When it comes to measuring colour in baked goods, you need to present as objective a measure as possible. After all, whilst there are generally agreed upon ‘best’ colours for certain bakes, how do you effectively gauge how closely the colour of something is to that ideal?
This is where the L*a*b* colour space comes in, and it is used by many bakeries to best determine the colour of its produce.
What is L*a*b* colour?
The L*a*b*colour space is a scale that was established by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) in 1976. It’s used by many bakeries and food producers around the world to determine the colour of their goods as exactly as possible.
The name derives from the values used to determine and chart a given colour in the scheme. ‘L’ represents lightness, measured on a scale from 0 to 100, 0 being total absence of colour (black) and 100 being completely lightness (white). ‘a’ and ‘b’ represent chromaticity, or the quality of colour. Negative ‘a’ and ‘b’ corresponds with green and blue, and positive ‘a’ and ‘b’ corresponds with red and yellow, respectively.
Using spectrophotometry equipment alongside the L*a*b* values, colour can be plotted on a chart and different colours can be compared to discern even differences that the human eye can’t detect.
How is it used in baking?
When it comes to consumer opinions of baked goods, there are expectations in what different items should look like. Bread crust is often expected to be a pleasing golden brown, for instance, particularly in certain bakes like tiger bread and brioche.
Data from consumer feedback can be used alongside L*a*b* colour analysis to determine how different colours affect buying behaviour and quality perception. This can be utilised to contrast and compare the effect of different ingredients on colour.
Colour is a significant indicator to the consumer as it can imply taste, texture, and overall quality for money. Biscuits that are too light in colour can appear to be underbaked; similarly, bread that is too dark may be perceived as dry, starchy, or overbaked.
How C-Cell measures quality using L*a*b* colour
Using a sample loaded into C-Cell, colour can reveal far much more than the exact tones of the crust. C-Cell colour analysis reveals insights into the crumb and internal structure of bread, biscuits, cakes, and all sorts of baked goods.
Bakeries around the world rely on the accuracy of such equipment to help maintain a competitive presence in the industry. With objective colour analysis on hand, decisions can be made concerning product ingredients and baking methodology with the help of data and quality feedback.
To find out more about how C-Cell can unlock insights into colour, quality, and more, contact us today.