Shortening is generally tasteless yet provides several benefits to the baked good it's in, including tenderness, texture, structural integrity, and extended shelf life. Because it is such an important ingredient, customers will often search for the best-quality shortening. One way to help bring your product to the top is through performing shortening color measurements.
The key to quality lies in shortening color consistency — no matter which product they pull from the shelf, customers will always expect shortening to look the same. Here are some of the top tips for making sure your shortening is up to color quality standards.
Shortening is made from various oils and is white in color. This pure white color — along with shortening's odorless quality — is collectively understood as fresh.
When shortening spoils, it will turn from milky white to yellow and only get darker as it ages. It will also have a musky odor. Maintaining a pure white color throughout the production process will prevent a fresh product from being misidentified as spoiled.
Because it is created from oils, shortening will have a glossy finish, contributing to its overall color. This gloss is often desired in icing or other decorative aspects of bakery items.
Many people can tell if shortening is good or bad based on its texture and overall appearance. In addition to its white glossy color, shortening appears soft, like a stick of butter. When it starts to go bad, it will harden. Creating the desired smooth appearance will help customers recognize its freshness.
Making products in the food sector requires color quality control for industry standards and safety. With the Agera spectrophotometer, you can meet customers' visual perceptions of shortening.
Agera is an all-in-one solution for measuring the color of shortening, due to its:
With over 70 years of experience, HunterLab offers color measurement solutions for your shortening products. Our products are CE- certified, so we can offer the quality results you deserve.
Reach out to our team today to receive a quote on our available spectrophotometers.
Mr. Phillips has spent the last 30 years in product development and management, technical sales, marketing, and business development in several industries. Today, he is the global market development manager for HunterLab, focused on understanding customer needs, providing appropriate solutions and education, and helping to solve customer color challenges across these industries and cultures.LinkedIn