A new standard for the industrial production of high quality Atta flour

Abstract

Atta flour is a wheat flour with an extraction of 95 % and belongs to the main staple foods in India where it is consumed as flat bread (Chapatti or Roti). Conventional industrial Atta flour production is realized by the parallel operation of several stone mills – so called Chakki mills. This technology has major drawbacks such as intensive maintenance, strong flour quality fluctuations, poor sanitation and limited throughputs. We have been able to overcome all these constraints but to maintain the unique Atta traits coming from the traditional process, setting a new standard for the industrial production of high quality Atta flour. As basis for this development, relevant structure-process property relationships of Atta flours were elucidated. Physicochemical, rheological, organoleptic (baking tests) as well as flour shelf-life characteristics of several Atta flours were assessed by internal as well as external analyses by the CFTRI in Mysore. A high total farinonograph water absorption 76 % (500 BU, 14% moisture) and a high starch damage of 18 % (AACC 76-30.02, dry matter base) were identified as key quality parameters for baking behaviour and flatbread softness. Furthermore, it could be shown that a certain flour heat treatment during milling is necessary in order to assure the shelf-life stability of the produced Atta flour.