High-Fiber Pasta Solutions

Adding fiber to pasta seems a natural fit, but it can be challenging. There's an art to achieving the right moisture balance and pliability, and the dough must survive extrusion through the die for an entire production run. Consistency is key.

It’s important to remember two things when preparing high-fiber pasta, notes Jit Ang, executive vice president, International Fiber Corporation, North Tonawanda, NY. “When fiber is added at a significant level to the raw pasta formulation, the protein content of the formulation will be reduced,” he says. “The product developer may have to use additional protein, normally wheat gluten, to supplement this formulation. Secondly, high-fiber pastas tend to cook slightly different from regular pasta. Cooking time may be shorter for the same al dente texture with high-fiber pastas. In addition, the amounts of water absorbed by high-fiber pastas tend to be significantly more than regular pasta.”

Pasta basics

Semolina flour from durum wheat makes the benchmark by which we judge most pasta. It has 3.9 grams of dietary fiber per 100 grams. Cooked semolina pasta has 1.8 grams of fiber per 100 grams.

A key attribute of durum wheat is its high protein content, a minimum of 10.5%. The ideal range of protein in pasta flour is 12% to 16%. Durum wheat is also preferred for pasta making because it has strong gluten qualities.

Lower moisture is desirable in pasta making. Durum wheat has a maximum of 14.5% moisture.

Substituting whole-grain flours is an obvious way to boost fiber content. The key seems to lie in choosing milder flavor profiles and finely milled flours. Added gluten helps maintain dough strength for extrusion. The water in the formula will also require adjustment.

Typical whole-grain flours darken pasta color and coarsen texture. This may not win over those who grew up on typical enriched macaroni or spaghetti products.

Dean Lustig, general manager of business development, Philadelphia Macaroni, Philadelphia, has noticed less stratification when using finely milled whole-grain white wheat flour (13.7% protein, 12.2% fiber, 10.3% moisture) to increase fiber content. Absorption becomes less an issue. Extrusion difficulties are reduced. The finished product is more similar to typical semolina-based pasta.

For those willing to accept whole-grain flavor and color in the finished product, the addition of ground flaxseed can boost fiber while adding healthful omega-3s. Chad Boeckman, director of sales, Enreco, Inc., Sheboygan Falls, WI, notes that it’s easy to achieve a fiber claim when adding ground flaxseed. “Flax is 28% fiber by weight,” he says. Of this, “10 grams is soluble fiber and 18 grams is insoluble.”

Wheat fiber additions

“Most insoluble fibers are suitable for use as a fiber supplement in pasta,” says Ang. “However, the most-popular and common fiber used for pasta fortification is wheat fiber, since pasta is normally made from 100% wheat. Soluble fibers are not as common or suitable, since the traditional pasta cooking process will lead to soluble fiber loss.”

Minimal flavor contribution is an advantage of using fibers in high-fiber pasta. “Commercial wheat fibers normally used for this application will not have any effect on flavor,” Ang says. “Texture may be affected, but if proper developmental and cooking procedures are used, then the effect is again minimal. The color of the final product may be affected, depending on the choice of fiber ingredient. In addition, the choice of the wheat flour used—whole grain vs. processed wheat flours—may also be important. If a darker whole-grain wheat flour is used, the addition of lighter-colored fiber additives may shift the hue of the final pasta from a darker to a lighter shade.”

Besides adding fiber, wheat fiber adds bulk to create reduced-calorie pasta. Wheat fiber can aid in extrusion by reducing dough and cooked-pasta stickiness. A typical formulation contains 52.6% durum wheat flour, 14.5% short-fiber-length wheat fiber, 0.5% long-fiber-length wheat fiber, 2.0% gluten and 20.0% water. Whole eggs, guar gum and egg flavor complete the mix.

Beyond traditional fiber

The developer willing to look beyond ordinary wheat-based ingredients has several options in the fiber toolkit. Charles Werstack, food applications manager, ADM Specialty Food Ingredients, Decatur, IL, recommends adding digestion-resistant maltodextrin to pasta to achieve a “good source of fiber” claim. “A typical serving size of pasta is 56 grams,” he says. Adding just over 5% of the ingredient “will provide 2.5 grams to 3 grams of fiber per serving. Some pastas may need gluten added back to the formula.” The ingredient can be labeled as “digestion-resistant maltodextrin” or “maltodextrin.”

Resistant starch “is easy to use as a drop-in replacement for flour or other cereal-based ingredients in pasta,” says Pashen Black, marketing communications manager—Americas, Tate & Lyle, Decatur, IL. “It can be added in the same manner as flour, or it can be blended with other dry ingredients.” Unlike soluble fiber, it “produces a cohesive and non-sticky pasta dough suitable for typical processing.” Levels of 5% to 10% of the dry-pasta blend can achieve a ‘good source’ claim, and 10% to 15% an ‘excellent source' claim, she says.

Because this resistant starch “is, by design, more process-stable, it can be used in products that may undergo high-heat or high-shear processes with less loss of fiber during processing than other resistant starches,” says Black. Therefore, this ingredient is suited for pasta to be used in canned or retorted products.

After retorting, pasta containing the resistant starch retains about 60% of the fiber, notes Black. “At the same time, the same textural firmness, or ‘bite,’ of the cooked pasta is achieved as traditional pasta,” she says. “Low water holding capacity allows the al dente texture of pasta to be maintained after cooking.” No fiber is lost when pasta is cooked via traditional, stovetop means.

This starch contains 1.7 kcal per gram dry solids, yielding fewer calories. Unlike traditional starches, this product resists digestion and acts as a dietary fiber. Digestive health is improved, because it acts as a prebiotic fiber and stimulates the growth of beneficial bacteria in the large intestine.

Polydextrose adds soluble fiber to pasta without contributing sweetness. A neutral-tasting polydextrose contributes 1 calorie per gram, notes Donna Brooks, Danisco, regional director, sweeteners NAFTA, Danisco, Tarrytown, NY, and “in pasta, it can be added up to 6% of flour by weight and won’t impact the texture of the finished product.” Fiber loss during cooking is minimal. Testing has confirmed 95% remaining in the finished pasta.

One study compared extruded spaghetti made with durum flour and wheat noodles containing various levels of this polydextrose. All test products processed very similar to the control doughs. Depending on the level of polydextrose in the formula, only minor water adjustments were required. Gluten development was not affected.

Inulin and oligofructose all-natural chicory fiber extracts are used for both their nutritional benefits and technological advantages in pasta, noodles, instant cup noodles and filled pasta. The functionality is dependent on chain length and chain length distribution.

Health-promoting benefits “extend from fiber enrichment and good digestive health to improved calcium absorption and healthy body-weight management,” says Joseph O’Neill, executive vice president of sales and marketing, BENEO-Orafti, Inc., Morris Plains, NJ.

Chicory inulin has 1.5 calories per gram compared to 4 calories per gram for starch and flour. In addition, inulin is low glycemic. “The fiber content of inulin and oligofructose products range from 90% to 99% fiber and can be used to satisfy nutrient-content claims in pasta products ranging from a ‘good source of fiber’ to an ‘excellent source of fiber,’” says O’Neill. During the cooking process, some inulin fibers may solubilize and leach out of the pasta. The company recommends the long-chain-length products as the most suitable for pasta production,” he says, including a new form of long-chain inulin designed for high-heat processing and suitable for extrusion.

It’s also important when using inulin-enriched pasta to reduce the cooking time about 10% compared to traditional durum pasta. “There is little or no influence on water uptake during cooking,” O’Neill points out. An additional benefit is the reduction of extrusion power during pasta processing. The finished pasta maintains excellent shape and formed stability.

For tortellini, ravioli and other similar filled pastas, the addition of chicory inulin and oligofructose can “influence the consistency of the filling,” says O’Neill. Native inulin can improve the mouthfeel and texture of these fillings and may partially replace more-expensive cheese powders. The long-chain-length inulin is less suitable for fillings because the mouthfeel becomes drier.