On-Line and At-Line Near-Infrared Solutions Enable Snack Food Manufacturers to Control Degree of Bake, Moisture and Oil Simultaneously

NDC Technologies, a leading global provider of precision measurement and control solutions, proudly offers the Series 9 online food gauge and InfraLab e-Series at-line analyzer to companies looking for accurate and reliable control of key constituents in the manufacturing process.

Delivering immediate and long-term value to food production processes, the Series 9 gauge, a future-proof platform delivers continuous, highly accurate, and representative measurements on the production line allowing for better process control and product quality optimization.

Moreover, NDC Technologies has now integrated its proven Degree of Bake (DOB) or Brownness measurements into the InfraLab at-line analyzer to provide simultaneous measurements of Moisture, Oil, and DOB in five seconds. With no special skill required to operate, the InfraLab delivers process vision far beyond that of conventional testing.

But why is the Degree of Bake so important?

The Degree of Bake is a measurement that represents the change in brownness of the surface of a baked product, where under-baked products look too light; over-baked products look too dark.DOB measures perceived 'brownness' as opposed to lightness (L or L*).

This means the gauge will distinguish between samples that are different in brownness to the naked eye but the L or L* reading may not indicate this difference by the same amount.

The ability to monitor the brownness while simultaneously measuring moisture and oil content using NDC’s solutions delivers greater process insight and also helps mitigate against excess acrylamide formation.

Taste, texture, and appearance are all key quality attributes that determine the success of a food product in the market. Testing of the product during the manufacturing process for moisture and color is important to ensure final product consistency and 'freshness.'

So what are the benefits?

NDC's online and at-line solutions bring measurable process benefits in terms of energy savings, increased productivity, and operational efficiencies by avoiding the delays associated with sending samples to a laboratory.

A summary of the key benefits includes:
 

• Improved product quality by maintaining the correct moisture and brownness
• Optimum shelf life
• Reduced operator dependency
• Reduced lab testing

The focus is on improving the downstream baking performance, where the major return on investment is not only achieved by simply improving the efficiency of just the baking process. It is also about improving performance after baking has taken place.

In addition, NDC solutions enable organizations to produce higher quality products more consistently. The final result is both increased brand recognition and supply chain loyalty.