Mathematical approach to assessing spelt cultivars (Triticum aestivum subsp. spelt) for pasta making

Summary This study investigates dough rheology of three wholemeal spelt flours cultivars and influence of egg quantity (0–248 g kg−1) on the technological and sensory quality of wholemeal pasta. Standard scores (SS), based on assigning equal weight to applied parameters (rheological, chemical, technological and colour), has been calculated and the obtained values compared. Correlation coefficients of SS with alveograph data for P, L, G and W are 0.99, 0.98, 0.99 and 0.91, respectively, and warm pasta stability and retrogradation of starch correlated to SS at level 0.99. For PCA modelling, two 9 × 15 data matrices were divided into different rheological or integrated chemical, technological quality and colour evaluation methods data sets. Standard scores analysis points out that owing to its good rheology, pasta made by cultivar Austria has the best technological quality in relation to the technological quality of the other two cultivars (Nirvana and Eko).