Analysis of Cookies, Crackers, & Biscuits
Quality Control for Cookies, Crackers, & Biscuits
In today's competitive food manufacturing industry, it's critical to produce high-quality products efficiently. Quality control is a vital aspect of ensuring products meet required standards and regulations. KPM offers advanced analytical solutions that utilize cutting-edge technology to enhance the quality control process. With expertise in analyzing and measuring food products, KPM provides a range of tools that help manufacturers of cookies, crackers, and biscuits to ensure consistent quality and compliance with industry standards.
Moisture & Compositional Analysis of Ingredients
NIR analysis is a proven technique that provides simultaneous results for moisture, protein, fat, fiber, ash, and other parameters in under a minute. Applications for cookie, cracker, and biscuit production include the analysis of both the raw ingredients and the finished product which enables optimization of the process from start to finish.
Ingredients Analyzed
Ingredients Analyzed
Butter
Quality control, specification compliance
Solids, fat, salt
After the churn
All types
Cocoa Powder
Quality control and to avoid production challenges
Moisture, fat
Incoming ingredients, cocoa processing, chocolate making, final product before packaging
All types
Corn Meal
Specification compliance, quality control, cost control, recipe development, brand protection
Moisture
Supplier's location, incoming ingredients, lab
All types
Corn Starch
Specification compliance, quality control, cost control, recipe development, brand protection
Moisture, protein, oil
Incoming ingredients, lab
Dough
Quality control, cost control, recipe development, production efficiency
Moisture, fat
Incoming ingredients, at-line, lab
All Types
Flour
Specification compliance, quality control, cost control, recipe development, brand protection
Ash, gluten, moisture, starch, protein
Supplier's location, incoming ingredients, lab
Wheat flours, corn flour, spelt flour, buckwheat flour, rice flour, rye flour, gluten-free flours
Fat/Oil
Specification compliance, quality control, cost control, recipe development, brand protection
Fat/oil
Supplier's location, incoming ingredients, lab, online
All types
Finished Product - Baked Goods
Specification compliance, quality control, cost control, recipe development, brand protection
Moisture
At-line, lab, Online
Grains
Specification compliance, quality control, cost control, recipe development, brand protection
Moisture, protein, starch, oil, fiber, gluten, zeleny, amylose, FFA
Incoming ingredients,
All types
NIR Solutions from KPM Analytics
Functional & Rheological Analysis
The characterization and analysis of the key properties of flour and grains to help manufacturers produce consistently high-quality baked goods and snack foods.
Water Absorption
Soft wheat flour is preferred to produce cookies because it binds less water that hard wheat flour. Water relationship in cookie dough has a major effect on cookie quality (i.e., cookie spread, texture). For cookies, the required level of hydration is low (30 - 50%). The amount of water that any flour can absorb decreases with low levels of protein, damaged starch (particle size) or pentosans. These flour characteristics are particularly important in the manufacture of cookies (dry) because, as the water content of the finished products is very low (<5%), most of the water absorbed in the mixing process must be evaporated during baking, an expensive process. It is very simple to measure water absorption directly using the Mixolab 2 and the Alveolab or AlveoPC. A good estimate can be obtained by measuring starch damage (SDmatic 2) and protein levels (NIR).
Stickiness
Stickiness appears when the water is added to flour and is not properly absorbed or retained by the dough. This phenomenon often occurs when starch damage or pentosan levels are too high and the protein levels are too low. Sticky dough causes process machine problems, mainly when mixing and shaping. Starch damage can be measured directly with the SDmatic 2, and protein levels are measured with NIR devices.
Cookies typically have a relatively low moisture content, made from a dough or batter that is sufficiently viscous to permit the dough pieces to be baked on a flat surface. Crackers contain little to no sugar but moderate to high (10-20%) levels of fat, based on flour weight. Cracker dough generally contains low levels of water (20-30%) so baking proceeds quickly.
Dough Consistency
Dough consistency depends on the amount of water added and the ability of the flour to absorb it. This consistency changes during mixing, reflecting the formation of the gluten network. For any given level of hydration, the consistency of the dough represents its firmness, its hardness. This depends, on the quantity and quality of the proteins, the starch damage, and the pentosans. Mixing consistency may be measured by either the Mixolab 2 or, after shaping, by the, Alveolab or AlveoPC. It is also possible to individually measure the factors responsible for consistency: proteins (NIR) and damaged starch (SDmatic 2).
Extensibility
It is the capacity of the dough to be stretched without breaking. For a given consistency, it depends mainly on the quality of the protein network. Dough that is not very extensible will not spread during rolling; conversely, dough that is too extensible will not hold shape well enough. Extensibility is measured directly when testing with the Alveolab or AlveoPC.
Elasticity
Elasticity is the tendency of the dough to return to its initial position after its shape is distorted, such as by rolling. It takes a certain level of elasticity for the dough to be machinable. If the elasticity is too low, the dough won’t hold shape; if it is too high, the dough will tend to retract, which impacts the size of the finished product. Elasticity is measured directly and exclusively with the Alveolab or AlveoPC.
Cracks and Blisters
Two common faults in cookie, biscuit, and cracker making are cracks and blisters. The latter are linked to starch damage that is too high (measured by the SDmatic 2) and a protein network (protein level) that is too strong (measured by NIR) and/or tenacity (measured by the Alveolab or AlveoPC). In this case, water is distributed poorly between the 3 main molecules in the dough responsible for the absorption of water: gluten, damaged starch and pentosans.
KPM Solutions for Functional & Rheological Analysis
Vision Inspection of Cookies and Crackers
To assist cookie, biscuit, and cracker manufacturers, KPM's Vision Inspection solutions help to ensure quality specifications such as size, shape and color are met; and to detect problems such as cracked or broken products, visual defects such as missing or improper brand marks, uneven distribution of inclusions, and detection of foreign objects on the surface.
Product Types
- Cookies
- Cookie Dough
- Biscuits
- Crackers
- Rusks
Measurement Capability
- 2D/Shape & Size - diameter, roundness, length, width
- 3D/Height - peak/mean/stack height, complete 3D profile, slope, surface texture
- Top & Bottom Bake Color
- Multi Topping - topping color, coverage, distribution, voids
- Patterns/Markings Validation
Defects Detection Capability
- Misshapen/Broken products
- Out of specification products (e.g. too small, too dark, etc.)
- Spots (light, dark, foreign material on product surface)
- Topping defects (e.g. too little topping, wrong distribution, etc.)
- Pattern Issues
Additional Reading
