Gluten-free pasta production

Case History

The Customer

Since 1986, a leading company in the design and construction of machinery, automated systems, and complete lines for the production of high-quality pasta has consolidated its position in the Italian and international markets. This company has developed innovative techniques and technologies for dry pasta, fresh pasta, gluten-free pasta, filled pasta, and pre-cooked pasta for ready meals.
In the research and development division, in collaboration with research bodies and institutes, several laboratories are set up for the production of special pastas, such as “functional”, gluten-free and protein pasta.

In the fresh pasta production process, extrusion plays a crucial role. To ensure the organoleptic properties of the final product and increase production capacity, it is essential to control the temperature of the extruder body. Excessive overheating can damage the dough as it exits the die, compromising product quality. This aspect is particularly critical for companies with extensive experience in pasta manufacturing, where maintaining high quality standards and meeting growing market demand are key priorities.

Temperature control becomes even more critical in gluten-free pasta production, as the absence of gluten makes the extrusion and drawing stages more complex.

Gluten is a protein complex made up of water-insoluble proteins, which give dough essential properties for pasta making, such as:

Dough stability
Tenacity
Extensibility

To produce gluten-free pasta, alternative gluten-free flours are used, based on rice, maize, oats, millet, buckwheat, quinoa, or blends of these flours.

In this case, the role of gluten is taken over by starch, which must undergo a gelatinisation process. This treatment allows the creation of a binding agent alternative to gluten, which is essential for obtaining a workable dough and producing the different pasta shapes required by the market.

Service continuity, and therefore reliability, and temperature control are essential requirements in all critical applications, such as food processing plants. Cosmotec boasts many years of experience in the production of process chillers and precision cooling units, with the WRA range. Chillers with cooling capacities from 2 to 10 kW are used in pasta production machines, depending on the physical characteristics of the production line.

The role of the chiller in pasta production

Chillers are used for temperature control of the dough during extrusion. To do this:

They cool a refrigerant fluid, usually a mixture of water and propylene glycol, to around 20°C and 25°C.
This fluid is passed through a cavity formed in the outer part of the drawing cylinder.

Gluten-free pasta chiller

The production of gluten-free pasta presents greater challenges. For this application, the chillers are equipped with a pre-heating resistor, which is used to:

Heat the drawing cylinder at the start-up of the plant, should its temperature be too low to guarantee the correct workability of the mixture.
Remove heat during normal operation, preventing the temperature from degrading the dough, compromising its workability and organoleptic characteristics.

Advanced temperature control

To guarantee maximum precision, the chillers are equipped with:

Second set of control probes, placed in a pocket in contact with the dough, to detect the temperature before the drawing phase.
Control microprocessor that regulates the temperature of the chilled fluid on discharge and adjusts it according to changes in the dough temperature, switching off the chiller when the temperature falls below a minimum value and maintaining constant regulation of the discharge temperature when it exceeds a maximum value.

The validity and effectiveness of the project have been confirmed by the acceptance tests carried out. The tests have demonstrated a significant improvement in performance, with a positive impact on multiple aspects of the production process.

In particular, an increase in dough workability and a marked improvement in the quality of the extruded product have been observed, thanks to more precise and variable management of the chiller's supply temperature, which adapts to dough temperature fluctuations to avoid undesirable thermal shocks. This more accurate thermal regulation guarantees a higher quality pasta, with optimal organoleptic characteristics and greater uniformity of the finished product.

Dough temperature stability
Optimal temperature management ensures that the dough retains its physical and organoleptic properties. Precise regulation prevents thermal fluctuations, improving workability and the quality of the final product.

Chiller reliability
The chiller, fundamental to the process, ensures consistent performance over time, reducing the risk of malfunctions and optimising intervention times. This helps to maintain high standards of quality and productivity.

Efficiency
An efficient system balances temperature control and chiller operation, reducing energy consumption and waste, optimising the production cycle and improving market competitiveness.

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