ABSTRACT
Pasta is a generic term used in reference to the whole range of products commonly known as spaghetti, macaroni, and noodles. Italians, who are the largest consumers of pasta products in the world, call these products pasta alimentare (alimentary paste). Germans refer to them as Teigwaren (pasta goods), and to the French they are pates alimen-taires [1]. Production and consumption of the various pasta products, which number approximately 150 in the United States, include long spaghetti and macaroni; short-cut products such as elbows, shells, and noodles; and such specialty products as bow ties, rigatoni, lasagna, etc. [2]. More formal definitions of pasta products are incorporated in the Standards of Identity for macaroni and noodle products as outlined in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) (Table 1) [3]. In the CFR macaroni products are defined as a class of food, each of which is prepared by drying formed units of dough made from semolina, durum flour, farina, flour, or any combination of two or more of these, with water and with or without one or more of optional ingredients specified in the CFR.
