Cooking loss decreased as moisture content increased (Fig. 3E
and F). In starch noodles, solid loss during cooking is mostly due
to solubilisation of loosely bound gelatinised starch from the surface
of the product. This phenomenon mainly depends on the percentage
of gelatinised starch and the strength of the retrograded
starch network surrounding the gelatinised starch (Resmini & Pagani,
1983). Extrusion cooking of starch or starchy materials involves
extensive degradation of macromolecules (Colonna &
Mercier, 1983). The macromolecular degradation of both amylose
and amylopectin, leading to lower molecular weight material,
would result in increased water solubility of the extrudate. Water
solubility is often used as an indicator of degradation of molecular
components (Kirby et al., 1988). Colonna and Mercier (1983) reported
that the degradation of starch was lower at higher dough