yeasts and molds
(102 CFU/g) is defined by in Vietnamese regulation for instant noodle TCVN 5777:2004.
j. Total anthocyanin content
Total anthocyanin content (TAC) is extract according to modified procedures of (Peng et al.,
2021), and subsequently measured by the spectrophotometric pH-differential method (Lee et al.,
2005). 1g of sample is homogenized in 10ml 1% HCl-methanol solvent, which is subsequent to
ultrasonic extraction and centrifugation. The process is repeated twice, and the supernatant is
collected and brought to 50ml. The absorbance is measured at maximum wavelengths of
530 and 700 nm, and TCA is expressed in milligram equivalent cyanidin-3-glucoside
(CGE) according to the formula:

TAC ¿

Where A = (A530- A700) pH 1.0 - (A530-A700) pH 4.5, V is the total volume of extract (mL),
DF is dilution factor, MW is the molecular weight of CGE (449.4 g/mol), ε is its molar
extinction coefficient (29600 L/cm.mol), d is the path length of the cuvette (1 cm), and
m is the sample
weight (g).

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