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Baked goods faults – cause and remedy

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Baked goods faults – cause and remedy

Faults in baked goods describe deviations of generally recognized sensory properties in the relevant baked goods. These include, among others, deviations in the shape and volume, crust and crumb colour, texture of the crust and crumb as well as smell and taste.

Faults in baked goods, which reduce the consumption ability and digestibility, have to be remedied as quickly as possible. Should the appearance of baked goods faults not be corrected, a fall in sales of that type of baked goods is imminent. The correction of baked goods faults results from the discovery and recognition of the causes. In many cases, several causes can have contributed to triggering the same baked goods fault. The basis for the production of impeccable baked goods in regard to quality is the use of high-quality raw materials and the exact adherence to the recipe and the process parameters.

Whether a baked goods fault can be spoken of is frequently not simple to determine, as one and the same type of baked goods can be defined differently from country to country in relation to its sensory properties. Even within one country, baked goods often have different properties depending on the region.

The lye pretzel can be considered to be a typically German type of baked goods. In south-west Germany, 3 – 10 % fat is added to the recipe and the pretzel is characterized by a bellied shape in the centre of the strand and thin ends. This version, which is mostly known as “Swabian pretzel” (Brezel), is scored before baking to achieve a uniform, distinct crust crack. In contrast, in the recipe of the Bavarian pretzel (Brezn), only 2 – 3 % fat is added and the strand is more likely to be rolled thickly and uniformly The “Brezn” is not scored before baking and is given a completely different appearance in comparison to the Swabian pretzel due to the irregular crust crack behaviour.

During the assessment of baked goods in regard to possible baked goods faults, the local understanding of quality and the consumer expectations of the corresponding baked goods of a region have therefore always to be taken into consideration.

In this connection, it is meaningful to describe and to define the impeccable quality of baked goods. This can take place in the form of a product specification with a description and a picture of the baked goods. Within the framework of daily quality checks, the production of that day can be compared with the specification. In the case of deviations to the specification,
it has to be decided whether the baked goods can be delivered to the customer or not.