If noodles don’t get soft even after being cooked for a long time, is it because industrial glue has been added and they cannot be eaten?

gossip

"Noodles that don't get soft after being cooked for a long time have industrial glue added to them. Don't eat them!"

If the noodles do not become soft after being cooked for a long time, it means that industrial glue and plasticizers have been added to them... Eating them is equivalent to eating plastic, which is very harmful to the body, so this kind of noodles must not be bought!

Rumor Analysis

This statement is incorrect.

Whether noodles are chewy or not is related to the gluten and protein content in the noodles. In addition, some manufacturers will add some legal edible glue during the noodle making process to make the noodles more chewy and durable. Edible glue is not industrial glue and is used legally and in compliance with regulations. The products produced can be eaten with confidence.

Noodles are a staple food for many people. Noodles with gravy, noodles with soybean paste, cold noodles, noodles in soup... are all very filling and delicious. This "noodle" is popular and has many rumors on the Internet: "The reason why noodles cannot be cooked is because they are added with industrial glue and plasticizers... They cannot be eaten, they are harmful to the body!" This rumor shocked many people who love noodles: "What? I love to eat noodles that cannot be cooked, but I can't eat them anymore?" Don't panic, in this article we will talk about noodles, so that everyone can not only eat noodles with confidence, but also eat them healthier.

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Noodles that don’t get cooked don’t necessarily contain industrial glue

In fact, it is normal for noodles to not be cooked, and it is not because of the addition of illegal additives such as industrial glue and plasticizers. The reason why noodles are "firm" and chewy is closely related to the following four points.

1. Flour selection

Noodles made from different flours have different degrees of "firmness". The secret to making noodles resistant to cooking lies in the protein content and gluten of the flour. The protein characteristics in flour are the main quality factors affecting the cooking resistance of noodles. Increasing the protein content and gluten strength of wheat flour can significantly improve the cooking resistance of noodles. For example, compared with noodles made from ordinary wheat flour and noodles made from high-gluten flour, noodles made from high-gluten flour will be more resistant to cooking. This is because high-gluten flour has a higher protein content. The protein content of household wheat flour is usually around 10%, while the protein content of high-gluten flour is ≥12.2%.

Figure: Screenshot of a product on an e-commerce platform

2. Protein fortification

Add protein concentrate

Some noodles will add whey concentrated protein to increase the hardness, chewiness and resilience of the noodles, and improve the tensile properties of the noodles. Noodles strengthened with whey concentrated protein are not easy to stick together after being left for a long time after cooking, and can still maintain a good shape after overcooking.

Figure: Screenshot of a product on an e-commerce platform

Add eggs

If ordinary wheat flour is used, adding eggs during the kneading process can also add more protein to it, making the dough and noodles more sticky and solid, weakening the gelatinization effect, and reducing the release of starch granules, which will not only reduce the amount of cooking loss, but also make the noodles firmer and chewier.

Figure: Screenshot of a product on an e-commerce platform

3. Adding salt or alkali

Adding a small amount of salt when kneading dough can affect the spatial structure of gluten proteins, making the network structure they form tighter and increasing the elasticity and toughness of the gluten.

Image: Screenshot of a product on an e-commerce platform. The effect of adding alkali is similar to that of salt. It can also promote the mutual binding of gluten proteins, increase structural strength, and make noodles more resistant to cooking. Sodium carbonate is commonly used. However, noodles with alkali added will have a slightly yellowish color.

Figure: Screenshot of a product on an e-commerce platform

4. Added edible glue

Many people think that glue is inedible when they see it, but there is no need to be so nervous. Edible glue is a food additive that is allowed to be used in accordance with regulations in my country. Common ones include xanthan gum, carrageenan, pectin, sodium alginate, konjac flour, etc. They are all very safe and can thicken and retain water in food.

Studies have shown that adding sodium alginate when making noodles can significantly increase the viscoelasticity of the dough and make the network structure denser. An appropriate amount of sodium alginate can improve the quality of both the dough and noodles. The noodle quality is best when the addition amount is 0.4%. Adding more than 1% will cause the viscoelasticity of the dough to decrease.

Figure: Screenshot of a product on an e-commerce platform

In addition, adding konjac flour can also increase the chewiness of noodles. Its main component is water-soluble dietary fiber, rich in glucomannan, which has the characteristics of absorption and expansion. It can not only wrap water, but also be very chewy and elastic.

Figure: E-commerce platform

How can people who love noodles keep their blood sugar stable?

Noodles are delicious, but many people dare not eat them, especially those who want to lose weight and control blood sugar, for fear that their blood sugar will rise after eating. The glycemic index (GI) is an effective indicator to measure the blood sugar response caused by food after a meal. Not all noodles have a high GI value. When buying noodles, you can choose noodles with a low GI value.

The data comes from the Chinese Food Composition Table and reference [4]. From the data in the table, we can see that if you want to keep your blood sugar level stable while eating noodles, you can refer to the following suggestions:

1. Choose the right noodles

You can choose noodles with a lower GI value, such as spaghetti, highland barley noodles, or noodles fortified with protein such as soy protein, whey concentrated protein, egg noodles, and noodles with added gluten.

2. Cooking

When cooking, pay attention to the cooking time. The longer the noodles are cooked, the higher the degree of starch gelatinization and the higher the GI value will be. In addition, in terms of cooking methods, compared to boiling noodles, steaming and microwave cooking cause less damage to the microstructure of noodles, and the composite structure of starch and protein is more compact and complete, so the predicted GI value will be lower than that of boiled noodles.

3. Food pairing

When eating noodles, don't just stir the noodles with sesame oil and eat them. It's better to pair them with other foods. Diversifying foods in a meal is more beneficial to controlling blood sugar. Experimental data show that the GI value of eating only noodles is 62.6, while the GI value of noodles eaten with lean meat and lettuce is 51.6, which drops from medium GI to low GI. This is because vegetables are rich in dietary fiber and lean meat is rich in protein, which can delay the digestion and absorption of food and stabilize blood sugar after meals. Therefore, when eating noodles, it is best to have protein foods and vegetables, and the amount should be sufficient, such as 1 fist of noodles + half a fist of protein foods + 1.5 fists of vegetables.

4. Order of eating

Adjusting the order of meals can help better control blood sugar. You can eat two large bites of vegetables first, then a few bites of protein, and finally eat noodles.

There are 2 things to pay attention to when choosing noodles.

When choosing noodles, in addition to looking at the type of noodles, production date, shelf life and manufacturer, you must also carefully look at the ingredient list and nutritional composition table, mainly focusing on two points.

1. Look at the sodium content

Some people are used to adding salt when cooking noodles, firstly to increase the taste, and secondly to worry about the noodles being overcooked. In fact, the salt content of most noodles nowadays is not low, and most of them are relatively "firm" and not so easy to be overcooked, so there is really no need to add extra salt. For example, the dried noodles in the picture below have a sodium content of up to 900 mg/100 g. An average man has to eat 100 grams of such noodles in one meal, which is equivalent to consuming 2.25 grams of salt. If paired with some dishes, sauces, etc., the daily salt intake is easy to exceed the standard (the recommended salt intake is <5 grams/day). Long-term high-salt diet can be detrimental to health and increase the risk of diseases such as hypertension and stroke.

Figure: Screenshot of a product on an e-commerce platform

2. Look at the ingredients

Nowadays, there are many kinds of noodles, and all kinds of whole grain noodles under the banner of health are dazzling. When buying, be sure to read the ingredient list and choose those with coarse grain ingredients at the top or marked with a higher content, such as the one in the picture below. Not only are they rich in protein and dietary fiber, but they are also low in sodium.

Figure: Screenshot of a product on an e-commerce platform

In summary, most of the noodles we buy are more resistant to cooking. This is not because of the addition of industrial glue or plasticizer, but is related to the flour raw materials, protein fortification, whether salt or alkali is added, and whether edible glue is added. Many people are afraid when they hear glue, but edible glue and industrial glue are different substances. Many edible glues are natural dietary fibers, such as pectin, alginate, xanthan gum, konjac gum, etc. They are food additives allowed to be used in accordance with regulations in my country. Legal and compliant use will not harm human health. On the contrary, they can also help control blood sugar, because adding some of these edible glues is equivalent to adding dietary fiber intake.

Looking in the mirror of rumors

The reason why these obviously false rumors can recur and deceive people is mainly because food safety is related to everyone's health, and the public lacks access to relevant information on the key issue of how food safety is guaranteed in the market. In addition, in recent years, people have paid more and more attention to food safety, so once some rumors appear, they will arouse consumers' attention and suspicion.

When consumers see this kind of news, they may as well calm down, consult professionals or report it to relevant departments, or leave a message on our "Scientific Rumor Refuting" platform. Food safety is everyone's responsibility. Only with strong government supervision, effective media supervision, and orderly social participation can we jointly create a safe and healthy food business and consumption environment.

Author: Xue Qingxin, registered nutritionist

Review | Han Hongwei, Researcher at the National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center

Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center