RESUMO
This research was carried out to investigate the effect of the incorporation of various additives on the ageing of corn starch and arepas. Starches were extracted from the endosperm of degerminated corn by a wet milling process, and its retrogradation, with or without the incorporation of additives was evaluated using the Brabender amilograph and by measuring the viscosity changes of the starch gels through time, using a Brookfield viscometer model RVT. The most effective additives in retarding the rate of ageing of starch gels, were used in the arepas. Likewise, trained panelists were utilized to find the levels of the additives incorporated in the arepas, by running taste threshold tests for each one of the additives. Textural changes of the arepas--maintained at two different storage temperatures, 9 degrees and 23 degrees C--were evaluated using an Instron texturometer. Preliminary tests with the corn starch allowed to choose the following additives: distilled monoglicerides, guar gum and hydrogenated vegetable oil. The effect of 15 different combinations of these additives on the texture of arepas was then studied, and findings revealed that only three of them were able to totally revert the retrogradation process, and maintain the hardness and elasticity within the expected range of a fresh-made arepa, when this is reheated until reaching a maximum temperature of 49 degrees C. A 66% of the hardening of the arepas prepared without additives can be reverted with the reheating process, but only if the product has not suffered dehydration. When stored for 24 hours at room temperature, unpacked arepas have a surface moisture loss of 47%, and even if reheated, hardening becomes irreversible in 84.6% of them.
