Method for producing noodles containing hydrothermally treated germinated brown rice and noodles produced thereby

Gluten-free rice noodles with reduced breakage using low-moisture, sealed hydrothermal-treated germinated brown rice flour

This technology involves a method for producing noodles using flour made from germinated brown rice that has been pre-dried to lower its moisture content, hydrothermally treated in a sealed container, and then dried and pulverized. The germinated brown rice flour, with its starch structure modified by hydrothermal treatment, replaces wheat flour to form the noodle's structure.

While brown rice and germinated brown rice are rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds, rice lacks sufficient gluten, making it difficult to create elastic noodle sheets and prone to breaking during cooking. Conventional rice noodles often incorporate wheat flour or gluten to address this; however, gluten can trigger celiac disease, and hot-water dough methods are complex, leading to increased production time and costs.

This technology utilizes a low-moisture hydrothermal treatment, keeping germinated brown rice with controlled moisture levels in a sealed state at temperatures that prevent gelatinization, thereby reducing swelling, water absorption, and solid leaching. This achieves a chewy texture without the need for additives or hot-water dough. Applicable to rice-based noodles, gluten-reduced convenience foods, and germinated brown rice breads, it enables the production of highly nutritious rice noodles that resist sogginess and breakage, while promoting rice consumption and reducing wheat reliance.

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Key Features:

• A step of primary drying of germinated brown rice to produce germinated brown rice with a moisture content of 20-30%
• A step of placing the primarily dried germinated brown rice in a sealed container and performing hydrothermal treatment at 80-100°C for 1-8 hours
• A step of secondary drying of the hydrothermally treated germinated brown rice in a sealed container to reach a final moisture content of 5-15%
• A step of pulverizing the hydrothermally treated and secondarily dried germinated brown rice to obtain germinated brown rice flour for use as a noodle ingredient

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This invention was developed with support from the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation's research on the anti-diabetic and anti-obesity properties of germinated brown rice.

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