A comparative study of GlutoPeak protocols for high-throughput gluten quality assessment in white and whole-wheat flours

This study comprehensively evaluates three GlutoPeak protocols-Standard Method 1 (SMD1), Standard Method 2 (SMD2), and the Rapid Flour Check Method (RFCM)-for assessing gluten quality in refined-white (RWF) and whole-wheat flour (WWF) across strong, medium, and weak gluten strength categories. GlutoPeak parameters were correlated with dough rheological properties from Alveograph, Farinograph, Mixolab, Mixograph, and Glutograph. Peak Maximum Time (PMT) from both Standard Methods (SMD1, SMD2) served as a robust and reliable indicator of gluten strength across both flour types, with values significantly increasing with gluten strength (P<0.01). SMD1's Aggregation Energy (AGGEN) exhibited exceptional predictive power, explaining 96.2% of the variance in Mixolab C2 (protein weakening parameter). For RWF, RFCM parameters (BEM, PM, and PMT) collectively explained 91.8% of the variance in the critical Alveograph P/L ratio, while SMD2 PM effectively differentiated gluten strength. However, RFCM showed limited efficacy for WWF. Stepwise regression yielded high coefficients of determination (R² up to 0.999), demonstrating GlutoPeak's strong potential for rapid prediction of fundamental dough properties. The study provides validated, protocol-specific guidance: SMD1 for versatility across flour types, SMD2 for refined flour extensibility analysis, and RFCM for ultra-rapid quality control of white flour. These findings validate GlutoPeak as an efficient high-throughput tool for quality screening in wheat milling, baking, and breeding programs, enabling estimation of fundamental dough properties from a rapid 3-minute test.