Noodles

Description of product

Traditionally, noodles and pasta are made from wheat flour, preferably durum wheat flour. In Italy, pasta is prepared almost exclusively from durum wheat.

Different varieties are available in shops in which the wheat is replaced completely or partially by flour obtained, for example, from soya, millet (sorghum) or rye. In Germany, eggs are also often added when making pasta.

Rice noodles are spaghetti-type noodles made of rice flour. These are used in Asian foods in soups or fried.

Possible application of gene technology

Applications of gene technology are possible in the following ingredients that commonly are found in noodle. However, the extent to which a particular product is affected by these possibilities cannot be stated with certainty:

• if present: soya bean flour
• the use of enzymes has been newly adopted: Addition of lipases is meant to improve both the quality and the appearance of noodles and pasta.
• for egg noodles: dried egg white or dried egg yolk, eggs
• for pasta containing a filling, application of gene technology are possible according to the ingredients used, e.g. starch and modified starches, flavourings and essences, and enzymes.
• for rice noodles: flour from GM-rice. In 2006, traces of GM-rice were discovered in products imported from China, although in the EU GM-rice has until now not received approval for either cultivation or use in foodstuffs.