High dietary fiber instant noodles and method for preparing the same

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of instant food processing, in particular to a high-dietary-fiber instant noodle and a preparation method thereof. The preparation method comprises the following steps: subjecting composite dietary fiber to constant-temperature enzymolysis to obtain treated fiber liquid; adding a moisture-retention modifier, heating and gelatinizing to form a wrapping layer on the surface of the fiber, drying and crushing to obtain modified composite dietary fiber; mixing and kneading the modified composite dietary fiber with refined wheat flour, gluten and the like to form noodles; subjecting the noodles to first steaming and cooking, spraying water on the surface to wet the noodles, and then subjecting the noodles to second steaming and cooking, and finally hot-air drying to obtain finished products. The present application avoids cutting gluten network by wrapping the surface of the fiber, combines segmented steaming and cooking with water spraying in the middle to prevent the surface of the noodles from cracking due to water loss, so that the product has a dietary fiber content of more than 20%, a high dough forming rate, and unbroken noodles and non-muddy soup.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of convenience food processing technology, and more specifically, to a high-dietary-fiber instant noodle and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Instant noodles, a widely popular fast food, are favored by consumers for their convenience in preparation and easy storage. Traditional instant noodles primarily use refined wheat flour as their core ingredient. However, the refining process of wheat results in the loss of most of its natural dietary fiber, leading to instant noodles that, while having a smooth texture, are relatively nutritionally limited. In recent years, with the increasing awareness of healthy eating among the public, developing instant noodles rich in dietary fiber has become a common trend in the food processing industry.

[0003] Currently, the industry commonly uses a direct physical mixing process to produce high-fiber instant noodles. This involves directly mixing dietary fiber-rich powders such as konjac flour and buckwheat flour into wheat flour, adding water, kneading, shaping, and steaming the dough. However, in actual large-scale production, this conventional approach faces several significant technical challenges: First, the gluten network is easily damaged, limiting the amount that can be added. Natural plant dietary fiber is typically hard in texture and has relatively rough microscopic edges. During the kneading process, these untreated fiber particles physically sever the gluten network formed by wheat protein. This damage directly causes the dough to lose its original elasticity and extensibility, becoming loose. Therefore, the amount of dietary fiber added in current technologies can usually only be barely maintained at around 8%-12%. If the addition ratio is forcibly increased in pursuit of health benefits, the noodles are extremely prone to breakage during the rolling and cutting processes, resulting in a significant decrease in the forming rate, which simply cannot meet the requirements of continuous production on an assembly line.

[0004] Secondly, uneven moisture distribution during processing leads to a cloudy broth and a gritty texture. High proportions of dietary fiber have extremely strong water absorption. In traditional single-pass high-temperature steaming, dietary fiber fiercely competes with the gluten network for water, causing the gluten on the surface of the noodles to dry out and harden, even developing tiny cracks. When consumers steep or boil the noodles in hot water, water quickly seeps into these micro-cracks, causing a large amount of fiber and starch that wasn't tightly bound to the gluten network to detach and float into the broth, resulting in severe cloudiness. Simultaneously, the exposed fiber also gives the noodles a noticeably rough and gritty texture when chewed.

[0005] Furthermore, with the advancement of green industrial transformation, how to effectively transform seaweed extracts or agricultural by-products (such as plant fibers) cultivated using carbon sequestration technology and introduce them into the processing formulas of everyday bulk foods, thereby broadening the application channels of low-carbon and environmentally friendly materials, is also a practical issue that the food industry needs to explore.

[0006] In conclusion, existing conventional food processing techniques cannot resolve the technical contradiction between adding a high proportion of dietary fiber and forming a gluten network. Currently, the industry lacks a method for preparing instant noodles that can significantly increase dietary fiber content (e.g., to over 20%) while ensuring smooth dough formation, preventing cloudiness during brewing, and maintaining a smooth texture. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a high-fiber instant noodle and its preparation method, in order to solve the practical production problems mentioned in the background art, such as gluten network breakage, low noodle forming rate, and easy clouding of soup and hard and gritty texture when brewing, caused by the addition of a high proportion of dietary fiber in traditional processing technology.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a method for preparing high-fiber instant noodles, comprising the following steps: S1. Fiber pretreatment: Konjac glucomannan fiber, oat dietary fiber, pea dietary fiber, fruit and vegetable soluble fiber and resistant dextrin are added to water, and a compound enzyme preparation is added for constant temperature enzymatic hydrolysis. Then the enzyme is inactivated by heating to obtain the treated fiber liquid. S2. Surface coating treatment: The moisturizing modifier is added to the treated fiber liquid, heated and stirred to gelatinize the moisturizing modifier and form a coating layer on the fiber surface. After filtration, drying and pulverization, the modified composite dietary fiber is obtained. S3. Dough preparation and shaping: Mix refined wheat flour, gluten powder and modified compound dietary fiber, add an aqueous solution containing edible salt and edible alkali, knead and let it rise, then roll and cut into strips to obtain dough blanks; S4. Segmented steaming and drying: The dough is steamed for the first time, then water is sprayed on the surface of the dough, and then it is steamed for the second time. Finally, it is dried with hot air to obtain high dietary fiber instant noodles.

[0009] Preferably, in S1, the amount of fiber used, by weight, is: 35-45 parts konjac glucomannan fiber, 20-25 parts oat dietary fiber, 15-20 parts pea dietary fiber, 8-12 parts fruit and vegetable soluble fiber, and 5-10 parts resistant dextrin; wherein the konjac glucomannan fiber is 100-120 mesh, the oat dietary fiber is 80-100 mesh, the pea dietary fiber is 120-140 mesh, and the fruit and vegetable soluble fiber is 140-160 mesh.

[0010] Preferably, in step S1, the compound enzyme preparation is composed of xylanase and cellulase in a mass ratio of 3:1, and the amount added is 0.3%-0.5% of the total dry weight of the fiber; the isothermal enzymatic hydrolysis temperature is 40-45℃, and the time is 2.5-3h; the heat inactivation treatment conditions are to raise the temperature to 75℃ and hold for 10min.

[0011] Preferably, in S2, the moisturizing improver is composed of hydroxypropyl starch and seaweed oligosaccharide in a mass ratio of 2:1.

[0012] Preferably, in step S4, the first steaming condition is 85°C for 2 minutes; the second steaming condition is 95°C for 4 minutes; after the second steaming, the dough is kept warm at 75°C for 3 minutes; the hot air drying temperature is 45-50°C, the drying time is 8-10 hours, and the moisture content is controlled at 10%-12%.

[0013] The present invention also provides a high-fiber instant noodle prepared by the above preparation method, which is made from the following raw materials in parts by weight: 45-55 parts refined wheat flour, 22-30 parts modified composite dietary fiber, 6-10 parts gluten, 1.2-1.8 parts edible salt, 0.2-0.5 parts edible alkali, 0.8-1.5 parts moisturizing improver, and 28-35 parts purified water.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: This high-fiber instant noodle and its preparation method do not employ the conventional approach of directly mixing the moisturizing improver into the dry flour. Instead, during the fiber pretreatment stage, a soft film is formed on the rough fiber surface using the gelatinized moisturizing improver. In the subsequent kneading stage, this soft film acts as a physical buffer between the fiber and gluten protein, preventing hard fiber particles from directly cutting through the wheat gluten network. This allows the dough to maintain good extensibility and prevent breakage during rolling and cutting processes, even with a significantly increased dietary fiber content (over 20%).

[0015] Secondly, addressing the issue of surface cracking caused by the high water absorption of dietary fiber, this solution breaks down the conventional one-time high-temperature cooking process into two steaming stages, with an additional surface water spraying step between the two stages. The first steaming stage initially shapes the dough; the subsequent water spraying replenishes the moisture absorbed by the internal fibers, preventing the surface gluten from shrinking and cracking due to water loss; the second steaming stage ensures the noodles are fully cooked inside. This segmented water-controlled heating method ensures the integrity of the noodle surface structure, keeping the fibers encased internally, preventing them from crumbling or clouding the broth during brewing.

[0016] Finally, the seaweed oligosaccharides, pea and fruit and vegetable dietary fiber used in the formulation of this invention can be extracted from seaweed and agricultural by-products cultivated through greenhouse gas capture and storage (VCSEL) technology. This solution provides a conversion channel for the industrial processing of such raw materials with biological carbon sequestration properties in everyday food processing, which aligns with the direction of green and low-carbon industrial development. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is an overall flowchart of an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] In a specific embodiment, this invention primarily addresses the issues of high-fiber noodles being prone to breakage and clouding in broth by altering the material processing sequence and the water control method during the cooking process. In the process, the mixed plant fibers are first enzymatically hydrolyzed and softened, then coated with a gelatinized moisturizing modifier. The fiber particles with the soft coating reduce physical damage to the wheat gluten network during kneading with wheat flour and water, ensuring a high dough formation rate. During the steaming stage, due to the high water absorption of the high proportion of dietary fiber, this solution breaks down the conventional continuous steaming process. After initial shaping, water is sprayed to replenish moisture to the surface of the dough, followed by a second steaming. This process prevents the noodle surface from cracking due to rapid water loss, thereby reducing the dissolution of internal substances during brewing.

[0020] Meanwhile, the raw materials used in the formulation of this invention, such as seaweed oligosaccharides, soluble fiber from fruits and vegetables, and dietary fiber from peas, can preferentially be seaweed and agricultural by-products cultivated using greenhouse gas capture and storage (VCSEL) technology to provide carbon sources. This approach can broaden the application scope of low-carbon and environmentally friendly materials in conventional bulk food processing.

[0021] Example 1: This example provides a high-fiber instant noodle and its preparation method.

[0022] Raw material preparation (by weight): Prepare 50 parts refined wheat flour, 8 parts wheat gluten, 1.5 parts edible salt, 0.3 parts edible alkali, and 32 parts purified water. Preparation of compound dietary fiber: Mix 40 parts 100-120 mesh konjac glucomannan fiber, 22 parts 80-100 mesh oat dietary fiber, 18 parts 120-140 mesh pea dietary fiber, 10 parts 140-160 mesh fruit and vegetable soluble fiber, and 8 parts resistant dextrin. Preparation of moisturizing improver: Mix hydroxypropyl starch and seaweed oligosaccharide at a mass ratio of 2:1, with a total usage of 1.2 parts.

[0023] refer to Figure 1 The preparation method in this embodiment is as follows: S1. Fiber softening treatment: Add the mixed dietary fiber to purified water, controlling the solid-liquid ratio at 1:2.5, and adjust the pH to 6.5. Then add a compound enzyme preparation consisting of xylanase and cellulase in a mass ratio of 3:1. The amount of compound enzyme preparation added is 0.4% of the total dry weight of the fiber. Enzymatic hydrolysis is carried out at 42℃ for 2.8 hours. After completion, the temperature is raised to 75℃ and held for 10 minutes to inactivate the enzyme, obtaining the treated fiber solution.

[0024] S2. Surface Coating Treatment: A moisturizing modifier is added to the treated fiber liquid, and the mixture is heated and stirred to gelatinize the modifier and allow it to adhere to the fiber surface, forming a coating layer. The material is then filtered, dried at low temperature, and pulverized to obtain 26 portions of modified composite dietary fiber.

[0025] S3. Dough Preparation and Shaping: Mix refined wheat flour, wheat gluten, and modified composite dietary fiber dry materials for 5 minutes, then add an aqueous solution containing dissolved salt and baking soda. Knead at low speed at room temperature for 14 minutes, then let it rest for 20 minutes. Divide the rested dough into sections and roll them out, adjusting the thickness to 2.5mm, 1.8mm, and 1.2mm respectively, then cut them into strips to obtain dough pieces.

[0026] S4. Segmented Steaming and Drying: The dough is steamed for the first time at 85℃ for 2 minutes. Atomized water is then evenly sprayed onto the surface of the dough to moisten it. A second steaming is then performed at 95℃ for 4 minutes. After the second steaming, the dough is kept at 75℃ for 3 minutes. Finally, it is dried with hot air at 48℃ for 9 hours, controlling the moisture content to 11%, and then cooled and packaged to obtain the finished product.

[0027] Example 2: Raw material preparation: 48 parts refined wheat flour, 28 parts modified compound dietary fiber, 7 parts wheat gluten, 1.3 parts edible salt, 0.4 parts edible alkali, 1.0 part moisturizing improver, and 30 parts purified water. The moisturizing improver is composed of hydroxypropyl starch and seaweed oligosaccharide in a mass ratio of 2:1.

[0028] The preparation process parameters are basically the same as in Example 1, except that: in the fiber softening stage, the enzymatic hydrolysis temperature is 40℃ and the enzymatic hydrolysis time is 3h; in the segmented cooking and drying stage, the hot air drying temperature is 45℃ and the time is 10h.

[0029] Example 3: Raw material preparation: 52 parts refined wheat flour, 24 parts modified compound dietary fiber, 9 parts wheat gluten, 1.7 parts edible salt, 0.2 parts edible alkali, 1.4 parts moisturizing improver, and 34 parts purified water. The moisturizing improver is composed of hydroxypropyl starch and seaweed oligosaccharide in a mass ratio of 2:1.

[0030] The preparation process parameters are basically the same as in Example 1, except that: in the fiber softening stage, the amount of compound enzyme preparation added is 0.5%, the enzymatic hydrolysis temperature is 45℃, and the enzymatic hydrolysis time is 2.5h. In the segmented cooking and drying stage, the hot air drying temperature is 50℃, and the time is 8h.

[0031] Comparative Example 1: Using existing technology. The formula uses only konjac fiber, added at a rate of 10%. No enzymatic hydrolysis is performed, and no moisturizing modifier is used. Konjac fiber and wheat flour are directly dry-mixed, and water is added to knead the dough. Steaming is done continuously at 100℃ without spraying water to moisten the dough during the process.

[0032] Comparative Example 2: The formula and operation were the same as in Example 1. The difference was that the surface coating treatment step was omitted. After the enzymatically hydrolyzed fiber was dried and pulverized, it was directly mixed with refined wheat flour and ungelatinized moisturizing improver powder and kneaded.

[0033] Comparative Example 3: The formulation and operation were the same as in Example 1. The difference was that in the surface coating treatment step, the moisturizing improver was replaced with an equal amount of conventional corn starch.

[0034] Comparative Example 4: The formula and operation were the same as in Example 1. The difference was that the steps of segmented steaming and spraying atomized water were omitted. After the dough was cut into strips, it was directly put into a 100°C environment for continuous steaming for 6 minutes, followed by drying.

[0035] Experimental Example: The dough processing and physicochemical properties of the finished products of the Example and Comparative examples were tested. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0036] Test method: Breakage rate of dough strips: In the strip cutting process, the breakage rate = (number of broken strips / total number of strips) × 100%.

[0037] Turbidity of the brewed broth: Place the finished noodle cake in boiling water and brew for 8 minutes. Take the broth and measure its absorbance (OD value) at 600nm. The higher the OD value, the more turbid the broth.

[0038] Texture rating: 10 evaluators will conduct a blind taste test to rate the roughness / gritty texture of the noodles. The maximum score is 100 points, and the higher the score, the more delicate the texture.

[0039] Table 1: Test Results of Blank Processing Performance and Finished Product Indicators Example 1 1.2 0.15 92 22.3 Example 2 1.5 0.17 89 21.5 Example 3 1.1 0.14 93 20.8 Comparative Example 1 8.5 0.68 65 9.2 Comparative Example 2 14.7 0.85 61 22.1 Comparative Example 3 7.6 0.52 74 22.0 Comparative Example 4 2.1 0.79 68 22.2 As shown in the table above, a comparison of the test data from Examples 1-3 and Comparative Example 1 reveals that Comparative Example 1, using conventional processes with a dietary fiber content of only 9.2%, exhibits a dough breakage rate of 8.5% and high turbidity in the brewed broth. Examples 1-3 of this invention, with a dietary fiber content exceeding 20%, control the breakage rate below 1.5%, achieve a low turbidity in the brewed broth (0.14-0.17), and demonstrate significantly higher taste scores than Comparative Example 1. The test data demonstrate that the overall process of this invention effectively addresses the shaping and consumption issues arising from high fiber content.

[0040] Comparative Example 2 omitted the surface coating process, and with the same amount of fiber added, the breakage rate surged to 14.7%, and the turbidity of the broth reached 0.85. This indicates that coarse dietary fiber particles, when directly mixed with flour without being coated with a surface film, physically break the gluten network, resulting in a loose dough structure. Consequently, the internal starch and fiber are easily released into the water during brewing.

[0041] In Comparative Example 3, replacing the moisturizing improver with conventional corn starch resulted in a significant increase in both the breakage rate and turbidity. This indicates that the gelatinization properties and adhesiveness of conventional starch are insufficient to form a stable coating layer on the surface of multi-source dietary fiber, making the coating layer prone to detachment during mechanical kneading and subsequent brewing.

[0042] Comparative Example 4 did not employ segmented steaming and mid-cooking water spraying processes; the dough was directly steamed at a continuous high temperature of 100℃, resulting in a turbidity level in the brewed broth that increased to 0.79. This indicates that highly absorbent dietary fiber rapidly absorbs moisture from the surface of the dough when subjected to continuous high temperatures, causing the surface gluten to crack due to water loss. Segmented steaming with mid-cooking water spraying replenishes surface moisture in a timely manner, maintaining the integrity of the noodle surface structure and reducing the precipitation of internal components.

[0043] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely preferred examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for preparing high-fiber instant noodles, characterized in that... Includes the following steps: S1. Fiber pretreatment: Konjac glucomannan fiber, oat dietary fiber, pea dietary fiber, fruit and vegetable soluble fiber and resistant dextrin are added to water, and a compound enzyme preparation is added for constant temperature enzymatic hydrolysis. Then the enzyme is inactivated by heating to obtain the treated fiber liquid. S2. Surface coating treatment: The moisturizing modifier is added to the treated fiber liquid, heated and stirred to gelatinize the moisturizing modifier and form a coating layer on the fiber surface. After filtration, drying and pulverization, the modified composite dietary fiber is obtained. S3. Dough preparation and shaping: Mix refined wheat flour, gluten powder and modified compound dietary fiber, add an aqueous solution containing edible salt and edible alkali, knead and let it rise, then roll and cut into strips to obtain dough blanks; S4. Segmented steaming and drying: The dough is steamed for the first time, then water is sprayed on the surface of the dough, and then it is steamed for the second time. Finally, it is dried with hot air to obtain high dietary fiber instant noodles.

2. The method for preparing high-fiber instant noodles according to claim 1, characterized in that, In S1, the amount of fiber used, by weight, is: 35-45 parts konjac glucomannan fiber, 20-25 parts oat dietary fiber, 15-20 parts pea dietary fiber, 8-12 parts fruit and vegetable soluble fiber, and 5-10 parts resistant dextrin. Konjac glucomannan fiber is 100-120 mesh, oat dietary fiber is 80-100 mesh, pea dietary fiber is 120-140 mesh, and fruit and vegetable soluble fiber is 140-160 mesh.

3. The method for preparing high-fiber instant noodles according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, the compound enzyme preparation is composed of xylanase and cellulase in a mass ratio of 3:1; the amount of compound enzyme preparation added is 0.3%-0.5% of the total dry weight of fiber; the isothermal enzymatic hydrolysis temperature is 40-45℃ and the time is 2.5-3h; the heat inactivation treatment conditions are to raise the temperature to 75℃ and hold for 10min.

4. The method for preparing high-fiber instant noodles according to claim 1, characterized in that, In S2, the moisturizing improver is composed of hydroxypropyl starch and seaweed oligosaccharide in a mass ratio of 2:

1.

5. The method for preparing high-fiber instant noodles according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S3, the kneading time is 12-15 minutes, and the proofing time is 18-22 minutes.

6. The method for preparing high-fiber instant noodles according to claim 1, characterized in that, In S3, the thicknesses of the calendering are 2.5 mm, 1.8 mm, and 1.2 mm, respectively.

7. The method for preparing high-fiber instant noodles according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S4, the first steaming condition is 85℃ for 2 minutes; the second steaming condition is 95℃ for 4 minutes; after the second steaming, the dough is kept warm at 75℃ for 3 minutes; the hot air drying temperature is 45-50℃, the drying time is 8-10 hours, and the moisture content of the instant noodles after drying is controlled at 10%-12%.

8. A high-dietary-fiber instant noodle prepared by the method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, Made from the following parts by weight of raw materials: 45-55 parts refined wheat flour, 22-30 parts modified compound dietary fiber, 6-10 parts wheat gluten, 1.2-1.8 parts edible salt, 0.2-0.5 parts edible alkali, 0.8-1.5 parts moisturizing improver, and 28-35 parts purified water.

9. The high-fiber instant noodles according to claim 8, characterized in that, It is made from the following ingredients in parts by weight: 50 parts refined wheat flour, 26 parts modified compound dietary fiber, 8 parts wheat gluten, 1.5 parts edible salt, 0.3 parts edible alkali, 1.2 parts moisturizing improver, and 32 parts purified water.

10. The high-fiber instant noodles according to claim 8, characterized in that, The fiber raw materials used in the preparation of the modified composite dietary fiber include the following parts by weight: 40 parts konjac glucomannan fiber, 22 parts oat dietary fiber, 18 parts pea dietary fiber, 10 parts fruit and vegetable soluble fiber, and 8 parts resistant dextrin.

Images