Assessing the Carasau Bread Doughs Microwave Spectra.

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Carasau bread (CB) production requires advanced quality monitoring due to its market potential.
• Microwave dielectric spectroscopy (MDS) is a non-destructive technique for food characterization, offering insights into microstructure and composition.
• Previous studies modeled CB dough dielectric properties up to 20 GHz, but measurement consistency needs evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically assess the repeatability, reliability, and consistency of MDS measurements on Carasau bread dough.
• To analyze the heterogeneity of dielectric data before and after leavening.
• To evaluate the robustness of MDS for industrial applications in CB production.

Main Methods:

• MDS measurements were performed on ten standard CB dough samples (50% water, 1.5% yeast, 1.5% salt) in the 0.5-6 GHz range.
• Measurements were conducted both before and after the leavening process.
• Statistical analyses, including z-score and kernel density estimation, were used to evaluate data distribution and variability.

Main Results:

• High spectral correlation was observed, with a coefficient of variation below 5% before leavening.
• Z-score and kernel density estimation revealed heterogeneous dielectric data distribution, particularly after leavening.
• The influence of pressure, temperature, and relative humidity on measurements was excluded.

Conclusions:

• MDS shows potential for monitoring CB dough, with good repeatability before leavening.
• Significant sample variability after leavening presents challenges for consistent industrial application.
• Further statistical evaluation is crucial for optimizing MDS robustness in food production quality control.