QUALITY CONTROL IN COOKIES: ASSURANCE OF FLAVOR AND STANDARD

By Bastak Instruments, MsC. Food Engineer,  Rabia Tiryaki.

Cookies, with their delicate and small structures, diverse flavors, and crispy yet firm textures, resemble a type of bread. However, they fundamentally differ from bread due to variations in fat, sugar, and water proportions. Compared to cakes, cookies differ in water content and dough consistency.

Cookies are one of the most popular snack types due to their availability, widely accepted taste and aroma, and longer shelf life compared to other snacks.

Regardless of size, using the right ingredients is crucial for delivering a high-quality product. The quality and composition of cookie flour significantly determine the appearance and texture of the final product.

Cookie flour, a critical component in cookie production, constitutes 30-40% of the total formula and is essential in producing high-quality cookies. Characterized by its low protein content, cookie flour influences the structure, spreadability, color tone, and texture (hardness, crispness, chewiness, stickiness, and breakability) of the cookies.

The type and amount of flour used in baking directly affect the quality of the finished product. Cookie recipes use distinctively low-protein flours derived from soft wheat.

Choosing the correct flour in cookie production is essential to avoid undesired hardness and chewiness caused by high-protein flour. Therefore, selecting the appropriate cookie flour and maintaining the correct fat-to-sugar ratio is fundamental to quality. As protein content decreases, the structural gluten in the dough also reduces, resulting in softer and more delicate cookies.

Spreadability is a key factor that requires careful consideration in cookie production. For most cookie types, a higher spread ratio is preferred. Spreadability is often associated with the glass transition of wheat proteins during baking. Cookies made with low-protein flours (below 12%) tend to spread more quickly and for a longer duration compared to those made with high-protein flours.

High-quality cookies should be crispy, and brittle, have a broad diameter and appropriate thickness, retain their crispness throughout their shelf life, and exhibit no sugar or fat blooming. The functional properties of gluten play a critical role in achieving these desired characteristics. The diameter and thickness of cookies, along with dough fluidity, are influenced by wheat storage proteins, gluten, and gliadin.

The water absorption capacity of flour significantly impacts the dough and the characteristics of the final product. Using less water may lead to stiff and dry dough, while excess water can make the dough sticky and difficult to process.

In cookie production, the damaged starch content is an important factor as it affects water absorption capacity and alters the dough's consistency. Excessively damaged starch can make the dough sticky and cause shape deformations.  Cookie quality is ensured through the proper quality control of the flour and dough used. Cookie flour, with its low protein content (8-12%), suitable starch damage (7-9%), moisture content (not exceeding 14%), and ash content (0.50-0.65%), determines the spreadability, crispness, and textural characteristics of cookies. While low protein content in flour creates a soft and delicate texture, excessive starch damage can cause the dough to become sticky. Similarly, the spreadability, elasticity, and moisture content (20-25%) of cookie dough directly influence the flavor and texture of the final product.

The elasticity and spreading properties of the dough are closely related to gluten structure and must be optimally controlled. The DA 9000 NIR Analyzer supports these processes by rapidly analyzing the protein, gluten, moisture, and ash values of flour. The Absograph 500 device determines water absorption capacity, contributing to cost and quality control. Additionally, the Bastak Gluten Q-System optimizes gluten quality, and the SDCheq 15000 device accurately measures damaged starch content, ensuring consistency in production. Proper management of these parameters enables the production of cookies that meet consumer expectations in flavor, texture, and shelf life.

Managing the quality parameters of cookie flour and dough effectively directly impacts the flavor, texture, and shelf life of the final product. Analyzing factors such as protein content, gluten quality, starch damage, and moisture provides producers with the opportunity to deliver higher-quality and more consistent products.