ABSTRACT
Pasta is one of the most prevalent Italian foods in the world and its consumption is globally widespread. Pasta owes its vast popularity to its versatility, simplicity of use, healthfulness, and low cost. According to the Italian Union of Pasta Industries (UNIPI 2009), the production of pasta in the world has increased from 7 to 12 million/year in the past decade due to the increase of pasta-based dishes present in fast foods and other restaurants. Italy is the largest pasta producer with 26% of the world production, followed by the United States (17%), Brazil (9%), Turkey (5%), and Russia (4%). The world production of pasta is summarized in Figure 10.1 (UNIPI 2009). Of the 3.2 million tons of pasta produced in Italy in 2009 (including dry and
10.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 211 10.2 Raw Materials and Legislation ..................................................................... 212 10.3 Pasta Manufacturing Process ....................................................................... 214
10.3.1 Dosing ............................................................................................... 214 10.3.2 Mixing and Kneading ....................................................................... 215 10.3.3 Shaping ............................................................................................. 216 10.3.4 Pasteurization ................................................................................... 218 10.3.5 Drying ...............................................................................................220 10.3.6 Packaging .......................................................................................... 222
10.4 Pasta Quality ................................................................................................. 222 10.4.1 Pasta Appearance ............................................................................. 223
10.4.1.1 Effect of Raw Materials .....................................................224 10.4.1.2 Effect of Processing ...........................................................224
