Asian products and wheat enzymes

Providing and improving the noodle-making quality of Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) Canada Western Hard White Spring (CWHWS) and Canada Prairie Spring White (CPSW) wheats are the main research areas involving the Grain Research Laboratory's Asian Products and Wheat Enzymes program.

Noodle research

Noodle colour, appearance, and cooked texture are very important to Asian noodle makers and consumers. Asian Products researchers investigate these quality attributes in western Canadian wheat and optimize them in new varieties for Asian products. They also explore new technologies for evaluating wheat qualities.

Wheat enzyme research

The wheat enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) are important in the formation of undesirable colours in noodle dough. Wheat Enzymes researchers work with plant breeders to ensure new variety selections are low in PPO and POD. They monitor these oxidases for their impact on noodle discolouration. Research on other enzymes is used to set or change grading tolerances for wheat. For example, the researchers investigate proteases which are enzymes that are found in kernels damaged by Fusarium Head Blight and wheat midge and that break down protein, and alpha-amylase, the enzyme associated with sprouting.

Technology, methods and standards

• Use an Ohtake noodle machine imported from Japan to process noodles in an special temperature and humidity controlled room to carry out research and quality testing in an environment similar to our end product users
• Use texture analyzers in objective testing of cooked noodle texture
• Use the HunterLab colorimeter to measure brightness, redness and yellowness components to quantify changes and differences in noodle colour
• Developed a digital imaging system to quantify and characterize specks in noodle dough, affecting appearance
• Use a variety of enzyme assays approved by the American Association of Cereal Chemists and the International Association for Cereal Science and Technology. Many methods have been developed or modified by GRL staff.