Hydrocolloids-germinated wheat flour interactions in the formulation of a thin flatbread packaged with an active modified atmosphere packaging system

p A modified formulation and an efficient packaging system have improved flatbreads with short storability, resulting in long shelf life and exportability. This research investigates the use of germinated wheat powder, kappa;-carrageenan, and guar gum in a modified atmosphere packaging system to enhance the storability of Lavash, an Iranian flatbread. A three-component D-optimal mixture design was used to create sixteen dough formulations, determining the best ones based on rheological and thermal analysis data. The Mixolab test was used to analyze retrogradation rates. The optimal formulation demonstrated a synergistic effect between kappa;-carrageenan (0.055%) and germinated wheat powder (0.208%), increasing moisture content up to 9% and decreasing setback factor to 28%. Principle component analysis (PCA) was used to analyze the correlation between the rheological, textural, and sensory attributes of dough and cooked bread samples, influenced by the type and quantity of hydrocolloids. Chewability was highly correlated with PC1 and adversely affected by guar gum and carrageenan, while the setback factor was correlated with PC2 and negatively affected by malt. Thermoformed polyvinylchloride containers with water and oxygen absorbent sachets were used as active modified atmosphere packaging (Active-MAP) to preserve microbial and textural characteristics for up to 2 months at 30 °C. /p