GRASPAT Project

GRASPAT - Evaluation of milled durum wheat grown in Sardinia for the production of pasta and traditional breads

Deputed officers

Porto Conte Ricerche

Description

Milled durum wheat is commonly used in Sardinia to prepare pasta and traditional breads, such as Carasau, Pistoccu, Spianata, Coccoi and Moddizzosu.

However, companies often buy the flour ignoring that the physical-chemical characteristics and the rheological properties of raw materials influence bread and pasta making attitude and, therefore, products' quality.

For this reasons the project aims to define, for durum wheat grown in Sardinia, the specific physical-chemical and rheological characteristics that are best suited to the production of pasta and traditional bread.

After the identification of 2-3 blends of Sardinian durum wheat with different characteristics, the flours will be analysed and bread and pasta-making experiments will be carried out. Analysis will be made on finished products, using the same type of bread made with “not sardinian flour” as a control sample.

At the end of the project we should know which chemical, physical and rheological profile a flour has to possess in order to ensure the best quality of a particular product; thanks to these profiles, we could match every food (bread or pasta) with a particular flour and transmit this know-how to companies.

Objectives

The project aims to improve the quality of traditional breads and pasta made from durum wheat grown in Sardinia, and to increase the companies' use of native flours by creating the appropriate know-how to choose, based on a specific chemical, physical and rheological analysis, the most suitable for each type of traditional product.

Expected results

• Definition of the qualitative characteristics of flours that are best suited for the preparation of traditional breads and pasta.

• Reaching of a greater use of Sardinian wheat in the typical products' production

• Creation of a short production and distribution chain of pasta or bread (new territorial brand and new “from farm to fork” foods)

Funding system

Sardegna Ricerche

Project timing

18 months