# Pasta and gluten: facts and fakes

Joel Abecassis, Marie-Francoise Samson

► To cite this version:

Joel Abecassis, Marie-Francoise Samson. Pasta and gluten: facts and fakes. Word Pasta Day Scientific Consensus Conference, Oct 2015, Milan, Italy. hal-01837495

HAL Id: hal-01837495

https://hal.science/hal-01837495

Submitted on 3 Jun 2020

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access
archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci-
entific research documents, whether they are pub-
lished or not. The documents may come from
teaching and research institutions in France or
abroad, or from public or private research centers.

L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est
destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents
scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non,
émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de
recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires
publics ou privés.

<figure><img src="image_1.png" /></figure>
<figure><img src="image_2.png" /></figure>

# Pasta and Gluten: Facts and Fakes

Joël Abecassis and Marie-Françoise Samson

UMR-IATE

INRA Montpellier, France
This presentation was prepared at the
initiative of the French Pasta

Manufacturers Association (SIFPAF) but
the content of this presentation is on the
sole responsibility of the authors

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /></figure>
# How Traditional Pasta are made ?

* Only one raw material: Durum wheat

* Primary processing : Extraction of the starchy endosperm in form of semolina

* Pasta processing :
  - Hydration
  - Mixing
  - Forming: sheeting or cold extrusion (< 55°C)
  - Drying

* Sensorial attributes
  - Yellow color
  - High capacity to hold water during cooking with low amount of solid losses
  - Texture : firm and elastic
  - Surface condition : no stickiness, no disintegration

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_5.png" /></figure>
# Physicochemical Basis of Pasta Quality

Pasta processing consists in developing a protein network able to entrap starch granules during cooking

* Starch Swelling and Gelatinisation

* Protein Network forming and denaturation

<figure><img src="image_6.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_7.png" /></figure>
# Proteins and Gluten

<figure><img src="image_8.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_9.png" /></figure>

Semolina

<figure><img src="image_10.png" /></figure>

Water

ALBUMINS

<figure><img src="image_11.png" /></figure>

Salted Solution

GLOBULINS

Cytoplasmic or metabolic proteins

<figure><img src="image_12.png" /></figure>

Ethanol solution

<figure><img src="image_13.png" /></figure>

Diluted
Acid
±
detergents

GLIADINS
(35 %)

GLUTENINS (45 %)

- solubles

- insolubles

Viscosity

GLUTEN

QUALITY

Elasticity
# Gluten (wheat) Related Pathogenesis

<figure><img src="image_14.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_15.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_16.png" /></figure>

Prevalence: 0.7-1.5%

< 1%

6-8%
Global Social Media Hype :
Eating wheat makes you fat and sick

<figure><img src="image_17.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_18.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_19.png" /></figure>

GRAIN
BRAIN

The Surprising Truth About
Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar - Your
Brain's Silent Killers

<figure><img src="image_20.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_21.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_22.png" /></figure>

Gluten-Free is healthy !

hartman

GROUP

<figure><img src="image_23.png" /></figure>

Source: The Hartman Group's Health & Wellness 2015 and Organic & Natural 2014 reports

© 2015 The Hartman Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.hartman-group.com
# How to Prepare Gluten Free Pasta ?

* Gluten Free pasta should have the same sensorial attributes as traditional pasta :

– Color

– Cooking Quality

* Mixing different raw material: Flour and/or starch products without gluten content

* Adding or not additives for color

* Adapting pasta processing

– Modifying starch properties

– Additives for cooking quality
# How to Replace Gluten Functionality ?

Modifying the starch components in order to :

1. Create a new organised structure to give a form to pasta during extrusion (binding properties)

- Heat-treated flours and starches

- Extrusion cooking

2. Limit starch swelling and solubilisation during cooking

- High-amylose content (starch)

- Additives to complex amylose: Emulsifiers (mono and diglycerides)

- Other texturing ingredients: hydrocolloids (guar, Xanthan, CMC, etc.)
# Commercial GF Pasta Ingredients

<table><thead><tr><td>Starch sources</td><td>Protein sources</td><td>Additives</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Rice (flours and starches)</td><td rowspan="2">Protein isolates from pea or lupin</td><td>Hydrocolloids and gums</td></tr><tr><td>Corn (flours and starches)</td><td><ul><li>Xanthan</li><li>Guar</li><li>...</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td>Pseudocereals : (flours)<br><ul><li>Buckwheat,</li><li>Quinoa</li><li>...</li></ul></td><td>Egg</td><td>Emulsifiers<br><ul><li>Mono-glycerides</li><li>Di-glycerides</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td>Potato and tubers (starch)</td><td>Whey</td><td>Inulin</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Legume (flour)</td><td>Aroma, cane sugar syrup, salt</td></tr></tbody></table>

Sources:

Mariotti et al. (2011) J. Cereal Sci.53: 319-327

Marti and Pagani (2013) Trends Food Sci. Technol. 31: 63-71

web sites of different French supermarkets and health food stores
Some Examples of GF Pasta

<figure><img src="image_24.png" /><figcaption>Rice pasta</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_25.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_26.png" /><figcaption>Durum Pasta</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_27.png" /><figcaption>Lentil Pasta</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_28.png" /><figcaption>Buckwheat Pasta</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_29.png" /><figcaption>Quinoa Pasta</figcaption></figure>
# Macronutrients of Traditional and GF Pasta

<table><thead><tr><th>Pasta</th><th>Protein (%)</th><th>Total Carbohydrates (%)</th><th>Total Lipids (%)</th><th>Fiber (%)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>GF pasta</td><td>11.2</td><td>80.8</td><td>5.5</td><td>2.4</td></tr><tr><td>Durum pasta</td><td>13.8</td><td>78.4</td><td>2.6</td><td>5.3</td></tr></tbody></table>

Sources: Miranda et al. (2014) Plant Foods Hum. Nutr. 69: 182–187
Means based on 15 GF products and 38 non GF pasta
# Micronutrients of Traditional and GF Pasta
Minerals

<table><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">Products</th><th colspan="7">Minerals (mg/100 g)</th></tr><tr><th>Ca</th><th>Fe</th><th>Mg</th><th>P</th><th>K</th><th>Na</th><th>Zn</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>GF pasta</td><td>19</td><td>1.46</td><td>77</td><td>224</td><td>197</td><td>326</td><td>1.44</td></tr><tr><td>Durum pasta</td><td>25</td><td>2.46</td><td>90</td><td>266</td><td>328</td><td>6</td><td>2.19</td></tr></tbody></table>

Source: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods
# Micronutrients of Traditional and GF Pasta
## Vitamins

<table><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">Products</th><th colspan="5">Vitamins (mg/100 g)</th><th rowspan="2">Folate<br>(µg/100 g)</th></tr><tr><th>Thiamin</th><th>Riboflavin</th><th>Niacin</th><th>B6</th><th>E</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>GF pasta</td><td>0.25</td><td>0.08</td><td>1.99</td><td>0.16</td><td>0.11</td><td>30</td></tr><tr><td>Durum<br>pasta</td><td>0.25</td><td>0.14</td><td>5.19</td><td>0.21</td><td>0.28</td><td>43</td></tr></tbody></table>

Source: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods
# Sensorial Properties of GF Pasta

<table><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">Composition</th><th colspan="2">Colour</th><th colspan="3">Cooking Quality</th></tr><tr><th>Brightness</th><th>Yellowness</th><th>Losses</th><th>Firmness</th><th>Stickiness</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Rice Flour</td><td>↗</td><td>↘↘</td><td>↗↗</td><td>→</td><td>↗↗↗</td></tr><tr><td>Yellow Corn Flour</td><td>↘</td><td>↗</td><td>↗↗</td><td>→</td><td>↗</td></tr><tr><td>Corn Starch</td><td>↘</td><td>→</td><td>↗↗</td><td>→</td><td>↗↗</td></tr><tr><td>Rice + Corn flours + additives</td><td>→</td><td>→</td><td>↗↗</td><td>→</td><td>↗</td></tr></tbody></table>

Sources: Mariotti et al. (2011) J. Cereal. Sci. 53: 319-327 and Lucisano et al. (2012) J. Cereal. Sci. 56: 667-675
Glycemic Index of Traditional and GF Pasta

<table><thead><tr><th>Pasta content</th><th>GI</th><th>Sources</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Durum wheat</td><td>48</td><td>Foster-Powell et al. (2002) Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 76:5-56.</td></tr><tr><td>Whole wheat</td><td>46</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Corn</td><td>64</td><td>- Bacchetti et al. (2014) Food Funct. 5:3014-3017</td></tr><tr><td>Rice</td><td>79</td><td>- Berti et al. Eur J Nutr (2004) 43 : 198-204</td></tr><tr><td>Rice and corn</td><td>76</td><td>- Foster-Powell et al. (2002) Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 76:5-56.</td></tr><tr><td>Corn/rice/other ingredients (pea, millet, protein isolates...)</td><td>55</td><td>- Packer et al. (2000) Diabet. Med. 17:657-660</td></tr></tbody></table>
Price Differential between GF and Traditional Pasta

<table><thead><tr><td>Country</td><td>Year</td><td>Price differential</td><td>Sources</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Australia</td><td>2000-2009</td><td>x 4.9</td><td>Lambert and Ficken (2015) Nutr. Diet. DOI: 10.1111/1747-0080.12171</td></tr><tr><td>UK</td><td>2005-2010</td><td>x 2.7</td><td>Singh and Whelan (2011) J. Hum. Nutr. Diet. 24: 479-486</td></tr><tr><td>USA</td><td>2000-2005</td><td>x 2.2</td><td>Lee et al. (2007) J. Hum. Nutr. Diet. 20: 423-430</td></tr><tr><td>France</td><td>2015</td><td>x 5.0</td><td>prices recorded on web sites of different French supermarkets and health food shops (based on 36 durum wheat pasta formats and 36 GF equivalent products + 1 pasta made with legumes)</td></tr></tbody></table>
Conclusions

1. Durum wheat remains the most suited raw material to reach pasta quality attributes expected by consumer with a very high reliability.

2. GF pasta can be elaborated from a large diversity of raw materials. It results as a "non well-defined" product exhibiting large variability.

3. Except celiac patients and other gluten proven pathologies, eviction of gluten in pasta is not justified neither for sensorial properties nor for nutritional aspects.

4. For non-celiac sensitivity, not only gluten has to be considered but other hypotheses should be explored (fodmaps, ATI, etc). It is suggested to organise a vast study through an international consortium.

5. In a longer term vision, pasta stakeholders should be able to separate trends from fads with the aim not to demonize traditional pasta which is a pillar of the Mediterranean diet.