Effects of protein enrichment on the properties of rice flour based gluten-free pasta

•Effects of different protein sources on gluten-free pasta properties were described.•EB manifested the greatest potential for improving gluten-free pasta properties.•Cooking loss directly related to the final quality of gluten-free pasta.

Manufacturers have long complained about gluten-free pasta for its apparent low cooking properties and reduced nutritional value. Proteins are not only bio-polymer that can improve the quality of a product, but they are also an essential nutrient for human health. Therefore, it was proposed to develop a multi-sourced protein enriched gluten-free pasta. The whey protein concentrate (WP) enriched pasta demonstrated the shortest optimal cooking time at 4.3 min. The enrichment of 9% (w/w) egg albumen (EB) displayed the greatest capacity for preventing structure disintegration with the lowest cooking loss of 4.38-4.63% (P < 0.05), whereas rice bran protein concentrate (RBPC) induced the highest cooking loss (P < 0.05). Enrichment with 6% soy protein concentrate (SP) provided similar L* values with a commercial. Moreover, the 9% EB enrichment clearly affected to pasta structure as the pasta firmness improved up to 72.25%. The protein networks around the starch granules were observed to be enriched with EB and WP, whereas the pasta enriched with RBPC produced a cracked and non-continuous surface. Among the four sources of protein tested, EB had the highest potential for improving cooking properties of rice flour based gluten-free pasta.