The protein quantity in flour is very important. This is the reason that tests like Consistograph and Alveograph exist.
These allow measurement of water absorption, tenacity, elasticity, extensibility and baking strength of the tested flour. It is necessary for all users wishing to control or blend flour to measure the effects of additives or write a specification book.
Mechanical starch damage, caused by the milling process, has a positive effect by notably increasing the water absorption capacity of flour, leading to a better dough yield. But if damage is excessive, the dough becomes sticky, proofing is too strong and crust colour too red.
The new Chopin SDmatic offers a solution to measure starch damage in a very fast, simple and accurate way. This device uses the amperometric method, described by Medcalf and Gilles, and based on the affinity of iodine and starch.
The SDmatic is a fully automatic instrument and produces results in less than 10 minutes. It provides good correlation with all standard enzymatic methods.
The principle is based on the absorption of iodine solution by the damaged starch in a diluted flour suspension. p
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Chopin SAS is based in Villeneuve-la-Garenne, France. www.chopin-sa.com
