Case study
Bakery
Consumers have very particular expectations of how bakery products should feel and behave during consumption. Deviations from this ideal are often perceived as a loss in quality. The prime objective of the commercial bakery is to develop products that fit within this narrow textural spectrum, maintain these characteristics throughout production and ensure that the textural quality does not deteriorate over the shelf-life of the product.
Bakery products use a variety of different substances such as:- Viscous liquids (sugar syrups, purées), Particulates (Biscuit pieces, choc chips, croutons), Homogenous solids (Breads, sponge cakes, doughnuts), Multilayered (puff pastry, croissants), Brittle Solids (biscuits, breadsticks, crackers), Extensible solids (doughs, tortillas, pizza bases), Flexible solids (flapjacks, cookies) ......
Choosing the right method of texture analysis based on the bakery product keeps the texture testing practical and real. It ensures the use of techniques that replicate handling by the manufacturer and the consumer, such as stretching, breaking, bending, cutting and squashing the product.