ISO standard for cooking pasta

ISO 7304-2:2008 — Alimentary pasta produced from durum wheat semolina — Estimation of cooking quality by sensory analysis — Part 2: Routine method, describes a test method for laboratories to determine a minimum of cooking time for pasta.

This international standard specifies a method for assessing, by sensory analysis, the quality of cooked alimentary pasta in the form of long, solid strands (eg, spaghetti) or short, hollow strands (eg, macaroni), produced from durum wheat semolina. It is expressed in terms of the starch release, liveliness and firmness (texture) of the pasta. It does not apply to pasta in the form of small strands usually consumed in soups.

The method has been developed to provide a procedure for the daily evaluation of pasta samples based on the use of reference samples. The test result does not express a preference, but gives an estimate of the cooking quality of the pasta after is has been cooked for the optimal time.

A test sample of pasta is cooked by a standard procedure and the starch release, liveliness and firmness are assessed. The operation is repeated until the continuous white line, visible at the centre of the crushed strand or the cut section as specified in the method, disappears. The test sample is then rated in accordance with the results.