Colorimeters Use In The Baking Industry

When Pepperidge Farm installed Minolta Corp's BC-10 Baking Contrast Meters, judging the color of baked goods became a cinch. According to Mike Davis, bakery technologist at Pepperidge Farm, evaluating color by eye isn't as easy as many home bakers might think, in fact, he said it was a big challenge.

Visual color judgements, Davis explains, are affected by factors ranging from plant lighting conditions, the angle of observation and individual perceptions. Before the bakery started using the meter, workres would judge "acceptable color" by comparison with a color photograph of the baked product. Although the photos were taken carefully, with special lighting conditions, Davis says evaluating the actual product was problematic.