Chopin profiling tool could save costs for bakers

Through a single test the Mixolab profiler measures key aspects of dough performance including: native and damaged starch; fat; fibre; enzymes; the effects of protein; and the interactions between each of these elements. "The profiler is a specific protocol that brings faster quality control and easier interpretation when receiving new batches of cereal flours," a spokesperson for Chopin Technologies explained to BakeryandSnacks.com. Identifying the suitability of certain cereal flour batches earmarked for specific product formulations early on in the manufacturing process should help avoid wastage further down the production line and could potentially bring cost savings to bakers and biscuit makers. The Chopin spokesperson added that the profiler does "not add any extra costs to the user" because it is included in the software supplied with the purchase of the company's Mixolab system. Flour nature parameters The Mixolab profiler converts the Mixolab standard curve into six visible indices graduated from 0 to 9 – the Mixolab Index – for a characterisation of flour. The parameters interpreted and gauged are: water absorption; dough resistance; protein/gluten strength; viscosity hot; amylase resistance; and retrogradation. "At a glance, the user can see whether any of the six parameters are 'in' or out' of the profile indexes," said the spokesperson from Chopin Technologies. In other words, the baker or biscuit maker can quickly see whether the cereal flour in hand is suitable for the product they wish to manufacture and meets their specifications. With assignable profiles, the profiling tool sets the limits of acceptability of the flour according to its final use, either accepting or refusing the flour by comparing its index with the desired profile. According to the French company, the initial configuration offers 16 profiles including flour for baguettes, pan bread, biscuits, pizza, and baklava. If the flour does not meet a profile's parameters, the Mixolab profiler will suggest modifications. ICC standard, AACC pending The device is pending certification from the AACC, the American Association of Cereal Chemists: "We hope that we will have a definitive number this year from the AACC," said the spokesperson. The ICC, the international association for cereal science and technology, has already rubber stamped the profiler, giving it ICC 173-approval and paving the way for AACC certification. When created in 1955 at a bread congress in Germany, the ICC set out to develop internationally approved and accepted standard testing procedures for cereals and flour. Today the organisation, with representation from over fifty countries, also plays an active role in disseminating up-to-date knowledge for the industry and promoting stakeholder communication.

Chopin profiling tool could save costs for bakers

A recent profiling innovation from French firm Chopin Technologies aims to help industrial bakers and biscuit makers quickly understand the suitability of cereal flours for their product recipes.

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