Synergistic effects of starch blending and retrogradation control on the quality improvement of instant fresh rice noodles.

Commercial instant fresh rice noodles (IFRNs) often exhibit high breakage rates and poor tensile properties after thermal sterilization and rehydration. This study investigated the effects of incorporating corn starch and tapioca starch into rice flour, along with controlled retrogradation time, to improve product quality. The optimized formulation, consisting of 20% corn starch and 40% tapioca starch (w/w, based on rice flour) subjected to 9 h of retrogradation, significantly enhanced textural properties: the breakage rate decreased from 45.49% to 2.14% compared with RN-3h. Microstructural analysis revealed that tapioca starch contributed to elasticity, while corn starch filled network voids, resulting in a denser structure. This starch blending and retrogradation strategy provides a feasible approach for developing high-quality IFRNs with promising application prospects.