Article in Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences · October 016 citations 22 reads 19,906 authors: Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects

After the process of steaming and molding, instant 

noodles are mostly fried in oil. Oil used in noodle 

processing must be about 20 percent of the noodle 

weight. Among the different types of oil available 

in the market, palm oil is extensively used in Asia, 

due  to  its  availability,  heat  stability,  better  frying 

performance and cost effectiveness [1]. Similarly, 

partially hydrogenated canola and soybean oil 

is used to fry instant noodles. The degree and 

conditions of the hydrogenation must be balanced 

to provide desired properties. The oil should be 

selected  based  on  the  consumer  preferences,  as 

the  oil  compositions  can  significantly  influence 

the  flavor  of  final  product.  Usually,  the  oil 

deteriorates during cooking due to complex series 

of  chemical  reactions  [14].  Thermal  oxidation 

causes decompositions of non-volatile and volatile 

components. These decomposed products build 

up to a greater extent with extended heating and 

results in deterioration and sensory failures of the 

finished  products.  Hence,  stability  of  oil  during 

heating process is a great concern in the selection 

of oil. Furthermore, non-refined oils should not be 

used for frying purpose, as it can cause undesirable 

changes  in  flavor  and  color  of  the  noodles.  The 

specification mostly considered in selecting frying 

oils  include  flavor,  color,  peroxide  numbers,  free 

fatty acids, smoke point, melting point and iodine 

number [1, 14].

Hydrocolloids  and  polyphosphates  are  commonly 

used to improve the overall quality of noodles. The 

use of polyphosphate increases the gelatinization 

of starch and water retention ability of the noodles 

during  cooking.  It  also  modifies  the  properties 

of  dough  and  retards  formation  of  off-color  in 

raw noodles by acting as chelating agents. It is 

mostly  added  at  0.1%  in  the  flour  [1].  Similarly, 

hydrocolloids i.e. guar gums are extensively used in 

the processing of rice noodles. They are hydrophilic 

in nature and increase the water binding capacity 

of the flour. Gums added at a level of 0.2 to 0.5% 

of the flour weight enhanced the water absorption 

capacity and altered the texture properties and 

overall  mouth-feel  of  the  end  product.  Usually, 

gums are added in the salt solution prior to mixing 

of dough. Synthetic and natural colors can be added 

to different types of noodles (alkaline noodles, tea 

noodles and vegetable noodles) in order to improve 

their natural color [1, 22].