Effects of lipids on the quality of commercial frozen ready pasta meals

Following up previous research regarding the global quality of several ready complex foods, this study tries to evaluate some relevant properties responsible for the global quality of pre-cooked frozen pasta meals. The analysis of the pasta surface shows the presence of vegetable oil, migrated from the sauce or added by the manufacturer after cooking the pasta but before freezing it. The presence of vegetable oil in the pasta surface influences its behaviour: namely, the moisture percentage, the degree of pulping and the capacity to hold the sauce (two tests useful to evaluate the quality of pasta have been employed) show some differences in pre-cooked frozen pasta meals with different preparation before freezing. This result can be utilised to set different quality grades of the product, in order to arrive at the definition and measurement of their global quality and, consequently, to set standards.