Analysis of English Muffins
Quality Control Solutions for English Muffins
To help commercial bakers maintain quality throughout the entire process of producing English muffins, KPM offers specialized equipment to assess the quality of incoming ingredients, determine the functional properties of flour, monitor consistency of dough, and inspect the baked english muffins before packaging.
NIR Analysis of Ingredients Used to Make English Muffins
NIR analysis technologies from KPM Analytics are designed for speed and simplicity, with minimal training required or sample preparation (depending on product). This data will help your bakery analyze ingredients and final products for quality as well as label or specification claims.
Ingredients Analyzed
Ingredients Analyzed
Corn Meal
Specification compliance, quality control, cost control, recipe development, brand protection
Moisture
Supplier's location, incoming ingredients, 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
Dry Yeast
Specification compliance, quality control, cost control, recipe development, brand protection
Moisture
Incoming ingredients, at-line, lab
All types
NIR Analysis Solutions for English Muffins
Functional & Rheological Analysis
Dough analysis technologies from KPM Analytics provide fast, simple, and intuitive solutions to help bakers simulate the baking process and collect critical data on dough behavior based on specific baking parameters or products, without having to spend extra time or waste product. This helps take the speculation out of flour or dough quality analysis and provides real assurance that every English muffin will adhere to the important quality standards that your consumers demand.
Water Absorption
The amount of water that any flour can absorb increases with high levels of protein, damaged starch (particle size) or pentosans. It is very simple to measure water absorption directly using the KPM solutions outlined below.
Stickiness
This often occurs when starch damage or pentosan levels are too high and the protein levels are too low. Sticky dough causes process machine problems when dividing and pressing tortillas. Measure starch with the SDmatic 2, and protein levels with the SpectraStar XT-F NIR Analyzer.
Dough Consistency
Dough 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. This depends, on the quantity and quality of the proteins, the level of starch damage, and the pentosans. Mixing consistency may be measured during mixing or after rolling. It is also possible to individually measure the factors responsible for consistency: proteins, damaged starch, and pentosans.
Volume
Volume is primarily influenced by the volume of CO2 produced by the yeast during fermentation. This volume is measured directly by the Rheo F4. The amount of CO2 produced depends on the intrinsic activity of the yeast and also the amount of simple sugars available. The latter is directly influenced by the activity of the amylases present in or added to the flour, which degrade a portion of the starch into simple sugars, usable by the yeast. Damaged starch, measured by the SDmatic 2, is more easily attacked by amylases. It therefore positively impacts the volume.
The volume is also dependent on the quality of the gluten network, measured with the Alveolab, AlveoPC, and the Mixolab 2. This determines the ability of the dough to develop during fermentation, and to retain the CO2 produced, measured with the Rheo F4.
Color
English Muffins are judged more or less appetizing by consumers according to their appearance, on the outside and on the inside. On the outside, each muffin should have a consistent toast mark on both sides. The color, as with the volume, is related to amylase enzyme activity and indirectly with the level of damaged starch (SDmatic 2).
Starch Properties
After baking, the starch will tend to partially recrystallize. This phenomenon is called retrogradation and explains why the products become hard (stale). The beginning of retrogradation is very easily measured with the Mixolab 2. Damaged starch has the effect of reducing the speed of retrogradation, it is measured with the SDmatic 2.
Solutions for Flour & Dough Analysis
Vision Inspection of English Muffins
Vision system implementations allow manufactures to dramatically reduce the time required to perform scheduled QA checks and allows for important but previously ‘unmeasurable’ characteristics to be easily quantified and recorded (% of top surface covered by toast mark ,for example).
Product Types
- Standard English muffins
- Whole wheat English muffins
Measurement Capability
- 2D/Shape & Size - min/max/mean diameters, roundness/ovality, length, width
- 3D/Height - peak/mean height, complete 3D profile, slope, surface texture
- Top & Bottom Bake Color - avg bake color, black spots, white edges
- Topping/Toast Area Check - color, coverage, distribution, voids
- Upside-Down Product Detection
Defects Detection Capability
- Misshapen Products - e.g. bites, tails, doubles
- Out of Specification Products - e.g. too small, too dark
- Spots - light, dark, foreign material on product surface
- Topping/Toast Area Defects - toast mark too small, too dark, etc.
Vision Products
Additional Reading
