Texture measurement of cheese sticks

PRINCIPLE OF THE TEST

Assessment of the hardness of cheese puff pastry by bulk compression using an Ottawa cell.

CONTEXT

Popcorn snacks are very popular with many interesting variations and improvements made over the years. Companies are constantly on the lookout for new flavors to spray on extruded cornmeal. Besides flavor, color and texture are also important factors influencing consumer preferences and brand loyalty.

In quality control, the selection of the type of cornmeal and the moisture content dictate the texture of the finished product. A grainy cornmeal, for example, will produce an unwanted mouthfeel when the finished product is consumed, while excessive moisture content will tend to form small, heavy, hard puffs. Excessively dry cornmeal will tend to produce light, long, straight puffs. In addition, too dry puffs tend to burn in the dryer.

The texture of the cheese puffs should be crisp, with a satisfying snap. Using the CT3 Texture Analyzer with the Ottawa Cell Device, the hardness and crunchiness of the cheese puffs can be determined. The results are displayed in a graphical format with the maximum force value describing the hardness of the sample. This value correlates with the force required to crush the sample between the molars. The area under the graph from the start of the test to the maximum force value gives a measure of the work done. This value correlates with the energy required to overcome the strength of internal bonds within the sample. Using these texture measurements, the quality of cheese puffs can be assessed to meet customer satisfaction.

METHOD

Equipment : CT3 with 50 kg load cell

Luminaire base table (TA-BT-KIT)

Ottawa cell (TA-OC) with piston

TexturePro CT software

Settings :

Type of test: Compression

Pre-test speed: 1.0 mm / s

Test speed: 2.0 mm / s

Post-test speed: 10.0 mm / s

Target type: Distance

Target value: 30 mm

Trigger force: 30g

SAMPLE PREPARATION

Remove the sample from storage before testing. Weigh the sample in equal portions to allow comparison between tests. Make sure the weighed amount fills the Ottawa cell from 60 to 90 %.

PROCEDURE

1. Attach the plunger to the instrument.
2. Place the fixture base table on the instrument base and lightly tighten the thumbscrews to allow some degree of mobility.
3. Place the Ottawa cell on the fixture base table with the plexiglass side facing forward and tighten in position using the side screws.
4. Slowly lower the plunger of the instrument to the Ottawa cell and reposition the instrument base table so that the plunger can clearly enter the Ottawa cell without any friction caused by the plunger touching the side walls of the instrument. the cell.
5. When alignment is complete, tighten the thumbscrews on the fixture base table to prevent further movement.
6. Lift the plunger above the cell to allow the sample to be placed in the Ottawa cell. Make sure the sample is evenly distributed throughout the cell.
7. Move the plunger down to the chosen starting position (ideally a few millimeters above the sample surface).
8. Start the test. After each test, clean the Ottawa cell to remove all traces of previous samples to avoid variability in results.

Note: When testing different types of samples, it is best to test the hardest sample first in order to anticipate the maximum test range required. This will ensure that the force capacity covers the range for other future samples. For comparison purposes, the weight of the samples to be tested should be the same from sample to sample.

RESULTS

Figure I shows a bulk compression of 10 g of cheese puffs tested at room temperature. The maximum force value is a measure of the hardness of the sample. The area under the graph from the start of the test to the maximum force is a measure of the work done.

Figure II shows the force as a function of distance for 10 g of cheese puffs tested at room temperature. This is an alternate option to view the results. The maximum force value is a measure of the hardness of the sample. The area under the graph from the start of the test to the remote target point (30mm) is a measure of the work done. Once the piston has reached the target distance, the piston withdraws from the sample, as shown by the sudden drop in force to zero load. The zero load distance value indicates the point where the piston is no longer in contact with the sample. When the plunger returns to its starting position, negative distance values indicate the distance traveled by the plunger at the start of the test before coming into contact with the sample.

OBSERVATIONS

When a triggering force of 30 g has been reached at the sample surface, the plunger compresses the sample at a rate of 2 mm / s for a specified distance of 30 mm before withdrawing from the sample. The maximum force over the 30 mm is a measure of the hardness of the sample (Figures I and II); the higher the value, the harder the sample. This value correlates with the force required to compress and crush the sample between the molars. The area under the graph from the start of the test to the maximum force (Figure I) or the target distance of 30 mm (Figure II) is a measure of the work performed; the larger the area, the more work or energy it takes to chew the sample and overcome the strength of the internal bonds within the sample.

The table below summarizes the results:

The above table shows the hardness and the work done on 10 g of cheese puffs. For comparison purposes, it is important that the weight of the sample to be tested is the same for each test. The amount of cracks is an indication of how crunchy / crunchy the puffs are. The fracture value is the first fracture detected during the test and is an indication of the brittleness of the cheese puffs.

Using these texture measurements, the quality of cheese puffs can be assessed to meet customer satisfaction and improve product consistency. The breakage and crunch characteristics of cheese puffs are very useful in the development process to optimize product formulation, cooking times and moisture content of the raw product, as well as to verify the ideal sensory characteristics of the product.