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2024: pasta market acceleration
by Luigi Pelliccia
FEATURES
FOOD TECHNOLOGY
The production process of fresh pasta by Alessandra Marti, Maria Ambrogina Pagani
PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES
Gluten-free pasta from sorghum and cassava by Laura Gazza, Gaia Blandizzi, Elena Galassi, Marta Naso, Chiara Natale, Francesca Nocente, Federica Taddei
2024: pasta market acceleration
by Luigi Pelliccia Head of Market and Research Department for Federalimentare
After a 2023 decline, the pasta market is growing, especially pasta export
The sharp decline in domestic food demand and the substantial stagnation in international trade that characterised 2023 had an inevitable impact on the industrial production dynamics. Therefore, the food industry closed the year with a -1.6% decline on 2022. This trend is disappointing, but still better than the overall dynamics recorded by the Italian industry, showing -2.6% as a final result. In this scenario, pasta protected itself, but was no exception to the widespread economic downturn.
In fact, at the end of 2023, Italian pasta production recorded a3.7% drop on the previous year, slightly heavier than that of the aggregate food industry, counterbalancing - one would say - the generally brighter pace shown by the sector in previous years.
However, the beginning of 2024 brought the production trend back on track. In the first two months, pasta production reached +2.0%, which exceeded the +1.1% rebound recorded by the food industry as a whole. In fact, at the start of the new year, Italian and international food
demand left the lower turning point behind, bringing a breath of fresh air to the markets. However, alongside the domestic market, exports have also and above all restarted.
In this regard, it should be remembered that, over the 12 months of 2023, pasta reached an export quota of 4 billion103 million euros, with a +3.6% increase over 2022, which was accompanied by a -1.9% drop in quantity. In January 2024, the sector recorded a significant change of pace, with a share of 351.1 million, which meant +10.8% in value and +14.1% in quantity.
With the turn of the year, the overall exports of the food industry also showed a remarkable acceleration. After reaching +6.6% in value and2.1% at the end of 2023, they recorded +13.5% in value and +7% in quantity in January.
The recovery of pasta exports and the entire Italian “food and beverage” sector is certainly due to the excellent pace of Germany, its first market, which recorded an export quota of 59.8 million in January, with a robust +21.1% compared to the same month in 2023. Yet, it is also largely due to the specific recovery of the North
American market. In particular the USA, which represents, for pasta and the food industry as a whole, the second largest foreign outlet after Germany. It should be recalled that last year, Italian pasta had suffered a -5.2% drop in US currency over 2022, while the food industry had closed with a hard-won +2.2%, after a long year in the red on this market. Last January, on the other hand, pasta exports to the USA reached 49.7 million, an increase of 14.6%, while Canada, with a much smaller share of 6.7 million, almost doubled the US result, reaching +82.8% on January 2023.
Hopefully, the signs of recovery that emerged in early 2024 will not turn out to be volatile, but manage to consolidate as the year progresses. We will have to wait, at least, for the data of the first four months. In any case, the fact that Atlantic trade flows, like those of the EU, are not affected by problems plaguing the Suez and Red Sea trades, is most reassuring. Those trades were cut by more than 60% in April, leading to very serious cost and delivery time penalties to international logistics. Rather, the overcast outlook that emerged at the end of April in the US economy could give some potential cause for concern.
In fact, the country’s GDP grew by +1.6%, well below the +3.4% that was forecast. Moreover, inflation returned to +3.4%, after reaching +1.8% in Q4 2023. This means that cut of the cost of money in the US, predicted by the FED on the eve of summer, will be postponed until at least the end of 2024. It also means that the US economy, although enviably more dynamic than the EU economy, remains caught up in problems related to investment plans that pay the price of a very high cost of money.
Source: ISTAT data processing
In a nutshell, it will remain to be seen whether these shadows will have an impact on US food imports and, specifically, on pasta imports, after the promising start of 2024. However, one can be reasonably optimistic.
For several reasons (including high productivity, high per capita
income, very low unemployment), the US economy has huge demand levels. Hence, it is highly likely that the recovery it triggered in January will not remain isolated, but will generate positive inertia.
Luigi Pelliccia
Pasta Nostra boosts instant snack market with healthy Italian pasta pots
Pasta Nostra has unveiled a new line of six instant pasta snack pots. Made from Italian fusilli pasta and natural ingredients, these new pots are set to offer retailers an opportunity for incremental profit growth. Pasta Nostra’s authentic fusilli pasta, crafted from durum wheat grown and harvested in Italy, is manufactured near Bologna, in the Emilia-Romagna region. The pasta is pressed through a bronze mold and then air-dried slowly to achieve a texture that effectively absorbs the sauces in each of the six recipes. The new range boasts clean label nutrition, free from artificial preservatives, colorings and palm oil, and meets non-HFSS (high fat, salt and sugar) standards. The launch features flavors such as Bolognese, Carbonara, Tomato & Mozzarella, Cheese & Pepper, Mushroom and the vegan-friendly Arrabbiata. Each 70g pot, when rehydrated, yields a 250g serving with calorie counts ranging from 233 to 263 kcal per pot.
Nuovo Pasta Production Ltd Wins sofi™ Gold Product Award in Pasta and Noodles Category
Nuovo Pasta Production Ltd.’s Fragrant Lemon & Mascarpone Girasole Ravioli has been named the 2024 sofi™ Gold Product Award Winner in the Pasta and Noodles category. The Specialty Food Association’s (SFA) sofi™ Awards - which have been bestowed annually since 1972 - are a top honor in the $175 billion specialty food industry. The 2024 sofi™ Awards recognized a New Product Winner and a Gold Product Winner in each of 53 specialty food and beverage product categories. Products were judged on taste - including flavor, appearance, texture, and aromaingredient quality, and innovation. Nuovo Pasta Productions Ltd’s Fragrant Lemon & Mascarpone Girasole Ravioli was launched this year as part of the “Passport to Italy” collection. This collection features 9 of Nuovo Pasta’s award-winning products. These Nuovo pasta pillows of deliciousness are an invitation to tour the regional food specialties of Italy.
Canadian pasta maker secures investment
The government of Canada said it will invest C$ 1.7 million ($ 1.2 million) in Italpasta Ltd. to enhance the company’s production of made-in-Canada pasta products. The funds are expected to be used to replace old equipment with a production line that has tripled the production capacity. The new manufacturing line and equipment are also expected to reduce production times, increase supply chain spending and create 10 jobs, the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) said. In addition to the new production line, the investment will “support clean growth outcomes,” FedDev Ontario said, noting plans to reduce Italpasta’s energy consumption and carbon footprint by 20% through modernized storage silos and manufacturing processes.
Felicia names new VP of sales
Italian-based pasta manufacturer Andriani SpA has named Michael Fricchione as Deputy Sales Director in North America for its Felicia brand. In his new role, Fricchione will be responsible for helping Felicia break into the North American market through “building a talented sales team, optimizing operational efficiencies, forging key partnerships and enabling personalized customer experience” - the company said. Fricchione has more than a decade of sales and marketing experience in the health food industry, including No Sugary Co., Danone, Icelandic Provisions and Kite Hill. “Joining Felicia is more than a career move and selling a new product; it’s keeping a promise of better living and leaving an indelible mark on the industry” - Fricchione said. “I look forward to joining the Felicia family and working alongside the talented team to bring colorful, flavorful and wholesome options to shelves and dinner tables around the continent.”
ZENB unveils new ramen line
Plant-based pasta maker ZENB is releasing a new line of at-home crafty ramen. The premium non-fried noodles are derived from the same 100% whole yellow pea base used across the gluten-free ZENB pasta portfolio and come with a savory soup broth. The clean label, better-for-you product contains 18 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber per serving. ZENB’s ramen comes in three flavors: spicy miso, a heat-filled mix of chilis and savory miso flavor notes; shoyu, a tamari soy sauce made with ginger and white pepper; and vegan tonkotsu, which features flavors from toasted sesame and roasted garlic.
Arcadia adds more points of distribution for GoodWheat
Arcadia Biosciences Inc. continued to expand distribution of its GoodWheat brand in the first quarter of 2024, reaching more than 3.500 outlets in three categories. The brand initially specialized in high-fiber pasta products since its founding in 2022 before eventually branching out into high-fiber pancakes and macaroni and cheese products. “The GoodWheat brand continues to expand with Q1, adding a couple of hundred stores of distribution on pancake and waffle mixes,” said Stanley Jacot, President, Director, and Chief Executive Officer of Arcadia, during a May 9 earnings call. “Our focus continues to be nurturing our existing points of distribution and building success stories by category. There are plans in place for each customer addressing everyday pricing, promoted pricing, shelf placement, fuel expansion and account-specific marketing. These plans will require significant expense to execute but are necessary in order to achieve brand scale and defend shelf space from fierce competition.”
Pasta: a specification to regulate advertising claims
The pasta makers of Unione Italiana Food chose to adopt a specification for the self-regulation of voluntary claims used in pasta advertising communication. Proposed and unanimously approved, with reference also to protected designation of pasta, the aim of the specification is to guarantee impartial, transparent and rigorous pasta communication. The document provides guidance on voluntary claims used in pasta advertising communication, to ensure that the content of the messages not only complies with current European, national and selfdisciplinary regulations on fair and equitable advertising communication, but also with regulations on ethical claims that establish a social implication on the consumption of a product, or a relation between the purchase of a product and its positive social impact.
In Marseille, Panzani opens the doors of its historic factory
The French pasta manufacturer, which has committed to using 100% French durum wheat since 2019, has changed its communications strategy over the last two years. Following in the footsteps of its research and development centre, Panzani is now showcasing the expertise of its La Montre site. This site is well known to the people of Marseilles, who regularly walk past it on their way to the La Valentine shopping area, but which has remained relatively inaccessible to the general public. French company Panzani has decided to change its communications strategy. After opening its R&D centre in the 13th arrondissement a few months ago, it is now opening its production plant at La Montre, in Marseille’s 11th arrondissement. “We’ve been fairly discreet over the last few years,” notes Albert Mathieu, the group’s CEO, “but over the last two years we’ve become more open and we want to share what we're doing, what we're achieving, our ambitions and above all our commitment to this sector.”
The production process of fresh pasta
by Alessandra Marti, Maria Ambrogina Pagani Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan
Dry pasta and fresh pasta: two products of excellence in Italian culture and gastronomic tradition, whose differentiation is based primarily on the moisture parameter. In fact, for both types of pasta, Italian legislation (Presidential Decree No. 187, 2001) indicates the maximum moisture value (i.e. total water content), a parameter that highly influences the shelf-life of food, as shown in Table 1. The maximum moisture value (12.5%) set by law for dry pasta does not allow any microbial growth or enzymatic activity and allows a shelf-life up to 3 years. On the contrary, the high moisture content of the fresh product results in a very short shelf-life and heat treatments equivalent to pasteurization and refrigeration are necessary to extend its shelf-life by several months.
Pasteurization and refrigeration are essential to prolong their shelf-life
Besides humidity, a second feature that differentiates the two types of pasta is the raw material: dry pasta must be made exclusively from durum wheat milling products, such as semolina, “semolato” (low grade semolina) and whole-wheat semolina, while fresh pasta may also be made from common wheat flour (Presidential Decree No. 187, 2001) (Table 1).
The limitations on the basic ingredient for the two products are understandable when considering which cereals are chosen (and therefore widely available) in the geographical areas of origin of the two types of pasta. In southern regions, with hot and dry weather, the most widely cultivated cereal, both in the past and nowadays, is durum wheat; its proteins are able to organise themselves into a
particularly tenacious and not very extensible gluten network, capable of withstanding even the significant physical stress that arises during extrusion under pressure: this shaping process has always been preferred to produce dry pasta because it is associated not only with high productivity but above all with a large number of shapes that can be obtained.
As far as fresh pasta is concerned, it is a typical product of the tradition of Italian northern regions, characterised by pedoclimatic conditions that are more favourable to the cultivation of common wheat. Since the gluten proteins of this cereal give more extensible doughs, with limited resistance to high physical stress upon extrusion (Pagani et al., 2007), the shaping of the dough has been developed, at
an artisanal level, by applying “delicate” conditions, i.e. obtaining a layer by rolling (repeatedly rolling the dough in a pair of cylinders in order to gradually reduce its
thickness). This is a process that ensures excellent structuring of gluten, even starting from raw materials with less tenacious proteins than durum wheat, and
Table 1
Comparison of fresh and dry pasta based on a few key parameters
RAWMATERIALWheatflour,durumwheat semolinaormixtures
Shaping:typicallyrolling
Stabilization:pasteurization
Onlydurumwheatmilling products(semolina, lowgradesemolina, wholegrainsemolina) (PresidentialDecree187, 2001)
Shaping:extrusionunder pressure
that guarantees, especially if eggs are present, excellent cooking behaviour of the pasta so obtained thanks to a regular and even distribution of the gluten network around each starch granule.
The lamination ensures the optimal structuring of the gluten
TECHNOLOGICALPROCESS
Packaging:onlyfor packagedproducts
Bulkproduct:moisturenot specifiedbylaw
FINALMOISTURE
SHELF-LIFEorDURABILITY
Packagedproduct: moisture ≥ 24%;0.92 ≥ aw ≥ 0.97(Presidential Decree187,2001)
Bulkproduct:5days/4°C max(PresidentialDecree 187,2001);
Stabilization:drying
Packaging:compulsory
<12.5%(Presidential Decree187,2001) (aw<0.5)
Packagedproduct:usually 30days,max90-120gg 3years
The importance of this result is such as to overshadow the limits of the process, represented by significantly lower productivity than that of extrusion under pressure and by the impossibility of obtaining specific shapes, such as penne, macaroni, fusilli, limiting itself to so-called “flat” shapes. In other words, dry pasta and fresh pasta can be considered the result of processing methods developed and streamlined over a long period of time, bearing in mind the rheological properties and the different level of suitability for processing doughs of durum wheat and common wheat. In this paper we report the results and
observations of the main research published over the last 20 years on the technological choices and innovations of the production process of fresh pasta. In particular, studies on the production diagram of unfilled flat pasta were examined with the aim of linking the conditions applied in the main stages of the process with any changes in the main macromolecules and the impacts on the final quality of the food, before and after cooking it, except for the microbiological aspects for which reference is made to specific works (Ricci et al., 2017).
The shaping process by gradual rolling steps: why is it the recommended technological method for fresh pasta
As already mentioned, doughs made from any variety of common wheat are characterised by a greater extensibility than those obtained from durum wheat. Considering the physical stress associated with the process and cooking, a flour suitable for the production of fresh pasta must be relatively strong but, at the same
time, extensible, with alveograph indices ranging from 230 to 300 x 10-4 J and P/L between 0.5 and 0.8. It should be remembered that, typically, the best semolina for the production of dry pasta shows values of alveograph W greater than 250 x10 -4 J and a ratio P/L of about 2. Regardless of the production scale, the final moisture of the dough must not exceed 3033% (Table 2). These values avoid stickiness and adhesion between individual pieces after shaping but are significantly lower than those that allow the complete and homogeneous hydration of proteins and other hydrophilic compounds. In fact, the flour absorption index of a medium strenght flour is 50-55 parts of water on 100 parts of flour, which corresponds to 42-45%
Table 2
Objectives of fresh pasta production process operations by lamination and properties of the best flour product (MAP = Modified Atmosphere Packaging)
OPERATIONOBJECTIVES
KNEADING
SHEETSHAPINGBY ROLLING
Hydrationofhydrophilic componentsbut theamountofwater (30-33%)isnotsufficient forthecompleteand optimalproteinhydration
Gradualreductionofthe sheetthickness(several passeswithcalibrating rollers)toavoidtears andripsinthesheetand tofavourthecreation ofacontinuousand homogeneousprotein pattern
PROPERTIES OF THE “OPTIMAL” FLOUR PRODUCT
Evenparticlesizetoavoid whitespots
Strongbutextensible proteinpattern(incaseof flour:alveograph W=230÷300x10-4J; P/L=0.5÷0.8)
Roleoftotalstarchand damagedstarchstilllittle studied
PASTEURIZATION
PACKAGINGAND THEUSEOFMAP
Microbial(removalof pathogenicbacteria andreductionofheatresistantsaprophytes)and enzymaticstabilisation
Proteindenaturalization
Partialstarchgelatinisation
Readilycoagulableproteins
Slowingdownof microorganismgrowth -
1
Diagram of fresh flat pasta production by rolling (MAP: Modified Atmosphere Packaging)
dough moisture. In other words, since hydration conditions are not ideal to hydrate all protein macromolecules, the kneading stage and the next shaping stage are crucial to make sure that water is correctly distributed and, consequently, gluten is well developed.
compression phases that do not heat the mass. Moreover, the sheet that is so created is folded and crossed several times, which gives a 3D network structure that involves all protein macromolecules and surrounds every single starch granule (Pagani et al., 2007). In case eggs are added, they distribute evenly, helping to strengthen the pattern of gluten proteins. In the past, kneading was often carried out by means of malaxers, kneading tanks with kneading tools in the shape of toothed tapered rollers that were able to simulate the delicate mixing and compression process carried out manually and characterised by very low productivity.
should be used to remove oxygen and slow down the oxidation phenomena responsible for color alterations (Carini et al., 2009). The wet mass can be transformed into a sheet of preset thickness in two ways: extrusion (only 1 step to obtain the desired final thickness), or rolling of dough passing through pairs of rollers whose distance is gradually reduced.
In theory, the manual kneading and subsequent processing with rolls give an ideal pattern structure, starting from both common wheat flour and durum wheat semolina (Pagani et al., 2007). In fact, the water and any other liquid ingredients, such as eggs, are distributed through a gentle and extended mixing process, with short
Today, both at artisanal and industrial level, the steps of the production process are outlined in Figure 1. After dosing the ingredients, whose microbiological quality must be carefully evaluated, kneading is carried out for about 1015 minutes in tanks with rotating trees with specific blades; some manufacturers suggest that vacuum
As shown by some researchers through ultrasound studies (Pagani et al., 2007), physical stress associated with pressure extrusion can be so intense as to facilitate the breakdown of fibres that make up the gluten tissue, especially when common wheat flour is used; network discontinuity is inevitably associated with higher cooking losses compared to laminated pasta (Pagani et al., 2007, Carini et al., 2009). Among the innovations that have appeared in recent years, there is the solution proposed by Fava and Storci (2006) involving a pre-mixing phase in the Premix®: the high-speed rotation of the shaft keeps semolina particles in suspension and sprays water (and other liquid ingredients such as eggs), resulting in water dispersion between solid particles and even hydration of the flour product. The wet mass can be immediately conveyed to shaping by means of Bakmix®, a twin screw extruder running at low pressure (810 atm) or left to rest, without shaking, for 8-10 minutes on the Beltmix® belt (in order to further help a smooth distribution of water and prevent oxygen from being included in the dough, except for the thin surface layer) and then shaped by rolling/calibration. Carini et al. (2010) investigated the effects of these three devices on the characteristics of the dough and on the quality of the corresponding fresh pasta, compared to standard processing with a conventional kneader. As expected, by rolling pasta, regardless of mixing methods, better sheets of dough are obtained in appearance (no white spots),
Figure
colour and cooking loss. The cooking losses produced with this type of machine, despite being higher according to Carini et al. (2010) than those observed in pasta obtained with a traditional kneader, still remain below 3%. In order to improve the continuity and consistency of the mass, which may be insufficient given the fast kneading time, Storci has now patented a “total vacuum” rolling mill, consisting of Premix® and a vacuum kneading tank (https://www.storci.com/src_Prodotti. asp?search=1&lang=IT&categoria= Sfogliatrici).
Heat treatments of pasteurization
The kneading and rolling operations are completed by cutting the dough: the flat pasta shapes (tagliatelle, fettuccine, lasagne etc.) thus obtained can be marketed without packaging but they last only 5 days, even if refrigerated at 4 °C (Presidential Decree No 187, 2001).
The high levels of water activity (0.92 ≤ aw≤ 0.97) lead to a rapid growth of microorganisms and an intense activity of enzymes that can usually be found in raw materials. In order to extend their shelf-life, so that it becomes more suitable for marketing pasta even in areas not close to the production area, heat treatments equivalent to pasteurization, i.e. treatments that ensure the removal of any thermolabile pathogenic
microorganism that can be found in the product (Table 2), are essential in addition to prepackaged packaging (Table 2).
Obviously, the risk is higher in case of eggs or other critical ingredients, such as those used in fillings.
Pasteurization time/temperature conditions shall allow for at least 6 decimal reductions in Listeria monocytogenes, the most resistant of all thermolabile pathogens.
The effectiveness of Gamma radiations has also been verified
However, heat treatment does not remove the so-called heat-resistant “ordinary” microorganisms that, in longer storage times than those defined for shelf-life, can produce alterations in the product.
As established in Presidential Decree No 187, 2001 and outlined in Figure 1, pasteurized fresh pasta is subjected, in separate environments, to a first heat treatment in bulk, generally at 90 °-95 °C for a few minutes: the efficiency of heat exchange is very high given the thickness of the sheet of pasta dough, which is generally less than 2 mm. Steam is used which in industrial plants can be: a) produced by boilers within the line (nascent steam) (Gris and Sensidoni, 2005;
Zardetto and Dalla Rosa, 2015), or b) generated outside, then injected into the pasteurizer (saturated or overheated). The most modern alternative technology to this second type uses steam to heat the air in the pasteurizer with an indirect exchanger and manages the relative humidity of the air with injected steam. These differences in the plants have significant repercussions on the efficacy of heat exchange, as demonstrated by Zardetto and Della Rosa (2015) in industrial tests of pasteurization on filled pasta: at the same temperature, the apparent heat exchange coefficient was 347 W/m2K for the direct steam injection line, significantly higher than the coefficient calculated for the nascent steam line, i.e. 202 W/m2K. As a result, the different heat exchange promotes a different temperature both inside the product and on its surface, with important repercussions not only on the reduction of microorganisms but also on the intensity of other phenomena triggered by temperature (discussed below): the main ones are protein denaturation, starch gelatinisation and the interactions between different chemical components, which have a negative impact on the availability of nutrients, often referred to as “thermal damage”.
As shown in the production diagram of fresh pasta (Figure 1), the first pasteurization is always followed by a drying phase of the bulk product in order to remove the steam condensed on its surface before packaging, and it is then followed by a cooling phase. At this point, the production process can follow two different paths, with different effects on the quality of the finished product (Pagani et al., 2007). The first solution involves packaging the pasteurized product under aseptic conditions within an environment with controlled atmosphere and filtered air: shelf-life is expected to be about 60 days as long as the
product is stored at 4 °C and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is used. The other approach, applied if packaging takes place in non-aseptic environments and therefore is potentially associated with new microbial contamination, requires a second pasteurization treatment, carried out on the packaged product within spiral environments where the packages remain for longer (even more than 40-60 min) than those of the first treatment. With double pasteurization the shelf-life can reach 90-120 days, but it must always be associated with “ancillary” technologies, such as packaging in modified atmospheres and refrigeration at 4 °C.
Other phenomena induced by heat treatment
The energy associated with pasteurization temperatures produces the desired effects on microorganisms but it also promotes several other phenomena, some with positive repercussions on the sensory characteristics of the food, others on the main macromolecules, such as the insolubility and denaturation of proteins and the partial gelatinisation of starch; finally, other phenomena are undoubtedly negative for the nutritional quality of the food. In the first group color improvements can be included, especially yellow index related to
enzyme inactivation (Zardetto and Dalla Rosa, 2015), changes in surface brightness of pasta, due to starch gelatinisation (Zardetto and Dalla Rosa, 2015) and changes in the rheological properties of dough with positive implications for cooking behavior. In particular, according to Pagani et al. (2007), unpasteurized fresh pasta (i.e. the product sold in bulk), when undergoing a tensile test before cooking, shows high extensibility related to the characteristics of the flour product and the careful processing of the dough; extensibility increases further after cooking as a result of water absorption and total starch
Figure 2
Mechanical properties (assessed by tensile test) of fresh pasta samples obtained (a) without a pasteurization process and (b) with a double pasteurization process (source: Pagani et al., 2007)
gelatinisation (Figure 2a). With the same formula, the double pasteurization makes pasta extremely tenacious and not so deformable (Figure 2b), a change due to irreversible denaturation of proteins. With cooking, thanks to water absorption and starch gelatinisation, pasta recovers extensibility (Figure 2b) and improves its chewiness. According to Alamprese et al. (2005), the higher the intensity of the heat treatment, the greater the insolubility of proteins that are thus structured in an indeformable protein pattern, stabilised by covalent bonds, especially if the formula implies double pasteurization and eggs. In fact, the high solubility of native proteins in this ingredient helps their homogeneous distribution in the mass during kneading, while their denaturation temperature, lower than that of gluten proteins, strengthens the protein pattern, limiting losses during cooking (Alamprese et al., 2008). The same authors believe that the assessment of the rheological indexes of pasta before cooking, combined with that of protein solubility indexes, may be useful in defining the thermal history of the product (Alamprese et al., 2005).Heat treatment, as already
mentioned, does not only brings positive effects but it also favours reactions responsible for important nutritional losses. With fresh pasta, the most significant heat damage is associated with the Maillard reaction between reducing sugars and proteins and as a result, part of the lysine is unavailable; this phenomenon can be quantified using the Furosina index (Resmini et al., 1990). Given that the thermal damage in fresh pasta is significantly lower than in dry pasta (Pagani et al., 2007), the Furosina index is highly related to the severity of the heat treatment (Zardetto and Dalla Rosa, 2015; Alamprese et al., 2005). Double pasteurization treatments at 93 °C for 60 minutes are associated with a Furosine index of about 50 mg/100 g protein; the value rises to 87.8 mg/100 g protein for 90 minutes at the same temperature (Alamprese et al., 2008).
The main and latest technological innovations
Given the growing interest of consumers in fresh pasta with high nutritional (low heat damage) and sensory quality (no defects related to appearance, taste and aroma, high cooking quality) and the preference for clean-label products,
in recent years the attention of researchers has mainly focused on issues related to the extension of the current shelf-life of the food (90-120 days at most using double pasteurization cycles) without resorting to the use of chemical preservatives.
As an alternative to heat treatments, the application of emerging technologies, such as pulsed light treatments, based on a wide spectrum of light radiation, from near-infrared to ultraviolet, has been investigated. The results of Manzocco et al. (2014) on egg pasta contaminated with Salmonella enterica, indicate that some delicate treatments (0.70 J/cm2) are sufficient to inactivate this micro-organism if the contamination affects only the surface of the product. On the contrary, if the pathogen is in the filling, a stronger treatment is needed (1.75 J/cm2); such a condition can cause a more intense Maillard reaction. The effectiveness of Gamma radiations (5, 10 and 13 Gy) has also been verified, so that pasta can be preserved for 90 days without refrigeration and modified atmospheres (Cassaresa et al., 2020). The results were considered interesting in terms of appearance and absence of off-flavour, but not
for some indexes related to cooking behavior. The removal of oxygen from the packaging by replacing air with mixtures of gases (Modified Atmosphere Packaging with mixtures of CO2:N2, generally 30:70 or 40:60) is a proven technology to slow down, after pasteurization, the growth of potential microorganisms and increase the shelf-life of the food (Zardetto, 2005). This paper does not intend to analyze the various packaging solutions suggested so far, both in terms of materials and gas mixtures, but it aims at drawing attention to innovations that are currently being studied for this stage of the process, from the search for alternative technologies to the current thermal treatments (for convection and/or microwave) and MAP packaging to achieve microbial stabilisation. In fact, there are more and more studies that suggest ways to improve the results of current techniques of food preservation through biotechnological approaches, able to guarantee shelf-life even for longer periods without making significant changes to the sensory and/or nutritional properties of pasta. The first way is to include natural bioactive compounds in biodegradable chitosan-based films, which already have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties (Del Nobile et al., 2009; Wang et al., 2018). For the most part, these are plant extracts, whose slow but constant migration from the packaging to the food allows to control the growth of microorganisms, even for long periods. Among the many compounds that have given positive results both for antimicrobial activity and the sensory quality of the food, there are extracts of citrus oils (Randazzo et al., 2016), spirulina (Balti et al., 2017) and lupine and oak (Bajic’ et al., 2019).
The strategy of bioconservation or biopreservation is even more interesting. In this case, the shelf-life of a perishable food is guaranteed by the presence of a microbiota
with bioprotective capacity (such as lactic bacteria - LAB) or fermentation products and/or metabolites with antimicrobial activity (bacteriocins and/or organic acids) (Angiolillo et al., 2017). The efficacy of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus paracasei (concentrations of 7 log CFU/g) in the filling of tortelloni ricotta and spinach, combined with mild heat treatments (70 °C/3 minutes) (Tabanelli et al., 2020) was thus assessed. Although bioprotective cultures were not dominant over the microflora of raw materials, their presence was able to influence the type and quantity of microorganisms found at the end of the preservation period, facilitating the presence of more interesting species (e.g. Leuconostoc) for both antimicrobial capabilities and their role on sensory properties. Other authors (Angiolillo et al., 2017) controlled the effects of adding Lactobacillus reuteri in the dough; this microorganism can usually be found in the human intestinal tract where it produces reuterine, an antimicrobial compound soluble in water and resistant to heat and a wide pH range. Its presence in fresh pasta, especially when combined with MAP packaging, has allowed to improve both the microbiological and sensory quality of the food. Finally, the most recent work on this topic (Marzano et al., 2022) implied enriching the dough with a mixture of several microorganisms (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium animalis, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus casei, Bacillus coagulans, each in concentrations of 7 log CFU/g) and producing pasteurized and MAP packaged pasta. Although these cultures are unable to replicate during pasta preservation, they are able to synergically control the growth of unwanted bacteria through their fermentation metabolites and/or antimicrobial activity. Overall, according to the authors’ estimation, the shelf-life of
fresh pasta obtained with this biotechnology can be extended by an additional 30-day period, offering not only greater costeffectiveness and sustainability of the process but also some nutritional advantages, still to be verified, related to the potential passage into the gut of microorganisms still present in pasta at the end of storage.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors thank Dr. Alessio Marchesani (Fava S.p.A.) and dr. Enrico Bolla (Bertagni1882 S.p.A.) for their valuable suggestions. This work is part of the project “Research and innovation network on food and nutrition Sustainability, Safety and Security (ONFoods)”, funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), Mission 4 Component 2 Investments 1.3-Call for tender No. 341 of 15 March 2022 of the Ministry of University and Research funded by the European Union-NextGenerationEU, Project Code PE00000003, Decree of concession No 1550 of 11 October 2022, CUP D93C22000890001.
Alessandra Marti, Maria Ambrogina Pagani
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Gluten-free pasta from sorghum and cassava
by Laura Gazza (photo), Gaia Blandizzi, Elena Galassi, Marta Naso, Chiara Natale, Francesca Nocente, Federica Taddei
CREA Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing, Rome
The continuous migration flows and the subsequent multi-ethnicity of our society have led to a fusion of traditions and cultures, including in the food sector. In fact, food does not only keep alive the relation with its culture of origin, but it also represents a catalyst for integration and inclusion of immigrants and, at the same time, an opportunity for the host country to learn about and introduce new raw materials into national eating habits.
Currently, there are almost 5 million immigrants in Italy, accounting for around 8.5% of the population, of which 22.5% come from Africa. Sorghum, cassava and durum wheat are the largest source of carbohydrates in Africa.
Enhancement of sorghum and cassava through the production of dry pasta
Sorghum and cassava: characteristics and potential Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor Moench) is the fifth most common cereal crop after wheat, rice, corn and barley. It is an important crop in the dry tropical and sub-tropical regions where it is used to prepare food and drink. Sorghum cultivation is also widespread in temperate areas of the United States, Australia and Europe for a predominantly zootechnical use. Recently, sorghum has been proposed in the industrial production of biomass, ethanol and bioplastics. Thanks to its rusticity and tolerance to water and thermal stress, due above all to its C4 metabolism, sorghum is an excellent candidate for addressing the challenges of food security and sustainable agriculture in the climate change scenario.
Over the past 40 years, hybrid varieties of white grain sorghum called “food-grade” have been developed in the United States since they are specially selected for human consumption. The availability of these “food grade” hybrids and the absence of gluten have led to a significant increase in the consumption of this cereal, in particular by people suffering from gluten-related diseases. Sorghum grain is essentially made of carbohydrates (70-80%), proteins (8-18%), fat (1-5%) and dietary fiber (9-12%). In addition, sorghum contains a high concentration of bioactive compounds and good technological properties that could contribute to the development of healthy and gluten-free foods. Sorghum is usually eaten as it is or processed into flour, with which traditional dishes such as bread,
PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES
porridge, boiled grains and fried products are prepared.
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is the primary source of food for over 800 million people, representing the third largest source of carbohydrates in tropical countries and the fourth most important crop in Africa. In fact, cassava root is a good source of energy, since it is almost exclusively made of carbohydrates, from 80 to 90%. On the other hand, it is low in protein (1.5-3.5%) and fat (0.51.5%) and may contain 1.4-8.5% dietary fiber. Like sorghum, cassava is also a sustainable crop, as it is suitable for less fertile soils and unfavorable weather conditions, such as drought.
One of the problems related to cassava processing and
Gluten-free products from sorghum and cassava flour
consumption is the rapid postharvest deterioration of the roots that reduces the shelf-life and makes its distribution difficult. Cassava is mainly transformed into fermented products (bread, flour and starch) and unfermented (tapioca, chips, pellets, flour and starch). Cassava flour is also used for the production of gluten-free products. Finally, the starch extracted from cassava root finds several applications at an industrial level. Given the importance of pasta as a versatile and cheap
food, easy to preserve and appreciated all over the world, at the CREA-Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Transformazioni agroalimentari in Rome, dry pasta formulations have been created combining, in different blends, food grade sorghum, cassava and durum wheat flours, whose nutritional properties and technological and sensory quality have been assessed in comparison with durum wheat semolina spaghetti.
Production of sorghum and cassava pasta
Whole flours of cassava, food grade sorghum and durum wheat were produced using the Pulverisette microniser (Fritch) with a 0.7 mm sieve, while semolina was obtained by grinding the durum wheat grain with the MLU 202 mill (Bühler, Switzerland). Whole-meal flour and semolina have been used in different percentages and combinations to produce 6 different formulations of dry pasta, spaghetti format, as shown in Table 1 . Spaghetti was obtained using an experimental press (NAMAD) with a capacity of up to 20 kg/h, equipped with a teflon-coated extruder consisting of 164 holes of 1.80 mm diameter, under the following conditions: kneading for 15 minutes in a vacuum chamber (1
Table 2
Nutritional properties of the five pasta formulas (Table 1)
Semolina100%(control)13.86±0.0478.92±0.530.310±0.0074.34±0.0629.94±0.460.850±0.010
Formula12.10±0.0791.71±0.150.272±0.0158.32±0.0521.15±0.400.830±0.010
Formula25.97±0.0773.30±2.300.417±0.0055.04±0.0731.13±0.230.915±0.004
Formula39.81±0.0579.75±0.140.525±0.00111.03±0.1135.12±0.481.535±0.002
Formula45.29±0.1983.75±1.510.170±0.0038.83±0.0133.18±1.411.26±0.05
Formula59.92±0.1273.23±1.450.510±0.0055.40±0.1339.91±0.461.372±0.006
bar) at a temperature of 50 °C and auger extrusion speed of 42 rpm. Pasta was dried for 18 hours by applying a low temperature cycle (T max=58 °C) to reach 12.5% humidity. Due to the lack of gluten and the characteristics of sorghum starch (high gelatinization temperature), it was not possible to obtain 100% sorghum pasta (formula 6). The semolina pasta used as a control was produced in the same plant and under the same conditions as sorghum and cassava pasta.
Nutritional and sensory properties of sorghum and cassava pasta
The pasta content in terms of protein, starch, resistant starch, total fiber and antioxidant capacity (Table 2) was evaluated. Among the
different types of pasta, those containing cassava turned out to be the lowest protein pasta; in particular, the formula containing cassava only, had the lowest protein content (2%). However, the addition of sorghum and semolina led to an increase in protein by about 2.5 times, while the addition of whole-meal durum wheat flour increased by about 5 times the protein content in cassava pasta, thanks to the contribution given by proteins that are in the outer layers of the seed. The significant increase in protein content observed when cassava was combined with cereals shows that blending flours is a good strategy to overcome the low protein content that limits the nutritional potential of cassava. The analysis of the total starch content showed the highest values in pasta
containing cassava only (over 90%), confirming it is a carbohydrate-rich food, while replacing cassava with 50% sorghum or durum wheat led to a reduction in starch content, a stronger reduction in case of semolina replacement. Resistant starch is one of the components of soluble fiber, i.e. the portion of starch that is not hydrolyzed by digestive enzymes and arrives untouched in the digestive system where it acts as a prebiotic, helping the colon to function correctly. Resistant starch can also reduce the post-prandial glycemic response. Pasta containing durum wheat, both as semolina and whole wheat, showed the highest content of resistant starch while pasta with 100% cassava and the one with 50% cassava + 50% sorghum showed the lowest values.
Variability in the diameter of spaghetti with five pasta formulas (Table 1)
Figure 1
The results of the analysis of total dietary fiber showed the lowest values in mixtures of pasta containing semolina, due to the absence of the outer layers of the seed, known to be the richest in fiber. Conversely, cassava flour spaghetti, combined with whole wheat flour from durum wheat contained almost 3 percentage points more fiber than spaghetti containing cassava only. As to the total antioxidant capacity of pasta, the formula consisting of 100% cassava showed the lowest values, while the one containing a mixture of sorghum and semolina the highest ones, suggesting a higher antioxidant capacity of cereals compared to cassava. In fact, the addition of the two cereals to cassava (formula 2, 3 and 4) led to a significant increase in antioxidant capacity compared to cassava-only pasta. The ash content was also measured, which was lower in cassava-only pasta and higher in formulas 3 and 5, due to the presence of the outer layers of the seed in the whole durum wheat and sorghum flour. However, the values were still below the legal ash limit of 1.8% for whole flours. Since minerals are important for our nutrition and health, and cassava being low in minerals, the increase in their content in pasta mixtures containing cassava
Pasta containing cassava was found to be low in protein
contributes to the improvement of the nutritional properties. Moreover, since food sorghum shows a high content of Mg, Fe and Zn, a high K/Na ratio and a low Ca/P ratio compared to other cereal crops, the use of sorghum flour for pasta could help increase its nutritional potential.
The results are expressed as an average ± standard deviation for three replicates. Before evaluating the cooking quality, the average diameter of spaghetti was
measured. As shown in Figure 1, all type of pasta showed a wide variability in diameter if compared to semolina pasta used as control and to pasta with 50% cassava +50% semolina. The highly variable diameter was due to the fact that both sorghum and cassava do not contain gluten, which is able to maintain the structure of spaghetti during drying, and also to the presence of bran that makes the surface rough and non-homogeneous and is responsible for the variation in the spaghetti diameter. The comparison for the ideal cooking time showed a longer time for semolina pasta used as a reference, followed by cassavaonly pasta (Figure 2). All the other
Ideal time and water absorption when cooking the five pasta formulas (Table 1)
Figure 2
reduced cooking times due to the replacement of cassava starch with durum wheat or sorghum. In fact, the starch from cassava shows a high amyloctin/amylose ratio and its high content of amilopectine has resulted in a long cooking time in cassava-only pasta. This is confirmed by the fact that pasta formula 4 (sorghum + cassava) showed a longer cooking time than pasta formula 5 (sorghum + semolina). At the same time, the replacement of part of semolina with cassava or sorghum (formula 2 and 5) significantly reduced the cooking time, probably due to the lower homogeneity of the gluten network, which facilitated access
This kind of combinations promote cultural integration
to water during cooking, which is also confirmed by the water absorption data (Figure 2).
The water absorption, i.e. the weight gain of dry pasta after cooking, was significantly higher in the semolina pasta used as control, followed by spaghetti whose formula includes some percentages of whole wheat semolina or durum wheat flour (formula 5, 2 and 3), as shown in Figure 2. In formulas 1
absorbed water were due to the fact that cassava and sorghum do not contain gluten that is responsible for a greater water absorption (Figure 2).
Finally, the sensory analysis on cooked pasta (Figure 3) was carried out by five expert and trained tasters, through the assessment of three parameters, i.e. stickiness (due to the presence of organic material that adheres to the surface of cooked pasta), firmness to the bite (indicating resistance to chewing) and clumpy of spaghetti. Each parameter was assigned a score from 1 to 100 and finally, the different types of pasta were assigned a global rating corresponding to the arithmetic mean of the three parameters. As expected, the control semolina pasta received the highest score for all three parameters, followed by formulas where a percentage of semolina was present (Figure 4). In particular, semolina + sorghum spaghetti showed the same level of stickiness and were as clumpy as semolina pasta, while the firmness and overall score were lower, although their values were considered sufficient (≥ 55 and ≤ 65) for the sensory quality standard of semolina pasta. Due to the absence of gluten, formula 1 and 4 obtained
Figure 3
Cooked spaghetti with five pasta formulas (Table 1)
the worst sensory score (Figure 4), and, in particular, spaghetti obtained by mixing sorghum and cassava broke almost completely during cooking (Figure 3). Samples of cassava flour pasta mixed with whole wheat flour from durum wheat showed high values of stickiness and were very clumpy which led to an overall score of 30, below the acceptability limit for durum wheat pasta. However, it must be remembered
that the quality standards refer to semolina pasta and reflect the preferences of Italian consumers or, in any case, of those people who are used to eat semolina-only pasta, while different types of consumers, such as foreigners or people suffering from glutenrelated diseases, could still appreciate the characteristics of these different types of pasta, in particular the regular consumers of sorghum and cassava.
Figure 4
Sensory analysis of the five pasta formulas. Firmness: absent (20), rare (> 20 and 40), sufficient (> 40 and 60), good (> 60 and 80), very good (> 80 and 100); clumpy and stickiness: very high (20), high (> 20 and 40), rare (> 40 and 60), almost absent (> 60 and 80), absent (> 80 and 100); overall score: poor (<55), sufficient (55 and < 65), good (65 and < 75), very good (75)
Conclusions
The use of new raw materials such as sorghum and cassava for the production of dry pasta not only makes it possible to enhance these so-called “minor” crops, at least in our latitudes, but at the same time helps the cultural integration of immigrants from tropical and equatorial countries, bringing them closer to this food that is the symbol of Made-in-Italy.
The study carried out at CREA-IT showed that the addition of sorghum or durum wheat to cassava leads to an increase in the nutritional potential of the latter in terms of protein content, fiber and overall antioxidant capacity. Similarly, the nutritional, technological and sensory quality of pasta containing cassava or sorghum was significantly improved by adding 50% of semolina.
Therefore, the pasta samples obtained from the different mixtures have highlighted interesting nutritional aspects, but it is believed that further development in the pasta production process is necessary to also improve its technological and sensory quality.
Laura Gazza et al.
Raw materials world cereal season 2024
by Duccio Caccioni
CAAB Market Director - Agribusiness Center of Bologna
According to Usda estimates, EU cereal production for the upcoming season is expected to reach 274.8 million tons, slightly up from the 2022/23 production of 271 million tons. Soft wheat production is supposed to reach 129.85 million tons, a decrease from 2023 (134.63 million tons). It should be noted that soft wheat areas decreased in France, Germany, Hungary, Romania and Poland, while increases were registered in Denmark and Italy. The increase in cereal production is mainly due to Spain as well as Scandinavian countries and Romania, which has become the EU’s fourth largest cereal producer. Countries such as France, Germany, Poland and Hungary declined. From an agronomic point of view, excessive rainfall characterised the
Usda anticipations for the EU, Canada and Ukraine outline an increasingly complex market for Italy as well
climate in the north-western countries of the European Union, preventing the main spring agricultural operations. From a commercial point of view, strong competition between Russia and Ukraine hampers the export of European grains to third parties. Cereal imports are expected to decrease throughout the EUthere should be a significant soft wheat drop in Spain and, to a lesser extent, also in Italy due to the greater availability of Italian products Table 1
Canada
For the 2023/24 season, Canada’s grain production is expected to reach 61.4 million tons, up 4.9% from the previous season - the increase in production is expected to be largely due to higher wheat
harvests, which are expected to be as much as 1.7 million tons higher than the previous year. Wheat production is expected to increase
AreaHarvested(1000HA)50.97950.97350.17050.20449.897
BeginningStocks(1000MT)32.43732.43730.95831.07832.168 Production(1000MT)267.258267.405270.115271.013274.850 MYImports(1000MT)37.70237.69836.65035.08229.692 TYImports(1000MT)37.85637.84536.55034.96029.760
Source: FAS EU Posts
from 31.954 to 33.667 million tons. Durum wheat production should reach 5.5 million tons, up 36% over the previous year - an increase due to both higher investments (+5%)
and higher yields. It should be noted that Canada’s export of durum wheat to the world is decreasing - as of February 2024, exports since the beginning of the
year are estimated at 1.97 million tons compared to 3.2 million in the same period of last year Table 2-3
Ukraine
Despite the UN Black Sea Initiative, Ukrainian grain exports continue to be difficult. Ship charters have risen further, especially due to the attacks on the Red Sea in midNovember 2023, and are rather difficult. In a nutshell, the grain sector has been suffering since the Russian attack two years ago: this year, too, there are fewer areas under cereal production. The European Union has become the main outlet market for Ukrainian cereals due to the suspension of duties and quotas. For 2024, yields per hectare are expected to be lower than the record yields registered in 2023total production is expected to be lower than the previous year. For winter cereals, production is
Figure 1
Grain Area and Production
Table 2
Production, Supply and Distribution - Wheat
AreaHarvested(1000HA)24.40224.42024.20024.18023.360 BeginningStocks(1000MT)13.63113.63116.03815.30117.551 Production(1000MT)134.293134.450134.150134.630129.850
MYImports(1000MT)12.19312.19913.50012.5009.000 TYImports(1000MT)12.19312.19913.50012.5009.000
Table 3
Area Planted to Durum Wheat
4
(1000
(MT/HA)
expected to decrease by 8.6% - for wheat alone, production is expected to be 21.1 million tons, a 9% decrease compared to 2023
Tabel 4
EU is main outlet market for Ukrainian grain
Value chains
The value chains were the topic of the conference organised on 18 April by the Associazione Granaria Emilia Romagna - Ager, Commodities Exchange Manager of the Bologna Chamber of Commerce. The title of the fine
Supply and Distribution - Ukrainian Wheat
Table
Figure 2
Figure 4
Ukraine’s Stocks vs Production and Exports for Wheat, Barley and Corn
Figure 3
Share of Grain Exports from Ukraine that go to the EU
report by Alessandro Santi, president of Federagenti, i.e. “two years of volatility and uncertainty”, sums up the meaning of the meeting organised in the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region. As Ager president Valerio Filetti said “[...] the analysis of value chains makes us better prepared for resilience, i.e. to manage today’s extremely volatile economic systems”. Since 2008, international trade, which had been growing steadily since 1970, appeared to show an
extremely fluctuating trend. International tensions are now slowing down the traffic in the key points of maritime freight logistics, i.e. the straits. Between the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, vessel traffic in the Suez Canal fell by 42%, in the Panama Canal by 49%. Especially for dry bulk goods (including the main agricultural commodities), distances and transport times are getting longer. All this in a context increasingly conditioned by bilateral trade agreements.
Fluctuating trend for international trade since 2008
These agreements are signed in a context characterised by war and thus within dynamics of rapid transformation of the previous status quo . A striking example is the increasingly strong ties between Russia, Brazil and India with China. Or even the UK and US relations (or even, of course, Ukraine) with the European Union that tend to be tighter. On the contrary, an analysis of the statistical data on trade flows shows a clear decline in Russia’s trade relations with the European Union, or in the US and Korea’s relations with China. Essentially, we are witnessing and will witness a strengthening of trade among the Brics countries and, on the other hand, a substantial limitation of relations between the Western world and the Brics. Geopolitics will play a major role in the coming years, with a substantial convergence of some economies, for instance the Chinese economy with Russia, but also with countries such as Indonesia or Saudi Arabia.
Duccio Caccioni
Bühler’s Grain Innovation Center construction enters final stage
Bühler’s former Grain Technology Center, operational for nearly 75 years, needed modernization to keep up with market demands. With the food and feed sectors experiencing rapid changes in the past few years, customers need more flexibility, creativity, and the right environment to adapt their products. The Grain Innovation Center will support customers in addressing key issues, such as the use of local raw materials, increasing productivity and safety,
new and healthier products. The new facility spans 2.000 square meters, features state-ofthe-art infrastructure, and cutting-edge equipment from Bühler and its partners. “We are so excited to be nearing completion of this important new facility, which brings together Bühler’s rich history in milling with cutting-edge technology. By integrating the GIC into Bühler’s network of Application & Training Centers in Uzwil, customers benefit from an ideal setup that enables them to turn challenges
Geser, Project Director Grains & Food at Bühler Group.
Construction on the project started in August 2022, when in a first step, all the equipment at Bühler’s previous Grain Technology Center was removed from the building. Between October 2022 and January 2023, the building was demolished, and a new foundation built. The construction of the five-story GIC started in February 2023, and was completed in 12 months. Now, in March 2024, the project has entered its final phase, and the
Bühler’s new Grain Innovation Center in Uzwil is nearing completion, marking a significant milestone in the field of grain processing innovation
systems has begun. Some of the previous equipment was refurbished for reuse in the new GIC. Remanufacturing machines offers not only economic but also environmental benefits, such resource efficiency by reusing components and waste reduction. Some of the machines were sold to customers and only a minor portion was discarded and recycled.
The modernization project also includes Bühler’s Milling Academy
and the Swiss Institute of Feed Technology (SFT), both of which will be housed in a new structure strategically located next to the GIC to increase synergies. Spanning an area of 1.600 square meters, this new training facility for the Milling Academy and the SFT will have classrooms, an open learning area, meeting rooms, a customer service corner, new laboratories, a workshop area, and a larger changing room for customers and employees. This
new building will enable Bühler’s team and customers to adapt and develop the skills needed to keep pace with a quickly changing and increasingly challenging work environment. About 800 customers and 150 internal employees were trained in more than 120 training courses offered by the Milling Academy and the Swiss Institute of Feed Technology in 2023. The building is slated to be operational by January 2025 .
Christian Geser, Project Director Grains & Food at Bühler, (first left) with the team responsible for the construction project
The new facility spans 2.000 square meters, features state-of-the-art infrastructure, and cutting-edge equipment from Bühler and its partners
In the multi-purpose center, customers from the food and animal feed sectors can conduct trials on new products and explore new processes and solutions
AXOR’s latest projects in Algeria and Germany
AXOR’s work continues incessantly in the world of pasta production, recently confirming the sale of a Couscous Line 1200 kg/h in Algeria and completing the Commissioning and Start- up in Germany of a 2000 kg/h Short-Cut Pasta Line. These are only the last two projects completed by AXOR, who already has other projects planned in the near future and will be proud to share.
AXOR’s strong point is to study in every detail together with the client the realization of their needs, applying the latest technologies, customizing them for each situation. Applying precisely this theory, AXOR recently concluded the sale of a 1200 kg/h Couscous line in Algeria. AXOR carries out each project from its design to its start of production, following it step by step with its own R&D and
providing continuous assistance to pasta producer customers. Just in the last month, AXOR has seen another of its Lines in Germany come to life, completing with technicians the Start-Up and Commissioning of the 2000 kg/h Short-Cut Pasta Line recently installed in Germany. Study, constantly evolving technology, manufacturing and assistance are the pillars of AXOR’s work.
Golden State Macaroni / Weber Egg Noodle
Golden State Macaroni Company of Los Angeles was in business from about 1913 to 1953 and sold macaroni, spaghetti and egg noodles under the brands Golden State, Peerless and Italian Maid.1 The company focused on markets regionally and in Hawaii. Harry Saidiner registered the trademark Golden State macaroni in 1929.2
In 1948, Saidiner also did business under the name Weber Egg Noodle Company of Bell, California which owned Mrs. Weber’s, a brand that was claimed to be from 1907.3 They offered fine, medium and broad noodles made with “at least” two eggs for every pound.4 According to a 1936 article, G. W. Bohnstedt founded the company in 1910 after creating the first batch in a small kitchen with her mother J. H. Weber.5 Initially, they only sold to housewives in the Los Angeles area.6 Soon after, the market grew to include grocers throughout the region and production went from a kitchen to a modern factory.7
In one bold advertising campaign targeting single men, the company said bachelors could make noodle dishes better than their own mothers using their brand.8
In 1951, Weber Egg Noodle Company published a cookbook, which included a recipe from Mrs. Henrietta Nesbit, who planned meals for Franklin D. Roosevelt and his family for many years, including one of the President’s favorites, Chipped Beef and Noodle Casserole.9
“Mrs. Weber’s Egg Noodles” advertisement, The Van Nuys News, Van Nuys, California, 33rd year, number 5, August 24, 1933, section 1, page 4
Chipped Beef and Noodle Casserole
- ½ pound chipped beef
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup egg noodles, cooked in salted water.
Sauté mushrooms in butter, allowing them to brown slightly. Add beef and brown slightly.
- 1 cup thin cream
- 1 tablespoon flour mixed with cream.
Add the boiled noodles. Place in casserole. Sprinkle slightly with bread crumbs which have been mixed with melted butter. Bake 30 minutes in 325degree oven. Serve at once. Chicken may be substituted for beef. Also chicken stock instead of cream. Serves 6.
Leonard J. DeFrancisci
National Pasta Association History Committee Pasta Institute of Technology
Notes
1. Several macaroni companies in the United States had a Peerless brand.
2. Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., volume 392, number 1 (March 4, 1930), page 48. Harry Saidiner, doing business as Golden State Macaroni Company, Los Angeles, California.
DeFrancisci)
3. ”Mrs. Weber’s” trademark, United States Patent Office, Supplemental Register, Registration 537,912, registered February 13, 1951. Note, Harry Saidiner, doing business under the name of Weber Egg Noodle Co., Bell, California.
4. “This is Bill Kaddy Talking”, The Gardena Valley News , Gardena, California, 46 th year, number 34 (February 23, 1950), page 1-B.
5. ”Egg Noodle Firm Birthday to Be Feted”, Illustrated Daily News , Los Angeles, California,
volume 13, number 130 (January 31, 1936), page 10.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.
8. “Mrs. Weber’s Wins Bachelor” advertisement, Los Angeles Times , Los Angeles, California, volume LXXIII, number 91 (March 4, 1954), part II, page 7.
9. “Martha Grayson”, Daily News , Los Angeles, California, number 17,522 (March 13, 1951), page 21.
Italian Maid label from Golden State Macaroni Co. (digitized by Leonard J.
