Indian Researchers have developed low immunogenic pasta by altering the pH of Triticum durum flour and immunological validation of pasta using patients' sera. The study was published on LWT - Food Science and Technology journal.

Modification of T. durum wheat flour was carried out by altering pH of the flour using lactic acid, sodium bicarbonate and natural ingredients such as tomato, spinach puree. The pH altered flours were taken for rheological studies and also extruded into pasta using lab scale extruder. Pasta quality characteristics were analyzed and Celiac disease patients' sera was used for immunological validation of pasta. Immunoreactivity of alkaline modified pasta with IgA anti-gliadin antibodies of patients' sera was markedly reduced than control and acid modified pasta as indicated by both Dot-Blot and ELISA. Quality evaluation showed the acceptable and comparable product quality parameters.

The study indicated that altering the pH of wheat flour chemically to pH 9.00 is effective in reducing immunogenic property of wheat flour and comparable quality pasta thus developed pasta could be beneficial for patients with celiac disease. However modification occurring at epitope structure of gliadin due to alkaline condition and safety on long term consumption of this product needs to be evaluated further.