Texture Analysis SolutionsCake Firmness

Situation

A processor of pound cakes knew the textures of their products could be different depending on which formulation was used and therefore needed an objective and quantifiable tool to measure the texture to correlate with the sensory testing.

The qualities of firmness and also springiness were regarded as the criteria to confidently differentiate between the alternative recipes.

Method

Samples were prepared by cutting approximately one inch thick slices. Care was taken to make sure that each slice was even and consistent. This was done so that a consistent representation of the product was presented to the texture system each time. The testing was done using a TMS-Pro Texture Analyzer fitted with a 100 N load cell and a 25.4 mm (1”) Cylinder Probe. Two compression strokes form the basis of the industry-standard Texture Profile Analysis method, which produces a complete textural definition of the most important primary and secondary physical parameters. For each replication, the sample was twice compressed to 5 mm at a speed of 100 mm/min. The first compression was to determine the firmness of the product; the second one was to see how the product recovers after the first compression. The graph to the right shows Product A was firmer than Product B. Both products recovered to about 50% of their original form.

Significance

The TMS-Pro texture analyzer system along with the compression test proved to successsfully detect the differences in firmness of both cakes. The processor can use this test as a standard baseline or simply for comparison/correlation to their sensory tests.