Effect of Humidity-Controlled Dehydration on Microbial Growth and Quality Characteristics of Fresh Wet Noodles

Humidity-controlled dehydration (HCD) was innovatively applied in this paper to control the growth of microorganisms in fresh wet noodles (FWN). Effects of HCD treatment with different temperatures (40, 60 or 80 °C), relative humidity (RH, 50%, 70% or 90%) and treatment time (5–32 min) on the total plate count (TPC), the shelf-life, and qualities of FWN were investigated. The results showed that HCD reduced the initial microbial load on the fresh noodles and extended the shelf-life up to 14–15 days under refrigeration temperature (10 °C). A 1.39 log(10) CFU/g reduction for the initial TPC was achieved after HCD treatment at the temperature of 60 °C and RH of 90%. HCD with higher RH had a more positive influence on quality improvement. The L* values, the apparent stickiness, and the cooking properties of the noodle body were improved by HCD while good sensory and texture quality of noodles were still maintained after the dehydration process.