Quality Control Solutions for Tortilla & Flatbread Producers

When it comes to tortillas and flat bread, quality is determined based on a few factors: the cell structure, opacity, pliability, appearance, texture and eating quality. KPM provides solutions to assist you achieve the highest quality standard from incoming ingredients to the finished goods that are packaged and sent to your customers.

NIR Analysis of Recipe Ingredients

NIR Analysis of Recipe Ingredients

Near-infrared (NIR) technologies can be used by bakers either in the QA lab or at-line to analyze a full spectrum of moisture and compositional characteristics of flours used to craft exceptional tortillas and flatbreads. Many trusted calibrations exist for a variety of flour types and dry yeast to help bakers control important parameters that can impact the quality of your product.

Ingredients Analyzed

Ingredients Analyzed

Corn Meal

Analysis Benefits:

Specification compliance, quality control, cost control, recipe development, brand protection

Constituent Measured:

Moisture

Point of Analysis:

Supplier's location, incoming ingredients, lab

Types:

All types

Fat/Oil

Analysis Benefits:

Specification compliance, quality control, cost control, recipe development, brand protection

Constituent Measured:

Fat/oil

Point of Analysis:

Supplier's location, incoming ingredients, lab

Types:

All types

Finished Product - Baked Goods

Analysis Benefits:

Specification compliance, quality control, cost control, recipe development, brand protection

Constituent Measured:

Moisture

Point of Analysis:

At-line, lab

Types:

Flour

Analysis Benefits:

Specification compliance, quality control, cost control, recipe development, brand protection

Constituent Measured:

Ash, gluten, moisture, starch, protein

Point of Analysis:

Supplier's location, incoming ingredients, lab

Types:

Wheat flours, corn flour, spelt flour, buckwheat flour, rice flour, rye flour, gluten-free flours

Tortilla & Flatbread
KPM Products

Solutions for NIR Analysis

Moisture & Compositional

AgriCheck Plus Grain & Flour Analyzer

Moisture & Compositional

QuikCheck Food & Industrial NIR Analyzer

Moisture & Compositional

SpectraStar™ XT-F Benchtop NIR

Functional & Rheological Analysis of the Flour & Dough

Functional & Rheological Analysis of the Flour & Dough

Tools measuring the primary criteria affecting final Wheat Tortillas quality: - Water absorption of flours - Quantity and quality of proteins - Dough characteristics (extensibility, elasticity, flexibility, stickiness, appearance, rollability ...) - Starch properties (damage, retrogradation)

Water Absorption

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, and protein levels with the SpectraStar XT-F NIR Analyzer. The SRC-CHOPIN 2 can simultaneously measure the quality of damaged starch, proteins, and pentosans.

Dough Consistency

Extensibility
Extensibility is directly measured using the Alveolab or AlveoPC. During the deformation of the ball, it stretches to where it reaches its breaking point, mainly influenced by the quality of the protein network. This corresponds to the "L" or "G" value on the Alveograph. Read more about extensibility here.

Elasticity
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 appearance of the finished product. Elasticity is measured directly and exclusively with the Alveolab or AlveoPC. Read more about elasticity here.

Flexibility
Protein content has a direct effect on tortilla quality. The quality of the protein network and the extensibility/elasticity balance are analyzed with the Alveolab or AlveoPC. Flexibility is also positively influenced by the addition of amylases (analyzed using the Mixolab 2) and a low level of starch damage (determined using the SDmatic).

Appearance
Tortillas may show cracks when folded, mainly on low-protein flours, as well as pillowing/bubbling problems. For this issue, we check the protein levels of the flour using a Bench NIR analyzer;  and the dough performance using the Alveolab or AlveoPC.

Retrogradation
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.

KPM Products

Solutions for Functional & Rheological Analysis

Alveolab

Alveolab

Mixolab 2 - Dough Analysis

Mixolab 2 - Dough Analysis

Rheo F4 - Dough Proofing

Rheo F4 - Dough Proofing

SDmatic - Starch Damage

SDmatic - Starch Damage

SRC-CHOPIN 2 - Solvent Retention Capacity

SRC-CHOPIN 2 - Solvent Retention Capacity

Vision Inspection for Tortilla & Flatbread

Vision Inspection for Tortilla & Flatbread

Tortilla and flat bread manufacturers can produce a high volume of products in a shorter amount of time compared to bread products that require a longer proofing stage. To ensure that every piece of bread meets the quality standards, at-line and/or in-line vision inspection systems can be deployed to monitor critical quality parameters, such as shape and toast marks for example.

Product Types

  • Corn Tortilla (plain and colored)
  • Flour Tortilla (plain and colored)
  • Flat Bread (round/oval, square/rectangular, plain and colored)
  • Pita Bread

Measurement Capability

  • 2D/Shape & Size - diameter, roundness, area, length, width
  • 3D/Height - peak/mean height, slope, surface texture, stack height
  • Top & Bottom Bake Color
  • Toast Marks - color, coverage, distribution, voids

Defects Detection Capability

  • Misshapen Products
  • Edge Defects - e.g. bites, dents, straight edges, etc.
  • Out of Spec -  e.g. too small, too big, etc.
  • Spots - topping color, coverage, distribution, voids
  • Holes
  • Toast Mark Defects - too few, voids, etc.
KPM Products

KPM Vision Inspection Solutions

TheiaVu® Benchtop Vision Series

TheiaVu® Benchtop Vision Series

Over-Line Vision Inspection System

Over-Line Vision Inspection System

In-Line Vision & Rejection System

In-Line Vision & Rejection System

KPM Products

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Knowledge Center

Additional Reading

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