How Bakery Industry Leaders use Texture Analysis to get ahead of their competition

How Zeelandia measures the crustiness of bread rolls

By combining the Texture Analyser’s ‘V’ Squeeze test with simultaneous acoustic measurements, Zeelandia pioneered a new method to determine the crustiness of bakery products to obtain detailed objective analysis of crust breakage.

Henk Mulder, physical scientist at Zeelandia, commented, “Stable Micro Systems’ equipment is extremely accurate and versatile. Manual tests, and even our previous lab testing methods, didn’t give us enough detail to draw meaningful conclusions for our NPD or quality control purposes.

“The ‘V’ Squeeze test measures valuable parameters, but recording sound using the Acoustic Envelope Detector provides far more detailed results that can be used in new product development and for competitor analysis and QC purposes”.

Coen Sander, Zeelandia’s food scientist, added, “Perfecting texture in crusty products is particularly challenging because despite the crunchy crust, we’re often also seeking a soft centre – all with maximum shelf life. We’re now testing a wide range of finished baked products containing different Zeelandia ingredients in varying proportions. Collating and comparing these detailed test results means we can evaluate the impact of changes to recipes and processing conditions.”

How Bahlsen measures the crunch of biscuits

Bahlsen had massive media interest in Germany after it used the Acoustic Envelope Detector (AED) by Stable Micro Systems to analyse the ‘crunch’ of its biscuits. This was used for quality control, as customers perceive a fresher biscuit when there is a louder crunch.

The AED was used in conjunction with the company’s TA.XTplus Texture Analyser to quickly and easily analyse acoustic emissions and quantify product texture. A highly sensitive directional microphone acquires the acoustic data while the texture analyser itself measures force, distance and time as the biscuit breaks. The procedure gave Bahlsen the confidence that the sounds emitted by its products could maximise consumer appeal.

Texture analysis has become essential for product development and quality control. The media interest in Bahlsen and the Acoustic Envelope Detector shows that everyone, from scientists and technologists to the general public, can get excited by it.

How Warburtons measures dough stickiness

When the UK’s number one bakery brand, Warburtons, teamed up with Stable Micro Systems, they found the answer to a sticky problem. Sticky dough is problematic in bakeries, causing progressive build-up of dough smears on equipment, necessitating extra cleaning and leading to waste and unplanned stoppages.

Previous test methods for quantifying dough stickiness required manipulation of the dough sample immediately prior to testing. This, along with exposure to drier atmospheres common in QC labs, introduced rheological changes which reduce stickiness, distorting test results.
Warburtons came up with a solution (the “Dough Stickiness System”) that mimicked actions performed in commercial bakeries, with a blade coming down into a sample in a sealed box under the TA.XTplus Texture Analyser to give firmness information during the compression and stickiness information under tension.

The rig continues to be a success today.

How Puratos perfects the science of freshness

The Puratos Cake Testing Lab helps the baking industry deliver the world’s freshest cake solutions to help increase consumer satisfaction and profitability.

As users of Stable Micro Systems Texture Analysers, these experts are able to provide the ideas and innovations that are guiding new developments in cakes everywhere. They regularly feature their Texture Analysers to articulate their product attributes while marketing their modular improver to enhance shortness of bite and chewability in soft bakery products.

According to their research: “Short bite is the opposite of chewiness. It reflects the ease to tear or break off a piece of bread as well as the ease of chewing. Consumers expect a short bite particularly in sweet bakery products and filled snacks.”

To find out more about how Puratos uses texture analysis...

How Qualisoy quantifies their new gold standard bakery products

At Qualisoy, new functionality tests confirm that US-grown high oleic soybean oil produces superior baker’s margarines and shortenings for pie crusts and laminated dough applications.
“The results were nothing short of amazing,” said Roger Daniels, VP of Research, Development & Innovation at Stratas Foods. “We found that we achieved a new gold standard in performance without partial hydrogenation.”

For pie crusts the new shortening produces a dough that is firm enough to stand up to the machine but also gentle enough that it eats well. With the testing capabilities that they have with their Texture Analyser they can take qualitative information and turn it into concrete raw data to prove whether a new shortening does match a previous shortening.

Watch how they use their Texture Analyser to do this... 

There is a Texture Analysis test for virtually any physical property. Contact Stable Micro Systems today to learn more about our full range of solutions.

---

For more information on how to measure texture, please visit the Texture Analysis Properties section on our website.

The TA.XTplus texture analyser is part of a family of texture analysis instruments and equipment from Stable Micro Systems. An extensive portfolio of specialist attachments is available to measure and analyse the textural properties of a huge range of food products. Our technical experts can also custom design instrument fixtures according to individual specifications.

No-one understands texture analysis like we do!

To discuss your specific test requirements click here...