Effect of pasta shape and gluten on pasta cooking quality and structural breakdown during mastication

Oral processing behaviour of food is affected by the structural characteristics of the food matrix, including rheological and mechanical attributes as well as size and shape. Pasta, a staple starchy food, may have very similar macrostructure (shape) but very different microstructure in gluten-containing (GC) and gluten-free (GF) products. In this context, this study aims to investigate the effect of pasta shape (in presence and absence of gluten) on cooking /textural properties, chewing behaviour and structural breakdown during oral processing. Results suggest that shape and presence of gluten affect not only pasta texture but also the mastication behavior with gluten significantly increasing the mastication effort whereas a small pasta shape may trigger swallowing of almost not masticated pieces. Shape and gluten can therefore be used as a strategy to modulate chewing behavior and affect both food perception but food intake.