Effects of erythritol on rheological properties of rice flour and structural characteristics of extruded dried rice noodles with rapid rehydration behaviors

Dry rice noodles are associated with difficulties in rehydration and high cooking losses. The aim of this research was to improve the rehydration and edible quality of dried rice noodles by adding erythritol, a natural sweetener. Results from water contact angle (WCA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and other indicators indicated that erythritol significantly decreased the water contact angle, crystallization degree, crystalline layer thickness, and enthalpy of gelatinization of dried rice noodles while loosening their network structure. The addition of 20% (w/w) erythritol greatly enhanced the rehydration and edible quality of dried rice noodles. Compared with the unmodified control group, the rehydration time, cooking losses, and cooking breakage rate were reduced by 43.61%, 22.45%, and 91.78%, respectively. Besides, the tensile strain, chewing hardness and toughness increased by 44.34%, 102.90%, and 66.89%, respectively. All the results confirmed that the addition of erythritol is an effective method for producing high-quality dried rice noodles.