Fresh noodles belong to high moisture foods, and the key issue in their storage is to prevent microbial spoilage. The acid soaking process is a process in which fresh noodles are soaked in acid solution at room temperature after being cooked. Generally speaking, the minimum pH required for microbial growth is around 4.3. When the pH drops below 4.3, most microorganisms find it difficult to survive, and even if a few can grow, their reproductive ability is greatly weakened. Therefore, reducing the acidity of boiled noodles to a certain pH can effectively inhibit the growth and reproduction of microorganisms, and prolong the shelf life of boiled noodles.
Generally, natural organic acids such as malic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, etc. are used as acidity regulators. After multiple experiments and comparisons, it was found that lactic acid has a softer taste, is not irritating, and the pH of the adjusted acid solution is more stable. Moreover, lactic acid is a beneficial acid that can increase digestion and absorption in the human body. Therefore, lactic acid was chosen as the acidity regulator.
The acidity of boiled noodles is influenced by both the acidity of the acidic solution and the soaking time. In the experiment, it was found that prolonged acid soaking time can significantly increase the water absorption of noodles, causing them to soften and swell, reduce toughness, and affect taste. Therefore, it is necessary to strictly control the acid soaking time.
Our Dongfang Naomu Food Machinery Co., Ltd.'s boiled noodle production equipment adopts a multifunctional quantitative boiled noodle washing and acid adjustment integrated system. The cooking time of multi quality noodles can be switched, unmanned automatic noodle cooking, three-stage washing and pH lactic acid adjustment ensure that the quality of each packet of noodle products is consistent.